Ch. 8 Terms

Ch. 8 Terms

1. Lesson 1

   • Electoral College
     • -538 members -elects the president -supposed to vote based upon the peoples' opinion, but do not always do so.
   • Electors
     • person(s) appointed to vote in presidential elections for president or vice president
   • Electoral Votes
     • -votes that determine the presidency
   • Articles I
     • -the vice president shall oversee the senate
   • Resign
     • -when someone ( example: the president) leaves or quits
   • Presidential Succession Act
     • -succession line after the vice president
   • 25th Amendment
     • -if the president dies or resigns, the vice president takes over.

2. Lesson 2

   • executive powers
     • -powers held by the president
   • executive order
     • -a rule or command the president gives out that has the force of law
   • pardon
     • -a declaration of forgiveness and freedom from punishment
   • reprieve
     • -an order to delay a persons punishment until a higher court can hear the case
   • amnesty
     • -a pardon to a group of people
   • ambassador
     • -an official representative of a country's government
   • Commander in Chief
     • -president -in charge of the nations armed forces
   • War Powers Resolution
     • -after Vietnam War -says that the president must let congress know within 48 hours when troops are sent into power

3. Lesson 3

   • foreign policy
     • -a nations plan for dealing with other nations -main goal is to establish/enforce national security
   • National Security
     • -the ability to keep the country safe from attack or harm
   • National Security advisor
     • -studies foreign policy questions and provides advice to the president
   • Sate Department
     • -makes and conduct foreign policy *headed by the secretary of state
   • National Security Council
     • -the principle forum used by the president for a peaceful consideration of national security and foreign policy matters
   • CIA
     • -Central Intelligence Agency -gathers,processes, and analyzes national security information from around the world
   • treaty
     • -a formal agreement between the government of two or more countries
   • executive agreement
     • -an agreement between the president and the leader of another country
   • NATO
     • -1949 -North Atlantic Treaty Organization (U.S. , Canada, Western Europe) -to prevent World War III
   • trade sanctions
     • -block trade -try to convince a country to change it's policy
   • NAFTA
     • -North American Free Trade Agreement -lowered trade barriers between the United States and other countries
   • embargo
     • an official ban on trade with a country

4. Lesson 4

   • cabinet
     • -a group of advisers to the president that includes the heads of the top-level executive department
   • Executive Office of the President
     • -experts,advisers,secretaries,and clerks that assist the president
   • Office of Management and Budget
     • -prepares federal budget
   • National Security Council
     • -advises the president on matters of national security
   • Joint Chiefs of Staff
     • -top commanders from the four parts of the armed services
   • Council of Economic Advisers
     • -helps the president to carry out the role, or job, of an economic leader -the president names people to the CEA, but the senate must approve them
   • executive agency
     • -independent agency that deals with certain specific areas within the government
   • government corporation
     • -a business owned and operated by the federal government
   • regulatory commission
     • -independent agency created by congress that can make rules concerning certain activities and bring violators to court
   • political appointer
     • -a person appointed to a federal position by the president
   • civil service system
     • -the practice of hiring government workers on the basis of open, competitive examinations and merit
   • spoils system
     • -rewarding people with government jobs on the basis of their political support
   • merit system
     • -hiring people into government jobs based on their qualifications
   • Homeland Security
     • -protect the nation from attacks by terrorists