Deck 13: The Presidency

Question 1

Much of the day-to-day work at the White House goes into crafting policy arguments as a means to

A) contribute to the deliberative function of Congress.
B) force the president's agenda through Congress.
C) influence the Supreme Court.
D) regulate the direction of legislation.
E) secure reelection.

Answer 1

contribute to the deliberative function of Congress.

Question 2

The framers of the Constitution recognized that effective government requires a(n)

A) executive that is all-powerful.
B) judiciary with unlimited access to the executive.
C) executive that is isolated from the public.
D) legislative branch that can act quickly in a crisis.
E) energetic executive.

Answer 2

energetic executive.

Question 3

The framers of the Constitution rejected an all-powerful executive in favor of one who was

A) accountable through elections.
B) bound by the will of the people.
C) given absolute authority only in times of war.
D) the agent of an advisory council.
E) the agent of Congress.

Answer 3

accountable through elections.

Question 4

The framers of the Constitution sought to control the president's power by

A) creating an advisory committee.
B) establishing a vice-president who could override the president in certain cases.
C) limiting service to two terms.
D) checking the institution with Congress and the courts.
E) requiring the approval of the courts for all executive orders.

Question 5

The framers believed that a strong, energetic executive was necessary in order to

A) command an effective military.
B) exercise a monopoly on foreign affairs.
C) control a rebellious population.
D) provide a political check to Congress.
E) solidify their separation from Britain.

Question 6

Who is the only other executive official besides the president created by the Constitution?

A) National security advisor
B) Presidential chief of staff
C) Secretary of State
D) Speaker of the House
E) Vice-president

Question 7

The vice-president exercises legislative power by

A) casting a vote as the representative of residents of the District of Columbia.
B) coordinating legislative members of the president's party.
C) overseeing programs of the cabinet secretaries.
D) presiding over the Senate and casting tie-breaking votes.
E) reviewing national security policies of the president.

Question 8

Publius believed a unified executive would have an advantage over a committee executive and an executive council because a

A) committee or council would be subject to the whims of the public.
B) committee or council would be too vulnerable to factions.
C) single executive could act with more speed and discretion than a committee.
D) unified executive would be better educated.
E) unified executive would have more time for deliberation.

Question 9

Which of the following is not among the president's powers?

A) Command of the military
B) Declaration of war
C) The pardoning power
D) A qualified veto power
E) The treaty power

Question 10

The framers helped secure the president's independence from Congress by prohibiting Congress from

A) altering the president's salary during any one term.
B) confirming supreme court appointees.
C) overriding a presidential veto.
D) removing the president from office.
E) voting on matters of war.

Question 11

The Constitution limits the presidency to

A) male citizens.
B) property holders.
C) citizens over the age of 55.
D) independently wealthy citizens.
E) natural born citizens.

Question 12

Which president helped to set the "two-term precedent?"

A) George Washington
B) John Adams
C) Abraham Lincoln
D) Woodrow Wilson
E) Franklin Roosevelt

Question 13

Thomas Jefferson sent a naval squadron to the Mediterranean Sea to protect American merchant ships from Barbary pirates without waiting for congressional approval. This is an example of the

A) doctrine of executive prerogative.
B) preservation clause.
C) right of exception.
D) supremacy clause.
E) writ of habeas corpus.

Question 14

Thomas Jefferson authorized the building of gunboats and the fortification of American ports without waiting for congressional appropriations. This is an example of the doctrine of

A) nullification.
B) military command.
C) executive prerogative.
D) proclamation.
E) executive order.

Question 15

Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson both proved to be presidents who

A) allowed Congress to direct national policies.
B) did little of substance during their terms.
C) relied heavily on their advisors to shape policies.
D) worked to shape national policies.
E) worked well with Congress with few disagreements about the direction of national policies.

