| A | B |
|---|
| ad hoc structure | Several subordinates, cabinet officers, and committees report directly to the president on different matters. |
| bully pulpit | The president’s use of his prestige and visibility to guide or enthuse the American public. |
| cabinet | The heads of the fifteen executive branch departments of the federal government. |
| circular structure | Several of the president’s assistants report directly to him. |
| divided government | One party controls the White House and another party controls one or both houses of Congress. |
| Electoral College | 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 Columbia has three electoral votes even though it cannot elect a representative or senator. |
| gridlock | The inability of the government to act because rival parties control different parts of the government. |
| impeachment | Charges against a president approved by a majority of the House of Representatives. |
| lame duck | A person still in office after he or she has lost a bid for re-election. |
| legislative veto | 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. |
| line-item veto | The authority, held by many governors but not by the president, to veto specific items in a bill without vetoing it in its entirety. |
| pocket veto | A bill fails to become law because the president did not sign it within ten days before Congress adjourns. |
| pyramid structure | A president’s subordinates report to him through a clear chain of command headed by a chief of staff. |
| unified government | The same party controls the White House and both houses of Congress. |
| veto message | 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. |
| 22nd Amendement | Limits presidents to two terms of office |
| 25th Amendment | sets rules for declaring a president disabled, sets up the line of succession, and how to name a new vice president |
| executuive orders | regulations created by the president on how to implement laws. This allows the president control over the bureaucracy. |
| executive agreements | agreements made between the president and leaders of other countries. These aren't ratified by the Senate and therefore do not have the weight of law in the US. |
| treaties | agreements made by the US and foreign countries. These must be ratified by the Senate and have the weight of law. |
| National Security Council | This organaztion which includes the vice president, secretary of state, secretary of defense, and the presidents national security advisor, advises the president as to threats against the US, both foreign and domestic |
| Council of Economic Advisors | This organaztion advises the president as to the best economic policy for the US. |
| Office of Management and Budget | This organization prepares the budget for the president and reviews how the various departments and agencies of the executive branch are spending their allocations |
| White House staff | These are the president's closest advisors. Their job is to assist the president in carrying out the duties of office. |
| veto | the president's power of rejecting a bill passed by both houses of Congress |
| presidential coattails | the idea that when a president is elected, the president's political party gains seats in Congress |
| War Powers (Resolution) Act of 1974 | This law says that if the president sends troops to a foreign country, the troops must withdraw with-in 60 days, unless Congress declares war or okays the deployment |
| Watergate | This scandal and subsequent cover up over an attempt by President Nixon's re-election campaign to bug the Democratic National Committee headquarters caused President Nixon to resign and has tarnished the image of politics ever since. |
| crisis | A sudden, unpredictable, and likely dangerous event requiring the president to take quick action. |
