The Senate
The President
The Bureaucracy
Bill to Law
Money and Congress
200

This acts as a pause button on legislation in the Senate.  It can be requested by any senator.  

Hold

200

The president can make this type of agreement with another nation.  It does not require Senate approval.  However, it can be nullified by a future president's executive order.  

Executive Agreement

200
Passed after President Garfield's assassination, this Act established the Civil Service System, which based the hiring of government jobs on merit. 

The Pendleton Civil Service Act

200

This is the procedure for removing legislation from the control of a committee and bringing it to the House Floor for immediate consideration.  

Discharge Petition
200

This term describes policy that deals with taxes, expenditures, and borrowing.  It is political in nature. 

Fiscal Policy

400

This can be negotiated by the president, but it requires 2/3 approval of the Senate.  

Treaty

400

This speech made by the president is given before a joint session of Congress.  He outlines policy successes, and future policy goals.  

State of the Union Message

400

This agency reviews the budget and programs of executive departments as well as executive orders. 

Office of Management and Budget

400

This joint committee will resolve the differences in the House and Senate version of a bill. 

Conference Committee

400

This describes policy dealing with banking and interest rates. It is supposed to be apolitical.  

Monetary Policy

600

This is the title of the person that oversees the daily operations of the Senate.  He can debate a bill, and he is highly involved the political maneuvering that must take place in the Senate.   

Senate Majority Leader

600

This resolution places Congressional limits on the president's war powers. 

War Powers Resolution of 1973

600

The FCC is an example of this type of agency, which supervises a specific economic activity or interest. 

Independent Regulatory Agency
600

The president will attach this to a veto, which explains why he is vetoing a particular bill.  

Veto Message

600

This is a temporary debt limit that Congress must periodically vote to raise.  

Debt Ceiling

800

This can take many forms, but essentially it means that most action requires a 3/5 vote (60 votes) in the Senate.  

The filibuster rule. 

800

This describes how the president can use the power of his position and media influence to gain public support for a policy or appointment.  

Bully Pulpit

800

This Act prohibits federal employees from taking an active role in politics. 

The Hatch Act

800

I will vote for your bill if you vote for mine. 

Logrolling

800

These programs fall under the category of mandatory spending, some examples are Social Security, Medicare, and SNAP benefits.  

Entitlement Programs

1000

This ends a filibuster with a 3/5 vote and forces action on a bill.  

Cloture

1000

This allows the president to passively veto a bill if he ignores it within 10 days of the end of Congressional session.  It cannot be overridden by Congress. 

Pocket Veto

1000

This is composed of people who work in various White House Offices. 

Executive Office of the President

1000

An informal tool that allows the president to specify how his administration plans to implementing and enforcing a particular bill. 

Signing Statement

1000

This is spending that Congress must agree upon.  Some examples are Defense and other Cabinet Departments. 

Discretionary Spending