AP Gov.

Bully pulpit

A brightly lit stage to pitch ideas to the American people.

Council of Economic Advisors

A three member body appointed by the president to advise the president on economic policy.

Pocket veto

A veto taking place when Congress adjourns within 10 days of submitting a bill to the president, who lets it die by not signing or vetoing it.

War Powers Act

Adjusting the previous Act, this modified version of the law allows the President to order military action within 48 hours before informing Congress, and gives Congress 60 days since military combat to decide to approve or disapprove, still preserving Congress's power to declare war.

Executive Agreement

An agreement between the president and the leader of another country.

State of the Union

An annual speech where the president addresses Congress on the state/condition of the country.

Executive Privilege

An implied presidential power that allows to keep communication private between him and his administration. Can be disclosed in criminal cases.

Executive orders

An order by the president that has some force of law that is significant enough to create policy.

What are the roles of the president as chief diplomat? Executive agreement? Diplomatic recognition? Treaties?

As the chief diplomat, the President sends ambassadors to countries, the executive agreements are agreements btw the leader of a country and the President, Diplomatic Recognition is the acknowledgement of another country's actions/function, and treaties are brought up by the president and approved by the Senate.

National Security Powers of the President

Can declare martial law, suspend habeus corpus, and take over industry.

Impeachment

Charges against the president approved by a majority House that violate the Constitution (high crimes of misdemeanor).

Legislative veto

Congress's authority to block a presidential action, like undo an Executive Order.

Executive Office of the President

Coordinates several independent agencies, carries out most constitutional duties, with a large group of advisors and supporting agencies that handle the needs of the bureaucracy.

Budget and Impoundment Act of 1974

Designed to reform the congressional budgetary process and make Congress less dependent on the president's budget and better able to set and meet its own budgetary goals. It set limits to president's impounding funds and set up the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). A new check that Congress has over the President's budgetary decisions.

What is the role of the 12, 20, 22, and 25 amendments? Explain each one.

Each of these Amendments affect the powers of the presidency. The 25th Amendment provides the VP to assume presidential duties if the president is disabled, the 22nd Amendment restricts the President to 10 years in office, the 12th Amendment has electors vote for the President and VP, and the 23rd Amendment gives electors to the D.C.

What is executive privilege? In what case did the Supreme Court limit this privilege? What did the ruling state?

Executive Privilege allows the president to withhold information or their decision making process from another branch. In Watergate Scandal investigation, the Courts ruled that the president had to hand over evidence in a prosecution.

Describe why executive orders are used? What is the criticism?

Executive orders are used by the president to get around the voting process of an act by Congress. It raises the question if the president should have powers that powerful. To keep him in check, the courts have the ability to overturn Executive Orders.

Federalist No. 70

Federalist No. 70 makes the president a figurehead for the public to put their blame on and a stop gate that prevents questionable legislature from being passed by Congress.

Explain impeachment. Can it be brought for policy disagreements? What two presidents were impeached?

Impeachment is when federal officials are put on trial for "high crimes of misdemeanor". While there have been impeachment trials attempted over policy, impeachment trials are not to be formed under policy disagreements. The 3 presidents that have been impeached were Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump.

Make a list of the ways that the Congress tried to limit the president's power in the past 30 years. Make sure you understand all of these.

In 1973, Congress re-wrote the War Powers Act so that the when the president is allowed to intervene military for up to 60 days before having to deal with Congress. In 1970, during the Watergate scandal, Congress made limits on Executive Privilege, where the Executive must hand over information in an investigation.

What does it mean to have a divided or a unified government? Why do we still have gridlock, even with a unified government

In a divided government, the country is split between party lines where nothing gets done. But in a unified government, their is a party with a majority in multiple branches. Even in a unified government their are gridlocks as the other party that controls branch or chamber still has the ability to cause gridlock.

National Security Council (NSC)

Includes the President at the head, the VP, the secretaries of defense, state, the head of the CIA, the president's national security advisor, and the country's military leaders.

