vocab #3

Advice and Consent

the role of the Senate to confirm presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts and international treaties.

lame duck presidencey

***elected official whose successor has already been elected or will be soon***

power of the purse

constitutional power of Congress to raise and spend money.

dept of justice

federal department responsible for enforcing federal laws (includes FBI, Civil Rights Division, Antitrust Division, Drug Enforcement Administration...)

nasa

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, an independent executive agency of the United States government responsible for aviation and spaceflight

12th amendment

election of the president and vice president by the electoral college

20 amendment

moved the beginning and ending of the terms of the President and Vice President (from March 4 to January 20, and of members of Congress from March 4 to January 3)

22ns amendment

limits presidents to two terms of office

25th amendment

permits the vice president to become acting president if both the vice president and the president's cabinet determine that the president is disabled (presidential succession)

adjudication

quasi-judicial process that determines if the law was broken

administrative discretion (bureaucratic discretion)

Authority given by Congress to the federal bureaucracy to use reasonable judgment in implementing the laws

ambassadors

the official representative of the US government to another country

AMTRAK

The government-funded passenger rail service that operates in the United States

dept of the treasury

collects taxes, pays bills, prints money, and manages federal debt

appointment power

The authority vested in the president to fill a government office or positions

emergency powers

an inherent power exercised by the president during a period of national crisis

article II

lays out the Executive Branch of the government, headed by the chief executive(president)-responsible for enforcing the laws and outlines the requirements to be president, the election process, and the duties of the office

battleground states

A state that is likely to be so closely fought that the campaigns devote exceptional effort to winning the popular and electoral vote there

bully pulpit

A prominent public position that provides an opportunity to speak out and be listened to

Bureaucracy

A large organization that is structured hierarchically to carry out specific functions

 Bureaucratic  implementation 

the process by which a law or policy is put into operation by the bureaucracy

cabinet

an advisory group selected by the president to aid in making decisions (includes the heads of 15 executive departments and others named by the president)

Cabinet Department (exec departments)

one of the 15 departments of the executive branch (state, treasury, defense, justice, interior, agriculture, commerce, labor, health and human services, homeland security, housing and urban development, education, energy, transportation, and veterans affairs)

Chief Diplomat

the role of the president in recognizing foreign governments, making treaties, and effecting executive agreements

Federal bureaucracy

agencies and the employees of the executive branch of government

Chief Executive

the role of the president as head of the executive branch of government

Chief Legislator

the role of the president in influencing the making of laws

 Civil service (civil servant)

a collective term for the body of employees working for the government (generally, understood to apply to all those who gain government employment through a merit system

∙ Civil service system

A system of hiring and promotion based on the merit principle and the desire to create nonpartisan government service

Coattail Effect

the influence of a popular candidate on the electoral success of other candidate on the same party ticket (increased by the party-column ballot, which encourages straight-ticket voting)

Commander in Chief

the role of the president as supreme commander of the military forces of the US and of the state National Guard units when they are called into federal service

Committee hearings

method by which committee members gather information (business dealt with in hearings may be broadly classified into four types: legislative, oversight, investigative, and consideration of presidential nominations)

Sunshine Act

a law that requires all committee-directed federal agencies to conduct their business regularly in public session

 Sunset legislation

laws requiring that existing programs be reviewed regularly for their effectiveness and be terminated unless specifically extended as a result of these reviews

congressional  authorization

A formal declaration by a legislative committee that a certain amount of funding may be available to an agency

Congressional Budget  Office (CBO)

advises congress on the probable consequences of its decisions, forecasts revenues, and is a counterweight to the president's OMB (office of management and budget)

Congressional override  (veto override)

power to pass legislation over a president's veto with 2/3 majority in both houses

 Congressional oversight

the review, monitoring, and supervision of federal agencies, programs, activities, and policy implementation

Constitutional Power  (formal powers)

a power vested in the president by Article II of the Constitution

Council of Economic  Advisors (CEA)

A group that works within the executive branch to provide advice on maintaining a stable economy

Department of Defense

manages the armed forces, operates military bases, procures weapons systems

Department of Education

administers federal student loan program & federal aid programs to schools (including No Child Left Behind

Department of Homeland security

US federal agency created in 2002 to coordinate national efforts against terrorism

Department of State

Chief executive-branch department responsible for formulation and implementation of U.S. foreign policy

Department of  Transportation

Manages the nations highways, railroads, airlines, and sea traffic

Department of Veterans  Affairs

administers benefit programs for veterans

 Diplomatic recognition

the formal acknowledgement of a foreign government as legitimate

Discretionary authority

The extent to which appointed bureaucrats can choose courses of action and make policies that are not spelled out in advance by laws

electoral college

a group of persons called electors selected by the voters in each state and the District of Columbia that officially elects the president and vice president of the US

electors

a member of the electoral college, which selects the president and vice president (chosen in each presidential election year according to state laws)

National Security Council  (NSC)

an agency in the Executive Office of the President that advises the president on national security

