14. The Executive Branch Flashcards
How is the President chosen?
Based on a combanation of the popular vote & the electoral college
What is the electoral college
body that votes to elect president. 538 electors. 1 for each House and Senator (435+100=535 plus 3 for DC)Selection of electors is based on the popular vote
Why did the founding fathers create an indirect system?
Mistrust of the masses. Selection by legislature (elite rule) vs direct election (mob rule) electoral college is a compromise solution
What are the 3 different types of presidental power?
Expressed, delegated, and Informal Powers
What are Expressed Powers?
the power explicitly granted to the President via the Constitution under Article II. Commander & Chief of Armed Forces. Diplomacy(negotiation of treaties sending ambassadors) Grant pardons except for impeachment. Chief Executive Officer (implementation of federal law)Approval of Legislation (veto power)
What are Delegated Powers?
powers originally assigned to 1 branch of government but exercised by another (ie congress transferring power to the president) War Powers Act of 1973 which limits President’s ability to escalate conflicts abroad WITHOUT congress’s approval)
What are informal powers?
powers acquired by the executive that are not explicitly granted by the Constitution OR formally delegated by congress ie setting the legislative agenda and making recs to congress
What is an executive agreement?
a type of foreign treaty that does not require Senate approval (agreements between executive and another country)
What is executive privilege?
the controversial claim that the president has the right to withhold info regarding intra-executive communications from congress & the public (informal power president’s right to privacy)
What are executive orders?
rules & regs issued by the President to members of the executive branch (federal bureaucracy) that carry the force of law. must stay within existing laws & is informal power
What are signing statments?
announcement made by the president when signing legislation into law that provides guidance on how to interpret/implement law. Directing federal agencies to ignore sections of the law. (informal power)
What explains the gradual expansion of federal power?
Buerecratic and regulatory authority. Appointing loyal supports in top positions through the executive and judiciary
What is the bureaucracy?
Non-elected professional gov employees who implement & manage the nation’s laws. ‘4th branch of gov’ federal level part of the executive branch