Question 16

Theodore Roosevelt changed the traditional understanding of the presidency when he

A) depended on his rapport with lawmakers to get his policies through Congress.
B) issued several hundred executive orders as a way of bypassing Congress.
C) took more liberties with his position as commander-in-chief than his predecessors had done.
D) took pains to cultivate public opinion and drum up public support for his policies.
E) used radio addresses to sway the people and solidify his position as the leader on policy issues.

Question 17

How did the presidents of the nineteenth century differ from those that emerged in the early twentieth century?

A) Early presidents addressed the public less frequently about public matters.
B) Early presidents exercised more executive privileges.
C) Prior to Theodore Roosevelt, presidents always campaigned in person.
D) The early presidents were subjected to more congressional oversight.
E) Presidents of the nineteenth century rarely encountered conflicts with Congress.

Question 18

A leader who appeals to base emotions or to flattery to gain power is called a(n)

A) bully pulpit.
B) candidate.
C) demagogue.
D) ombudsman.
E) tyrant.

Question 19

The foundations of the theory of the "modern presidency" were established by

A) Theodore Roosevelt.
B) Woodrow Wilson.
C) Herbert Hoover.
D) Franklin Roosevelt.
E) John F. Kennedy.

Question 20

Who was the first president to speak directly to the people on a regular basis?

A) Theodore Roosevelt
B) Woodrow Wilson
C) Herbert Hoover
D) Franklin Roosevelt
E) John F. Kennedy

Question 21

In what way is the modern presidency different from the presidencies of Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, and Lincoln?

A) Modern presidents tend to defer to Congress on matters of domestic policy.
B) Modern presidents tend to interpret the Constitution very narrowly.
C) Modern presidents try to achieve their goals by convincing legislators, not the public.
D) Most modern presidents do not take any interest in rhetoric.
E) Most modern presidents take on the role of legislative leader for certain major pieces of legislation.

Question 22

What effect did the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal have on the presidencies of Ford and Carter?

A) They aggressively pursued their agendas.
B) They built upon the notion of an imperial presidency.
C) They embraced a more low-key governing style.
D) They took a broader interpretation of their constitutional powers.
E) They were encouraged to take a dominate role in legislative matters.

Question 23

Reagan was called "The Great Communicator" because he

A) embraced rhetorical leadership more than any president since Franklin Roosevelt.
B) emphasized the need for diplomacy and open communication with foreign nations, whether allies or enemies.
C) met personally with individual legislators more than any president since Wilson.
D) tended to deliver lengthy speeches at a great variety of events.
E) wrote more books than any other president.

Question 24

Why have vice presidents since Truman gained more access to classified information?

A) A constitutional amendment expanded the responsibilities of the vice president.
B) Presidents have realized that in a nuclear age, vice presidents need to be ready to take over quickly.
C) The CIA and FBI eased security clearances after the Roosevelt administration.
D) Truman spoke out frequently on the need for the vice president to take an active role in policy deliberations.
E) Vice presidents since Truman have had stronger backgrounds in national security, which has made them valuable assets in policy deliberations.

Question 25

The formal staff structure of the White House is called the

A) Chief Aides to the President.
B) Executive Affairs Office.
C) Executive Office of the President.
D) Executive Suite.
E) Office of Management and Budget.

Question 26

What is the role of the president's cabinet?

A) Cabinet secretaries coordinate their policies with other departments to achieve the most effective implementation of the president's policies.
B) Cabinet secretaries give the president advice but cannot make policy decisions.
C) The cabinet convenes to make policy decisions as a group.
D) The cabinet designs executive agreements.
E) The purpose of the cabinet is to ensure that the president's policies are carried out within each department.

Question 27

The _______ helps the White House control the cabinet by enforcing presidential priorities throughout the executive branch.

A) Department of Homeland Security
B) National Security Council
C) Office of Internal Affairs
D) Office of Management and Budget
E) Pentagon

Question 28

Congress established the National Security Council to

A) brief the vice president on the president's foreign policy and national security decisions.
B) deliberate about national security and foreign policy.
C) establish a committee charged with making foreign policy decisions.
D) provide Congressional oversight of the intelligence community.
E) unite the FBI and CIA under a single umbrella to eliminate inefficiencies in their organization.