Electoral College

People chosen by state legislatures to cast the votes of the people to determine the President and VP

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Prepares the president's budget proposals, reviews the budget and programs of executive departments, updates the public on the economy, and analyses proposed bills.

What are the formal powers according to the following category: national security powers, legislative, administrative, and judicial powers? Bullet Point each one according to category.

President has the power to command the military President can recommend laws (not submit) President can select Cabinet members/Secretaries President can nominate Chief Justices

What are a president's considerations for executive appointments? Judicial appointments?

Presidents considers geography, gender, ethnicity, and party membership before selecting. For Judicial appointments, it mostly goes down party lines since Chiefs are there permanently, even though the S.C is an area meant to be a place away from politics.

Informal roles/powers of the President

The "inherent powers" that the president uses to stretch the boundaries of their branch, like finding loopholes. (aka Executive Orders, ability to enact legislative agenda, sending troops without declaration of war, conducting foreign policy initiatives)

Presidential honeymoon

The 100 day period after the President's inauguration in which the people get used to the president and new executive positions are assigned.

United States v. Nixon

The 1974 case in which the Supreme Court decided the executive privilege could not be extended to prosecutions.

Power of the Purse

The Constitution gives the president the power to create a budget plan, and Congress gives the funds.

What is the role of Executive Office? Explain NSC, CEA, and OMB.

The Executive Office is the area which cabinet members and people appointed by the president take head over specific policies around the country. The National Security Counsel(NSC) is the president and the nation's agency leaders + military. The Council of Economic Advisors advises the President on economic policy. And the Office of Management and Budget is where the president makes his budgeting plans.

Impoundment

The President blocking an agency from spending funds the Congress authorized and appropriated on a budget bill.

Chief Diplomat

The President has the ability to select/nominate ambassadors to countries and create Executive Agreements.

List the differences between a president and a prime minister. Consult your book.

The President is the person elected for the separate body that is the Executive Branch, while a Prime Minister is the leader of the Parliament, much like the Speaker of the House.

Morale Builder

The President's ability to create a sense of unity within the country.

line-item veto

The President's ability to remove certain items from a spending bill without vetoing the entire bill. It was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, making the President required to spend all the money in the bill.

Cabinet

The President's advisors in policy making.

Describe the purpose of the War Powers Resolution?

The War Powers Resolution prevents the president from prolonging an international conflict without the Congress's approval.

What are the cabinets? Give three examples. How does one become a secretary of the cabinet?

The cabinets are "the principle officers in each of the executive departments", a few of which are the departments of State, Defense, and Agriculture. Presidents determine Secretaries members by characteristics, but the they also must be approved by the Senate.

What are the three ways a person becomes president?

The candidate is voted in by the electors, if there is no clear majority than the House votes on who becomes president, and if the electoral college is forced to sit out, the popular vote

What is the Difference between the House and the Senate? What role does the Chief Justice play?

The difference between the House and the Senate is that the Senate has the ability to vote on Chief Justices while the House cannot. If a Chief Justice dies or resigns, the President can nominate a Justice for the Senate to vote on.

What are the informal powers given to the president?

The informal powers are the powers left to be interpreted in the office, "inherited powers".

What role does the media play with respect to the president? How about public approval? Explain the role of the bully pulpit.

The media allows the president to directly inform press, however with internet, he can choose to say what he wants without consulting with his advisors. The public find's it preferable as the president is more direct to the citizen. The bully pulpit is where reporters can ask the president questions about the country and their agenda.

What is the most elastic phrase in the Constitution that has served to give the president his broadest powers? And what is the greatest source of presidential power? Consult your book.

The most elastic phrase in the Constitution is of the Chief Legislator given to the President, "may recommend such measures as he shall judge necessary and proper". These represent the greatest powers of the President, the informal powers that are inherited from his predecessors.

Presidential Succession

The order of officials that take the vacancy of the president.

What is a legislative veto and what has the Supreme Court said about it?

The overriding of a presidential veto through a 2/3rds super-majority. The Supreme Court has said that it is unconstitutional for one house to do the vote since it defeats bicameralism.

