Deck 7: The Presidency

Question 1

At the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention in 1787, the New Jersey plan

A) called for a strong presidency with extensive powers to limit the danger of the tyranny of the majority presented by Congress.
B) called for a weak executive that would not present too much of a threat to the other branches of government.
C) called for the establishment of a rotating executive council comprised of the governors of every state.
D) was unclear about the basic structure and function of the presidency.
E) was the first attempt to outline a system of separation of powers and checks and balances.

Answer 1

called for a weak executive that would not present too much of a threat to the other branches of government.

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT an example of the concerns of the founders over granting the presidency too much power?

A) The requirement that the Senate confirm presidential treaties and appointments
B) The granting of Congress the power to declare war
C) The selection of the president through an electoral college
D) The provision that Congress could override a presidential veto
E) The ability of Congress to impeach and remove the president

Answer 2

The selection of the president through an electoral college

Question 3

Which of the following statements most accurately describes changes in presidential power in the United States?

A) The constitutional limits imposed on the president's powers by the founders remain an effective check on presidential ambition.
B) The power of the presidency has greatly decreased over time.
C) The power of the presidency has greatly increased over time.
D) The power of the presidency has increased relative to Congress but decreased relative to the courts since the 1940s.
E) The power of the presidency has increased relative to the courts but decreased relative to Congress since the 1940s.

Answer 3

The power of the presidency has greatly increased over time.

Question 4

Which president tried unsuccessfully to have the United States join the League of Nations?

A) William Taft
B) Warren Harding
C) Harry S. Truman
D) Herbert Hoover
E) Woodrow Wilson

Question 5

Which of the following statements about the president's cabinet is NOT true?

A) Members of the cabinet are appointed by the president.
B) Presidential appointments to the cabinet must be confirmed by the Senate.
C) The cabinet provides expertise and advice to the president.
D) Members of the cabinet must simultaneously serve as members of Congress.
E) The cabinet may be expanded or reduced at the discretion of the president.

Question 6

In recent years, observers have been concerned that

A) presidents seldom consider the national interest in their decision making.
B) the role of informal political advisors is increasing at the expense of the role of policy experts.
C) the presidency has been weakened through ineffective leadership.
D) the effectiveness of the presidency has been undermined through cumbersome congressional restrictions.
E) the presidency has lost the prestige once associated with the office.

Question 7

The term _____ is used to describe the burgeoning responsibilities and scope of presidential powers.

A) institutional presidency
B) presidential authority
C) congressional deference
D) court mandate
E) executive authority

Question 8

What event is seen as assisting in the expansion of the vice president's role?

A) The election of President Kennedy, who bestowed unprecedented power to Vice President Johnson.
B) Vice President Al Gore's bid to be included in major decisions about environmental policies.
C) The age of nuclear missiles. It was thought that there would be no on-the-job training time in the event of the president's death.
D) The Iraq invasion of 2003. Vice President Cheney assumed the role of Commander in Chief to the military.
E) No event has spurred the expansion of the office. The office has remained the same since Vice President Adams.

Question 9

Which of the following first ladies was NOT generally recognized as exercising considerable informal influence over their husband's administrations?

A) Abigail Adams
B) Hannah Hoes Van Buren
C) Edith Bolling Galt Wilson
D) Eleanor Roosevelt
E) Hillary Clinton

Question 10

When the president throws out the first pitch at the World Series, the president is performing the role of

A) Chief of State
B) Chief Legislator
C) Chief Executive
D) Chief Diplomat
E) Commander in Chief

Question 11

Due to his lack of experience in and familiarity with the national Congress, President _____'s legislative agenda largely failed, despite his own party controlling both chambers of Congress.

A) Lyndon Johnson
B) Jimmy Carter
C) Ronald Reagan
D) George H.W. Bush
E) Bill Clinton
F) George W. Bush

Question 12

Which of the following presidents pursued healthcare reform but was unable to achieve it due to the specter of socialism raised by the opposition?

