Deck 12: The Presidency: Power and Paradox

Question 1

The 2016 presidential campaign is noteworthy for

A) witnessing the nomination of the first African American candidate for president by a major party.
B) witnessing the nomination of the first female candidate for president by a major party.
C) witnessing the nomination of the first female candidate for vice president by a major party.
D) being among the briefest and least expensive ever held.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

What was the first presidential election in which super PACs could play a role?

A) 1992
B) 2000
C) 2004
D) 2008
E) 2012

Answer 2

E

Question 3

What was the main difference in campaign fundraising after 2010?

A) the importance of traditional PACs
B) the importance of super PACs
C) the inability of the Republicans to get contributions over the Internet
D) the willingness of ordinary citizens to contribute to the two campaigns
E) the ability of 527s to raise money for the campaigns

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following is true of the typical path to the presidency and characteristics of presidents?

A) Every president but one has been either a military officer or had prior government service.
B) Vice presidents ascend to the presidency relatively rarely, having done so only seven times.
C) Twenty-eight former presidents have been either governors or senators.
D) Neither the Democratic or Republican party chose an African American or woman as their major party candidate until 1984.
E) There has not yet been a major-party female vice presidential candidate.

Question 5

Which part of the Constitution lays out the powers and duties of the president?

A) Article I
B) Article II
C) Article III
D) Article IV
E) Article V

Question 6

During the presidential nominating process, the votes of participating citizens decide the

A) presidential nominees.
B) pledged delegates.
C) superdelegates.
D) unpledged delegates.
E) members of the party caucus who will select the presidential nominee.

Question 7

The Twelfth Amendment affected the presidency by

A) barring presidents from serving more than two full terms.
B) having electors cast separate votes for president and vice president instead of two votes for president.
C) allowing the people to elect the president directly.
D) granting the president the right to veto congressional laws that he or she deemed to be unwise or unconstitutional.
E) granting the president the power to make appointments with the Senate's approval when the Senate was in recess.

Question 8

Which of the following states typically holds the earliest presidential caucus?

A) Iowa
B) Kansas
C) Nebraska
D) Oklahoma
E) Minnesota

Question 9

In order to serve as president of the United States today, a person must meet the following criteria EXCEPT

A) be at least 35 years old.
B) be a natural born citizen.
C) receive the majority of the popular vote.
D) have resided in the United States for fourteen years.
E) not have previously served two full terms as president.

Question 10

Third-party presidential candidates can receive retroactive public financing for their campaigns if

A) they are on the ballot in at least 20 states.
B) they are on the ballot in at least 30 states.
C) they receive at least 1 percent of the vote.
D) they receive at least 5 percent of the vote.
E) they have kept detailed records of their expenditures.

Question 11

At the 2016 Democratic National Convention, ________ emerged as a powerful and heavily criticized force in the nominating process because of the closeness of the race between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton.

A) unpledged delegates
B) union leaders
C) women's group leaders
D) superdelegates
E) special interest group leaders

Question 12

Not all primaries and caucuses are created equal. Certain small states play a disproportionate role in shaping public opinion about the candidates, often because their primary or caucus occurs early. One example of a small state with disproportionate influence is

A) Delaware.
B) New Hampshire.
C) Montana.
D) Alaska.
E) North Dakota.

Question 13

In the 1830s, which president enhanced his authority by portraying himself as a tribune of the people and enlisting the people's support behind his policies?

A) George Washington
B) Thomas Jefferson
C) James Monroe
D) Andrew Jackson
E) Abraham Lincoln

Question 14

Public financing of presidential campaigns

A) was used by Hillary Clinton in 2012.
B) was used by Donald Trump in 2012.
C) has been in place for nearly a hundred years.
D) is essentially obsolete.
E) is required by law.

Question 15

The Constitution explicitly grants the presidency all of the following powers EXCEPT

A) the ability to appoint ambassadors.
B) the right to veto legislation.
C) the right to create new laws.
D) the power to negotiate foreign treaties.
E) the position of commander in chief of the armed forces.

Question 16

In the early 1800s (before 1831), the selection of presidential candidates was decided primarily by

A) party leaders in Congress.
B) national conventions.
C) state legislatures.
D) the Supreme Court.
E) leading figures in private business.

Question 17

President Lincoln demonstrated the wide latitude a president has in responding to a crisis with wartime actions such as

A) the suspension of habeas corpus.
B) the confiscation of private property without due process.
C) the trial of civilians in military courts.
D) defying the orders of federal courts.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 18

In the Democratic Party, leaders and elected officials attending the party convention who may pledge support to a candidate prior to the convention are called

A) unpledged delegates.
B) superdelegates.
C) outstanding delegates.
D) influential delegates.
E) pre-eminent delegates.

