Terms : Hide Images
| 6045904512 | divided government | One party controls the White House and another party controls one or both houses of Congress | 0 | |
| 6045904513 | unified government | The same party controls the White House and both houses of Congress | 1 | |
| 6045904514 | gridlock | The inability of the government to act because rival parties control different parts of the government | 2 | |
| 6045904515 | Electoral College | The people chosen to cast each states votes in a presidential election. Each state can cast one electoral vote for each senator and representative it has. The District of Columbia has three electoral votes, even though it's not elected representative or senator | 3 | |
| 6045904516 | pyramid structure | A president's subordinates report to him through a clear chain of command headed by a Chief of Staff. | 4 | |
| 6045904517 | circular structure | Several of the president's assistants report directly to him, puts the president at the center of the information. | 5 | |
| 6045904518 | ad hoc structure | Several subordinates, cabinet officers, and committees report directly to the president on different matters, flexible but disorganized. | 6 | |
| 6045904519 | Cabinet | The heads of the 15 executive branch departments of the federal government | 7 | |
| 6045904520 | bully pulpit | The president's use of his prestige and visibility to guide or enthuse the American public | 8 | |
| 6045904521 | veto message | The message from the Pres. to Congress stating that he will not sign a bill it has passed. Must be produced within 10 days of those passage. | 9 | |
| 6045904522 | pocket veto | A bill fails to become law because the president did not sign it within 10 days before Congress adjourns. | 10 | |
| 6045904523 | line-item veto | And executive's ability to block a particular provision in a bill passed the legislature, temporarily granted during the Clinton administration, but found unconstitutional by the Supreme Court | 11 | |
| 6045904524 | signing statement | A presidential document that reveals what the president thinks of a new law or how they plan to interpret it | 12 | |
| 6045904525 | legislative veto | The authority of Congress to block a presidential action after is taking place. The Supreme Court has held that Congress does not have this power. | 13 | |
| 6045904527 | lame duck | A person still in office after he or she has lost a bid for reelection | 14 | |
| 6045953354 | chief of staff | the gatekeeper to the president, oversees all information and business, a valuable source of advice and opinion to the president | 15 | |
| 6045955271 | commander in chief | the president's role as civilian head of the military | 16 | |
| 6045958834 | Executive Office of the President | comprised of advisers and agencies that help the president fulfill their constitutional duties like handling the budget, the economy, national security, and communications | 17 | |
| 6045958835 | executive order | empowers the president to carry out a law or administer the government within his authority as head of the executive branch, all are published within the Federal Register | 18 | |
| 6045960922 | honeymoon period | the early part of a presidential term where the press and the public get to know the president and family, usually a time the president is given favorable coverage and the focus is on future plans | 19 | |
| 6045962122 | impeachment | The House of Reps has the sole responsibility to initiate accusations against the president with a simple majority. The trial is then held by the Senate with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presiding and the Senate acting as the jury. only 2 presidents have ever been impeached | 20 | |
| 6045962123 | imperial presidency | era of powerful presidents and weak Congress, where the president claims or exercises more powers than actually in the Constitution | 21 | |
| 6045964984 | inherent powers | powers not specifically listed in the Constitution, but claimed by presidents as within the scope of the presidency | 22 | |
| 6045967992 | National Security Council | collects all the president's advisers on national security, intelligence, and war- usually includes the president, VP, director of the CIA, national security adviser, Secretaries of State and Defense | 23 | |
| 6045969210 | Office of Management and Budget | Acts as the president's accounting office to manage the budget and advise the president on federal spending and revenue | 24 | |
| 6045970939 | Presidential Succession Act (1947) | specifies 18 positions in the line of succession after the vice president if something should happen to the president | 25 | |
| 6045972066 | recess appointments | the ability of the president to appoint a person to be a replacement for a position until the Senate reconvenes and votes on a permanent official | 26 | |
| 6045974495 | State of the Union | required by the president in the Constitution to update Congress on the status of the US, delivered in written form from John Adams until Woodrow Wilson revived the power of a live address | 27 | |
| 6045974496 | stewardship theory | Originated by Teddy Roosevelt, a broad interpretation of presidential powers that claims the executive is only limited by the limits listed in the Constitution (all other powers are claimed by the president) | 28 | |
| 6045977486 | Tonkin Gulf Resolution (1964) | Passed to give President Johnson wide latitude to act in Vietnam, Congress gave away much of their war powers and struggled to regain them in the aftermath | 29 | |
| 6045979520 | Twelfth Amenddment | Electors must specify their votes for president and vice president | 30 | |
| 6045981225 | Twentieth Amendment | Inauguration date moved from March 4 to January 20, shortening the lame duck period | 31 | |
| 6045983333 | Twenty-second Amendment | Term limits for president- 2 terms or 10 years maximum | 32 | |
| 6045985692 | Twenty-third Amendment | Gave residents of Waahington DC the right to vote for president and the same number of electors as the smallest state | 33 | |
| 6045988882 | Twenty-fifth Amendment | Provides for continuity of power in the case of presidential death or disability | 34 | |
| 6045990336 | United States v. Nixon (1974) | decision in the wake of the Watergate scandal that determined that the president does not have an absolute right to immunity from prosecution, presidents cannot withhold information while under criminal investigation | 35 | |
| 6045992004 | War Powers Act (1973) | passed in the aftermath of Vietnam to limit the president's power over the military- it allows the president to order the military into action, but gives Congress the power to approve or disapprove of that action within 60 days | 36 | |
| 6045993877 | White House staff | the president's inner circle- advisers brought to the WH usually long time friends, aides or campaign staff- no official policy making role, so do not need approval of the Senate- usually more influential than the Cabinet | 37 | |
| 6046103157 | executive privilege | presidential claim of the right to withhold information or advice received from subordinates- claimed by Nixon as a justification to not turn over tapes from the Oval Office containing discussions about Watergate investigation | 38 | |
| 6046119948 | Chief Magistrate | the president's role exercising judicial powers including appointing justices, enforcing the law, granting reprieves & pardons | 39 | |
| 6046128732 | Chief Administrator | the president's role as the head of the the executive departments and agencies in the executive branch- they are in charge of millions of employees and trillions of dollars | 40 | |
| 6046128733 | Chief of Party | the president's role as the head of and most reconigzable member of their political party- they work to advance party goals and to get party members elected | 41 | |
| 6046134348 | Chief Diplomat | The president's role representing the US abroad and powers over foreign policy- making treaties, executive agreements, appointing and receiving dplomats | 42 | |
| 6046137996 | Chief Legislator | The president's role to recommend laws they favor or encourage Congress to enact their priorities- through the State of Union address, meetings with Congress, or media attention. The president also exercises lawmaking power by signing or vetoing bills | 43 | |
| 6046606266 | executive agreement | A contract between the President and another head of state that does not require the 2/3 vote of the Senate, easier to conclude that treaties which require could be compromised by Senatorial delay or disapproval (but only effective as long as each side is willing and able to keep the agreement) | 44 |