Question 29

In some instances the president's entire cabinet agrees to a course of action in order to achieve consensus, despite disagreement. This is called

A) cabinet neutralization.
B) demagoguery.
C) groupthink.
D) impoundment.
E) intimidation.

Question 30

A veto is the president's

A) means of persuading lawmakers to pass spending bills.
B) means of approving a piece of legislation.
C) only tool for influencing legislation.
D) least effective tool for influencing legislation.
E) most effective tool for influencing legislation.

Question 31

The Constitution promotes deliberation between the branches by requiring that the president send Congress

A) a request for meetings with congressional leaders when he vetoes a bill.
B) an aide to read his statement of veto in a joint session of Congress.
C) an alternate plan for any bill he vetoes.
D) his reasons for vetoing a bill.
E) prior notice when he intends to veto a bill.

Question 32

Prior to Andrew Jackson, presidents

A) rarely used the veto power.
B) used the veto power extensively.
C) did not possess any power of veto.
D) viewed vetoes as an abuse of the power of Congress.
E) believed the veto power to be unconstitutional.

Question 33

Which president made the use of vetoes on policy grounds publicly acceptable?

A) Thomas Jefferson
B) Andrew Jackson
C) Abraham Lincoln
D) Theodore Roosevelt
E) Dwight Eisenhower

Question 34

Vetoes are more likely

A) during midterm elections.
B) in a president's second term.
C) in the first year of a president's term.
D) when the president's party holds a majority in one or both houses of Congress.
E) when the president's party lacks a majority in one or both houses of Congress.

Question 35

How many presidential vetoes has Congress overridden?

A) Less than 20%
B) About 35%
C) Exactly 50%
D) More than 70%
E) Almost 99%

Question 36

The declaration of National American Indian Heritage Month is an example of a(n)

A) executive agreement.
B) executive order.
C) impoundment.
D) proclamation.
E) recess appointment.

Question 37

Which of the following usually directs an executive agency to take specific steps, and may have the force of law?

A) Executive agreement
B) Executive order
C) Impoundment
D) Line item veto
E) Proclamation

Question 38

Presidents can explain their own interpretation of a bill and tell executive officials how to carry it out by issuing a(n)

A) executive order.
B) impoundment.
C) line item veto.
D) proclamation.
E) signing statement.

Question 39

A line-item veto is the power to

A) veto any bills on particular policy items.
B) add provisions to legislation before signing it into law.
C) strike particular provisions without vetoing the entire bill.
D) state the reasons for vetoing a bill.
E) deny Congress prior notice when he intends to veto a bill.

Question 40

Which of the following is not a way in which the president exercises direct authority?

A) Executive order
B) Impeachment
C) Proclamation
D) Recess appointment
E) Signing statement

Question 41

The president may make recess appointments when

A) Congress is not in session.
B) one house of Congress approves the nomination.
C) the nation is at war.
D) the Senate is deadlocked on a confirmation.
E) the Supreme Court authorizes him to do so.

Question 42

Since 1974, permanent impoundments require

A) approval by the Speaker of the House.
B) an executive order.
C) permission from the Supreme Court.
D) congressional approval.
E) a motion on the Senate floor.

Question 43

By a mutual understanding, President Kennedy independently established a hotline with the Soviet Union, allowing the leaders of each nation to talk reliably. This is an example of a(n)

A) executive agreement.
B) executive order.
C) impoundment.
D) signing statement.
E) treaty.

Question 44

The responsibility to receive ambassadors and recognize foreign governments belongs to

A) the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
B) the vice-president.
C) the Secretary of State.
D) Congress.
E) the president.

Question 45

Presidents often work through _____________ to negotiate with foreign leaders.

