AP Gov Unit 4 Vocab
Appointment power | the ability of the President to appoint members into his Cabinet |
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Appropriation | the act of Congress allocating a specific sum of money to a government agency/program for a specific purpose |
Bully pulpit | the President’s ability to use their office to influence public opinion and advocate for their agenda |
Bureaucracy | a large complex administrative structure of non-elected officials who implements policies passed by legislative & executive |
Cabinet | a group of high-ranking officials (mostly heads of the 15 depts) who advise the President & run their dept |
Chief diplomat (president) | nation’s spokesperson & foreign policy designer; meets w/ foreign leaders, makes treaties/constructive agreements |
Chief executive (president) | decides the enforcement of U.S. laws; appoints officials, issues exec orders, leader of bureaucracy |
Civil service | civilian workforce that carries out the work of the bureaucracy |
Commander-in-Chief (president) | control’s nation’s armed forces; military orders, requests declarations of war |
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 | reasserted Congress’s constitutional control over the budget by establishing new procedures for controlling impoundments and instituting a formal process where Congress could make their budgetary policies independently of the president |
Congressional Budget Office (CBO) | federal agency within legislative branch that provides budget & econ info to Congress |
Continuing resolution | a joint resolution enacted by Congress to provide budget authority for federal agencies/programs to continue operating in the absence of regular appropriations |
Debt | money that one owes to creditors |
Deficit | spending exceeds revenue; spending more than what is being earned |
Discretionary spending | money in the federal budget that is negotiated over every year |
Entitlement programs | government-sponsored program that guarantees specific benefits to individuals who meet established eligibility requirements |
Executive agreement | binding international agreement between President and another country that allows the president to quickly negotiate & enter deals on foreign policy issues; no Senate approval required; no formal treaty ratification |
Executive branch | enforce/carry out laws; includes the Pres, VP, Bureaucracy |
Executive order | official directives issued by the President that manages operation of federal government |
Executive privilege | power of the President to withhold certain confidential info from legislative & judicial branches; not an absolute right |
Fiscal policy | economy is guided through taxation (federal income, payroll/FICA, corporate income) & spending (mandatory, discretionary) |
Fiscal year | 12-month consecutive period used for bookkeeping/accounting |
Honeymoon period | initial phase of new administration; period of popularity enjoyed by the Pres; |
Impeachment | a charge of misconduct made against holder of public office |
Imperial presidency | significant expansion of presidential power, particularly in foreign policy and national security |
Impoundment | where the president doesn't spend the money appropriated by Congress |
Independent agencies | government organization that operates outside the direct control of executive branch; independent regulatory commissions, gov’t corporations, independent exec agencies |
Interest rate | percentage charged by lenders to borrowers for use of money |
Lame duck period | the final period of the president’s term after election of a successor |
Line item veto | veto power that allows governors (not Pres anymore) to pick and choose certain times to approve within in a bill |
Mandatory spending | money in the federal budget that must be spent by law |
Monetary policy | regulates money supply or amount of $$ in circulation at any given time; goals are to avoid high inflation, high unemployment, economic depression |
Office of Management & Budget (OMB) | part of Executive Office of President; assist in creating federal budget, evaluate effectiveness of agency programs, |
Pardon | legal act of forgiveness granted by the President |
Patronage | giving political favors to political supporters usually in the form of a government/bureaucratic job |
Pocket veto | where the President vetoes a bill by taking no action in the 10-day period and Congress adjourns |
Pork barrel spending | government spending for localized projects or to direct expenditures to a rep’s district |
Red tape | excessive/unnecessary bureaucratic rules, regulations, and procedures within a gov’t that can slow down efficiency & decision-making |
Schedule C job | federal gov’t position that is “excepted”/”exempt” from competitive civil service bc it requires a confidential or policy-determining role |
Sequestration | automatic reduction in gov’t spending that is triggered when Congress fails to meet specific budgetary goals |
Surplus | government’s total revenue collected through taxes exceeds total spending |
Term (president) | 4 year term, can have 2 terms (precedent set by G.W., 22nd amend) |
Veto | power of president to reject a decision/proposal made by Congress |
War Powers Resolution | granted president the right to send forces overseas for 60 days w/o Congressional authorization |
White House staff | group of advisors & support personnel who assist the President |