Chapter 12 Vocab: The Presidency: Leading the Nation Flashcards
Chief executive
The constitutional role that assigns the president responsible for executing the laws and administering the executive branch.
Commander in chief
The constitutional role that places the president in charge of the nation’s armed services.
Chief diplomat
The constitutional role that assigns the president responsibility for relations with other countries.
Head of state
The largely ceremonial role whereby the president serves as a representative of the country (a role that in Great Britain, for example, is exercised by the monarch).
Chief legislator
The constitutional role that gives the president authority to recommend legislative measures to Congress and to assess the state of the Union.
Limited presidency theory
A theory that prevailed in the nineteenth century and held that the presidency was a limited or restrained office whose occupant was confined to expressly granted constitutional authority. (See also “stewardship theory”)
Stewardship theory
A theory that argues for a strong, assertive presidential role, with presidential authority limited only at points specifically prohibited by law. (See also “Whig (limited presidency) theory”)
Executive Office of the President (EOP)
The EOP includes a number of units, including the White House Office (WHO), Office of Management and Budget (OMB), National Security Council (NSC), National Economic Council (NEC), which are staffed by political and policy experts to assist the president on policy issues and management of the executive branch.
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.
Bully pulpit
A term referring to the communication platform provided the president as a result of being the center of national attention.
Permanent campaign
The use by recent presidents of campaign-style methods, such as polls and mass rallies, on an ongoing basis in an effort to bolster their public support.
Presidential approval rating
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 veto an act of Congress. A veto can only be overridden by a two-thirds vote of the House and Senate.
Party leaders
The members of the House and Senate who are chosen by the Democratic or Republican caucus in each chamber to represent the party’s interests in that chamber and who give some central direction to the chamber’s work.
Executive order
A presidential directive on how a law is to be interpreted or administered. An executive order must be based on an existing law and cannot violate any provision of the law.