A) Congress
B) the United Nations
C) the Department of State
D) the Supreme Court
E) temporary appointees

Question 46

The defeat of the League of Nations demonstrated the

A) importance of the Senate's constitutional power to ratify treaties.
B) power of the president in conducting foreign affairs.
C) tendency of the legislative branch towards isolationism.
D) importance of the judiciary in establishing foreign policy.
E) weakness of the constitutional design of the executive branch.

Question 47

Congress gave President Johnson the authority to defend South Vietnam by passing the

A) Defense of Asia Act.
B) Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
C) War Powers Resolution.
D) Paris Peace Accords,
E) Treaty of Versailles.

Question 48

In the War Powers Resolution of 1973, Congress narrowly defined the conditions that allow the president to send troops into combat. Without the prior consent of Congress the president can make the order only if

A) Congress is not in session.
B) he has first conferred with the joint chiefs of staff.
C) he has sufficient public support.
D) the nation or its troops are attacked.
E) the Supreme Court gives its approval.

Question 49

The George W. Bush administration argued that programs implemented to conduct the war on terror were legitimate because Congress had implicitly endorsed them through the

A) Authorization for Use of Military Force.
B) Congressional-executive agreement.
C) Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
D) Paris Peace Accords.
E) War Powers Resolution.

Question 50

The doctrine of executive privilege is the principle that

A) the president has sole power to make appointments.
B) the president may legitimately refuse some requests for information.
C) the president has sole power to authorize treaties.
D) Congress has no oversight of the executive branch.
E) Congress may not override a lawful veto.

Question 51

When the president and Congress clash over documents, Congress may

A) charge the president with contempt.
B) remove the president from office.
C) direct its request to the vice president who is obligated to comply.
D) direct the supreme court to issue a writ of mandamus.
E) order that the documents be destroyed.

Question 52

Congress's harshest check on the president is

A) censure.
B) charge of contempt.
C) impeachment and removal.
D) impoundment.
E) proclamation.

Question 53

How is the president's oath of office different from that of every other federal official?

A) The Supreme Court established the wording for the presidential oath in 1792.
B) The president's wording is not defined by the Constitution as are other oaths.
C) The president's wording is specified in the Constitution rather than by federal law.
D) Other officials are not required by the Constitution to swear upon a Bible.
E) The oath of each president varies slightly, depending upon his religious preference.

Question 54

Supreme court justices hold their office

A) as long as the public approves them every four years.
B) for a lifetime tenure.
C) for six years.
D) for two years.
E) until Congress votes to remove them.

Question 55

Scholars tend to agree on presidential greatness when considering

A) modern presidents.
B) peacetime presidents.
C) presidents who were neither Democrats nor Republicans.
D) early presidents.
E) wartime presidents.

Question 56

Why are presidents often able to provide a broader perspective on problems facing the nation?

A) They serve a much broader constituency.
B) They retain aides and advisors from each region of the nation.
C) They have more experience than members of Congress.
D) Executive experience is superior to legislative experience.
E) Only presidents have direct foreign policy experience.

Question 57

How did the framers of the Constitution ensure an energetic executive who would be independent from Congress but not wield too much power?

Question 58

Which presidents distinguished themselves as strong executives who took an active role in shaping national policies? How did they accomplish this?

Question 59

What are the key elements of the modern presidency? How does the modern presidency compare to more traditional presidencies of earlier presidents?

Question 60

What means can the president use to influence lawmakers? How does the president use the veto power to shape legislation? What constitutional conflicts may arise from actions such as executive orders, signing statements, and other such powers?

Question 61

What is the War Powers Resolution? Why was it enacted, and what effects did it have? Why is it a controversial measure?

Question 62

What controversy exists over the meaning of "High Crimes and Misdemeanors" in relation to impeachment?

Question 63

What tools do presidents have to foster deliberation with the public? How and when do they use these tools?

Question 64

What factors help to determine presidential greatness? Why do scholars agree on the greatness of early presidents more often than on that of modern presidents?

Question 65

In what ways can a president contribute to deliberative democracy?