President Vocabulary ID's (APGOV)

Executive Agreements

-Who: The President (Executive Branch), Department of State, and working with foreign leaders

-What: Executive Agreements are (formal) international agreements made by the President with foreign leaders of governments that do not require Senate approval. (unlike formal treaties)

-When: It has been used throughout US history, but mostly used because Presidents are trying to have faster foreign policy actions.  (common after WW2)

-Where: negotiated by the executive branch and carried out through the State Department in Washington DC, and foreign nations 

-Significance: Executive agreements allow the President to conduct foreign policy efficiently without the Senate's approval, which takes a while. It expands presidential power in foreign policy, and raises separation of powers with Congress’s constitutional role. 

Independent Agency

-Who: Created by Congress(legislative branch), but they operate independently from the executive branch (President)

-What: Independent agencies perform specific functions not part of the presidential control/cabinet department, the President appoints the leaders and are confirmed by the Senate, but they operate more independently.

-When: established during the 20th century as the federal government expanded its functions 

-Where: Washington DC, operates under the federal government and can be nationwide depending on the agency’s mission

-Significance: Independent agencies are able to put forth public services and stability in the government without the influence of politics, president's control, and to ensure checks and balances to the President and the executive branch itself.

Iron Triangle

-Who: Congress in committees or subcommittees, bureaucratic agencies, and interest groups 

-What: An iron triangle is a stable relationship between the three (congressional committees, bureaucratic agencies, and interest groups) that help each other to shape policy outcomes to benefit their interests  

-When: during the mid-20th century as the federal bureaucracy and interest groups expanded

-Where: Washington DC, where federal policymaking and lobbying happens

-Significance: Iron Triangles show how this group supports the interests of each other, rather than of the general public. They can increase efficiency in policymaking, but could lead to corruption and inefficiency in government. (reduces accountability in the executive branch)

Government Corporation

-Who: Created by Congress but are ran by the Executive Branch

-What: Government corporations are government-owned businesses that provide services that could be provided by the private sector, but are needed by the public. They charge for their services, but are not profit-driven.

-When: established during the 20th century - during the New Deal era

-Where: operates across the US under federal authority 

-Significance: Government corporations provide public services with the efficiency of private sectors. They allow the government to deliver important services like mail or transportation that is needed to maintain public access and accountability. (might not be profitable for private companies)

Executive Office of the President (EOP)

-Who: created to and directed by the President (Executive Branch) like the NSC and OMB

-What: The executive office of the president provides advice to assist the President in implementing policies, managing the executive branch, and communication with Congress and the public.

-When: established in 1939 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR)

-Where: located in the West Wing (White House) and nearby offices in Washington DC

-Significance: The EOP strengthens the President’s ability to manage effectively by providing support that makes the administration run smoothly. It allows the president to have direct control on the executive branch (and with domestic and foreign affairs), and raises concerns of concentrated decision-making without checked powers.

Executive Privilege

-Who: President of the US and members of the Executive Branch

-What: Executive privilege is the president’s right to withhold information from Congress, the courts, or the public to protect national security or confidential information

-When: first used by George Washington, but famously challenged in the Watergate scandal (US v. Nixon in 1974)

-Where: Washington DC: interactions between the Executive, Congress, and the judiciary

-Significance: Executive privilege protects important executive information, but it is limited by the checks from the judicial branch, saying that it exists but not absolute, like trying to use it to cover a wrongdoing. (reinforcing accountability in government) (Supreme Court making Nixon release the Watergate tapes)

State of the Union Address

-Who: Delivered by the President to Congress and the American people

-What: State of the Union address is an annual speech outlining the President’s legislative agenda, national priorities, and policy goals (administration plans to the public and Congress)

-When: given annually, around in late January or early February

-Where: delivered in the US Capitol before both houses of Congress; founded in Article 2, Section 3 of the Constitution

-Significance: State of the Union Address is a formal check between the executive and legislative branches to act, it also allows the President to shape the national policy agenda, and be transparent to the public about their administration's priorities.

Office of Management and Budget

-Who: Part of the Executive Office of the President 

-What: The OMB assists the President in preparing the federal budget, oversees executive agencies performance, and makes sure that executive policies are aligned with the President’s goals. 

-When: created in 1970, replacing the Bureau of the Budget

-Where: located in Washington DC, Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House

-Significance: The OMB is an important part of the EOP that allows the President to make decisions on the nation’s priorities and executive agency performances. This is a tool for the President to make sure that they are in agreement with their own priorities and maintain checks over the spending across the federal government.

“Take Care” Clause

-Who: President of the US

-What: The take care clause requires the President to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed” according to the Constitution

-When: written during the drafting in 1787 of the Constitution 

-Where: Article 2, Section 3 ; applies to all federal government actions throughout the US

-Significance: The take care clause makes sure that the President’s duty is to enforce laws passed by Congress, but they have the power in HOW the laws are enforced. It limits the President from ignoring or picking which laws to enforce, which shows the separation of powers.

Independent Regulatory Commission

-Who: created by Congress but operate independently from the executive branch

-What: The independent regulatory commissions are agencies responsible for creating and enforcing rules to protect public interest in things like the environment and finance. They operate independently from presidential control and cannot be easily removed by the president as they serve fixed terms. 

-When: creating during the Progressive and New Deal Era to regulate the growing economy

-Where: operates nationally, but headquartered in Washington DC

-Significance: The independent regulatory commission balances public and private interests by limiting industry abuses while being separate from political pressure. They follow the rule of law in economic and social policy, and possibly face criticism for being held unaccountable. (or too independent)