Deck 7: The Presidency

Question 1

The U.S. Constitution does not formally require that a president be __________________.

A) a natural-born citizen
B) 35 years of age or older
C) a college-educated male
D) a resident of the United States for at least 14 years
E) nominated by a political party

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest president in history when inaugurated in 1901 at the age of _____.

A) 29
B) 35
C) 42
D) 50
E) 55

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Article II of the U.S. Constitution requires what minimum and/or maximum age for a person to serve as president?

A) no minimum or maximum age
B) minimum age of 25, maximum age of 70
C) minimum age of 18, no maximum age
D) no minimum age, maximum age of 70
E) minimum age of 35, no maximum age

Answer 3

E

Question 4

Throughout American history, how many times has the son of a former United States president been elected as president?

A) none
B) one
C) two
D) four
E) eight

Question 5

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, first elected president in 1932, has the distinction of being the longest serving president in American history. For how many terms was he elected?

A) two
B) three
C) four
D) five
E) six

Question 6

Which presidents were impeached by the House of Representatives?​

A) ​the House has not passed articles of impeachment for any president
B) ​Johnson and Clinton
C) ​Nixon and Reagan
D) ​Jefferson and Lincoln
E) ​Truman and Hoover

Question 7

Which of the following was not a policy supported by Thomas Jefferson?​

A) ​that government governs best which governs least
B) ​purchase of the Louisiana territory from France
C) ​creation of a national bank
D) ​scaling back the armed forces
E) ​eliminating judgeships

Question 8

Based on data from presidential elections throughout American history, an individual who is currently holding a position as __________ is the least likely to become the next president.

A) a state governor
B) a vice president of the United States
C) a member of the U.S. House of Representatives
D) a member of the U.S. Senate
E) a general in the U.S. Army

Question 9

The U.S. Constitution allows for removal of the president by the process of ________________.

A) recall election
B) impeachment
C) congressional declaration
D) criminal conviction only
E) a vote of the state legislatures

Question 10

The Twenty-Second Amendment, ratified and enacted in 1951, places what restriction on presidents?

A) The person seeking the office of president must have been a citizen of the United States for at least 10 years.
B) The person seeking the office of president must first have served at least one term in either the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate.
C) Any one person may serve only one term as president.
D) Any one person may be elected as president no more than twice.
E) The president must have a college degree.

Question 11

Most U.S. presidents have held one or more high-level elected offices. The two most commonly held offices are tied, with 19 presidents each having held these positions. In addition to the U.S. House of Representatives, which other elected office was held by 19 presidents?

A) U.S. senator
B) Supreme Court justice
C) Supreme Allied Commander
D) Governor
E) Secretary of state

Question 12

​How many presidents have been removed from office after conviction by the senate?

A) ​zero
B) ​one
C) ​two
D) ​three
E) ​four

Question 13

Which of the following has not been the basis for impeaching a president?

A) lying to a grand jury about a president's sex life
B) giving the plans for the atomic bomb to the Soviets
C) illegally firing a cabinet member
D) pardoning traitors
E) impeding ratification of a constitutional amendment

Question 14

As president, Abraham Lincoln thrived due to a rare combination of factors. Seen in retrospect as an endearing historical figure, Lincoln was nonetheless an aggressive politician. Which of the following was not one of the actions taken by Lincoln?

A) He suspended the writ of habeas corpus.
B) He spent U.S. Treasury funds without approval of Congress.
C) He ordered a military blockade of southern ports while Congress was in recess.
D) He ordered the states to provide 75,000 soldiers for battle.
E) He encouraged and nurtured a cooperative relationship between the executive and legislative branches.

Question 15

How many presidents have voluntarily resigned?

A) none
B) one
C) two
D) three
E) five

Question 16

Which of the following limits the president to a maximum of two elected terms?

A) Article II of the Constitution
B) the Twenty-Second Amendment
C) the Twenty-First Amendment
D) the Seventeenth Amendment
E) there is no limit

Question 17

Which of the following has been the most common occupation of United States presidents prior to holding the office?

A) military commander
B) corporate executive
C) attorney
D) career bureaucrat
E) university professor

Question 18

As the first president of the United States, George Washington is often credited with establishing many presidential standards and precedents that are still in effect today. Which of the following is not one of Washington's precedents?

A) He avoided entrapments of royalty by rejecting references such as "Your Majesty."
B) He established a global military presence by basing American military personnel in volatile foreign arenas.
C) He consulted often with other branches of government, especially Congress.
D) He established the influence of the executive in crafting public policy.
E) He established and preferred the reference of "Mr. President."

Question 19

James Monroe, president from 1817 to 1825, was the first to assume a strong foreign policy. His famous "Monroe Doctrine" declared that _____________________________.

A) the United States would regard as an "unfriendly act" any attempt by a European nation to intervene on the American continent
B) the United States had an inherent right to stop foreign navies on the high seas
C) the United States would be aggressive in invading foreign countries that resisted its trade policies
D) the United States had a moral obligation to serve as a sort of global police force
E) democracy was the dominant form of government and should be heavily impressed on weaker nations

Question 20

Which of the following was not an exercise of power by Andrew Jackson?

