Waples, American Government: Stories of a Nation for the AP® Course, 2E, Chapter 5

executive branch

the institution responsible for carrying out laws passed by the legislative branch.

formal (or enumerated) powers

powers expressly granted in the Constitution.

informal powers

powers not laid out in the Constitution but used to carry out presidential duties.

presidential pardon

presidential authority to release individuals convicted of a crime from legal consequences and to set aside punishment for a crime.

executive privilege

a right claimed by presidents to keep certain conversations, records, and transcripts confidential from outside scrutiny, especially scrutiny by Congress.

executive agreement

an agreement between a president and another nation that does not have the same durability as a treaty but does not require Senate ratification.

signing statement

written comments issued by presidents while signing a bill into law that usually consist of political statements or reasons for signing the bill but that may also include a president’s interpretation of the law itself.

executive order

the informal power of the president to issue policy directives that do not require congressional approval.

treaty

an agreement with a foreign government negotiated by the president and requiring a two-thirds vote in the Senate to ratify.

State of the Union Address

the annual speech given by the president to Congress on the state of national affairs.

veto

constitutional power of a president to formally reject a bill passed by Congress, sending it back with objections.

pocket veto

an informal veto that occurs when the president chooses not to sign a bill within ten days, during a time when Congress has adjourned at the end of a session.

Impeachment

the process of removing a president or other officeholder from office; articles of __________ of a federal officeholder are issued by a majority vote in the House of Representatives, followed by a trial in the Senate, with a two-thirds vote necessary to convict and remove.

Executive Office of the President (EOP)

a collection of offices within the White House organization designed mainly to provide information to the president.

bargaining and persuasion

an informal tool used by the president to persuade members of Congress to support the administration’s policy initiatives.

bully pulpit

presidential appeals to the public to pressure other branches of government to support the president’s policies.