AP Gov ch 14 (the presidency) and 15 (the bureaucracy)

Spoils system

The system of employing and promoting civil servants who are friends and supporters of the group in power.

Appropriations

Money that Congress has allocated to be spent.

"Advice and consent"

Terms in the Constitution describing the U.S. Senate's power to review and approve treaties and presidential appointments.

Bully pulpit

A bully pulpit is a position sufficiently conspicuous to provide an opportunity to speak out and be listened to. This term was coined by President Theodore Roosevelt, who referred to the White House as a "bully pulpit", by which he meant a terrific platform from which to advocate an agenda.

Budget Reform and Impoundment Act, 1974

A congressional effort to control presidential impoundments. It requires, among other things, that the president spend all appropriated funds forty-five days, agress to delete the items. If he wishes simply to delay spending money, he need only inform Congress, but Congress in turn can refuse the delay by passign a rersolution requiring immediate release of the funds.

Hatch Act

A federal law prohibiting government employees from active participation in partisan politics.

Independent regulatory agencies

A government agency responsible for some sector of the economy, making and enforcing rules to protect the public interest. It also judges disputes over these rules.

Electoral college

A group selected by the states to elect the president and the vice-president, in which each state's number of electors is equal to the number of its senators and representatives in Congress.

Patronage

A job, promotion, or contract that is given for political reasons rather than for merit or competence alone.

Circular structure

A method of organizing a president's staff in which several presidential assistants report directly to the president

Pyramid structure

A president's subordinates report to him through a clear chain of command headed by a chief of staff

Regulation

A rule or directive made and maintained by an authority.

Executive orders

A rule or regulation issued by the president that has the effect of law. Executive orders can implement and give administrative effect to provisions in the Constitution, to treaties, and to statutes.

Impoundment

A traditional budgeting procedure by which the President of the United States once could prevent any agency of the Executive Branch from spending part or all of the money previously appropriated by Congress for their use. He would accomplish this, in essence, by an executive order that would forbid the Treasury to transfer the money in question to the agency's account.

Impeachment

An action by the House of Representatives to accuse the president, vice president, or other civil officers of the United States of committing "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."

Cabinet

An advisory group selected by the president to aid in making decisions. The cabinet includes the heads of fifteen executive departments and others named by the president.

Issue networks

An alliance of various interest groups and individuals who unite in order to promote a single issue in government policy.

Executive agreements

An international agreement made by the president, without senatorial ratification, with the head of a foreign state.

Lame duck

An outgoing official serving out the remainder of a term, after retiring or being defeated for reelection.

"red tape"

Complex bureaucratic rules and procedure that must be followed to get something done

25th Amendment

Deals with succession to the Presidency and establishes procedures both for filling a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, as well as responding to Presidential disabilities.

Bureaucracy

Departments, agencies, bureaus, and commissions in the executive branch of government.

22nd Amendment

Ensures that no person can be elected to more than two four-year terms as President of the United States.

Max Weber

Invented classic conception of bureaucracy. Stressed it was a "rational" way for a modern society to conduct its business. Felt a bureaucracy depended upon certain elements, including a hierarchial authority structure, task specialization, and extensive rules, which allow similar cases to be handled in similar ways.

"inner cabinet"

Members of the cabinet who wield influence with the president because they head departments that are concerned with national issues.

Iron triangles

Mutually dependent relationship between bureaucratic agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees or subcommittees. Dominate some areas of domestic policymaking.

Divided government

One party controls the White House and another party controls one or both houses of Congress.

Pendleton Act

Passed in 1883, it created a federal civil service so that hiring and promotion would be based on merit rather than patronage.

Line-item veto

Presidential authority to negate particular provisions of a law while letting the remainder stand; granted by congress in 996 but struck down by the Supreme Court in 1998.

Office of Management and Budget

Presidential staff agency that serves as a clearinghouse for budgetary requests and management improvements for government agencies.

War Power Resolution

Requires the President to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to military action and forbids armed forces from remaining for more than 60 days, with a further 30 day withdrawal period, without an authorization of the use of military force or a declaration of war.

12th Amendment

Should there be no majority vote for one person, the House of Representatives (one vote per state) chooses the president and the Senate the vice president.

Presidential succession

The Presidential Succession Act establishes the line of succession to the powers and duties of the office of President of the United States in the event that neither a President nor Vice President is able to "discharge the powers and duties of the office."

Accountability

The concept that public officials serve at the pleasure of the citizens.

Discretionary authority

The extent to which appointed bureaucrats can choose courses of action and make policies that are not spelled out in advance by laws.

Diplomatic recognition

The formal acknowledgment of a foreign government as legitimate.

Merit principles

The idea that hiring should be based on entrance exams and promotion ratings to produce administration by people with talent and skill.

Implementation

The process of carrying out public policy through governmental agencies and the courts (policy implementation).

Agenda setting

The process of forming the list of matters that policymakers intend to address.

Executive privilege

This gives the President the right to keep some information secret from Congress and the courts.

Pocket veto

When a president kills a bill passed during the last 10 days Congress is in session by simply refusing to act on it.