executive branch
22 Amendment (1951)
Limits a President to a max. of 2 terms
lump bill
bill put together
Continuing Resolution (CR)
*Used to continue funding the government when an appropriations bill has been stalled by gridlock in Congress or a presidential veto
What is an estimate of the number of presidential appointees that the Senate must confirm?
1,200
Monetary policy
is a central bank's actions and communications that manage the money supply. Controlling inflation, setting interest rates, etc.
What makes up bureaucracy
- department - agencies - commission - government corporation
Why are commission headed by a board not 1 person
- prevent agencies form becoming political/ involved in political sandal - keep the group focused - not working for one president but focused on task
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the expressed powers of the president and the powers of Congress?
- state of the union - impeaching officials
the annual federal budget process
1. Federal agencies submit a budget to the president 2. President submits the budget request to congress (OMB) 3. Congress creates a concurrent budget resolution sent to conference committee 4. Presidents vetoed or signed into law 5. What if its not passed Gov shutdown
Cabinet Departments
15 total of various size, status, visibility, and function. They all advise the President, help execute/implement programs; have broad responsibility. Examples: State (the most prestigious. The diplomats), Defense: biggest, HHS, Agriculture, Commerce, Homeland Security, Attorney General.
Pendleton Act
1883 law established a merit system of federal employment on the basis of open, competitive exams and created a bipartisan three-member Civil Service Commission
Iron Triangle
A close relationship between an agency, a congressional committee, and an interest group - the all play a role in how the law that we have today.
A signing statement is best defined as which of the following?
A released letter explaining how the president's administration plans to interpret the law
War Powers Act
A resolution of Congress that stated the President can only send troops into action abroad 2 day before the authorization of Congress or if America is already under attack or serious threat.
Which of the following is a consequence of holds applied to a bill in the Senate?
A senator can slow down the legislative process
Which of the following scenarios would most likely be considered a violation of the Twenty-second Amendment?
A sitting president runs for a third term in office after overwhelming support from the American public
Conference Committee
A small group of people appointed by the House and Senate to resolve differences of a bill.
Independent Government Agencies
All other government agencies that are not cabinet departments, regulatory agencies, or gov't corporations. Examples: NASA, CIA, Peace Corps
Independent Regulatory Commissions
An entity created by Congress outside a major executive department that regulates a specified interest or economic activity. Example: Federal Communications, Consumer Product Safety , Securities and Exchange
executive privilege
An implied presidential power that allows the president to refuse to disclose information regarding confidential conversations or national security to Congress or the judiciary.
"And the closer the 2006 midterm elections got, the more nervous congressional Republicans could be expected to get. Republican leaders in the House of Representatives sought to have the Senate move first, not wanting to have their members go out on a limb with a series of potentially costly party-line roll call votes that would have no policy payoff if Republicans in the Senate decided not to move a bill because they did not have the votes needed to pass it." Martin A. Levin, et. al, Building Coalitions, Making Policy: The Politics of the Clinton, Bush & Obama Presidencies, 2012 How might term-length differences have contributed to the lack of support from House Republicans?
Because members of the House have two-year terms, they are unlikely to support a piece of legislation that may upset their constituents
Entitlement programs
Benefits that the federal law say must be paid out to people who meet the requirements.
Which of the following best explains how a president would use a bully pulpit to achieve policy goals?
By appealing directly to the public, the president hopes members of the public will influence their representatives to support those policy goals
Check and balances on political appointee
Cabinet is appointee by president and confirmed by senate
Checks on the Bureaucracy
Congress sets the budget (power of the purse), congressional oversight, Supreme Court can rule unconstitutional.
1974 Congressional Budget and Impoundment Act
Created House and Senate Budget Committees Created the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) which helps prepare the budget for Congress and run budget calculations.
Example of Monetary Policy
Federal Reserve decides to keep benchmark interest rate near zero.
Joint chief of staff
Head of every branch of the military
Fiscal policy
How the federal government makes decisions on taxing, spending, and the management of debt to maintain and manipulate economic stability.
Which of the following statements describes a consideration presidents face when deciding whether or not to issue a veto?
If the opposing party has a supermajority in Congress, they can vote to override the veto
Which of the following statements explains how social media has enhanced the power of the presidency?
It gives the president a direct line of communication to the national constituency to influence national policy
Which of the following explains how modern technology has changed the president's ability to respond to political issues?
