Executive Branch

Question 1

Cabinet

Answer 1

an advisory group chosen by the president to help make decisions and execute laws, total of 15 different departments and the senate gives president the most respect with these selections, responsible for broad areas of government operations

Question 2

Council of Economic Advisors

Answer 2

one of the most important members of the EOP (executive office of the president which helps with advisory and policy making); one of the 15 cabinet departments, basically has 3 members that help the President make policy on inflation, unemployment, and other economic matters

Question 3

Executive Agreement

Answer 3

force of treaty, no congressional approval, easily done

(agreement between the president and the leader of another country to from secret/highly sensitive arrangements without senate approval

Question 4

Executive Privilege

Answer 4

ability to withhold certain information based on “national interest”

(president’s have the right to keep communications private and court agreed that this right exists but can’t be claimed to offer protection against criminal investigation)

Question 5

Impeachment

Answer 5

action by the HOR to accuse the president, vice president or other civil officers of the U.S. of committing “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors” (first step in removing governmental officials from office).

Question 6

Line Item Veto

Answer 6

when there is a threat in the veto, the executive can cancel a specific part (one line) of a bill while signing into law the rest of the bill (doesn’t exist anymore)

Question 7

National Security Council (NSC)

Answer 7

agency in the Executive office of the president that advises the president on national security, military and foreign affairs. Composes of a national security adviser, the president, vice-president, secretaries of state, defense, and treasury (includes the CIA and chair of the joint chiefs of staff to participate)

Question 8

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Answer 8

agency in the executive office of the president that works exclusively for the president and prepares the president’s annual budget proposal, assesses the costs of the proposals, also reviews the progress, budget, and program proposals of the executive department agencies. Predicts what’s happening in the economy and gives analyses of proposed bills and agency rules, helps with budget creation and execution

Question 9

Pocket Veto

Answer 9

Occurs when a bill fails to become a law because the president didn’t sign it within a 10-day period

Question 10

Bully Pulpit

Answer 10

occurs when the president tries to reach out to the public to gain support for their programs. By influencing the public, the President essentially influences congress as the public will influence congress

Question 11

Twenty-fifth Amendment

Answer 11

1) succession of VP if something happens to the president, 2) if there is no VP, president must appoint one, and congress must approve

Question 12

Twenty-second Amendment

Answer 12

limiting to 2 terms a president of the U.S. may serve

Question 13

War Powers Resolution/Act

Answer 13

(1973) a federal law passed that checks the president’s power to commit the U.S. to an armed conflict without the consent of congress

President Nixon bombed Vietnam/Cambodia without telling congress. Limits the president authority to introduce american troops into hostile foreign lands without congressional approval

Question 14

Watergate

Answer 14

a major political scandal that occurred in the U.S. in the 1970s as a result of the June 17, 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters at the Watergate office complex in D.C, and President Richard Nixon’s administration’s attempted cover-up of the break in

Question 15

Bureaucracy

Answer 15

large, complex organization composed of appointed officials, agencies, and institutions that administer federal laws and programs

Question 16

Administrative discretion

Answer 16

authority given by congress to the federal bureaucracy to use reasonable judgement in implementing the laws

ability of bureaucrats to make choices that are the best way to implement congressional or executive intentions and allows decision makers to have a lot of freedom

Question 17

Command and control policy

Answer 17

typical system of regulation whereby government tells business how to reach certain goals, checks that these commands are followed, and punishes offenders (the direct regulation of an industry or activity by legislation that states what is permitted and what is illegal)

Question 18

Deregulation

Answer 18

Limiting the power and lifting government restrictions on business, industry and professional activities

Question 19

Executive orders

Answer 19

formal orders issued by the president to direct action by the federal bureaucracy (has affect of law without congressional approval), must be published in the federal register

Question 20

Governmental corporations

Answer 20

Government organizations established by congress to perform functions that private businesses could provide (ex. U.S. postal service can charge fees for their services)

Question 21

Hatch Act

Answer 21

Prohibited federal employees from becoming directly involved in working for political candidates. ​The law’s purposes are to ensure that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion, to protect federal employees from political coercion in the workplace, and to ensure that federal employees are advanced based on merit and not based on political affiliation.​​​​ ​​

Question 22

Independent executive agencies

Answer 22

a federal agency who specializes in one area that is not part of a cabinet department but reports directly to the president

Resemble Cabinet departments but have narrower areas of responsibility, they can perform services rather than regulatory functions (ex. EPA focuses on protecting the environment)

Question 23

Independent regulatory agency

Answer 23

federal agencies that have been established by congress to have certain amount of independence from the President

Agencies created outside of major departments and regulate economic activity or interest (established by Congress to have a certain amount of independence from the President)

Question 24

Iron triangle/subgovernment

Answer 24

a policy-making alliance that involves a very strong ties among a congressional committee, an interest group, and a federal department or agency -> because of a common goal, these alliances may work to help each other achieve their goals

Question 25

Patronage

Answer 25

Giving jobs, grants, as rewards to friend’s and political allies for their support (ex. spoils system; replacing government jobs with party loyalists)

Question 26

Pendleton Civil Service Act

Answer 26

(1883) an act that created a federal civil service so that hiring and promotion would be based on merit rather than patronage

Law that created a Civil Service Commission and stated that federal employees could not be required to contribute to campaign funds nor be fired for political reasons (got rid of patronage and the spoils system) Would give competitive exams that filled 90% of federal employers (was usually 10%)