AP U.S. Government and Politics Flashcards: Roles and Powers of the President
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 10 cards to help you master important concepts.
How do bargaining and persuasion function as presidential powers?
Bargaining and persuasion are informal powers used by the president to influence and secure congressional action on their policy agenda.
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How do bargaining and persuasion function as presidential powers?
Bargaining and persuasion are informal powers used by the president to influence and secure congressional action on their policy agenda.
What is the key difference in how Congress can respond to a regular veto versus a pocket veto?
A regular veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress, whereas a pocket veto cannot be overridden.
What is the purpose of a signing statement?
A signing statement is an informal power used to inform Congress and the public of the president's interpretation of a law they have just signed.
Contrast the president's formal and informal foreign policy powers.
Formal foreign policy powers include serving as commander-in-chief and making treaties, while informal powers include making executive agreements with other nations.
Identify two formal foreign policy powers of the president.
Two formal foreign policy powers of the president are serving as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and the power to make treaties with other nations.
What is a pocket veto?
A pocket veto is a formal presidential power to reject a bill when Congress is not in session by not signing it; it cannot be overridden.
A president makes a pact with a foreign leader without Senate approval. What type of informal power is this?
This is called an executive agreement, which is an informal power the president uses to influence relations with foreign nations.
What are executive orders?
Executive orders are directives that allow the president to manage the federal government, implied from the president's vested executive power or delegated by Congress.
How does the president work to implement a policy agenda?
The president uses formal and informal powers, with support from the Vice-President, Cabinet, and Executive Office of the President, to accomplish a policy agenda.
If a president signs a bill but disagrees with how one part of it will be implemented, what informal tool can they use to express this?
The president can issue a signing statement to communicate their interpretation of the law and how they intend to enforce it.