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)