Deck 8: Unilateral Powers

Question 1

Which of the following is an example of a unilateral directive?

A) national security directives
B) presidential vetoes
C) the take-care clause
D) the vesting clause

Answer 1

national security directives

Question 2

Unilateral directives are best defined as mechanisms that presidents can use to __________.

A) remove members of the Supreme Court
B) express their opinion on critical issues
C) create policies that assume the weight of law
D) amend the Constitution

Answer 2

create policies that assume the weight of law

Question 3

Executive orders are different from executive agreements because executive orders __________ while executive agreements __________.

A) instruct Congress to enact specific legislative acts; deal with issues of international trade and are classified
B) deal exclusively with matters of national security; deal with issues of international trade and require congressional approval
C) instruct federal officials and agencies to take specific actions; are formal agreements with other nations that sidestep the Senate
D) are largely ceremonial in nature; once ratified by the Senate have the force of law

Answer 3

instruct federal officials and agencies to take specific actions; are formal agreements with other nations that sidestep the Senate

Question 4

What is a classified unilateral order that relates to the nation's security called?

A) executive agreement
B) executive order
C) proclamation
D) national security directive

Question 5

Why do executive agreements increase executive power?

A) They permit Congress to delegate broad swaths of domestic policy power to the president.
B) They allow presidents to negotiate formal agreements with other nations without the Senate's approval.
C) They are classified and thus are not subject to congressional oversight.
D) They have allowed presidents to expand their ceremonial role in foreign policy.

Question 6

National security directives continue to create problems for congressional oversight because they are __________.

A) ceremonial
B) classified
C) regulatory
D) privileged

Question 7

Which statement regarding executive agreements is accurate?

A) Their use by presidents in the modern era has increased astronomically.
B) They have no effect on the relative power of the president in foreign policy.
C) Their use by presidents has declined relative to national security directives.
D) They have increasingly become an important tool in the conduct of domestic policy.

Question 8

On what did President Eisenhower rely to force the integration of public schools in Little Rock, Arkansas?

A) an executive agreement and an executive order
B) a proclamation and an executive order
C) a national security directive and a proclamation
D) an executive order and an executive agreement

Question 9

What distinguishes executive agreements from other forms of unilateral directives at the president's disposal?

A) They provide presidents with an alternative to the treaty-making process and a way to bypass legislative oversight.
B) They are counterparts to legislation and provide presidents with an alternative to the constitutional amendment process.
C) They are classified on issuance and thus avoid the scrutiny of Congress and interest groups.
D) They almost always target individuals and groups outside the government, rather than being directed to officials within the government.

Question 10

When did national security directives emerge?

A) in the aftermath of the Cold War
B) after World War I
C) following World War II
D) in the late 1980s

Question 11

An examination of presidential power in the modern era demonstrates that presidents __________.

A) wait to act
B) rarely seek power
C) defer to Congress
D) like to go it alone

Question 12

Which of the following is an example of the exercise of unilateral power by a president?

A) annual State of the Union Address
B) desegregation of the military
C) passage of the Civil Rights Act
D) veto of the War Powers Resolution

Question 13

How are memoranda different from executive orders?

A) They are not published in the Federal Register.
B) They are classified documents.
C) They affect only domestic policy.
D) They offer instructions to federal agencies.

Question 14

During his first term as president, how many executive agreements did Obama negotiate?

A) 250
B) 500
C) 750
D) 1,000

Question 15

Which of the following illustrates a president using unilateral action to exert influence over the federal bureaucracy?

A) Jimmy Carter's creation of the OIRA through the Paperwork Reduction Act
B) Ronald Reagan's Executive Order 12291 that effectively coopted OIRA
C) Richard Nixon's veto of the War Powers Resolution passed by Congress
D) John F. Kennedy's National Security Action Memo on sugar quotas in Latin America

Question 16

What did George W. Bush create through unitary action to try suspected "enemy combatants"?

A) executive bureaus
B) federal agencies
C) civil courts
D) military tribunals

Question 17

According to Richard Neustadt, __________ is the word that should be used when starting to think about the presidency.

A) passive
B) expansive
C) weak
D) strong

Question 18

How did the New Deal exacerbate the institutional problems of presidential power?

A) It contributed to diminished expectations on the part of the public, which increased opportunities for presidents to increase their power.
B) It diminished the importance of domestic issues, which was the main issue area in which the president had influence.
C) It increased the issues that presidents must deal with but did not expand their formal powers.
D) It unbalanced executive-legislative relations by increasing the powers of Congress while eliminating many formal presidential powers.

Question 19

In Neustadt's view, the president is more of a __________.

A) partisan
B) clerk
C) national leader
D) demagogue

Question 20

If you subscribe to Nuestadt's view of the presidency, what are you likely to believe?

A) Presidents are more likely to succeed during periods of divided government.
B) The formal powers of a president provide the best pathway to success.
C) The only way for a president to succeed is by mastering the power of persuasion.
D) The growth of formal executive powers makes failing to succeed impossible.

