Unit 2B ap gov

Article II

Outlines the executive branch

Grounds for Impeachment

-Impeachable behavior does not have to be a crime;

-The offense should be grave

-A matter of policy disagreement is not grounds for impeachment

-Impeachment is an inherently  political process

“Lame-Duck” President

A president about to leave office

War Powers Resolution

A law passed in 1973, in reaction to American fighting in Vietnam and Cambodia, that requires presidents to consult w/ Congress whenever possible prior to using military force & to w/draw forces after 60 days unless Congress declares war or grants an extension. (presidents find this unconstitutional and don't follow this)

Legislative Veto

A vote in Congress to override a presidential decision. Although the War Powers Resolution asserts this authority, if challenged, the Supreme Court would find the legislative veto in violation of the doctrine of separation of powers

Veto

The constitutional power of the president to send a bill back to Congress w/ reasons for rejecting it. A ⅔ vote in each house can override a veto

Pocket Veto

A type of veto occurring when Congress adjourns w/in 10 days of submitting a bill to the president & the president simply lets the bill die by neither signing nor vetoing it

Commander-in-chief

President; the person who exercises supreme command & control over an armed force/military branch

Executive Order

Regulations originating in the executive branch that carry the force of law and are used to implement statutes, treaties, and provisions of the Constitution; controls bureaucracy

The Cabinet

A group of presidential advisors not mentioned in the Constitution, although every president has had one. Composed of 14 secretaries, the attorney general, & others designated by the president

Federalist #70

Alexander Hamilton discusses the importance of having a single person in the executive branch, one who is able to make quick decisions and is energetic

Twentieth Amendment

If the president dies in the beginning of term, the Vice President will become president

Twenty-Second Amendment

Ratified in 1951, this amendment limits presidents to two terms of office

Twenty-Fifth Amendment

Ratified in 1967, this amendment permits the vice president to become acting president if VP and cabinet determine that the president is disabled, & it outlines how a recuperated president can reclaim the job

Bully Pulpit

Communicating with the American people through media coverage

National Security Council (NSC)

The committee that links the president’s foreign & military policy advisers. Its formal members are the president, vice president, secretary of state, secretary of defense, & is managed by the president's national security assistant.

Council of Economic Advisors (CEA)

A three-member body appointed by the president to advise the president on economic policy

Office of Management & Budget (OMB)

An office that prepares the president’s budget & also advises presidents on proposals from departments & agencies & helps review their proposed regulations

Independent Regulatory Agencies

Federal Agencies created by an act of Congress that are independent of the executive department

Government Corporations

A government organization that, like business corporations, provides a service that could be delivered by the private sector & typically charges for its services. (ex: USPS)

Iron Triangles

Also known as “subgovernments,” a mutually dependent, mutually advantageous relationship between bureaucratic agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees/subcommittees. Dominates areas of domestic policy making

Patronage

One of the key inducements used by party machines. A patronage job, promotion, or contract is one that is given for political reasons rather than for merit or competence alone

Civil Service System

A system of hiring & promotion based on the merit principle and the desire to create a nonpartisan government service

Merit System

The idea that hiring should be based on entrance exams & promotion rating to produce administration by people w/ talent & skill

Pendleton Civil Service Act (1883)

 Passed in 1883, an act that created a federal civil service so that hiring & promotion would be based on merit rather than patronage

Hatch Act (1939)

A federal law prohibiting government employees from active participation in partisan politics while on duty or for employees in sensitive positions at any time

Discretionary Authority

An agency’s ability to decide whether or not to take certain courses of action when implementing existing laws

Rule-Making Authority

An agency’s ability to make rules that affect how programs operate, and to force states & corporations to obey these rules as if they were laws

Red Tape

Complex bureaucratic rules and procedure that must be followed to get something done

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

The largest federal independent regulatory agency, created in 1970 to administer much of U.S. environmental protection policy

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

Created to police the stock market

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Charged w/ licensing radio & TV stations & regulating their programming in the public interest as well as w/ regulating interstate long-distance telephone rates, cable television, & the Internet

Presidential Policy Agenda

the Administration's roadmap for ensuring an equitable, effective, and accountable Federal Government

Formal Presidential Power

specific grants of authority defined in the Constitution or in law

Informal Presidential Power

powers of the governor not derived from constitutional or statutory law

Executive Privilege

An implied presidential power that allows the president to refuse to disclose information regarding confidential conversations or national security to Congress or the judiciary

Signing Statements

A written declaration that a president may make when signing a bill into law. Usually, such statements point out sections of the law that the president deems unconstitutional

State of the Union Address

An annual address to Congress in which the president proposes a legislative program. The message is addressed not only to Congress, but also to the American people and to the world

White House Chief of Staff

The person who is named to direct the White House Office and advise the president

White House Press Secretary

senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as spokesman for the United States government administration, especially with regard to the president, senior executives, and policies

White House Office

The cluster of presidential staff agencies that help the president carry out his responsibilities. Currently the office includes the Office of Management and Budget, the Council of Economic Advisers, and several other units

Federal Bureaucracy

responsible for implementing, administering, and enforcing policies, laws, and regulations at the federal level

Cabinet Departments

State, Treasury, Defense, Justice, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Health and human services, Housng and urban development, Transportation, Energy, Education, Veterans affairs, Homeland security

Issue Networks

an alliance of various interest groups and individuals who unite in order to promote a single issue in government policy

Spoils System

A system of public employment based on rewarding party loyalists and friends

Bureaucratic Implementation

the process of putting a law into practice through bureaucratic rules or spending