It has made it easier for the president to rapidly respond to political issues by appealing directly to the public
"That unity is conducive to energy will not be disputed. Decision, activity, secrecy, and despatch will generally characterize the proceedings of one man in a much more eminent degree than the proceedings of any greater number; and in proportion as the number is increased, these qualities will be diminished . . ." -Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 70, "The Executive Department Further Considered," 1788 Which of the following scenarios would be considered an example of how unity is conducive to energy in the executive branch, as defined by the author of the passage?
John F. Kennedy's secret negotiations ending the Cuban Missile Crisis
In 1972, Congress passed the Clean Water Act, which regulates the amount of pollutants there can be in waters of the United States and the quality standards for surface waters. Which of the following constitutional provisions granted Congress the power to pass environmental protection laws like the Clean Water Act?
Necessary and proper clause in Article I
President Bellingham's administration wants to limit the development of chemical weapons in key nations in the Middle East, but Congress is unlikely to back a formal treaty. Which of the following is an action the president may take to accomplish their policy agenda?
Negotiate an executive agreement with the heads of the Middle Eastern governments
On the last day of its session, Congress passes a law that the president strongly opposes. Which of the following may the president do to limit the power of Congress?
Neither sign nor veto the bill, allowing it to die
What agency helps the president set a budget? ____
OMB- office management of budget
Why is it hard to change the budget and cut spending?
Once you create a spending program people benefit from it and don't want to see it go.
"That unity is conducive to energy will not be disputed. Decision, activity, secrecy, and despatch will generally characterize the proceedings of one man in a much more eminent degree than the proceedings of any greater number; and in proportion as the number is increased, these qualities will be diminished . . ." -Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 70, "The Executive Department Further Considered," 1788 Which of the following statements best summarizes Hamilton's argument
One person should run the executive branch because they will be able to act swiftly, decisively, and discreetly, which is necessary for the presidency
How do you decrease mandatory spending?
Pass a law to rewrite the benefits or requirements
discretionary spending
is optional and can change from year to year
unchecked powers of the president
Powers that go not checked by the rest of the government. Signing statements, pardons, et
removal power
President fire his appointees without approval from legislature. The president cannot remove federal judges or independent regulatory commissioners.. He need cause to fire someone
Anti-Third Term Principle," by Clifford K. Berryman, 1912. The cartoon depicts Theodore Roosevelt, left, and George Washington, right. Source: National Archives Which of the following best describes the message in the political cartoon?
Presidential power should be restrained by term-of-office limits
Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
Presidential staff agency that helps with budgetary requests and management and thy work with agencies and the president.
Use the passage below to answer the following question. "Both Lincoln and Roosevelt undertook acts they knew to be beyond the Constitution. Both did so in times of transcendent crisis when the life of the nation seemed truly at stake. Both acted, knowingly or not, on Locke's doctrine of emergency prerogative, trusting that Congress would eventually approve their actions." -Arthur Schlesinger, The Imperial Presidency, 1973 Which of the following statements best summarizes the author's argument?
Presidents have enhanced their constitutional powers beyond what is expressed in the Constitution in order to deal with major crises
Which of the following is an accurate conclusion based on a comparison of the trends in the line graph and your knowledge of presidential communication strategies?
Presidents have increased the length of their State of the Union messages to make the most of the opportunity to influence the electorate directly
Which of the following is an accurate conclusion based on a comparison of the trends in the line graph and your knowledge of presidential communication strategies?- trend line increases
Presidents have increased the length of their State of the Union messages to make the most of the opportunity to influence the electorate directly
Which of the following may the Senate do to limit the president's power?
Reject presidential nominees
issue network
Relationships among interest groups, congressional committees and subcommittees, and the government agencies that share a common policy concern (tp create a policy on one issue)
"The defeat of Robert Bork's 1987 Supreme Court nomination was a watershed event that unleashed what Stephen Carter has called 'the confirmation mess.' There was no question that Bork was a highly qualified nominee. He was rejected not because of any lack of qualification, or any impropriety, but because of his stated judicial philosophy: how he would vote as a judge." -John Maltese, "Anatomy of a Confirmation Mess: Recent Trends in the Federal Judicial Selection Process," 2004
Robert Bork failed confirmation as a Supreme Court justice because some Senators were concerned about the impact he would have on the Court
"Amid this much-changed communication landscape, the lingering question of whether the untapped wisdom of the public should be harnessed in governmental decisions suddenly commanded a fresh look, as social media increased the capability of governments worldwide to more fully involve ordinary citizens in policymaking." -M. Barris, A. Jain, and J. Katz, The Social Media President: Barack Obama and the Politics of Political Engagement, 2013 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the authors most likely agree with?
