Presidency

Passed by Congress in 1973; the president is limited in the deployment of troops overseas to a sixty-day period in peacetime (which can be extended for an extra 30 days to permit withdrawal), unless Congress explicitly gives its approval for a longer period.

The formal, constitutional authority of the president to reject bills passed by both houses of Congress, thus preventing their becoming law without further congressional action.

Key Supreme Court ruling on power of the president, finding that there is no constitutional executive privilege to allow a president to refuse to comply with a court order to produce information needed in a criminal trial.

Adopted in 1951, prevents a president from serving more than two terms or more than ten years if he came to office via the death or impeachmen of his predecessor.

Adopted in 1967 to establish procedures for filling vacancies in the office of president and vice president as well as providing for procedures to deal with the disability of a president.

"President not alive? See no. 25!"

The authority of a government to cancel someone's conviction of a crime by a court and to eliminate all sanctions and punishments resulting from conviction.

The office that prepares the president's annual budget proposal, reviews the budget and programs of the executive departments, supplies economic forecasts, and conducts detailed analyses of proposed bills and agency rules.

The name given to the program of “Relief, Recovery, Reform” begun by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933 to bring the United States out of the Great Depression.

The authority of a chief executive to delete part of a bill passed by the legislature that involves taxing or spending. The legislature may override a veto, usually with a two-thirds majority of each chamber. The line-item veto has been ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Powers that belong to the national government simply because it is a sovereign state.

The power delegated to the House of Representatives in the Constitution to charge the president, vice president or other “civil officers”, including federal judges, with 'Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors.” This is the first step in the constitutional process of removing such government officials from office.

An implied presidential power that allows the president to refuse to disclose information regarding confidential conversations or national security to Congress or the judiciary.

Rule or regulation issued by the president that has the effect of law. All executive orders must be published in the Federal Registrar.

Establishment created in 1939 to help the president oversee the executive branch bureaucracy.

Formal government agreement entered into by the president that does not require the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate.

The formal body of the presidential advisers who head the fifteen executive departments. Presidents often add others to this body of formal advisers.