Lame duck

The period in which the president is still in office when he lost the election, where he waits for the next president's inaugeration.

Explain the line of succession up to the fifth person. Consult book.

The person put into presidency after the presidency is the vice president, then the Speaker of the House, then the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, then the Secretary of the State, and the fifth is the Secretary of Treasury.

Expressed (formal) powers of the president

The powers defined by Article II in the Constitution, being the Commander in Chief of the army, nominating members for his Cabinet or other offices, and fill vacancy when the Senate is on recess.

How has the power increased of the president over time? Give examples. Since which president?

The powers of the president has increased over time due to the increased informal powers, executive order use, and how influential he is to the public, Congress, and Courts. These powers started becoming the most prominent with FDR's presidency, where it has grown from since.

How does the presidency reflect an imperial presidency? What has the legislative branch done?

The presidency reflects an imperial presidency due to the massive influential power they have over Congress, making ease of passing law. With this power, they were able to get many laws giving power to the president, but limits started getting put down since the War Powers Act, adjusting the president's power.

Explain how the presidency was originally designed? How has this changed over time significantly with respect to the president's power?

The presidency was designed as the enforcement of laws or vetoing of bills, but primarily acts as a person to which the people can put all their blame on. However, as times modernized and international conflicts escalated, quick an rapid responses were needed by the president. It changed most significantly during the Great Depression which saw the president get large influential powers over Congress.

What are the main points expressed in Federalist No. 70.

The president acts as the power that prevents a majority dominated Congress from dominating government and also acts as the figurehead for everyone to put blame on.

Legislative Powers of the President

The president can veto any bill passed by Congress. In terms of informal powers, the president can influence Congress through threatening a veto make bill changes. While not able to make laws, the President can recommend laws.

What are the legislative skills of the president?

The president functions very much as a business man, who tries to persuade people into signing into the bill.

Judicial Leader

The president has the ability to pardon people of federal crime and select new Chief Justices for the Supreme Court.

The public presidency

The president makes public appearance to keep in touch with their supporters.

Crisis Manager

The role of the President where he addresses the public in a disaster.

Compare and contrast modern vs. the traditional presidency. Consult your book.

The traditional presidency served the purpose of blocking certain laws trying to pass through from Congress and being the main figurehead for blame. However, Executive orders and many informal powers have led the presidency to become very influential and powerful. Doesn't need to consult Congress to conduct certain foreign affairs and military actions.

What is the role of the vice-president? Why doesn't anyone want it?

The vice president serves two purposes: to be the next in line of presidency if something happens to the president, and to break a 50/50 vote in the Senate.

Mandate (Mandate theory)

The winning candidate must carry out what they campaigned for during the election.

What concerns did the Founders have about the idea of having a president? How did the creation of the Electoral College allay those fears?

Their concerns stemmed from "fetus of a monarchy" and the way those fears were allayed was that not only was it a position that the people could blame the country's failings on, but they would be elected through the Electoral College, where people representing the citizens of an area would vote the president, and many limitations on the presidency.

What are the unique qualifications to become a president?

They must be a natural born citizen, 35 years of age, and must have lived in the U.S for 14 years.

Under what article does the president receive his/her powers? What are the formal powers given to the President?

Under Article II, the formal powers given to the president are sign or veto legislation, lead the military, nominate Cabinet members, convene or adjourn Congress, give reprieves and pardons, and receive ambassadors.

Give details about the following terms: veto, signing statements, pocket veto, and the line-item veto. Which is used the most? What is the trend of vetoes over time?

Veto's all the declining of bills from the president, signing statements are bill returns with the desires the president house for the House and Senate to sign on with, the pocket veto is the veto that kills the bill within 10 days, and the line-item veto is the rejection of individual provisions in the bill. The one that is used the signing statements because the threat over vetoes is enough for Congress to comply, vetoes happened significantly, but have decreased greatly over time due to that threat.

Imperial presidency

Where the president has become very influential in policy making, has strong and influential powers, and the Congress being weak.