Question 19

Fundraising for the 2016 campaign was extraordinary because of the enormous amount of money that came from

A) contributions of less than $200 from individuals.
B) the national party organizations.
C) the state party organizations.
D) ordinary PACs.
E) super PACs.

Question 20

After World War II, the United States became a prominent world power, and presidents were expected to

A) protect our interests abroad.
B) prevent nuclear catastrophe.
C) promote world trade.
D) do all of these: protect our interests abroad, prevent nuclear catastrophe, and promote world trade.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 21

The Framers seem to have expected that most presidents would be selected by the

A) people.
B) Senate.
C) House of Representatives.
D) Electoral College.
E) Supreme Court.

Question 22

Thomas Jefferson and John Quincy Adams are the only two presidents to have

A) been formally selected by the House of Representatives instead of the Electoral College.
B) lost the popular vote but won the presidency.
C) won the presidency despite not belonging to a major party.
D) tied with their running mate in the Electoral College's presidential vote.
E) won the presidency without launching a national campaign.

Question 23

The powers the Constitution explicitly grants to the president are known as

A) express powers.
B) delegated powers.
C) discretionary powers.
D) emergency powers.
E) executive privileges.

Question 24

Which of the following statements about executive orders is LEAST accurate?

A) Executive orders are exceptional devices used only in times of national emergency.
B) Executive orders have been used to change federal policies on the prosecution of undocumented immigrants.
C) Executive orders have been used to allow government agents to use interrogation techniques that are widely regarded as torture.
D) Executive orders are often mundane and deal with bureaucratic organization.
E) Executive orders by one president are sometimes immediately revoked by the following president.

Question 25

When President Bush responded to the September 11, 2001, attacks by unilaterally authorizing CIA agents to assassinate terrorist targets, he was exercising

A) an express power.
B) a delegated power.
C) a discretionary power.
D) an emergency power.
E) an executive privilege.

Question 26

Who was the most recent presidential candidate to win the popular vote yet lose the Electoral College?

A) Republican Thomas Dewey in 1948
B) Republican Richard Nixon in 1960
C) Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016
D) Democrat Al Gore in 2000
E) Republican John McCain in 2008

Question 27

Which of the following statements about presidential elections is most accurate?

A) The District of Columbia is not awarded any electors; hence its citizens have only a symbolic vote in presidential elections.
B) The Constitution requires electors to cast their votes in accordance with the will of the people who elected them.
C) Every state in the Union grants all its electoral votes to the candidate who wins the plurality.
D) If one candidate wins the majority of the electoral vote, and another wins the majority of the popular vote, the election is thrown to the House of Representatives.
E) A candidate might win the popular vote but still lose the election.

Question 28

In which year did the Supreme Court play the most significant role in deciding the victor in a contested election?

A) 1800
B) 1824
C) 1876
D) 1888
E) 2000

Question 29

The president's ability to veto legislation is an example of

A) an express power.
B) a delegated power.
C) a discretionary power.
D) an emergency power.
E) an executive privilege.

Question 30

What is the primary reason that American presidents do not exercise the power of a line-item veto?

A) Congress passed a law stripping them of the power to do so.
B) No president has expressed a desire to wield such a power.
C) There is no precedent of such power anywhere in the American system of government.
D) The Supreme Court has ruled that the Constitution does not authorize such a power.
E) The majority of the American people oppose such a power.

Question 31

When the presidency claims extensive authority, especially during times of war or national emergency, it is claiming

A) express powers.
B) delegated powers.
C) discretionary powers.
D) emergency powers.
E) executive privileges.

Question 32

The legal powers Congress cedes to the presidency for enforcement of the laws are known as

A) express powers.
B) delegated powers.
C) discretionary powers.
D) emergency powers.
E) executive privileges.

Question 33

With regard to presidential elections, Nebraska and Maine are unusual because they

A) allow their state legislatures, not their people, to select the states' electors.
B) are the only states that follow the "unit rule."
C) each send only one elector to the Electoral College.
D) divide their states' electoral votes according to the popular vote within the states.
E) award their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the majority of the popular vote throughout the nation, rather than just within their own states.

Question 34

The Republican Party's 2016 vice presidential nominee was chosen to excite the Republican base because he was

A) a supporter of gay marriage.
B) from the rural American West.
C) a decorated war veteran and former senator from Louisiana.
D) a conservative ex-governor of Indiana with strong religious beliefs.
E) elderly and would appeal to older Americans.

