Unit 2 , Chapter 5 Terms (Executive Branch) Flashcards
Presidential Requirements
Natural born citizen
35 years of age at the time of taking office
Lived in US for the last 14 years
Presidential Elections
Elected by the electoral college (# of congressional delegates)
Most states allocate votes in winner take all system
Ties in the E.C. go to the House of Representative
22nd Amendment
Limits president to two terms
President Formal / Informal Powers
Chief of State - Ceremonial and symbolic functions
Chief Executive - Enforce all federal laws (lead executive agencies)
Commander in Chief - Commands and controls armed forces (can’t declare war)
Chief Diplomat - Receives diplomats and is leader for foreign policy
Chief Legislator - Recommends legislation & veto (pocket veto) bills
Chief of the Party - Represents the political parties ideas and values
Chief of State
Ceremonial and symbolic functions
Chief Executive
Enforce all federal laws (lead executive agencies)
Commander in Chief
Commands and controls armed forces (can’t declare war)
Chief Diplomat
Receives diplomats and is leader for foreign policy
Chief Legislator
Recommends legislation & veto (pocket veto) bills
Chief of the Party
Represents the political parties ideas and values
Executive Orders
Directive for executive agencies
Implied power to manage federal government
Signing Statements
Informal power to add statement when signing a bill into law
Explains presidential interpretation of the law (unpopular w/ congress)
Advice and Consent given (checks and balances)
Treaties and ambassadors
Federal judges and SCOTUS justices
Cabinet positions and executive agency heads
Legislative Checks
Can override a presidential veto (2/3 of House and Senate)
Refuse to fund or pass presidential priorities
Oversight and Impeachment
Investigate and oversight of executive action/agency
Impeach AND remove - “treason, bribery, and high crimes/ misd.”
Chief legislator
introduces legislation and legislative agenda
25th Amendment
Established line of succession (Pres - VP - Speaker - etc.)
Step-in person can appoint VP - with majority vote from Congress
Can voluntarily and temporarily step down
Can be removed by VP and majority of cabinet members (VP and majority removed president and the VP takes over)
Cabinet Secretaries
Appointed by president and approved by senate
Focus on specialized area of executive branch
Lead and administer the executive agencies and bureaucracy
National Security Council
Advice on issues of foreign policiy, military, etc.
Started during the cold war
War Powers Resolution (‘73)
Check on President during Nixon
Only respond to attack on US territory or US soil (Notify in 48 houurs)
Must get congressional approval after 60 days
Because of Nixon - vietnam was considered a police thing or a special military action
Considered a bit useless .. ?
Patriot Act
Story behind it but its boring af
Presidents can communicate with public and influence opinion
Can present political beliefs and values (Chief of Party)
Gace pf national success and national failures
Change role from SOTU → Fireside chats → TV / Press releases → Social Media
Going Public
a tactic trhough which presidents reach out directly to the American people with hope that the people will, in turn, pur pressure upon their representatives and senators to press for a president’s Policy Goals
Bargaining and Persuasion
an informal tool used by the president to persuade members of Congress to support his or her policy initiatives
Executive Office of the President (EOP)
a collection of offices within the White House organzation designed to mainly provide information to the president
Vice President Jobs
Two jobs -
President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided
Assumes the office of the [residency should be a sitting president vacate the office due to death, impariment, resignation, or impeachment
War Powers Resolution
a law passed over President Nixon’s veto that restricts the power of the president to maintain troops in combat far more than sixty days withpout congressional authorization
Signing Statement
written comments issues by presidents while signing a bill into law that usually consist of political steatements or reasons for signing the bill but that may also include a president’s interpretation of the law itself
Executive Order
policy directives issued by presidents that do not require congressional approval
Executive Agreement
an agreement between a president and another nation that does not have the same durability as a treaty but does not require Senate ratification
Executive Privilege
a right claimed by presidents to keep certain conversations, records, and transcripts confidential from outside scrutiny, especially that of Congress
Pocket Veto
an informal veto caused by when the [resident chooses not to sign a bill within ten days, during a tie when Congress has adjourned at the end of a session.
State of the Union Address (what article?)
the annual speech from the president to Congress updating that branch on the state of national affairs
Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution directs the president to “from time to time give Congress Information of the State of the Union.
The real audience is the American people
Executive Branch
the branch of government charged with putting the nation’s laws into effect.
