The executive branch
appointment
Placing someone in an office rather than electing them. Federal appointments to principal offices require Senate confirmation; many others do not.
In full
Appointment power is one of the sharpest tools an executive holds, because personnel decides how a law is actually carried out. The Appointments Clause splits offices into principal ones, which need confirmation, and inferior ones, which Congress may let the President, courts, or department heads fill alone. Governors hold parallel powers under state constitutions, including filling some vacancies.
Also written as: appointee
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.