Question 35

Which of the following individuals was NOT a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016?

A) Bernie Sanders
B) John Kasich
C) Jeb Bush
D) Ted Cruz
E) Donald Trump

Question 36

How many electoral votes must a candidate win in order to secure the presidency?

A) 598
B) 270
C) 164
D) 332
E) one more than any other candidate

Question 37

Which of the following statements about executive powers of appointment is LEAST accurate?

A) The president is free to choose top administrative posts, known as the cabinet, with the advice and consent of the Senate.
B) Although presidents must secure Senate approval for ambassadors and judges, presidents are free to select their cabinet members without Senate oversight.
C) The president can temporarily circumvent senatorial oversight by appointing officials while the Senate is in recess.
D) The Senate has rejected relatively few nominees overall, although such rejections have increased in recent years.
E) Senate committees put nominees through extensive screening and vetting procedures before voting on confirmation.

Question 38

Which of the following statements about presidential nominating conventions is LEAST accurate?

A) Conventions offer partisans an opportunity to meet and rededicate themselves to the party interests.
B) Both parties carefully choreograph their conventions in order to cultivate an image of unity.
C) Discussions about potentially disruptive issues, such as controversial platform planks, often take place behind closed doors, not on the convention floor.
D) Convention delegates are almost always political insiders and major figures in local and national government instead of average citizens.
E) Major parties can no longer receive public funding to offset the costs of their conventions.

Question 39

The Constitution does not limit or require that the president share which of the following powers with any other branch?

A) pardon power
B) judicial appointment
C) cabinet appointment
D) war power
E) law enforcement power

Question 40

One of the more controversial (and currently sharply curtailed) powers of the president is the power of impoundment, whereby

A) the president can not only veto a bill, but also prevent it from being reconsidered by Congress.
B) the president can seize the property of private citizens without due process in times of emergency.
C) the president can withhold funds from Congress.
D) the president can summarily dismiss congressional members suspected of wrongdoing.
E) the president can cancel national elections in the event of insurrection or invasion.

Question 41

In winning votes for their agenda, presidents can employ a number of tactics, including which of the following?

A) They can offer to direct funds to member districts for discretionary projects.
B) They can help members from their own party raise campaign funds and make personal appearances for them.
C) They can recommend members or their campaign contributors for political appointments.
D) They can appeal to the public and ask them to pressure Congress.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 42

Generally speaking it is most difficult to accurately gauge a sitting president's performance as

A) economic leader.
B) party leader.
C) opinion leader.
D) lawmaker.
E) commander in chief.

Question 43

The foreign policy tools available to the president include all of the following EXCEPT

A) declarations of war.
B) executive agreements.
C) presidential doctrines.
D) summit meetings.
E) diplomatic recognition.

Question 44

An executive order is

A) a presidential decree that has the force of law but does not need approval by Congress.
B) a presidential decree exclusively used to implement policies mandated by Supreme Court decisions.
C) a proposal for new legislation, which the president places before Congress in hopes of securing its approval.
D) an emergency power Congress grants to the president for brief times during national crises.
E) a presidential decree that stays in effect for only a fixed and limited period of time unless subsequently approved by Congress.

Question 45

President Trump's White House staff has differed from recent administrations in which of the following ways?

A) It is smaller.
B) It has fewer of his personal relatives.
C) It has seen less turnover.
D) It has more policy experts.
E) Its staff typically speak for the president rather than letting him make policy pronouncements.

Question 46

President Bush's decision to treat captives taken in Afghanistan as unlawful enemy combatants and to try them with military tribunals is an example of

A) express powers.
B) delegated powers.
C) discretionary powers.
D) emergency powers.
E) executive privilege.

Question 47

A president's legislative success is relatively high in all of the following situations EXCEPT

A) when Congress is in the hands of the president's own party.
B) in the president's period of highest public approval.
C) when it is the president's first term.
D) in times of national emergency when the president commands deference.
E) when Congress is in the hands of the opposition party.

Question 48

Compared to early presidents, presidents from Ronald Reagan onward have been more likely to

A) have their vetoes overturned by Congress.
B) reserve the veto for bills they regard as unconstitutional.
C) play only an indirect role in shaping legislation.
D) issue signing statements qualifying their support for a law.
E) view themselves as representatives of the section of the country with which they identify, not as representatives of the entire nation.