Environmental Protection  Bureau (EPA)

The largest federal independent regulatory agency, created in 1970 to administer much of U.S. environmental protection policy

Executive agreement

an international agreement made by the president, without senatorial ratification, with the head of a foreign state

Executive order

a rule or regulation issued by the president that has the effect of law (can implement and give administrative effect to provisions in the Constitution, to treaties, and to statutes)

Executive privilege 

the right of executive officials to withhold information from or to refuse to appear before a legislative committee

Expressed powers

a power of the president that is expressly written into the Constitution or into statutory law

Federal Bureau of  Investigation (FBI)

The branch of the Department of Justice responsible for investigating violations of federal law

federal elections commission (FEC)

A six member bipartisan agency that administers campaign finance laws and enforces compliance with their requirements

federal register

An official document, published every weekday, which lists the new and proposed regulations of executive departments and regulatory agencies

federalist 70

under the Articles of Confederation our government had no strong executive and that the Constitution remedied that by creating a strong Presidency in Article II of the Constitution (Hamilton- need a vigorous executive)

government corporation

an agency of government that administers a quasi-business enterprise (used when activities are primarily commercial)

government in the sunshine act

a law that requires all committee-directed federal agencies to conduct their business regularly in public session

hatch act

an act passed in 1939 that restricted the political activities of government employees

head of state

the role of the president as ceremonial head of the government

honeymoon period

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

impeachment

an action by the House of Representatives to accuse the president, vice president, or other civil officers of the US of committing "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors"

imperial presidency

President is seen as emperor taking strong actions without consulting Congress or seeking its approval

independent executive agency (agencies)

a federal agency that is not part of a Cabinet department but reports directly to the president

independent regulatory agency (commission)

an agency outside the major executive departments charged with making and implementing rules and regulations

informal presidential powers

powers not specifically stated in const (The power to go public, power of persuasion, make executive agreements, issue executive orders, issue signing statements, create and use bureaucracy, personality and leadership, and make legislative proposals)

inherent powers

a power of the president derived from the statements in the Constitution that "the executive Power shall be vested in a President" and that the president should "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed"; defined through practice rather than through law

iron triangle

the three-way alliance among legislators, bureaucrats, and interest groups to make or preserve policies that benefit their respective interests

issue network

a group of individuals or organization that support a particular policy position on a given issue

kitchen cabinent

the informal advisers to the president

legislative veto

The rejection of a presidential or administrative action by a vote of one or both houses of Congress without the consent of the president

line item veto

the power of an executive to veto individual lines or items within a piece of legislation without vetoing the entire bill

linkage institutions

political channels through which people's concerns become political issues on the policy agenda

merit system

the selection, retention, and promotion of government employees on the basis of competitive examinations

office of management and budget (omb)

a division of the Executive Office of the President that assists the president in preparing the annual budget, clearing and coordinating departmental agency budgets, and supervising the administration of the federal budget

office of personnel management (omp)

an independent agency of the United States government that manages the civil service of the federal government

pardon

The granting of a release from the punishment or legal consequences of a crime (can be granted by the president before or after a conviction)

patronage

Granting favors or giving contracts or making appointments to office in return for political support

pendleton act (civil service reform act)

an act that established the principle of employment on the basis of merit and created the Civil Service Commission to administer the personnel service

pocket veto

a special veto exercised by the chief executive after a legislative body has adjourned (bills not signed by the chief executive die after a specified period of time, if Congress wishes to reconsider such a bill, it must be reintroduced in the following session of Congress)

policy agenda

A set of issues and problems that policy makers consider important

policy tsar

a high-ranking member of the Executive Office of the President appointed to coordinate action in one specific policy area

political machine

a party organization that recruits members by dispensing patronage

proportional system

An election system in which each party running receives the proportion of legislative seats corresponding to its proportion of the vote

quasi-legislative

a characteristic of independent regulatory agencies that gives them legislative powers to issue regulations

quasi-judicial

a characteristic of independent regulatory agencies that gives them judicial power to interpret regulations they create and sometimes sanction those who are not in compliance

red tape

complex bureaucratic rules and procedures that must be followed to get something done

reprieve

a formal postponement of the execution of a sentence imposed by a court of law

rule making

a quasi-legislative administrative process that has the characteristics of a legislative act

securities and exchange commission (sec)

Federal agency that has responsibility for regulating the various stock exchanges

signing statement

a written declaration that a president may make when signing a bill into law (usually, such statements point out sections of the law that the president deems unconstitutional)

spoils system

the awarding of government jobs to political supporters and friends

state of the union address

an annual message to Congress in which the president proposed a legislative program (not only addressed to Congress but also to the American people and to the world)

statutory powers

a power created for the president through laws enacted by Congress

The Cabinet

A body of persons appointed by a head of state or a prime minister to head the executive departments of the government and to act as official advisers.

US postal service

an independent federal agency that provides mail processing and delivery service for individuals and businesses in the United States