Edit · U.S. Presidency and Bureaucracy: Key Concepts and Structures

Head of State

the apolitical, unifying role of the president as symbolic representative of the whole country

Head of Government

the political role of the president as leader of a political party and chief arbiter of who gets what resources

Impeachment

a formal charge by the House that the president (or another member of the executive branch) has committed acts of "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors," which may or may not result in removal from office

Chief Executive

the president's executive role as the head of federal agencies and the person responsible for the implementation of national policy

Commander in Chief

the president's role as the top officer of the country's military establishment

Chief Diplomat

the president's executive role as the primary shaper of relations with other nations

Cabinet

a presidential advisory group selected by the president, made up of the vice president, the heads of the federal executive departments, and other high officials to whom the president elects to give cabinet status

Treaties

formal agreements with other countries; negotiated by the president and requiring approval by two-thirds of the Senate

Executive Agreements

presidential arrangements with other countries that create foreign policy without the need for Senate approva

State of the Union Address

a speech given annually by the president to a joint session of Congress and to the nation announcing the president's agenda

Presidential Veto

a president's authority to reject a bill passed by Congress; may be overridden only by a two-thirds majority in each house

Executive Orders

clarifications of congressional policy issued by the president and having the full force of law

Senatorial Courtesy

the tradition of granting senior senators of the president's party considerable power over federal judicial appointments in their home states

Solicitor General

the Justice Department officer who argues the government's cases before the Supreme Cour

Pardoning Power

a president's authority to release or excuse a person from the legal penalties of a crime

Inherent Powers

presidential powers implied but not stated explicitly in the Constitution

Power to Persuade

a president's ability to convince Congress, other political actors, and the public to cooperate with the administration's agenda

Going Public

a president's strategy of appealing to the public on an issue, expecting that public pressure will be brought to bear on other political actors

Cycle Effect

the predictable rise and fall of a president's popularity at different stages of a term in office

Honeymoon Period

the time following an election when a president's popularity is high and congressional relations are likely to be productive

Legislative Liasion

executive personnel who

work with members of Congress to secure their support in getting a president's legislation passed

Divided Government

the situation that exists when political rule is split between two parties, in which one controls the White House and the other controls one or both houses of Congress

Executive Office of President

the

collection of organizations that help the president with policy and political objectives (

Office of Management and Budget

the organization within the Executive Office of the President that oversees the budgets of departments and agencies

Council of Economic Advisors

the organization within the Executive Office of the President that advises the president on economic matters

National Security Council

the organization within the Executive Office of the President that provides foreign policy advice to the president

White House Office

the more than four hundred employees within the EOP who work most closely and directly with the president

Chief of Staff

the person who oversees the operations of all White House staff and is traditionally expected to control access to the president

Presidential Style

the image that presidents project that represents how they would like to be perceived at home and abroad

Bureaucracy

an organization characterized by hierarchical structure, worker specialization, explicit rules, and advancement by merit

Spoils System

the nineteenth-century practice of firing government workers of a defeated party and replacing them with loyalists of the victorious party

Patronage

a system in which a successful candidate rewards friends, contributors, and party loyalists for their support with jobs, contracts, and favors

Civil Service

nonmilitary employees of the government who are appointed through the merit system

Pendleton Act

the 1883 civil service reform that required the hiring and promoting of civil servants to be based on merit, not patronage

Red Tape

the complex procedures and regulations surrounding bureaucratic activity

Departments

one of the major subdivisions of the federal government, represented in the president's cabinet

Independent Agencies

government organizations independent of the departments but with a narrower policy focus

Independent Regulatory Boards and Commissions

government organizations that regulate various businesses, industries, or economic sectors

Regulations

limitations or restrictions on the activities of a business or an individual

Government Corporations

companies created by Congress to provide to the public a good or service that private enterprise cannot or will not profitably provide

Bureaucratic Discretion

bureaucrats' use of their own judgment in interpreting and carrying out the laws of Congress

Federal Register

he publication containing all federal regulations and notifications of regulatory agency hearings

Whistleblower

individuals who publicize instances of fraud, corruption, or other wrongdoing in the bureaucracy

Agency Capture

process whereby regulatory agencies come to be protective of and influenced by the industries they were established to regulate

Iron Triangles

the phenomenon of a clientele group, congressional committee, and bureaucratic agency cooperating to make mutually beneficial policy

Issue Networks

complex systems of relationships among groups that influence policy, including elected leaders, interest groups, specialists, consultants, and research institutes

Congressional Oversight

efforts by Congress, especially through committees, to monitor agency rule making, enforcement, and implementation of congressional policies

Freedom of Information Act

the 1966 law that allows citizens to obtain copies of most public records