Government and Economics - Chapter 6 and 7 study guide

Chief Executive

The responsibility to see that the government programs are being carried out and that the laws being passed by congress are being implemented

Commander in Chief

The authority to order troops into action and to call them back home

Foreign Policy Leader

The job of formulating the nation's plans and procedures for dealing with other countries

Party Leader

Takes the lead in shaping and then promoting the party platform and the important issues for which the party stands for

What are the three qualifications to be President?

Be at least 35 years old

Have lived in the country for 14 years

Be a natural - born U.S. citizen

How does the President use their appointment and removal powers as a political tool?

The President uses their appointment and removal powers as a political tool by appointing candidates to fill the top posts in the Executive Branch and removing officials from their posts in their designated positions.

Describe Executive Orders.

Executive Orders are formal rules or regulations that are known for having the force of law that are issued by the President that instruct executive branch officials on how to carry out their jobs.

What is Executive Privilege?

Executive Privilege is the power for presidents to refuse to release information to Congress or a Court.

What is Diplomatic Recognition?

Diplomatic Recognition is the power that the President has to formally recognize the legitimacy of a foreign government.

What Judicial Power (Dealing with judges) does the president have?

The President can deal with judges through the Judicial Power by nominating the people who would become federal judges and justices.

Describe the difference between a pardon and amnesty.

A pardon releases a convicted criminal from having to fulfill a sentence while an amnesty can be offered by the President and grants a group of offenders a general pardon for their offenses that they have committed.

Why does a president appoint a chief of staff?

The President appoints a chief of staff in order to manage the everyday operations of the White House office and to serve as a political advisor who controls all access to the President and assists the President with mapping their political strategy.

What three major duties does the Constitution assign the Vice President?

Presiding over the Senate

Opening and counting the electoral votes in Presidential elections

Serving as the President if the President cannot do their job

How many Executive Departments are there today?

There are 15 Executive Departments today.

The Department of Defense

Tasked with overseeing the US military and is charged with protecting the nation

The Department of Homeland Security

Tasked with preventing further attacks on US soil and managing the border security, transportation, emergency preparedness, etc

The Department of Health and Human Services

Tasked with protecting the health of the American people and also serving as the main federal provider of social services

What are independent agencies? Provide an example of one.

Independent agencies are tasked with managing particular aspects of the Federal Government. An example of an Independent Agency would be the Environmental Protection Agency which works to safeguard the environment.

What are independent regulatory commissions? Provide an example of one.

Independent Regulatory Commissions are commissions that regulate specific areas of the US economy. An example of an Independent Regulatory Commission would be the Nuclear Regulatory Commission which is responsible for regulating all nuclear materials and facilities.

What are government corporations? Provide an example of one.

Government Corporations are corporations that run similar to businesses that provide Americans with a variety of services. An example of a Government Corporation would be Amtrak which is tasked with providing passenger rail services to all areas of the Continental United States.

How does the government pay for its operations, or funds itself?

The government pays for its operations, or funds itself through the usage of income tax, progressive tax, payroll tax, and proportional tax, which the government collects to fund for their operations.