U.S. Government : Executive Branch

chief of state

presidential role of being the ceremonial head of the United States

chief executive

presidential role given by the Constitution that invests the office with broad enforcement powers

chief of state

presidential role of being the ceremonial head of the United States

chief executive

presidential role given by the Constitution that invests the office with broad enforcement powers

chief administrator

presidential role of being the director of the Federal Government

chief diplomat

presidential role of being the main architect of America's foreign policy

commander in chief

presidential role given by the Constitution that gives the office direct control of the nation's military

chief legislator

presidential role of being the main architect of public policy

chief of party

presidential role of being the leader of the political party that controls the executive branch

chief citizen

presidential role of being the representative of all the people

presidential succession

the scheme by which a presidential vacancy is filled

electoral college

the group of people from each State and the District of Columbia who select the President and the Vice President

presidential primary

an election in which a party's voters chose some or all of a State's delegates to their party's national convention and/or express a preference among various contenders for their party's presidential nomination

national conventions

the meetings at which the delegates vote to pick their presidential and vice- presidential candidates

platform

a formal statement of a political party's basic principles and stands on major policy issues

keynote address

partisan speech delivered at a national convention that sets the stage for the naming of a party's presidential and vice-presidential candidates

imperial presidency

term used to describe the growth of power of the U.S. presidency

executive order

directive issued by the President that has the power of law

treaty

formal agreement between two or more soverign states

executive agreement

a pact between the President and the head of a foreign state that does not need consent of the Senate

recognition

the power of the President to acknowledge the legal existence of a foreign state and its government

veto power

the power of the President to reject a bill that has passed both houses of Congress

State of the Union Address

speech delivered to a joint session of Congress that fulfills the President's constitutional requirement found in Article II, Section 3

reprieve

the postponement of the execution of a sentence

pardon

legal forgiveness of a crime

clemency

granting mercy or leniency to a convict

commutation

reducing the length of a sentence

amnesty

a blanket pardon to a group of law violators

bureaucracy

large, complex administrative structure that handles the everyday business of an organization

staff agencies

serve the executive branch in a support capacity

line agencies

perform the tasks for which the organization exists

Executive Office of the President

the umbrella agency composed most of the President's closest advisors and assistants from the several agencies in the executive branch

federal budget

the detailed plan of revenues and expenditures submitted by the President to the Congress

fiscal year

the 12-month period used by government and business for financial management ( October 1-September 30 for the Federal Government )

executive departments

the traditional units of federal administration

secretary

title given to all but one of the heads of the executive departments

attorney general

title give to the head of the Department of Justice

Cabinet

an informal advisory body brought together by the President to serve his needs

independent agencies

government agencies created by Congress outside of the executive departments

executive agencies

independent agencies that serve the administrative and policy needs of the government

regulatory commissions

independent agencies that police important aspects of the nation's economy

government corporations

independent agencies set up by Congress to carry out business-like activities

civil service

civilian employees who perform the administrative work of government

20th amendment

Inauguration Day

22nd amendment

Limited the election of the president to two terms

25th amendment

Vacancy in presidency