Terms : Hide Images
| 52465662 | parliamentary system | A system of government in which the legislature selects the prime minister or president. | |
| 52465663 | presidential ticket | The joint listing of the presidential and vice presidential candidates on the same ballot as required by the Twelfth Amendment. | |
| 52465664 | treaty | A formal, public agreement between the United States and one or more nations that must be approved by two-thirds of the Senate. | |
| 52465665 | executive agreement | A formal but often secret agreement between the U.S. president and the leaders of other nations that does not require Senate approval. | |
| 52465666 | veto | A formal decision to reject a bill passed by Congress. | |
| 52465667 | pocket veto | A formal decision to reject a bill passed by Congress after it adjourns -- if Congress adjourns during the ten days that the president is allowed in order to sign or veto a law, the president can reject the law by taking no action at all. | |
| 52465668 | take care clause | The constitutional requirement (in Article II, Section 3) that presidents take care that the laws are faithfully executed, even if they disagree with the purpose of those laws. | |
| 52465669 | inherent powers | Powers that grow out of the very existence of government. | |
| 52465670 | State of the Union Address | The president's annual statement to Congress and the nation. | |
| 52465671 | impeachment | Formal accusation against the president or other public official, the first step in removal from office. | |
| 52465672 | executive privilege | The right to keep executive communications confidential, especially if they relate to national security. | |
| 52465673 | executive orders | A formal order issued by the president to direct action by the federal bureaucracy. | |
| 52465674 | impoundment | A decision by the president not to spend money appropriated by Congress, now prohibited under federal law. | |
| 52465675 | line item veto | Presidential power to strike, or remove, specific items from a spending bill without vetoing the entire package, declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. | |
| 52465676 | chief of staff | The head of the White House staff. | |
| 52465677 | Executive Office of the President | The cluster of presidential staff agencies that help the president carry out his responsibilities. Currently the office includes the Office of Management and Budget, the Council of Economic Advisers, and several other units. | |
| 52465678 | Office of Management and Budget (OMB) | Presidential staff agency that serves as a clearinghouse for budgetary requests and management improvements for goverment agencies. | |
| 52465679 | cabinet | Advisory council for the president, consisting of the heads of the executive departments, the vice president, and a few other officials selected by the president. | |
| 52465680 | rally point | A rise in public approval of the president that follows a crisis as Americans "rally 'round the flag" and the chief executive. | |
| 52465681 | mandate | A president's claim of broad public support. | |
| 52465682 | 22nd Amendment | Limits each President to two four-year terms. | |
| 52465683 | Presidential Succession Act of 1947 | Clarifies the line of succession to the Presidency. | |
| 52465684 | 25th Amendment | Establishes procedures for presidential disability and for filling vacancies in the Vice Presidency. | |
| 52465685 | globalization | Changes in technology and global economics are a drive for more goverment regulation and presidential power. | |
| 52465686 | electronic throne | Symbolizes the President's media influence. | |
| 52465687 | special sessions | President is empowered to call a special session of Congress after Congress has adjourned to deal with emergencies. | |
| 52465688 | override | Congress can usurp a presidential veto with a 2/3rds majority. | |
| 52465689 | War Powers Act of 1973 | A joint resolution that the President can only send armed forces into action abroad if authorized by Congress OR if the US is under attack. | |
| 52465690 | ambassadors | Emissaries from foreign governments. | |
| 52465691 | pardon | Ability to shorten prison sentences, correct judicial errors, and protect citizens from future prosecution. | |
| 52465692 | amnesty | More than a pardon. Obliterates all legal remembrance of an offense. | |
| 52465693 | immediate staff | The president's close staff in the West Wing. | |
| 52465694 | National Security Council | Coordinates foreign policy and military policy. | |
| 52465695 | Council of Economic Advisors | Three person advisory committee on economic policy. | |
| 52465696 | civil service | 90% of all Cabinet department employees. President has little control over them. | |
| 52465697 | confirmability | A factor in nominee selection -- Congress has to like him. | |
| 52465698 | patronage | Granting favors to political allies. | |
| 52465699 | revolving door | The job flow from government to private sector. | |
| 52465700 | adversarial journalism | Journalism that criticizes the president. | |
| 52465701 | independent counsel | A check that weakens the Presidency that can be appointed by Congress or the President. | |
| 52465702 | Presidential signing statements | When the President signs legislation into law, he can make a statement about it (I hate this, FYI). | |
| 52465703 | The Imperial Presidency | A book by historian Arthur Schlesinger that suggests presidential power is too excessive. | |
| 52465704 | US vs. Nixon (1974) | Executive privilege does not extend to criminal cases. | |
| 52465705 | National Emergencies Act of 1976 | Domestic troop use in emergencies; must inform Congress in advance although state of emergency automatically ends in 6 months. | |
| 52465706 | INS vs. Chadha (1983) | SCOTUS declared the legislative veto in War Powers unconstitutional. |
