Executive Branch of the Federal Government

civil service workers

carrier people that do not change when a new president is elected

political appointees

change administrators based on your party, change when the president changes

commute/commutation

change/ shortening in the sentence (ex: death penalty-> life in prison)

federal bureaucracy

complex hierarchy of people working in a department/cabinet

reprieve

delay of punishment (executive can grant this)

national security council

experts that discuss what to do during times of crisis (Members of the national security council= secretary of state & defense, chairman of joint chiefs, CIA, NSA, and the Vice President)

pardon

forgiveness of a federal crime (president does this)

government corporations

government owned but pays for itself, no tax money

merit system (Pendleton act 1883)

having the civil service exam and basing your knowledge/job on skill

third line of president's cabinet

housing & urban development health & human services energy education veterans affairs homeland security

foreign policy

how we deal with other countries (decided by president)

"spoils" system

if you win the election you take the jobs. you fire all the previous people and hire your own (supporters)

commander in chief

in charge of military; can make all military decisions

second line of president's cabinet

interior agriculture commerce labor transportation

embargo

no trade what-so-ever/cut of trade (ex: we have this with Cuba. we haven't sold Cuba an american made car since 1999)

head of state

president (face of the country)

regulatory commissions

regulates one field

ambassador

representative of a country, in another country

first line of president's cabinet

state treasury defense justice

civil service exams

used to show merit; must take this exam to work in government. (jobs are based on merit)

trade sanctions

(presidents most powerful tool against another country) a president can cut off trade in another country

amnesty

a pardon for a group (forgiveness for a large group)

independent agencies

agencies that exist outside the federal executive departments (headed by the cabinet secretary and the executive office of the president) (could become a cabinet)

executive agreements

an agreement between executives (presidents) of other countries; executive agreements

treaties

an agreement with another country (must be approved by congress)

executive order

an order by the president, carries force of a law but isn't a law (not passed by congress)