Executive Branch - Office Of The President

Front 1

Imperial Presidency

Back 1

Concerns that the President is out of control (acting outside the law) & The office of the President has grown too powerful in relation to the other branches

Front 2

Divided Government

Back 2

When one party controls the White House and another controls EITHER the House of Representatives or Senate

Front 3

Unified government

Back 3

When one party controls the White House, House of Representatives AND the Senate

Front 4

Gridlock

Back 4

When the government can’t get anything done because rival parties won’t compromise

Front 5

State of the Union Address

Back 5

 Constitutional message of President to Congress
Used by the President to make a speech in front of Congress and SET THE AGENDA

Front 6

Appointment Power

Back 6

The ability of the President to nominate people for key positions in government (Judges, Dept Heads, Ambassadors) with SENATE consent

Front 7

Executive Powers (Inherent Power)

Back 7

Power to carry-out/enact/enforce laws (make laws happen)

Front 8

Commander-in-Chief

Back 8

Civilian Leader of the military

Front 9

Pardon power

Back 9

Constitutional ability of the President to forgive (end) a criminal sentence (including jail time and the death penalty)

Front 10

Presidential honeymoon

Back 10

The period of time right after inauguration when the President’s popularity is highest and he is most likely to get large portions of his agenda passed

Front 11

Lame Duck

Back 11

 An elected official who is nearing the end of his/her term (either lost the election or cannot run again)
Makes them less effective (have less power)

Front 12

Cabinet vs. White House Staff

Back 12

Cabinet: The 15 Bureau Department Heads (i.e., Secretary of State) who advise the President - usually have more power, distanced from the President in their own buildings – less loyal
Staff: The people who work in the White House directly under the president and have the most direct access/control his schedule – more loyal

Front 13

Faithless electors

Back 13

An elector who does NOT cast their ballot for the presidential candidate who won the state’s election

Front 14

Executive Office of the President

Back 14

Agencies in the government who ADVISE the President

Front 15

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Back 15

Creates and gives an official estimate to the President’s budget (how much he wants to spend on his agenda)

Front 16

National Security Council (NSC)

Back 16

Advises the President on issues related to our National Security

Front 17

Council of Economic Advisers

Back 17

Advises the President on issues related to the economy

Front 18

Executive Agencies

Back 18

Offices under the President whose leaders can be removed at any time by the President

Front 19

Independent Agencies

Back 19

Offices under the President whose leaders serve for a FIXED term (once appointed, they cannot be removed until their time is up)
- Example: Federal Reserve Board (14 years)

Front 20

Veto

Back 20

The power of the president to reject a bill passed by congress

Front 21

Pocket Veto

Back 21

An indirect veto of a bill by the president not signing it within ten days before Congress adjourns

Front 22

Trustee Approach & Delegate Model

Back 22

 Trustee: President should act with his own best judgment (long term)
Delegate: President should act as the people want (short term)

Front 23

Bully Pulpit

Back 23

 President gets most media attention and uses it to influence the public for the agenda to push Congress to act

Front 24

Approval Ratings

Back 24

 Polls that assess the daily rate of how many people “approve” of how the President is doing
High ratings make it easier for President to pressure Congress to pass his agenda
Low is harder

Front 25

Primary vs. General election

Back 25

Primary – people vote on who is going to run for their political party
General – people vote on who is going to hold office

Front 26

caucus (election)

Back 26

A form of primary voting (most famous in Iowa for being the first presidential primary election) where groups of people gather and spend hours deciding who they will support

Front 27

Closed vs. open primary

Back 27

Closed – only official members of that party may vote in the primary (i.e., democrats only voting for democrats)
Open – anyone can choose which primary election to vote in (i.e, democrats can vote for EITHER republicans OR democrats – their choice)

Front 28

front-loaded campaign

Back 28

Candidates focus most of their time, money and attention on the early primaries (Iowa & New Hampshire) in the hopes of building momentum

Front 29

Winner-take-all elections

Back 29

Whoever gets the most votes, wins the entire election.

Front 30

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

Back 30

Decided that corporations and unions could use as much $ as they want in campaigns as long as it isn’t ‘officially donated’

Front 31

Hard vs. soft money

Back 31

Hard money – money donated directly to a candidate
Soft money – money spent on behalf of a candidate (usually on tv ads)

Front 32

Major Third Parties & Why they don’t win

Back 32

Major 3rd parties: Independents, Libertarians, Green Party
Don’t win because we have a winner-take-all system and they never get enough votes to win, so many view them as ‘throwing out’ a vote and don’t vote for them

Front 33

critical or realignment election

Back 33

When a dramatic (and mostly permanent) change comes about in who a state votes for (i.e., a state that has voted democrat for 40+ years chooses a republican–mostly in the south)

Front 34

Federal Election Commission

Back 34

FEC – in charge of monitoring and reporting campaign contributions and spending in elections

Front 35

Exit polls

Back 35

Used to predict an election ‘first’, media asks voters who they voted for as they leave

Front 36

12th Amendment

Back 36

Changed the procedure for electing the President and Vice President with the electoral college

Front 37

20th Amendment

Back 37

Establishes the beginning and ending of the terms of the elected federal offices. President: Jan. 20; Congress: Jan. 3

Front 38

22nd Amendment

Back 38

Set a 2 term limit for President

Front 39

25th Amendment

Back 39

How to replace the VP: Nomination by President, Consent by HOUSE AND SENATE

Front 40

Presidential Succession Act

Back 40

Created a longer chain of succession for President
1. Vice President, 2. Speaker of the House, 3. President of the Senate