11 Presidential Powers Part I

If there's an immediate threat to the US and Congress doesn't have the time or the opportunity to declare war, the _________must be able to use force.

• Commander in Chief

• President of the Senate

• Secretary of Homeland Defense

• Counter Terrorism Unit

After Vietnam, Congress tried to put on the brakes by passing a ____________, which requires the President to get authorization to use troops within 60 days of when he first commits them, or else he has to bring the troops back.

• War Powers Resolution

• Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

• Homeland Security Act

• Patriot Act

The President has informal powers in foreign policy, too. Formally, the Constitution says that the President has the power to _______________, receive foreign ambassadors, and appoint ambassadors and ministers.

• make treaties

• declare war

• levy taxes

• declare laws unconstitutional

________________ agreements are, well, they're agreements between the US and foreign nations that look like treaties but aren't formally treaties.

• Executive

• Legislative

• Bureaucratic

• Judicial

The most important difference between an executive agreement and a treaty is that the agreements don't need to be ratified by 2/3rds of the Senate, but they become valid with only a majority of the vote in both______________.

• Houses

• Federal Courts

• Political Parties

• Virginia & New Jersey Plans

Although it isn't mentioned in the Constitution, the President is effectively the Chief Executive Officer or CEO of the US….it comes out of his power to __________ judges, ambassadors, and other ministers.

• appoint

• pardon

• imprison

• execute

The President has pretty limited formal powers over Congress. Other than convening special sessions, and the_______________, and the State of the Union Address, maybe, he can't do all that much to influence them.

• veto

• Supreme Court

• pardon

• cabinet members

The President can attempt to set the legislative agenda by making recommendations for laws that he'd like to see passed. This is sometimes called the____________.

• Legislative Influence

• Executive Order

• Executive Veto

• Judicial Review

There's another legislative power that the President has that is probably the most important one. He can give ________________. These are presidential directives, or rules, that have the force of law.

• Executive Orders

• Judicial Review

• Federal Prosecution

• Executive Agreements

The other informal power the President has is kind of obscure, but also pretty important. The President can _____________ that Congress has appropriated for certain programs or projects if he doesn't want them implemented.

• impound funds

• reallocate funds

• redistribute funds

• earmark funds