A) Theodore Roosevelt
B) Woodrow Wilson
C) George W. Bush
D) Harry S Truman
E) Ronald Reagan

Question 13

If a president is given a bill to sign that he disapproves of, and, knowing that Congress will adjourn in five days, he ignores the measure allowing it to die, he has used his power of

A) override.
B) message veto.
C) persuasion.
D) pocket veto.
E) This is not allowed to happen by the Constitution.

Question 14

The president is required to inform Congress within 60 days of signing an executive agreement under the terms of the

A) War Powers Act.
B) Case Act.
C) Foreign Policy Transparency Act.
D) Wagner Act.
E) congressional oversight rule.

Question 15

The use of the phrase "police action" was first used to justify the use of the U.S. military abroad without congressional approval by

A) Thomas Jefferson in his war against the Barbary Pirates.
B) Abraham Lincoln in the Civil War.
C) Harry Truman in the Korean War.
D) Lyndon Johnson in the Vietnam War.
E) George H.W. Bush in the First Gulf War.

Question 16

The ability of the Congress to affect foreign policy was demonstrated in 1974, when Congress

A) impeached the president.
B) passed a bill forcing the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam.
C) removed the commanding officer overseeing U.S. military operation in Vietnam.
D) concluded a unilateral peace treaty with North Vietnam.
E) cut off funding for the Vietnam War.

Question 17

Which of the following was NOT issued by a president as an executive order?

A) The 1863 Emancipation Proclamation
B) The 1948 directive to end segregation in the armed forces
C) The 1966 order making affirmative action a federal policy
D) The 1977 creation of the Department of Energy
E) The 2001 creation of the Office of Faith-based Initiatives

Question 18

A written proclamation of how the executive branch will interpret a given measure passed by Congress issued by the president is referred to as a(n)

A) executive agreements.
B) executive orders.
C) presidential decrees.
D) presidential prerogative.
E) signing statements.

Question 19

The Iran-Contra scandal involved

A) embezzlement from the national treasury by the president.
B) an attempt to burglarize the Democratic National Committee's campaign office.
C) the secret violation of campaign finance laws imposed by Congress.
D) the funneling of U.S. funds to the rightist rebels in Nicaragua in violation of congressional orders.
E) the misallocation of contracts to campaign donors.

Question 20

Which of the following was NOT suggested by Robert Dallek of being a constant quality of effective presidents?

A) vision
B) charisma
C) tenacity
D) pragmatism
E) consensus building

Question 21

As initially presented at the Constitutional Convention, the Virginia Plan called for a three-person executive council rather than an individual person to wield executive power in the United States.

Question 22

In order to make the president more responsive to the people, the framers granted the people the power to recall the president for any reason by simple majority vote.

Question 23

Theodore Roosevelt believed that there were no restrictions on presidential authority except those strictly prohibited in the Constitution.

Question 24

President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal gave birth to the welfare state and shaped the modern presidency in the United States.

Question 25

The composition and role of the president's cabinet is outlined in Article VI of the Constitution.

Question 26

The Department of Education was created during the presidency of Ronald Reagan.

Question 27

The National Security Council was created in 1947 to provide the president with information and advice on foreign and domestic threats to the United States.

Question 28

President Bill Clinton was known as "The Great Communicator."

Question 29

The first president to approach a social insurance program, including health insurance, was Teddy Roosevelt.

Question 30

When a president does something that goes against the letter of the law but does it for the public good, in the words of John Locke the president is exercising

A) prerogative power.
B) constitutional power.
C) stewardship power.
D) bully pulpit power.
E) executive power.

Question 31

At the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention of 1787, the _____ Plan called for a weak executive that would not threaten the power of the other branches of government.

A) Virginia
B) New Jersey
C) Madison
D) Great Compromise
E) Two-Thirds Compromise

Question 32

At the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention of 1787, the _____ Plan was unclear about the basic structure and function of the new executive.

