PBU - Presidency and the Bureaucracy Module Overview
Presidency and the Bureaucracy
Introduction
Because power is widely distributed and checks prevent one branch from usurping powers from the others, institutional actors are in the position where they must both compete and cooperate in order to govern.
Essential Questions:
- Describe the purpose and function of the electoral college in Presidential elections.
- List the qualifications of the President.
- List the powers of the President and justify their existence within the Constitution.
- Explain the organization of those who aid the President.
- Discuss the powers of the Vice President particularly as they relate to Presidential disability.
- Explain the constitutional basis for the executive branch.
- Explain the relationship between the President and the Media.
- Describe the ways the President's job changes during times of crisis.
- Compare and contrast the various arguments surrounding the growth of the federal bureaucracy.
- Discuss the relationship between the executive and other branches of government.
- How do the branches of the national government compete and cooperate in order to govern?
- To what extent have changes in the powers of each branch affected how responsive and accountable the national government is in the 21st century?
Key Terms
- Wars Power Resolution: A federal law intended to check the president\'s power to commit the United States to an armed conflict without the consent of the U.S. Congress.
- Executive Agreement: An international agreement, reached by the President with foreign heads of state that does not require approval from the senate.
- Executive Privilege: A formal agreement between the U.S. president and the leaders of other nations that does not require Senate approval.
- Executive Order: A rule or order issued by the president to an executive branch of the government and having the force of law.
- Cabinet: Advisory group selected by the President to aid him in making decisions.
- National Security Council: A committee in the executive branch of government that advises the president on foreign, military and national security.
- Bureaucracy: A system of government in which most of the important decisions are made by state officials rather than by elected representatives.
- Iron Triangles: Policymaking entities composed of bureaucratic agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees.
- Merit System: The process of promoting and hiring government employees based on their ability to perform a job, rather than on their political connections.
- Independent Regulatory Agency: Agencies that exist outside of the federal executive departments.
- Deregulation: The reduction or elimination of government power in a particular industry, usually enacted to create more competition within the industry.
- Devolution: The transfer or delegation of power to a lower level, especially by the central government to the local or regional administration.
- Privatization: The transfer of ownership, property, or business from the government to the private sector.
- Oversight: Congresses ability to oversee, investigate and exert power over agencies.
- Veto: The Constitutional right to reject a decision made by a law-making body of government.
- Pocket Veto: A president's way of retaining a bill until it is too late for it to be dealt with during the current legislative session.
- Foreign Policy: A government's plan of action when dealing with other nations.
- Signing Statements: Statements that a president makes when signing a bill into law that points out the sections of the law that are deemed unconstitutional.
- Social Media: Electronic technologies that link people and allow the exchange of personal and professional information.
- State of the Union: Annual message presented by the President to a joint session of Congress regarding the goals for the country.
- "Bully Pulpit": A public official who uses their position to speak out on issues.
- Bureaucracy: A group of non-elected government officials that make policy decisions for the country.
- Political Patronage: To give favors in the form of public office or government jobs in reward for political support.
- Civil Service: The part of bureaucracy that consists of people hired on merit rather than appointed or elected.
- Power of the Purse: The influence Congress has over public policy due to their power to vote for money for public purposes as well as being able to authorize the president's budget requests.
- Compliance Monitoring: The development and use of standards for monitoring behavior in the government.
- Rule Making: The process for the executive and independent agency to create regulations.
IMAGES CREATED BY GAVS
PHOTOGRAPH OF THE WHITE HOUSE COURTESY OF NICHOLAS LIN VIA FLICKR