AP Government: Chapter 8-9 President and Bureaucracy
What are the pros and cons of the bureaucracy?
Fairness and predictability; stifling of creativity and ineffectiveness among different agencies
T/F- the Constitution says that when a president can no longer serve in office, the vice president becomes president.
False
What is court packing and who was a prime example?
Trying to put more judges on the Supreme Court so one's bills can be passed; FDR
What is the cabinet?
15 major department heads who advise the President
Conviction of an elected official required _______ vote of the Senate.
2/3
How many electoral college votes are required to win?
270
What does the 25th amendment say?
Addresses Presidential succession, disability, and VP vacancies
What is an executive agreement?
Agreement between two heads of state having the full force of law as long as the President is in office without Senate approval
With whom did patronage begin?
Andrew Jackson
What are the judicial powers of the president?
Appoint federal judges and grants pardons
When the tradition of VPs becoming Presidents begin?
Assassination of WH Harrison
What act was passed to take care of the problem of impoundment?
Budget Reform and Impoundment Act of 1974
What is the 4th branch of government?
Bureaucracy
How is a new VP selected according to the 25th amendment?
By new president with both house majority approval
What are the 4 organizations of bureaucracy?
Cabinet departments, independent executive agencies, independent regulatory agencies, government corporations
What are the congressional checks on the president?
Can override vetoes with ⅔ vote of both houses, power of purse (authorizes agency budgets), impeachment, approval powers of appointments
Who controls access to the President?
Chief of staff
What type of jobs make up the bureaucracy?
Civil service
What 2 presidents have been impeached but not removed?
Clinton and Johnson
What happens if the VP and a majority of the cabinet disagree with the President's ability to do his job?
Congress has 21 days to decide with a ⅔ vote of both houses
What did the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 do?
Created Office of Personal Management which replaced Civil Service Commission
Who elects the president and vice president?
Electoral college
What are the executive powers of the president?
Enforces laws, treaties, and court decisions, executive orders, appoints/removes officials
What are the 4 influences on the federal bureaucracy?
Executive influence, Congressional influence, iron triangles, issue networks
What are 4 characteristics of a bureaucracy?
Hierarchy, specialization, explicit rules, merit
Who votes for the President if there is no majority of electoral college votes?
House of Representatives
The ___________ impeaches, the _____________ tries, and the _______________ presides.
House; Senate; Chief Justice
How does the electoral college work?
In December, electors meet in state capital to vote, send votes to president of the Senate where it is opened before a joint session of Congress
What is a gridlock and when does it occur? What are the pros and cons?
Inability to accomplish goals; divided government; slows decisions making and is a check and balance; government operation shuts down
What are the 3 groups in the iron triangle?
Interest groups, committees, bureaucracy
What is the iron triangle?
Iron-clad collaboration of 3 agencies who want to stay in power
Who discovered the 4 distinct types of presidents and what are they?
James David Barber; active positive, active negative, passive positive, passive negative
What is patronage?
Jobs distributed as favors from political parties in exchange for support
What is bureaucracy?
Large complex organization made up of appointed officials
What does the 22th amendment say?
Limit President to 2 terms
In what 4 ways can the President control public policy and discussion?
Media, State of the Union speech, make policy proposals, encourage Congress
What is civil service?
Most government jobs under executive based on merit system.
What 3 qualifications does article 2 give for the President?
Natural born citizen, 35 years of age, resident for 14 years
Number of electors=
Number of House and Senate members
What does the 12th amendment say
P and VP run on the same ticket.
Which act abolished patronage, what was its purpose, and what did it create?
Pendleton Act of 1883; to create jobs fairly; Civil Service Commission
What does the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 require the president to do?
Prepare and propose a federal budget
What are executive orders?
President issued directives that have the force of law
What does the War Powers Resolution of 1973 say?
President must report to Congress within 48 hours and if Congress doesn't okay in 60 days, the troops must withdraw
What is senatorial courtesy?
President takes into consideration the federal judge nomination of the senators in that state
What is a line item veto?
President vetoes certain lines on bills and passes the rest (unconstitutional)
What is impoundment?
Presidential practice of refusing to spend money appropriated by Congress
What are the 2 primary roles of the Vice President?
Presides over Senate and votes to break a tie and succeeds President
What did the Hatch Act do?
Prohibited government employees from engaging in political activities while on duty
What are the 3 political checks on the president?
Public opinion, media attention, popularity
What are the party powers of the president?
Recognized leader of the party, chooses VP nominee, coattails, patronage
What are legislative vetoes?
Reject actions of president by a vote of one/both houses of Congress (unconstitutional)
To whom was the term "imperial presidency" applied to?
Richard Nixon
What is executive privilege?
Right to privacy of conversation between President and his advisors
What are the qualifications for Vice President?
Same as President
Who are the original and inner cabinet members?
Secretary of State, Secretary of Treasury, attorney general, Secretary of Defense
Who votes for the Vice President if there is no majority of electoral college votes?
Senate
What is another name for patronage?
Spoils system
What are the legislative powers of the president?
State of the Union address, signs/vetoes bills, proposes legislation
What is signing statement?
Statement written by the President after he signs a bill into law with his interpretation of the law
What is the bully pulpit?
The President uses his position to push people to believe his ideas
What are the 3 grounds for impeachment?
Treason, bribery, high crimes and misdemeanors
The number of terms a VP can serve is limited/unlimited.
Unlimited
What are the diplomatic powers of the president?
appoints ambassadors, executive agreements and treaties
What are the military powers of the president?
commander in chief of army
What are judicial checks on the president?
judicial review
In what 2 ways can a disabled president be replaced?
president informs Congress of his inability or the VP and a majority of the cabinet inform Congress in writing of the inability
What type of executive was decided by the Founding Fathers?
single with powers limited by checks and balances