POLS unit 10 key concepts and terms

Bully pulpit

The term refers to a platform offered to the president from which to shape the nation’s agenda.

Cabinet

A group consisting of the heads of the (cabinet) executive departments, who are appointed by the president, subject to confirmation by the Senate. The cabinet was once the main advisory body to the president but no longer plays this role.

Chief diplomat

The president’s role of chief diplomat rests largely on provisions granting the president the power to “appoint” and “receive” ambassadors

Chief executive

The president’s role prescribed by the constitution as the duty to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed, and shall commission all the officers of the United States.”

Chief legislator

This role of the president is found largely in the provision that says the president can “recommend” measures to Congress and inform it on the “state of the Union.”

Commander in chief

The constitution prescribes that the president “shall be commander in chief,” which applies to the authority over the nation’s armed forces

Executive agreements

These are formal agreements that presidents make on their own with foreign nations.

Executive Office of the President

The key staff organization created by Congress in 1939 to provide the president with the staff necessary to coordinate the activities of the executive branch.

Executive order

This is a presidential directive that implements or interprets a law passed by Congress.

Head of government

The term used to describe a country’s highest-ranking executive official. 

Head of state

The term refers to the president’s ceremonial role as representative of the government.

Honeymoon period

The president’s first months in office, a time when Congress, the press, and the public are more inclined than usual to support presidential initiatives.

Limited presidency (Whig) theory

The 19th-century conception of the presidency holds that the presidency is a constrained office with important duties that are largely administrative.

Party leader

As their party’s highest elected official, presidents are their party’s chief policy advocate. 

Permanent campaign

This is a presidents’ efforts to maintain public support, blurring the line between campaigning and governing.

Presidential approval ratings

A measure of the degree to which the public approves or disapproves of the president’s performance in office.

Presidential veto

The power of the president to reject an act of Congress.  A veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote of the U.S. House and Senate.

Stewardship theory

A theory that argues for a strong, assertive presidential role, with presidential authority limited only at points specifically prohibited by law.