PSC 101: Chapter 13

NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

A group of presidential advisors made up of the vice president, the attorney general, and cabinet officers chosen by the president to advise the president on national security issues; it is part of the Executive Office of the President.

hierarchical model

A method of organizing the presidency that calls for clear lines of authority and that delegates responsibility from the president and through the chief of staff.

spokes-of-the-wheel model

A method of organizing the presidency that calls for the president to be the center of activity, with numerous advisors reporting directly to the president.

weak-executive model

A model of the presidency in which the executive would have a limited term, would have no veto power, and would be allowed to exercise only the authority explicitly granted by Congress.

strong-executive model

A model of the presidency in which the powers of the executive office are significant and independent from Congress.

EXECUTIVE

A person or group that has administrative and supervisory responsibilities in an organization or government.

GOING PUBLIC

A political strategy in which the president appeals to the public in an effort to persuade Congress to support his or her political goals.

White House Office

A section of the Executive Office of the President that houses many of the most influential advisors to the president, including the chief of staff; the White House legal counsel; presidential speechwriters; the president's press secretary; assistants for domestic, foreign, and economic policy; and liaisons with Congress, the public, and state and local governments.

national security directive

A type of executive order with the force of law authorizing federal agencies or officials to take some action to protect national security.

restrictive view of presidential POWER

A view of presidential power that argues that the president can exercise only those powers listed in the Constitution.

stewardship doctrine

A view of presidential power that states that the president is a steward of the people and should do anything the nation needs that is not prohibited by the Constitution.

prerogative view of presidential power

A view of presidential power, promoted by Abraham Lincoln, that argues that the president is required to preserve the Constitution and take actions to do so that otherwise might be unconstitutional

EXECUTIVE AGREEMENTS

Agreements between the United States and other nations, negotiated by the president, that have the same weight as a treaty but do not require senatorial approval.

Council of Economic Advisers

An agency of the Executive Office of the President that is responsible for advising the president on the U.S. economy.

OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET

An agency of the Executive Office of the President that is responsible for assisting the president in creating the budget.

EXECUTIVE ORDER

Directives of the president that have the same weight as law and are not voted on by Congress.

unilateral powers

Presidential directives that carry the weight of law even though they have not been formally endorsed by Congress.

SIGNING STATMENTS

Pronouncements of how the president intends to interpret and apply a law when he signs a bill into law.

PARTY POLARIZATION

Situation in which policy positions (or ideology) within political parties become more homogeneous, and policy positions across the parties move farther apart.

POSITIVE GOVERNMENT

The idea that government should play a major role in preventing or dealing with the crises that face the nation.

EXECTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

The organizational structure in the executive branch that houses the president's most influential advisors and agencies. The most important include the White House Office, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the National Security Council, and the Council of Economic Advisers.

POCKET VETO

The veto resulting from a president taking no action, before Congress adjourns, on legislation that has passed Congress