A) Virginia
B) New Jersey
C) Madison
D) Great Compromise
E) Two-Thirds Compromise

Question 33

A system of rule by a small group of people is referred to as a/an

A) autocracy.
B) democracy.
C) totalitarian state.
D) oligarchy.
E) anarchy.

Question 34

Whose view of prerogative power was crucial in the creation of the American presidency?

A) John Locke's
B) Thomas Hobbes's
C) Baron Montesquieu's
D) Jeremy Bentham's
E) Jean-Jacques Rousseau's

Question 35

At the time of the Constitutional Convention, the representatives from Pennsylvania

A) opposed the expansion of federal authority.
B) supported the establishment of a strong presidency.
C) wanted a weak executive power checked by a legislature.
D) supported a proposal for a hereditary monarchy rather than an executive office of the president.
E) demanded a weak presidency.

Question 36

In general, the New York Journal's Cato and the anti-federalists

A) supported the establishment of a strong presidency to combat the "excesses of liberty" they saw under the Articles.
B) opposed the establishment of a strong presidency as a threat to individual liberty.
C) supported the establishment of a strong presidency only if accompanied by strict term limits.
D) opposed the establishment of the presidency as envisioned under the new Constitution because they believed the office was too weak.
E) were indifferent about the presidency, which they saw as irrelevant in the new government.

Question 37

Most historians agree that the first truly assertive president who did not confront extraordinary circumstances was

A) Abraham Lincoln.
B) Andrew Jackson.
C) Grover Cleveland.
D) Theodore Roosevelt.
E) Franklin Roosevelt.

Question 38

The _____ model advocates a theory of restrained presidential powers; the idea that presidents should use only the powers explicitly granted in the Constitution.

A) Democratic
B) Republican
C) Whig
D) Deference
E) Stewardship

Question 39

The vision of the presidency in which the president defers to congressional leadership was most clearly advocated by

A) Abraham Lincoln.
B) George Washington.
C) the Whigs.
D) the federalists.
E) the Democratic Republicans.

Question 40

One of Woodrow Wilson's greatest foreign policy failures was his inability to convince the Senate to approve U.S. membership in the

A) League of Nations.
B) United Nations.
C) World Bank.
D) World Trade Organization.
E) International Monetary Fund.

Question 41

The series of economic and social reforms enacted by the administration of President Franklin Roosevelt is known as the

A) New Deal.
B) Great Society.
C) Era of Good Feelings.
D) New Federalism.
E) Stagflation Era.

Question 42

Alexander Hamilton served in what important capacity in George Washington's administration?

A) Secretary of State
B) Secretary of Defense
C) Secretary of the Treasury
D) Chief of Staff
E) Vice President

Question 43

During the presidency of George Washington there were _____ departments in the president's cabinet; today, there are _____.

A) no; one hundred
B) four; fifteen
C) six; two
D) three; seven
E) ten; thirty-five

Question 44

How many cabinet departments were there during the presidency of George Washington?

A) three
B) four
C) five
D) six
E) none

Question 45

In a parliamentary system like that used in the United Kingdom, members of the cabinet are

A) directly elected by the people.
B) members of the legislature.
C) nominated by the courts.
D) chosen indirect by the popular vote but mediated through an electoral college.
E) selected by local governmental units, usually state governors.

Question 46

Added in 2002, the newest cabinet department is the

A) Office of Homeland Security.
B) Department of Education.
C) Department of Health and Human Services.
D) Department of Commerce.
E) Justice Department.

Question 47

Presidents Kennedy, Reagan, and Clinton all

A) relied extensively on special advisors, sometimes operating independently of their cabinets.
B) reduced the number of cabinet positions.
C) expanded the size of their cabinets.
D) relished the objective and honest advice received from their cabinets.
E) sought to eliminate their cabinets.

