Executive Branch
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48 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Appointment Power | The president's power to appoint officers, subject to Congressional approval |
| Appropriation | setting money aside for a specific programs |
| Bureaucracy | Bureaus, administrators, and agencies under the executive branch |
| Cabinet | Advisory board to the president, made up of the heads of the executive departments |
| Census | A periodic counting of the population |
| Chief Diplomat | The president's role of conducting foreign policy |
| Chief Executive | The president's role where he acts as the boss of the executive agencies |
| Civil Service | When people are hired for jobs in political positions because of their qualifications instead of political patronage or personal favor. |
| Commander-in-Chief | The president's role of commanding the US Armed forces |
| Continuing resolution | A bill passed by Congress and agreed to by the president that allows the federal government to continue paying its bills until a new budget is approved. |
| Debt | the total amount the government owes to private investors |
| Deficit | The amount by which the government's spending exceeds its income. |
| Depression | A period of drastic decline in the national economy, characterized by decreasing business activity, falling prices, and unemployment. |
| Discretionary spending | Spending that is optional and is determined on a yearly basis. |
| Entitlement programs | Programs where the government is legally required to make payments to eligible recipients |
| Executive agreement | An agreement made between the executive branch of the U.S. government and a foreign government without ratification by the Senate. |
| Executive branch | The branch of government that includes the president and other executive agencies, and is responsible for enforcing the laws. |
| Executive order | A declaration issued by the president that has the force of law |
| Executive privilege | The doctrine that the president has the authority to withold information from other branches of government, including the courts. By extension, executive privilege implies that presidents are not subject to certain legal proceedings. |
| Fiscal Policy | A government's policy of expenditure and revenue. |
| Fiscal Year | The twelve-month period designated by the government (October 1-September 30) for budget and accounting purposes |
| Freedom of Information Act | A 1966 law that requires the federal government to release any identifiable public information in any administrative agency. |
| Honeymoon | The period at the beginning of a president's term during which the president generally has a good relationship with Congress. |
| Imperial presidency | a president that uses more power than the constitution allows |
| Impoundment | When a president decides not to spend a sum of money appropriated by Congress. |
| Independent Agencies | an agency of the United States government that is created by an act of Congress and is independent of the executive agencies |
| Inflation | A gradual rise in prices |
| Interest rate | yearly price charged by a lender to a borrower in order for the borrower to obtain a loan, usually expressed as a percentage of the total amount loaned. |
| Iron triangle | when agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees develop close ties and work together to implement programs |
| Issue network | Temporary networks that form as a result of an issue, includes interest groups, congressional committees, and executive agencies |
| Lame duck | when an elected official continues in office during the period between an election defeat and a successor's assumption of office. |
| Line item veto | power of the president to veto specific previsions in a bill, Congress has tried to give this power to Congress but the Supreme Court struck it down. |
| Litmus test | A questioning of a candidate for the judiciary or other offices, to determine if the candidate is qualified |
| Mandatory spending | Spending that is required by existing law |
| Monetary policy | The process by which the supply of money in a country is controlled, usually by using interest rates |
| Office of Management and Budget (OMB) | The presidential agency that coordinates agency budgeting requests and advises the President on budget matters |
| Pardon | The president's power to set free people accused of crimes |
| Patronage | A method of hiring government employees by rewarding faithful party workers and followers with jobs. Also known as the 'spoils' system. |
| Pocket Veto | The failure of a president to sign and return a bill fewer than ten days before Congress adjourns. |
| Pork barrel spending | Appropriation of money towards projects that will only benefit a politician's district |
| Recession | A period of general economic decline |
| Red Tape | A time-consuming procedure required to gain bureaucratic approval |
| Schedule C Job | A control program that selects from a job queue the next job to be processed. |
| Surplus | The positive balance that occurs when revenues exceed expenditures. |
| Treaty | A formal agreement between two or more countries. The president has the power to make treaties but the Senate must pass them. |
| Veto | An executive's nullification of a bill passed by a legislature. |
| War Powers Resolution | A law passed by Congress in 1973 that stated that the President could send troops only with a congressional declaration of war, a law passed by congress allowing him to do so, or a national emergency. |
| White House staff | Advisers of the president within the Executive Office of the President |
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