Social media has changed the president's relationship with the national constituency by involving more citizens in policymaking decisions
media attention for president
Technology such as broadcast media gives the president an avenue to rapidly respond to a majority of American citizens about political issues
"Lifetime appointments and the new, highly ideological stakes provided senators ample incentives to use holds and silent filibusters to prevent a majority of their colleagues from acting on judicial nominations, both to block those with different ideologies and to keep slots vacant until the presidency moves into their party's hands. Along the way, judicial confirmations have become increasingly politicized, and delays in confirming appellate judges have led to increased vacancy rates that have produced longer case-processing times and growing caseloads per judge on federal dockets." -Mann, Thomas E. and Norman J. Ornstein, It's Even Worse than it Looks, 2012
The Senate is more likely to place holds on life-tenured judicial appointments because of the lasting influence of those appointments
Anti-Third Term Principle," by Clifford K. Berryman, 1912. The cartoon depicts Theodore Roosevelt, left, and George Washington, right. Source: National Archives Which of the following Constitutional Amendments is most relevant to the topic of the cartoon?
The Twenty-second Amendment
Use the passage below to answer the following question. "The mystique of inside information—"if you only knew what we know"—was a most effective way to defend the national-security monopoly and prevent democratic control of foreign policy . . . The power to leak meant the power to tell the people what it served the government's purpose that they should know . . . The power to withhold and the power to leak led on inexorably to the power to lie. The secrecy system instilled in the executive branch the idea that foreign policy was no one's business save its own, and the uncontrolled secrecy made it easy for lying to become routine." -Arthur Schlesinger, The Imperial Presidency, 1973 Which of the following governmental policies would the author most likely support?
The War Powers Resolution of 1973, which aimed to give Congress more say in whether US troops were deployed abroad
"In addition to educating the country, [President Barack Obama's] goal is to frame the political debate and set an agenda that the next Democratic presidential nominee can run on next year—an agenda that Obama hopes will put opposition Republicans at a big disadvantage. Obama has been getting lots of attention for bypassing the Republican-controlled Congress and using his unilateral powers, such as executive orders, to get his way. But his power to persuade is another vital weapon in the president's arsenal, since he can command media and public attention almost whenever he wants." -Kenneth T. Walsh, U.S. News & World Report, 2015 The strategy described in the passage above is an example of which of the following?
The bully pulpit
"Energy in the Executive is a leading character in the definition of good government. It is essential to the protection of the community against foreign attacks; it is not less essential to the steady administration of the laws; to the protection of property against those irregular and high-handed combinations which sometimes interrupt the ordinary course of justice; to the security of liberty against the enterprises and assaults of ambition, of faction, and of anarchy . . ." -Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 70, "The Executive Department Further Considered," 1788 Which of the following is a consequence of the ideas set forth by the author of this passage?
The establishment of the president as commander in chief of the military
spoils system/patronage
The firing of public-office holders of a defeated political party to replace them with loyalists of the newly elected party. Still exists today with political appointees.
Which of the following is an accurate conclusion based on a comparison of the trends in the chart above and your knowledge of presidential appointments?
The potential for conflict with the Senate depends upon the type of executive branch appointment
Use the passage below to answer the following question. "The mystique of inside information—"if you only knew what we know"—was a most effective way to defend the national-security monopoly and prevent democratic control of foreign policy . . . The power to leak meant the power to tell the people what it served the government's purpose that they should know . . . The power to withhold and the power to leak led on inexorably to the power to lie. The secrecy system instilled in the executive branch the idea that foreign policy was no one's business save its own, and the uncontrolled secrecy made it easy for lying to become routine." -Arthur Schlesinger, The Imperial Presidency, 1973 Which of the following scenarios provides the best justification for an expansive interpretation of presidential power?
The rapid response necessary after a threat of nuclear war
Senator Ramirez listens to her constituents' wishes on every piece of legislation, but always votes her conscience, even if it goes against her constituents' wishes on pieces of legislation they care about. Which model of representation do her actions embody?
