Chap 14 Gov Terms

Front 1

divided government

Back 1

one party controls the white house and another party controls one or both houses of Congress.

Front 2

unified government

Back 2

the same party controls the white house and both houses of Congress

Front 3

gridlock

Back 3

the inability of the government to act because rival parties control different parts of the government

Front 4

electoral college

Back 4

the people chosen to cast each state's votes in a presidential election. each state can cast one electoral vote for each senator and representative it has.

Front 5

bully pulpit

Back 5

the president's use of his prestige and visibility to guide or enthuse the American public.

Front 6

veto message

Back 6

a message from the president to Congress stating that he will not sign a bill it has passed. must be produced within 10 days of the bill's passage.

Front 7

pocket veto

Back 7

bill fails to become law because the president did not sign it within 10 days before Congress adjourns.

Front 8

line-item veto

Back 8

an executive's ability to block a particular provision in a bill passed by the legislature

Front 9

signing statement

Back 9

presidential document that reveals what the president thinks of a new law and how it ought to be enforced

Front 10

pyramid structure

Back 10

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

Front 11

circular structure

Back 11

several of the president's assistants report directly to him.

Front 12

ad hoc structure

Back 12

several subordinates, cabinet officers, and committees report directly to the president on different matters

Front 13

cabinet

Back 13

the heads of the 15 executive branch departments of the federal government.

Front 14

legislative veto

Back 14

the authority of congress to block a presidential action after it has taken place. the supreme court has held that congress does not have this power.

Front 15

impeachment

Back 15

charges against a president approved by a majority of the House of Representatives.

Front 16

executive privilege

Back 16

the privilege, claimed by the president of the executive branch, to withhold information from Congress or the judiciary.

Front 17

impoundments of funds

Back 17

a presidential refusal to spend money appropriated by congress

Front 18

executive agencies

Back 18

serve at the pleasure of the president and can be moved at his discretion. is treated as managerially and budgetarily separate.

Front 19

independent agencies

Back 19

serve for fixed terms of office and can be removed only "for cause." created by congress to deal with matters that are too complex for the scope of ordinary legislation.

Front 20

executive agreements

Back 20

an agreement between the United States and a foreign government that is less formal than a treaty. a quickly issued law. without congress's consent

Front 21

executive orders

Back 21

rule or regulation issued by the president that has the effect of law. a power of the president that is expressly written into Constitution or statutory law.