Electoral College
a group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and vice president
elector
person appointed to vote in presidential elections for the major candidates
executive order
a rule or command that has the force of law
pardon
a declaration of forgiveness and freedom from punishment
reprieve
an order to delay a person's punishment until a higher court can hear the case
amnesty
a pardon to a group of people
foreign policy
a nation's overall plan for dealing with other nations
national security
the prime goal of American foreign policy
treaty
a formal agreement between the governments of two or more countries
executive agreement
an agreement between the president and the leader of another country
ambassador
an official representative of a country's government
trade sanction
an effort to punish another nation by imposing trade barriers
embargo
an agreement among a group of nations that prohibits them all from trading with a target nation
cabinet
a group of advisers to the president that includes the heads of 15 top-level executive departments
federal bureaucracy
agencies and the employees of the executive branch of government
independent agency
federal board or commission that is not part of any cabinet department
government corporation
a business owned and operated by the federal government
political appointee
people whom the president has chosen because they have proved executive ability or were important supporters of the president's election campaign
civil service worker
person hired into a government position
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 on the basis of their qualifications