Question 48

The president's "inner cabinet" is usually comprised of the Departments of

A) State, Defense, and Treasury.
B) State, Defense, Treasury, and Justice.
C) State, Interior, and Treasury.
D) State, Defense, Commerce, and Labor.
E) Defense, Commerce, and Labor.

Question 49

Which of the following is NOT part of the Executive Office of the President?

A) Office of Homeland Security
B) Office of Administration
C) Council of Economic Advisors
D) President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board
E) National Security Council

Question 50

Andrew Jackson's famous inner circle of trusted advisors who were not formally part of the president's cabinet came to be known as the

A) bedroom closet.
B) kitchen cabinet.
C) medicine cabinet.
D) special counsel.
E) friends and family network.

Question 51

The national security adviser is

A) officially head of the Central Intelligence Agency.
B) chair of the National Security Council.
C) appointed by the president without senatorial confirmation.
D) always a career military officer.
E) the senior most member of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Question 52

The job of the _____ is to provide the president with information and advice on all matters concerning national security.

A) National Security Council
B) Central Intelligence Agency
C) Federal Bureau of Investigation
D) Joint Chiefs of Staff.
E) National Security Agency

Question 53

The president's annual national budget proposal is prepared by the

A) Council of Economic Advisors.
B) Department of the Treasury.
C) Office of Administration.
D) Office of Management and Budget.
E) Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

Question 54

The organization within the Executive Office of the president charged with providing information on economic policy is the

A) Office of Management and Budget.
B) National Economic Council.
C) Office of the United States Trade Representative.
D) Department of the Treasury.
E) Council of Economic Advisers.

Question 55

The Council of Economic Advisers is

A) the head of the Department of Commerce.
B) the advisory council to the Secretary of the Treasury.
C) the Congress' economic advisory committee.
D) the president's economic advisory committee.
E) an economic think tank offering independent advice to the president and Congress.

Question 56

The most far-reaching component of Roosevelt's New Deal was the establishment of

A) Social Security.
B) Medicare.
C) Medicaid.
D) unemployment compensation.
E) workers' injury compensation.

Question 57

The Wagner Act of 1935

A) guaranteed a job for anyone willing to work.
B) established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
C) granted women the right to vote.
D) strengthened the organizing power of unions.
E) established a national income tax.

Question 58

The New Deal era law which significantly strengthened the power of unions was the

A) Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act.
B) Import Restriction Act.
C) Workplace Safety Act.
D) Johnson-Tangleton Act.
E) Wagner Act.

Question 59

Presently, there are approximately _____ White House staffers.

A) 100
B) 500
C) 1,000
D) 1,500
E) 10,000

Question 60

The massive growth in the size of the Executive Office of the President has given rise to a phenomenon often described as the

A) congressional presidency.
B) structural presidency.
C) powerful presidency.
D) limited presidency.
E) institutional presidency.

Question 61

Who of the following presidents is described as ushering in the modern presidency?

A) Theodore Roosevelt
B) Woodrow Wilson
C) Franklin D. Roosevelt
D) John F. Kennedy
E) Ronald Reagan

Question 62

In recent decades, the balance of power within the executive branch has shifted in favor of

A) presidential political advisers at the expense of policy experts.
B) policy experts at the expense of political advisors.
C) the federal bureaucracy at the expense of the president.
D) the federal bureaucracy at the expense of all elected political leaders.
E) the president at the expense of the federal bureaucracy.

Question 63

Lyndon Johnson became president as a result of the

A) election of 1956.
B) election of 1960.
C) assassination of President John Kennedy.
D) resignation of President Richard Nixon.
E) Supreme Court decision in Johnson v. United States.

Question 64

The office of the vice president has historically been regarded by political leaders as

A) an important and influential position.
B) a key stepping stone to the presidency.
C) an insignificant and unimportant office.
D) the president's most trusted and closest advisor.
E) the natural next step for the Speaker of the House.

Question 65

Which of the following vice presidents did NOT become president due to the death or resignation of the president?

