AP Government: The Executive Branch Test

Presidential Qualifications

1. Must be at least 35 years old

2. Must be a natural born citizen

3. Must have been a U.S resident for 14 years

22nd Amendment

Prevents the president from serving more than 2 terms, or more than 10 years if he comes into office via succession

Power of the Vice-President

To presume the office of the president and to preside over the Senate

Steps of Impeachment

House impeaches president by majority rule. Senate then acts as court of law in impeachment trials, with the Supreme Court chief presiding.

Executive Privilege

Implied presidential power that allows the president to refuse to disclose info regarding confidential conversations or national security to Congress or the judiciary

US v. Nixon

Ruled that no absolute constitutional executive privilege allows a president to refuse to comply with a court order o produce info needed in a criminal case

Rules of Succession

25th Amendment established the presidential line of succession that starts with the vice-president and ends with the head of the latest executive department created

Appointment Powers

President has the authority to appoint people into public office.

Cabinet

The formal body of presidential advisers who head 15 executive departments. Presidents can add to this body.

Power to Convene

The president has the power to convene in either legislative houses on special occasions

Power to Make Treaties

President can either create or destroy treaties with other nations.

-checked by 2/3 Senate vote on decision

-Senate can also require substantial amendment before approval

Executive Agreements

Formal international agreements entered by the president that don't require the Senate vote

Veto

Constitutional authority of the president to reject bills passed Congress, thus preventing the bill from becoming a law.

Line-Item Veto

Authority of a chief executive to delete part of a bill passed by the legislature that involved taxing or spending. Ruled unconstitutional.

Clinton v. City of the New York

Clinton used line item veto to stop payment of congressionally authorized funds to the city. SC tried this and ruled it unconstitutional

War Powers Resolution

Requires authorization of Congress to deploy troops overseas and limits the time of their deployment

Pardons

Executive grant providing restoration of all rights and privileges of citizenship to a specific and individual charged or convicted of a crime

Inherent Powers

Powers that belong to the president because they can be inferred from the Constitution

Role of the vice-president

Historically, the president would choose a vice-president of opposite ideology to balance out the ticket. He also had no power. Recently, vice-presidents have been chosen by their own party's candidate. They also have been given more power by the president.

Role of the Cabinet

To help the president execute laws and assist him in making decisions.

Role of the First Lady

To act as an informal adviser and to make public contributions to society

Executive Office of the President (EOP)

Mini-bureaucracy created in 1939 to help the president oversee the executive branch bureaucracy.

Role of the White House Staff

Protect the president from making mistakes and help implement policies to obtain maximum advantage to president

Importance of Public Opinion

President needs high approval ratings in order to increase political capital. Presidents usually have highest approval ratings at beginning of term.

Role in Proposing

Without the president or the administration, legislation would be processed very slowly. They must also pass legislation early in the term since their approval ratings are highest.

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Office that prepares the president's annual budget proposal, reviews the budget and programs of the executive departments, supplies economic forecasts and conducts detailed analyses of proposed bills and agency rules.

Executive Order

Rule/regulation issued by president that has the effect of law; must be published in Federal Register

Signing Statement

Occasional written comments attached to a bill signed by the president

Federal Bureacracy

The group of agencies and commissions that implement and administer federal law.

Spoils System

Firing of public-office holders of a defeated political party to replace them with loyalists of newly elected party.

Patronage

Jobs/grants/other favors that are given as rewards to friends and political allies for their support.

Merit System

System of employment based on qualifications rather than party loyalists

Pendleton Act

Established merit system of federal employment on the basis of open, competitive exams and created bipartisan 3-member Civil Service Commision

Civil Service System

Merit system by which federal bureaucrats are selected

Independent regulatory commission

Entity created by Congress outside a major executive department

Bureaucrats

Career gov't employees who work in Cabinet-level departments and independent agencies

-appointive policy-making decisions

-independent regulatory commissioners

-low level, non-policy patronage position

Cabinet Departments

Major administrative units with responsibility for a broad area of gov't operations. Departmental status usually indicates a permanent national interest in a particular governmental function.

Independent Executive Agencies

Governmental units that closely resemble a Cabinet department but have narrower areas of responsibility and perform services rather then regulatory functions.

Independent Regulatory Commisions

Units that impose and enforce laws without the influence of politics

Government Corporations

Businesses established by Congress to perform functions that private business could provide.

Hatch Act

Prohibited federal employees from becoming directly involved in working for political candidates.

Implementation

Process by which a law/policy is put into operation

Iron Triangles

Relationships between congressional committees bureaucratic agencies, and interest groups with the same interest

Issue Networks

loose and informal relationships that exist among a large number of actors who work in broad policy areas

Interagency Councils

Working groups created to facilitate coordination of policy making and implementations across a host of governmental agencies

Policy Coordinating Committees

Subcabinet level committees created to facilitate interactions between agencies and departments to handle complex policy problems

Administrative discretion

Ability of bureaucrats to make choices concerning the best way to implement congressional/executive intentions

Rule making

Quasi-legislative process resulting in regulations that have characteristics of a legislative act.

Regulations

Rules governing the operation of all government programs that have the force of law

Administrative Procedures Act

Requires that 1) public notice of time, place, and nature of the rule-making proceedings be provided in the Federal Register 2) interested parties be given opportunity to submit written arguments/facts relevant to rules 3) statutory purpose and basis of the rule be stated

Administrative Adjudication

Quasi-judicial process in which a bureaucratic agency settles disputes between two parties in a manner similar to the way courts resolve disputes.

Executive Control on Bureaucracy

They can reorganize the bureaucracy with the approval of Congress and can appoint federal officers.

Congressional Control

Authority to create/demolish the power of the bureaucracy, transfer agency functions, and expand/contract bureaucratic discretion. They also have investigatory powers to conduct program evaluations or hold oversight hearings.

Forms of Congressional Oversight

1) Congress sets its own agenda for programs or agencies to review

2) Congressional responses to complaints filed by constituents or the media

Judiciary Control

Ruled that agencies must give all affected individuals their due process rights guaranteed by the Constitution and threaten litigation.

GAO

Government Accountability Office-Congress's bureaucrat to over watch the executive branch and the executive bureaucracy.

Consulates and Embassies

Consulate-smaller diplomatic offices that are found in larger cities and often attract tourists; they help with visas, international law, and ID.

Embassies- large and found in the capital city; work directly with foreign governments

Going Public

President reaching out to public and talk about policies in order to pressure Congress