Question 49

A series of U.S. Supreme Court decisions (among them, Rasul v. Bush and Hamdi v. Rumsfeld) affirmed

A) post-9/11 detainees have certain constitutional rights and protections.
B) the prohibition of off-shore drilling and exploration.
C) protection of Alaska's public lands from future oil exploration and development.
D) limits to congressional war authority.
E) significant limits to judicial jurisdiction in civil rights cases.

Question 50

The Monroe Doctrine, issued by President Monroe in 1823, asserted the intention of the U.S. to

A) support free people who are resisting subjugation anywhere in the world.
B) resist any attempt by a European power to interfere in the affairs of any Western Hemisphere country.
C) act as the Western Hemisphere's policeman if needed to protect neighbor nations.
D) resist any attempt by the Chinese to dominate Asian countries.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 51

Which of the following statements about presidential roles is LEAST accurate?

A) Even though they are likely to bear the brunt of the blame for hard times, presidents actually wield little direct control over the economy.
B) Presidents who become unpopular are likely to find that even same-party lawmakers will distance themselves.
C) When presidents first take office, they usually face a great deal of scrutiny, and must wait until their policies begin to show beneficial effects before they can enjoy their "honeymoon period."
D) Presidents frequently demonstrate gratitude for party loyalty by naming party donors as foreign ambassadors.
E) Presidents frequently campaign and raise funds for party members running for Congress.

Question 52

Which of the following statements about the presidential cabinet is most accurate?

A) The cabinet, which originally consisted of 15 departments, now consists of 25.
B) The president is constitutionally required to hold regular meetings with his or her entire cabinet.
C) The president has typically relied most on three of the cabinet members-the heads of defense, commerce, and education.
D) The power of cabinet members has increased in recent decades, as presidents depend on them more and more to keep the ever-growing federal bureaucracy functioning.
E) The two broad duties of cabinet members are to advise the president and administer their departments in accordance with administration policy.

Question 53

Which of the following presidential functions is LEAST associated with the president's role as chief of state?

A) awarding medals to war heroes
B) providing annual State of the Union addresses
C) greeting foreign dignitaries
D) proposing legislation to Congress
E) greeting sports champions

Question 54

Presidential doctrines formally outline the president's

A) foreign policy goals, purposes, and intended actions.
B) ideological philosophy.
C) monetary policy.
D) plan for economic growth.
E) relationship with Congress and the American people.

Question 55

How many times in American history has Congress formally declared war?

A) 23
B) 17
C) 9
D) 5
E) 2

Question 56

Which of the following statements about the Executive Office of the President is LEAST accurate?

A) All the EOP's high-ranking members must be confirmed by the Senate.
B) The EOP includes groups as diverse as the Speechwriting Office and the National Security Council.
C) The EOP includes the president's chief of staff.
D) The largest policy group in the EOP is the National Security Council, which, despite its size, has seen a decline in influence in the past few years.
E) One element of the EOP, the Office of Management and Budget, originated under the Treasury Department but was moved to the White House, where it has become a tool for advancing presidential agendas.

Question 57

How has President Trump's opinion leader role differed from previous presidents?

A) He has made personal and constant use of social media to express opinions more than any other president.
B) He experienced a longer honeymoon period than most presidents.
C) He has enjoyed a cozier relationship with his own party leadership than most.
D) He has relied more on consultation with political consultants and policy advisors before commenting to the press and public.
E) He has experienced a particularly low partisan gap with respect to approval rating.

Question 58

A president's negotiation of a status of forces agreement with another government is an example of

A) emergency powers.
B) an executive agreement.
C) a presidential doctrine.
D) extraordinary rendition.
E) executive privilege.

Question 59

Which of the following statements about the president's legislative power is LEAST accurate?

A) Presidents have an easier time pushing through legislation when they are popular and when their own party controls Congress.
B) Presidents who win a second term of office generally find it easier to push through legislation the second time around because they have already forged the necessary political alliances.
C) The White House maintains an Office of Legislative Affairs in order to help draft legislation and pressure lawmakers into enacting it.
D) Although presidents have few formal means with which to compel lawmakers to enact their agendas, they can exert pressure informally by promising funds for a lawmaker's district or by helping with reelection campaigns.
E) Modern presidents have begun to issue large numbers of signing statements, in which they explain their interpretation of an act they've signed, and sometimes even list elements of the act that they won't enforce.

Question 60

Which president first used the presidency as a "bully pulpit" to advocate publicly for specific legislation?

A) Andrew Jackson
B) Abraham Lincoln
C) Theodore Roosevelt
D) Woodrow Wilson
E) Franklin Roosevelt

Question 61

Describe the various executive agencies that assist the president. Which of these agencies wield the most power? Which of these agencies are losing influence they once wielded? How do these agencies influence the legislative process and further the president's agenda?