Question 21

Presidents who are most successful in Neustadt's estimation are those that __________.

A) broker deals and trade promises
B) act unilaterally and veto legislation
C) behave as partisans and refuse to compromise
D) defer to Congress and act as a clerk

Question 22

Why might we question the statement that persuasion is all there is to power?

A) Persuasion is a subjective quality we cannot measure.
B) Persuasion alone does not explain major policy successes of many presidents.
C) Many presidents are uncharismatic and disliked.
D) Persuasion is a purely institutional explanation for policy success.

Question 23

In what way do the actions of modern presidents challenge the central thesis of Richard Neustadt's argument?

A) by demonstrating that unilateral executive actions have little to do with persuasion
B) by illustrating how bipartisan negotiations can lead to legislative success
C) by showing that modern presidents use far less power than expected
D) by highlighting the disconnect between presidential persuasion and a president's personality

Question 24

According to Richard Neustadt, presidents should their persuasive powers to __________.

A) sway public opinion
B) avoid interacting with Congress
C) exercise formal powers
D) build governing coalitions

Question 25

According to Neustadt, what is the basic dilemma facing all modern presidents?

A) The president may be willing to compromise, but that means nothing if he or she lacks conviction.
B) The public expects presidents to accomplish far more than their formal powers allow them to accomplish.
C) Power rests in taking unilateral action, not in bargaining and negotiating.
D) The president is at the center of government action and therefore can succeed on his or her own, without relying much on others.

Question 26

Which action could Congress take to check the actions of the president should he or she exceed his or her constitutional authority?

A) cut funding for programs created by the president
B) eliminate the executive branch
C) fire the president's chief of staff
D) reduce the president's salary

Question 27

Which of the following is an example of one branch of government seeking to constrain the power of the executive branch?

A) reorganization of the executive branch in the aftermath of 9/11
B) continued funding of the war in Iraq with no restrictions by Congress
C) extension of new protections to citizens deemed enemy combatants by the courts
D) veto of Bush's unilateral directive banning same-sex marriages

Question 28

What has been the result of Congress's establishment of various oversight procedures, complex rule making processes, and liaison offices throughout the federal bureaucracy?

A) It has leveled the playing field between the executive and legislative branches.
B) It has established legislative dominance of the executive branch.
C) It has failed to equalize the power gap between the executive and legislative branches.
D) It has disadvantaged the president in his or her conduct of foreign policy.

Question 29

The president enjoys important informational advantages over Congress and the general public in the area of __________ policy.

A) foreign
B) health care
C) domestic
D) economic

Question 30

Which act established a system for recording executive orders amongst a host of other items?

A) Budget and Accounting Act
B) Administrative Procedures Act
C) Federal Register Act
D) Executive Reorganization Act

Question 31

The Case Act established a mechanism for recording executive __________.

A) privileges
B) agreements
C) memoranda
D) orders

Question 32

What was the outcome of the Hamdan v. Rumsfeld (2006)?

A) Military commissions in use at Guantánamo Bay were illegal.
B) Presidents had the power of executive privilege.
C) The war in Iraq was unconstitutional.
D) The military had the authority to try enemy combatants.

Question 33

What was an effect of the Federal Register Act, the Case Act, and the War Powers Resolution?

A) They have reduced the use of unilateral powers by presidents.
B) They have reestablished legislative dominance over the executive branch.
C) They have helped Congress monitor the exercise of presidential unilateral powers.
D) They have greatly decreased the unilateral powers of presidents.

Question 34

Congressional inaction __________.

A) often works to the president's benefit in controlling the agenda
B) prevents the exercise of unilateral powers by presidents
C) never creates opportunities for the use of presidential power
D) helps presidents build a legacy of legislative accomplishments

Question 35

The Libyan intervention plans of Barack Obama illustrates how __________.

A) presidential proclamations can force action by the legislative branch
B) presidents are dependent on the actions of Congress for power
C) presidents can use the power of persuasion to achieve their goals
D) presidential action can reshape the nature of political discussion

Question 36

What has been a consequence of the decision by presidents, such as Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush, and Barack Obama to use military force?

A) Their actions empowered their opponents who were expecting end runs around Congress and reduced the effectiveness of all three presidents to achieve the policy objectives of their actions.
B) Their actions significantly damaged the legitimacy of the institution of the presidency by negotiating with Congress and accepting limitations on the use of unilateral power in the conduct of war.
C) Their actions remade the policy universe by pushing their initiatives to the top of the congressional agenda, thus ensuring they would get a fuller hearing and putting their political opponents on the defensive.
D) Their actions had little effect on the overall state of the political agenda, as Congress had been discussing the possibility of engaging in actions identical to those undertaken by the presidents.

Question 37

What was created by Kennedy's 1961 Executive Order 10924?

A) White House Office
B) Peace Corps
C) Executive Office of the President
D) Congressional Budget Office

Question 38

What was a consequence of George W. Bush's orders to include farm-raised salmon in federal counts under the Endangered Species Act?

