Deck 4: The Presidency

Question 1

What would a political scientist most likely say makes some presidents strong while others are weak?

A)individual talent at a positive moment in regime evolution
B)personal genius and political savvy
C)skillful use of the media
D)the political times in which they live

Answer 1

individual talent at a positive moment in regime evolution

Question 2

From the political history of health care reform, the author distills six points of advice. In which area did President Obama most clearly succeed while President Clinton did not?

A)Move Fast, Act Early
B)Master the Legislative Process
C)The Power of Ideas
D)Lessons of History

Answer 2

Move Fast, Act Early

Question 3

According to the text, which statement best describes the presidents elected between 1976 and 2008?

A)All but one came to power with no prior significant national government experience.
B)All came to power with prior significant national government experience.
C)All but one came to power with prior significant national government experience.
D)All came to power with no prior significant national government experience.

Answer 3

All but one came to power with no prior significant national government experience.

Question 4

Which statement best describes the American presidency?

A)Americans want both a powerful president and a powerful republic.
B)Extensive presidential powers are set forth in Article II of the Constitution.
C)Most Americans prefer an all powerful president.
D)Americans want a strong president domestically and a reserved president internationally.

Question 5

What was President Ronald Reagan's role with respect to Medicare?

A)introduced prospective payment
B)added prescription drug coverage
C)repealed catastrophic coverage
D)pushed for complete repeal

Question 6

Which statement best describes President Harry Truman?

A)He was an ardent supporter of national health insurance though it was not enacted during his term.
B)He is responsible for passage of the first version of national health insurance.
C)He had little interest in health care reform.
D)He viewed national health insurance as akin to communism.

Question 7

The text states that presidents cannot accomplish anything unless they master management of ____.

A)Congress and the public
B)the Executive Branch and Congress
C)the Executive Branch and the Supreme Court
D)Congress and the media

Question 8

When Republican Scott Brown won an upset victory to complete the term of Senator Ted Kennedy, how did the Democrats respond in the health care reform process?

A)The House passed the Senate version of the bill to bypass the conference committee.
B)They provided data countering the Tea Party activists' claims of government-run death panels.
C)They took the Republicans to court which led to a 5-4 Supreme Court decision.
D)The Democratic Senators threatened to filibuster a vote on a compromise version of the bill.

Question 9

Which statement best describes President Lyndon B. Johnson's greatest strength?

A)He came up through the Senate ranks and understood Congress better than any modern president.
B)He had an impeccable grasp of abstract ideas, formal policy studies, and budget analyses.
C)He made direct appeals to the public through his charismatic television presence.
D)He ran the executive branch as a tight ship.

Question 10

President Richard Nixon proposed, though without ultimate success, ____.

A)a government program that fills gaps in the private insurance system
B)national health insurance
C)the state children's health insurance program
D)a tax break to encourage private employers to provide workers health insurance

Question 11

The President wants to propose a new policy on incarceration. Within the executive branch, which entity has the most power over his proposal?

A)the Office of Management and Budget
B)the Council of Economic Advisors
C)the President's White House staff
D)the Federal Bureau of Prisons

Question 12

Recently released information indicates that President Johnson's role in the passage of Medicare in 1965 was greater than previously known. What was the source of this information?

A)White House telephone transcripts
B)President Johnson's autobiography
C)Congressman Wilbur Mills's biography
D)the White House Chief Usher's memoirs

Question 13

President Barack Obama's health care reform legislation was nearly derailed by Tea Party activists' claims of government-run death panels. What does the author describe as the source and power of this claim?

A)Americans' fear of government
B)Americans' fear of death
C)Americans' fear of socialized medicine
D)Americans' fear of "pull[ing] the plug on grandma"

Question 14

Putting a major health care reform proposal before the American public exemplifies which face of the presidency?

A)individual agenda setter
B)political operator
C)manager of the policy process
D)proponent of party values

Question 15

The author states that health care reform will always challenge the head and the soul of whomever is the President. What reason does he provide?

A)It reflects the greatest challenge to any society: How well do we minister to our fellow humans?
B)The expense and coverage involved will always seem too high to some and insufficient to others.
C)It touches on abortion which is a polarizing issue.
D)Americans fundamentally distrust government.