Question 62

Should the American people rally around a unitary executive or should they fear an imperial presidency? Support your position.

Question 63

Define the president's constitutional powers. Which powers does the Constitution explicitly bestow upon the president? Which implied powers has the presidency claimed over time? Are all the powers currently wielded by the president constitutional ones, or has the executive office expanded its powers beyond constitutional limits?

Question 64

The only two presidents ever to be impeached are Bill Clinton and

A) James Madison.
B) James Buchanan.
C) Andrew Johnson.
D) Warren Harding.
E) Richard Nixon.

Question 65

Which of the following statements about the vice presidency is LEAST accurate?

A) In recent years, the power of the office has grown; Dick Cheney was probably the most powerful vice president in American history.
B) Aside from presiding over the Senate, the vice president has few significant constitutional duties.
C) The vice president has historically been the president's most important advisor.
D) Presidents can temporarily transfer their authority to their vice presidents if the president will be incapacitated-for instance, by an invasive medical procedure.
E) A vice president who secures the support of the majority of the cabinet can declare a president incapacitated and assume the office of president.

Question 66

Richard Nixon's presidential style was characterized by

A) a relatively powerless chief of staff.
B) an informal round-table mode of collaboration.
C) strict hierarchical control and access.
D) mostly open and unfettered access to the Oval Office.
E) open sharing of information with the public to gain widespread support.

Question 67

Explain the process by which the American people select their presidents. What are the strengths and flaws of this process? Is the process appropriately democratic? Does it adequately ensure that the will of the American people will dominate? What changes might be adopted to improve the presidential electoral process?

Question 68

Define the various duties of the American president. What are the president's most important roles? Which of these roles is most carefully supervised or limited by other branches of government or by the American people? Which roles are most susceptible to abuse?

Question 69

Typically, the most powerful person in the White House staff is the

A) vice president.
B) secretary of defense.
C) chief of staff.
D) press secretary.
E) first lady.

Question 70

A presidential greatness poll reported in the text had which president ranked number 1 by scholars?

A) Thomas Jefferson
B) Bill Clinton
C) Ronald Reagan
D) Franklin Roosevelt
E) Abraham Lincoln

Question 71

Briefly describe some of the style of modern-era presidents mentioned in the chapter. How much influence does presidential style have on the success of a presidency?

Question 72

The principle of executive privilege is primarily used to

A) overturn legislation of which the president disapproves.
B) distribute money among executive agencies as the president sees fit.
C) safeguard the confidentiality of presidential communications.
D) pressure Congress into expediting legislation proposed by the president.
E) enhance the transparency and accessibility of the Oval Office.

Question 73

The most severe limit on presidential power is

A) the congressional power to overturn presidential vetoes.
B) the Senate approval power over presidential appointments.
C) impeachment and removal from office.
D) the growing power of the vice president.
E) the two-term limit.

Question 74

Proponents of a unitary executive

A) fear the development of an imperial presidency.
B) believe that Congress and the president must cooperate closely.
C) worry that the presidency has acquired too many responsibilities.
D) argue that the presidency requires concentration of power and flexibility of action without legislative mandate.
E) contend that Congress must react quickly to punish any president who defies its decrees.

Question 75

The state secrets privilege

A) was not considered a presidential right by President Obama, leading to an unprecedented release of executive branch documents.
B) cannot be used to dismiss claims by those who say they have been harmed by government action.
C) was not invoked by President Obama, despite its potential use to deflect lawsuits against the government.
D) is usually respected by the courts.
E) can be used to keep information from the public, but not from other branches of government.

Question 76

Describe how the role of the president has changed throughout American history. Which presidents have been exceptionally powerful ones? Which domestic and international factors contributed to their positions of strength?

Question 77

A presidential greatness poll reported in the text had which president ranked number 1 by the American public?

A) Ronald Reagan
B) George Washington
C) Harry Truman
D) Bill Clinton
E) Abraham Lincoln

Question 78

President Obama's presidential style was described as

A) based on the corporate CEO model.
B) rational, rigorous, and unemotional.
C) characterized by a lack of interest in policy details.
D) based on the hierarchy found in the military.
E) essentially the same as that of George W. Bush.

Question 79

The National Security Council

A) was created by George Washington in the wake of French threats in the 1790s.
B) is headed by a national security advisor, who does not require Senate confirmation.
C) is an agency within the Department of Defense.
D) includes the president, but not the vice president.
E) has fallen out of use over the last two decades.