The trustee model- when they follow their own best judgement, and a delegate when they follow the will of the people
Appointments to the White House staff are often uncontested for which of the following reasons?
These appointments do not require Senate confirmation
Which of the following statements is the most likely motivation for a president to issue an executive order?
To achieve policy goals when a compromise cannot be reached with Congress
president Obama "Nearly 1 in 3 American families struggles to afford diapers. We're working with the private to help fix this. Which of the following explains how President Obama is using social media to affect policy in the example above?
To inform American citizens of his policy goals
Fraction Votes to Check Presidential Actions
Treaties- 2/3 in Senate, Impeachment, 2/3 in House & 50 in Senate, Amendments- 2/3 in House & Senate, Veto- 2/3 in House & Senate, Bills- 50 in House & 60 in Senate (cloture motion)
How can you change discretionary spending
You pass a budget with less money the following year.
government corporation
a business owned and operated by the federal government
checked powers of the president
appointments, legislations, vetos, budget
White House Staff
are personal assistants and advisers that are not subject to Senate confirmation, nor do they have divided loyalties. Examples: Chief of staff, press secretary, etc.
Formal Qualifications for President
at least 35 years old, be a natural born citizen, have lived in America for at least 14 years
Government Corporations
businesses established by Congress to perform functions that private businesses could provide US postal office
What is the name for the president's team of top-ranking leaders in the executive branch?
cabinet
Office of the Director of National Intelligence
charged/ overseas CIA,DIA, military, other intelligence office and domestic intelligence in defense of the US and abroad - create 2004
Congress power- diplomatic post
congress appoints the post
What agency assists Congress with the budget?
congressional budget office
If a budget is not passed by the end of the fiscal year the gov't will shut down unless a _______ ______ is passed.
continuing resolution
Military and transportation spending are examples of _____ spending.
discretionary spending
line-item veto
elected executive to reject individual provisions (lines in a bill) of a bill-ruled unconstitutional in 1996 by the Supreme Court.
Which of the following statements explains how an executive order can cause conflict between the president and Congress?
enhances the power of the president because it create laws without congressional approval
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the president's formal and informal powers?
f- nominating federal judges if- issue executive order
A bill to lower taxes would be an example of ____policy.
fiscal policy
If the Senate and House come up with a different budget, it must be settled in a _______ committee.
house appointment committee
President firing the head of the commission
if there is cause for why he
why would do most of the budget go up
incrementally based on the previous year's budget
Social Security and food stamps are examples of _____ spending. How can you change mandatory spending?
mandatory
Example of discretionary spending
military, education, foreign affairs
Mandetory Spending
money the government has to spend. Most of this spending is on entitlement programs that have to be spent because beneficiaries meet program guidelines that were set by law.
Pardons
orders from the president that grant freedom from punishment- federal crimes
How can you change mandatory spending?
pass a law to change the requirement
declare war
power is only for congress
Treaty and Ratification
president negotiate and congress approve it with 2/3 senate
modern technology
president uses modern technology to better communicate with the American people.
US v. Nixon
president, holding that no absolute constitutional executive privilege allows a president to refuse to comply with a court order to produce information needed in a criminal trial.
Omnibus Spending Bill
puts all smaller appropriations bill into one large bill that can be passed with a single vote .
Example of fiscal policy
raising taxes or president trump tax cut
ratifing treaties
requires a 2/3rd majority vote in the senate
If the president issues an executive order, what is one thing that the Supreme Court can do to void the order?
rule that the order is unconstitutional
What does Congress need to do in order to overrule a presidential veto?
secure a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers of Congress
Example of entitlement program?
social security, food stamp, Medicare
top government spending
social security, medial health, military
National security advisor
sometimes closet counselor on security issue
Commander in Chief
term for the president as commander of the nation's armed forces
Bully Pulpit
the president use the media to promote a particular program and/or to influence Congress to accept legislative proposals
Congress power- pass an executive agreement
there need to be a majority vote in congress
Federal Spending
to defense- 16% science- 1% international affair- 1%
What role do coalitions play in the policymaking process?
to get political support from the public
Power to recommend legislation
to suggest laws/legislation. The president often uses the State of the Union address to outline major policy ideas. The president also uses the "bully pulpit" to give speeches about legislative ideas.
State Department
work in embassies to collect intel/ meet with other government officials handles relations with other nations