A) The rule proposal had to be approved by Congress and it was denied.
B) It prompted Congress to cut funding for salmon restoration efforts.
C) The order was self-executing and the appropriations process no longer applied.
D) The action was rejected by the Secretary of the Interior who refused to fund it.

Question 39

Which statement explains why, in the politics of unilateral action, Congress is often thought to hold an ace up its sleeve?

A) Congress controls federal appropriations.
B) Congress approves unilateral actions.
C) Congress dominates the executive branch.
D) Congress exercises legislative authority.

Question 40

A direct demonstration of political power by a president would be when a president used a unilateral action __________.

A) to institute a policy that would not have survived the legislative process
B) to implement a law passed by Congress
C) to support the expressed congressional policy preferences
D) that is immediately undone by Congress

Question 41

Which statement about the use of unilateral power by presidents is accurate?

A) The rising use of unilateral presidential powers suggests that presidents are getting everything they want.
B) The sporadic use of unilateral presidential powers illustrates the institutional uncertainties about their effectiveness.
C) The increase in the use of unilateral presidential powers does not mean that presidents are necessarily getting more of what they want.
D) The decline in the use of unilateral presidential powers indicates that power between the executive and legislative branches has been rebalanced.

Question 42

To demonstrate power, a president's actions must __________.

A) weaken the institutional powers of Congress
B) leave a distinct imprint on the law and the doings of government
C) change his or her favorability rating in a positive way
D) increase the transparency of national security directives

Question 43

If you wanted to effectively measure the imprint of presidential action, you would compare __________.

A) the state of the world that the president would prefer and the one that existed after the president acted
B) the state of the world that existed before the president acted and the one that the president would prefer
C) the state of the world that existed before the president acted and the one that existed afterward
D) the state of the world that exists after the president acted and the one that would have existed had the president not acted at all

Question 44

The condition that exists when Congress is unable to act to change the status quo is known as __________.

A) deference
B) stalemate
C) impasse
D) gridlock

Question 45

Which of the following would illustrate the use of unilateral powers to overcome congressional gridlock?

A) classification of intelligence during World War II by Roosevelt
B) modest sanctions against South Africa issued by Reagan
C) weak Occupational and Safety and Health Administration created by Nixon
D) independent commission assigned by Bush to investigate Iraqi weapons proliferation

Question 46

In which scenario would a president have a strong incentive to issue a unilateral directive?

A) The legislative proposals under consideration by Congress harmonize with the president's interests.
B) Conditions of congressional gridlock have ended and Congress is ready to change the status quo.
C) Congress is poised to issue sweeping policy changes opposed by the president.
D) Both houses of the legislative branch are controlled by the president's party.

Question 47

What does the success of George W. Bush's faith-based initiative illustrate about presidential power?

A) Even though unilateral powers have limits, presidents can use them to shape both the content and the implementation of policies that Congress may not have enacted.
B) Presidents are most successful when they are persuasive and build coalitions with Congress to pass legislation that advances their common interests.
C) In the exercise of unilateral powers, presidents are still bound to respect and work within the limits of their formal constitutional powers.
D) The unilateral actions undertaken to effect policy change by one president are easily reversed or undone by a successive president or Congress.

Question 48

What did George W. Bush's Faith-Based Initiative do?

A) It forbade faith-based organizations from receiving federal grants and delivering social services.
B) It allowed faith-based organizations to provide social services, but only if they did not hire or fire people on the basis of their religious beliefs.
C) It allowed religious organizations to apply for federal grants to renovate their places of worship.
D) It forbade religious organizations from using federal funds for any programs that would be international as well as domestic.

Question 49

Presidential directives that change an environmental rule on allowable pollutants by firms are __________ and take immediate effect.

A) unconditional
B) classified
C) gridlocked
D) self-executing

Question 50

Why must we be realistic about expectations when presidents are facing difficulties in implementing their unilateral actions?

A) In practice, there is really no way for the other branches to resist presidential action.
B) Policy changes under a separation-of-powers system always come in fits and starts.
C) It is much easier to convince bureaucrats to execute laws than to convince them to execute unilateral actions.
D) The lack of self-executing mechanisms in presidential unitary actions increases their failure rate.

Question 51

Describe the presidential toolkit of unilateral directives, and compare and contrast the means by which presidents can exercise their unilateral powers. Explain why the national security directive is different from other unilateral directives and what effect this has had on the balance of power between the legislative and executive branches.

Question 52

Describe the development of the national security directive as a tool of policy change for presidents, and assess its effects on presidential power. Provide specific examples.

Question 53

In what way does the logic of unilateral action differ from that of persuasion in explaining presidential success?

Question 54

What are various ways in which the legislative branch of government has sought to constrain the unilateral actions of presidents? How successful has it been in its efforts? Provide specific examples.

Question 55

If you were president, how would the exercise of your unilateral powers relate to your ability to demonstrate power? Under what conditions might you choose to exercise your unilateral powers to achieve your policy goals? Provide specific examples.