A) Harry Truman
B) Richard Nixon
C) Gerald Ford
D) Theodore Roosevelt
E) Lyndon Johnson

Question 66

How many times has the vice president been called upon to assume the presidency due to the death or resignation of the president?

A) 3 times
B) 5 times
C) 7 times
D) 9 times
E) 12 times

Question 67

The main source of power afforded to the vice president derives from the

A) vice president's constitutional position as president of the Senate.
B) array of specific powers afforded the vice president by the Constitution.
C) Long-standing historical tradition of including the vice president in the president's inner circle of advisors.
D) degree of power and authority granted to the vice president by the president.
E) senatorial tradition of majority rule.

Question 68

The first president to understand and make use of the power of television was

A) Dwight Eisenhower.
B) Richard Nixon.
C) John Kennedy.
D) Lyndon Johnson.
E) Jimmy Carter.

Question 69

According to the scholar Stephen Skowronek, there are four distinct eras of the presidency. Which of the following is NOT one of those eras?

A) The period when presidents garnered power through close, personal interactions with political elites
B) The period when presidents served as ceremonial figures and foreign diplomats
C) The period when presidents forged agreements with party bosses
D) The period when presidents would bargain and negotiate agreements among competing interests
E) The period when presidents forged a personal connection with the public

Question 70

Which of the following is NOT accurate in regard to the Skowronek distinct periods?

A) Reelection of Andrew Jackson to 1832 - small group of decision makers
B) 1832 until end of eighteenth century - party bosses
C) Turn of the nineteenth century until 1973 - pluralist politics
D) 1900 until 1945 - war presidents
E) 1973 until the present - plebiscitary politics

Question 71

Franklin Roosevelt was famous for his use of _____, which were an attempt to appeal directly to the American public.

A) morning strolls
B) fireside chats on radio
C) whistle stop tours
D) kitchen parties
E) television press conferences

Question 72

Because of his effective use of the media in appealing directly to the American people, President _____ was often referred to as "The Great Communicator."

A) John F. Kennedy
B) Franklin Roosevelt
C) Bill Clinton
D) Jimmy Carter
E) Ronald Reagan

Question 73

As the ceremonial and symbolic representative of the country, the president is said to be the

A) Chief of State.
B) Chief Legislator.
C) Chief Executive.
D) Chief Diplomat.
E) Commander in Chief.

Question 74

During his eight years as president, George Washington

A) immersed himself in legislative action.
B) rarely expressed an opinion on legislative proposals.
C) sought to expand the powers of the presidency in the area of foreign policy.
D) established the first bureaucratic office.
E) established the principle of executive privilege.

Question 75

Franklin Roosevelt's presidency is remembered as one in which the

A) powers of the president shrunk dramatically.
B) president increasingly deferred to Congress.
C) president became more immersed in the legislative process.
D) Supreme Court increasingly asserted its authority over the presidency.
E) states reasserted their supremacy over the federal government.

Question 76

Which president made the most extensive use of the veto?

A) Grover Cleveland
B) Theodore Roosevelt
C) Franklin Roosevelt
D) Ronald Reagan
E) Bill Clinton

Question 77

The Constitution requires that the president inform Congress of recent developments in an annual address referred to as the

A) political background report.
B) legislative agenda.
C) status of America address.
D) state of the union.
E) contemporary issues brief.

Question 78

The president's State of the Union address is

A) a duty cited in the Article II.
B) a suggestion generally referred to in the Constitution.
C) a tradition first given by Franklin D. Roosevelt.
D) relatively new, brought on by advances in media.
E) seldom given but once every presidential term.

Question 79

President Franklin Roosevelt made extensive use of the veto, issuing approximately _____ vetoes issued during his presidency, with only nine of those vetoes overridden.

A) 50
B) 100
C) 200
D) 400
E) 600

Question 80

_____ are less formal than treaties and do not require Senate approval.

A) Binding agreements
B) Informal concords
C) National reconciliation agreements
D) Executive agreements
E) National understandings