AP U.S. Government: The Presidency and the Federal Bureaucracy

Flashcards reviewing key terms and concepts related to the executive branch, presidential powers, constitutional amendments, and the federal bureaucracy.

What is gridlock in government?

The inability of the government to act because opposing parties control different parts of the government and cannot agree on a course of action.

What is a formal power of the president?

Authority given to the president that is specifically mentioned in the Constitution.

What is an informal power of the president?

Authority given to the president that is not specifically mentioned in the Constitution.

What is an executive order?

A directive that carries the weight of law that is given by the president without the consent of Congress.

What is an executive agreement?

A pact between the president and the head of a foreign nation that, unlike treaties, does not require Senate consent and may only last for the duration of a president’s term.

What is a treaty?

A formal, public agreement between the United States and one or more nations that must be approved by two-thirds of the Senate.

What is the president's Cabinet?

The heads of the fifteen executive branch departments that also serve as advisors to the president.

What is the bully pulpit?

The president’s use of his position and visibility to guide or influence the American public.

What is the State of the Union?

An annual address given by the president to Congress in which the president outlines his legislative agenda.

What is executive privilege, and which Supreme Court case clarified its limitations?

The president’s ability to keep certain communications private. United States v. Nixon clarified its limitations.

What restrictions does the 22nd Amendment place on the presidency?

This provision of the Constitution limits presidential terms to two, not to exceed $10$ years.

What process is established by the 25th Amendment?

This provision of the Constitution states the process for presidential succession and disability.

What is a presidential veto?

The presidential power to deny a bill passed by Congress.

What is a pocket veto?

When a bill fails to become law, because the president did not sign it within $10$ days before Congress adjourned.

What is a line-item veto, and who is allowed to use it?

The power to cancel specific dollar amounts within a bill. While the Supreme Court has ruled presidents may not use these, state governors still can.

What is a signing statement?

Issued by the president after passing a bill into law; reveals what the president thinks of a new law and how it ought to be enforced.

What is impeachment?

The constitutional process of bringing charges against a government official.

What is a pardon?

Official forgiveness of a crime.

What is a lame duck?

An official still in office after he or she has lost a bid for re-election or has reached his/her term limit.

What is congressional oversight?

The authority of Congress to conduct hearings, investigations, and budget reviews regarding the actions executive branch.

What is a bureaucracy?

A large, complex organization composed of appointed officials.

What is the function of the Executive Office of the President?

The part of the executive branch that supports the president in his responsibilities, from security to trade.

What is the role of the White House Staff?

Personnel who run day-to-day operations in the White House and advise the president.

What are executive departments?

$15$ large agencies of the federal government that carry out laws and regulate within their respective areas. Each is headed by a secretary.

What are independent regulatory commissions?

Agencies that are responsible for monitoring large government sectors, such as the Federal Reserve, and are not subject to control by either Congress or the President.

What are government corporations?

A government agency that carries out business-like functions, such as the US Postal Service.

What is the role of the Office of Management and Budget?

This part of the bureaucracy helps the president prepare the budget for the fiscal year.

What is discretionary authority (bureaucratic discretion)?

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

What is the civil service?

The part of the government that fulfills the daily functions of the bureaucracy. These government workers are hired on the basis of merit.

What is the merit system?

Procedure of hiring and promoting government employees on the basis of their abilities and competence rather than political favors.

What was the significance of the Pendleton Act?

The law that created a merit-based system for the hiring of members of the civil service.

What is an iron triangle?

A mutually beneficial relationship between an agency, a congressional committee, and an interest group.

What is an issue network?

A link of policy experts, interest groups, think tanks, congressional staff members, media pundits, etc. who regularly debate an issue.

What is an appropriation?

A legislative grant of money to finance a government program or agency.

What is regulation?

The use of government authority to control or change business practices in the private sector.