Presidency Terms

President of the United States (POTUS)

The head of the executive branch of the federal government.

Veto

Ability of the president to reject a bill passed by Congress.

Pocket veto

Passive veto that occurs when the president does not formally sign or veto a bill and Congress is no longer in session when the president’s deadline to do so expires.

Commander-in-Chief

Title used to describe the president’s role as the head of the military.

Executive agreements

Formal international agreements between the president and foreign leaders that do not require ratification by the Senate; can be rescinded by future presidents.

Executive order

Formal directive issued by the president outside of the legislative process pursuant to the president’s power to execute and enforce the laws; can be rescinded by future presidents.

Signing statement

Informal declaration issued by the president when he or she signs a bill into law that indicates the president’s reasons for signing the bill or plans for implementing it.

Articles of Confederation

Document that first established the federal government of the United States; in effect from 1781 to 1789, prior to the ratification of the current Constitution.

Federalist 70

An article defending the decision to grant the executive power to a single official by creating the office of the presidency; published as part of The Federalist Papers, a collection of essays written in support of the Constitution.

Term limits

Limitations on the maximum number of terms, or sometimes years, that an elected official may hold the same office.

Twenty-Second Amendment

Constitutional amendment that imposes a two-term limit on the office of the presidency; ratified in 1951.

Line-item veto

Ability of the president to reject specific provisions of a bill while signing others into law; currently not a recognized power.

Bully pulpit

Term coined by Theodore Roosevelt to describe the president’s ability to advocate for his or her policy agenda as a result of his or her unique position as the sole executive officer at the head of the federal government.