Presidency And Bureaucracy Vocabulary

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Bureaucracy

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A large, complex organization composed of appointed officials.

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Government by Proxy

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Washington pays state and local governments and private groups to staff and administer federal programs.

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Laissez-Faire

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An economic theory that government should not regulate or interfere with commerce.

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Discretionary Authority

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

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Competitive Service

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The government offices to which people are appointed on the basis of merit, as ascertained by a written exam or by applying certain selection criteria.

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Name-Request Job

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A job that is filled by a person whom an agency has already identified.

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Iron Triangle

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A close relationship between an agency, a congressional committee, and an interest group.

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Issue Network

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A network of people in Washington, D.C -- based on interest groups, on congressional staffs, in universities and think tanks, and in the mass media, who regularly discuss and advocate public policies.

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Authorization Legislation

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Legislative permission to begin or continue a government program or agency.

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Appropriation

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A legislative grant of money to finance a government program or agency.

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Trust Funds

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Funds for government programs that are collected and spent outside the regular government budget.

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Committee Clearance

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The ability of a congressional committee to review and approve certain agency decisions in advance and without passing a law.

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Red Tape

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

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Divided Government

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

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Unified Government

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The same party controls the White House and both houses of Congress.

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Gridlock

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

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Electoral College

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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. The District of Colombia has three electoral votes, even though it cannot elect Congress members.

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Pyramid Structure

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

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Circular Structure

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

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Ad Hoc Structure

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

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Cabinet

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The heads of the fifteen executive branch departments of the federal government.

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Bully Pulpit

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

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Veto Message

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

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Pocket Veto

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

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Line-Item Veto

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

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Signing Statement

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

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Legislative Veto

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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.

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Impeachment

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

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Lame Duck

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A person still in office after he or she has lost a bid for reelection.

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US v. Nixon

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Though the president is entitled to receive confidential advice, he can be required to reveal material related to a criminal prosecution.

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Nixon v. Fitzgerald

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President can't be sued while in office.

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Clinton v. Jones

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The president may be sued for actions taken before he became president.