Executive Branch Flashcards
Cabinet
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
Council of Economic Advisors
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
Executive Agreement
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
Executive Privilege
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)
Impeachment
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).
Line Item Veto
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)
National Security Council (NSC)
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)
Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
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
Pocket Veto
Occurs when a bill fails to become a law because the president didn’t sign it within a 10-day period
Bully Pulpit
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
Twenty-fifth Amendment
1) succession of VP if something happens to the president, 2) if there is no VP, president must appoint one, and congress must approve
Twenty-second Amendment
limiting to 2 terms a president of the U.S. may serve
War Powers Resolution/Act
(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
Watergate
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
Bureaucracy
large, complex organization composed of appointed officials, agencies, and institutions that administer federal laws and programs
Administrative discretion
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
Command and control policy
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)
Deregulation
Limiting the power and lifting government restrictions on business, industry and professional activities
Executive orders
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
Governmental corporations
Government organizations established by congress to perform functions that private businesses could provide (ex. U.S. postal service can charge fees for their services)
Hatch Act
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.
Independent executive agencies
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)
Independent regulatory agency
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)
Iron triangle/subgovernment
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
Patronage
Giving jobs, grants, as rewards to friend’s and political allies for their support (ex. spoils system; replacing government jobs with party loyalists)
Pendleton Civil Service Act
(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%)
