Executive power Flashcards
undertaking
engagement
“The President of the United States enjoys almost royal prerogatives which he has no
chance of exercising and those rights which he can at present use are very circumscribed.
The laws enable him to be strong; circumstances keep him weak’’.
Alexis de Tocqueville, 1835 Democracy in America
to ensure
garantir
threat
menace
the constitutional pecking order
la hiérarchie constitutionnelle
“the President claims the silences of the
Constitution”
Richard Pious
to curtail
réduire
fate
destin
expedient
opportun
misdemeanor
délit
bribery
corruption
trial
procès
impeachment
mise en accusation
remove from office
= démettre de ses fonctions
This is the final outcome of the impeachment process. After a
President has been impeached by a simple majority of the House of Representatives and
convicted by 2/3 of the Senate, he/she can no longer serve the rest of his/her term.
Administration
in the US= the federal political executive, +/- the White House / the
government
Advice and Consent
procedure whereby the US Senate approves or disapproves of
presidential executive and judicial nominations as well as of treaties signed by the President
(by a two-thirds vote for treaties). !!! advice is a noun, the verb would be to advise
Agenda
here, a list of bills or matters to be voted upon. In general, a list of things/matters
to be done or acted upon !!! faux-ami # a diary=un agenda
Appoint
to assign to a position or office
Bully pulpit
a position of authority or public visibility, especially a political office, from
which one may express one’s views. A pulpit= a platform + to bully= to intimidate, browbeat
Commander-in-chief
the head of the US armed forces (a civilian)
Concur
agree with. concurrence= noun + concurrent=adjective !!! faux-amis #
competition, competitor…
Convene
summon, convoke
Eligibility
when one meets the requirements to be chosen for…Here, when one is legally
qualified to be elected or appointed to office
enforce a law
put or keep in force
executive branch
the second of the three federal branches of the federal government to be
listed in the Constitution. It is responsible, among other things, for executing the law,
proposing policy and serving as the head of the US armed forces
Executive Order
an order having the force of law issued by the President of the U.S.
to the army, navy, or another part of the executive branch of government
Executive Privilege
power sometimes claimed by presidents or members of the executive,
which consists in refusing to disclose information (to Congress, the judiciary, etc.) if disclosure
would impede the decision-making process and good functioning of the executive. The
Supreme Court recognized the existence of such a right in US v. Nixon in 1974.
Nominate
suggest a candidate for a specific office/position
Pardon
release from punishment for an offense - Presidency: cf. the executive
branch
recess
when one house or both houses of Congress are not sitting/are
on a break or vacation
reprieve
respite from an impending punishment
Signing statement
whenever the President signs a bill into law, he/she sometimes
adds a statement to specify his/her understanding of the law and how it will be implemented.
These are often controversial since they have sometimes been used to disrespect the will and
intent of Congress.
State of the Union Speech
an annual address delivered in Congress by the President
at the beginning of a session (in January) to outline his/her legislative agenda and national
priorities
Veto
: oppose the passage of a bill (refuse to sign it into law).