A) dismissing officeholders
B) forcing out cabinet members who angered him
C) vetoing the bill rechartering the second national bank
D) introducing the spoils system
E) declaring European intervention in the affairs of the New World an unfriendly act

Question 21

Theodore Roosevelt was a proactive and forceful president. Building on the Monroe Doctrine from 80 years earlier, he developed the "Roosevelt Corollary," which ___________________________.

A) created an isolationist stance whereby American military forces were not allowed to leave the borders of the United States
B) created an alliance of all English-speaking nations
C) formed an alliance of nations against the developing Empire of Japan
D) declared that the United States would serve as a police power to maintain stability in the Western Hemisphere by opposing European interference in Latin America.
E) launched a preemptive attack on Cuba and began the Spanish-American War.

Question 22

President Franklin Roosevelt's "New Deal" policies did not include which of the following?

A) creation of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to protect deposits in commercial banks during the Great Depression
B) creation of federal jobs by hiring the Depression-era unemployed to perform various public works
C) creation of a social security program that provided old-age benefits
D) creation of free trade zones with Mexico and Canada
E) creation of unemployment insurance benefits

Question 23

After FDR, who was the first Democratic president to serve two full terms?​

A) ​JFK
B) ​LBJ
C) ​Carter
D) Clinton
E) ​Obama

Question 24

The twentieth century brought about significant changes in the presidency as evidenced by Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin Roosevelt, just in the first half of the century. The "imperial presidency" is often noted as having taken root during this era. What is meant by this term?

A) The president becomes a dictator and takes total control of the government.
B) The president assumes powers to act independently of Congress under certain circumstances and to make significant decisions related to national security.
C) The office of president comes to be viewed as royalty with all its trappings.
D) The sons of presidents also assume the position, thus creating a de facto aristocracy.
E) The president becomes the uncontested leader of the free world.

Question 25

In 1941, the deadly attack on ____ influenced America to enter into World War II.

A) New York
B) Pearl Harbor
C) Washington D.C.
D) Paris
E) London

Question 26

As head of state, the president has the power to _____________.

A) ​approve treaties
B) ​appoint federal judges
C) ​meet directly with foreign heads of state
D) ​help set the lawmaking agenda for Congress
E) ​grant reprieves and pardons

Question 27

As president, Theodore Roosevelt has many credits. Which of the following is not an achievement of his term of office?

A) He encouraged a revolution in Panama.
B) He initiated building of the Panama Canal.
C) He aggressively pursued an interventionist stance in Europe that led to World War I.
D) He won a Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating a war settlement between Japan and Russia.
E) He sent the nation's naval fleet around the world as a demonstration of American military authority.

Question 28

Due to the role of the president to receive and meet directly with dignitaries and rulers of other countries on behalf of the United States, the president is designated as ____________.

A) head of state
B) head of government
C) commander-in-chief
D) governmental designee
E) chief negotiator

Question 29

Which president is not named on the C-SPAN or the Wall Street Journal poll as one of the "10 Greatest Presidents?"

A) Wilson
B) Polk
C) Pierce
D) Jefferson
E) Jackson

Question 30

Reagan is credited with all of the following, EXCEPT​ _______________.

A) ​bringing about the fall of communist regimes in Europe
B) ​the breakup of the USSR
C) ​legislative success with a divided-party government
D) ​being a "great communicator"
E) ​balancing the budget

Question 31

"Lend-lease" was a _________________.

A) program to provide federal jobs for the unemployed
B) corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
C) policy to sell Britain war supplies in exchange for rights to build military bases on British possessions
D) declaration permitting the United States to intervene in Latin America
E) a policy establishing the ability of the United States to act as the "world's policeman"

Question 32

In the twenty-first century the foreign relations role of the president is a given, but this was not so in the earlier years of our nation's existence. Which president is considered the first to envision his role as that of a world leader, and the United States as a police power, and to proactively extend his reach into the foreign policy arena?

A) Andrew Jackson in 1828
B) Abraham Lincoln in 1861
C) Theodore Roosevelt in 1901
D) Harry Truman in 1945
E) Ronald Reagan in 1980

Question 33

The presidency of Woodrow Wilson is crowned by successful intervention of the United States into World War I in 1917. Though Wilson saw several successes, his greatest downfall was ________________________.

A) his failure to gain senate approval to join the League of Nations, which he was instrumental in creating
B) the loss of the Philippines to Japan
C) the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Empire of Japan
D) his failure to enact comprehensive civil rights legislation
E) his inability to desegregate the military

Question 34

Article II of the U.S. Constitution lists four express powers of the president. Which of the following is not one of the express powers?

A) commander-in-chief of the armed forces
B) power to grant reprieves or pardons
C) power to make treaties
D) power to declare war
E) power to appoint federal judges and justices

Question 35

The policy by which the U.S. pledged military and economic aid to any nation threatened by Communism, was the​ ____________.

A) ​Monroe Doctrine
B) Roosevelt Corollary
C) ​Truman Doctrine
D) ​Reagan Plan
E) ​New Deal

Question 36

The first sitting president to visit a foreign country on official business was ____________.

A) George Washington in 1790
B) Abraham Lincoln in 1865
C) Theodore Roosevelt in 1906
D) Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1943
E) John Kennedy in 1961

Question 37

In the decades immediately following the close of World War II and extending into the 1980s, the most dominant theme faced by United States presidents in the foreign policy arena was __________________.

A) the rise of Islamic fundamentalism
B) the Cold War with its expansion of Communism
C) the war in Vietnam
D) the war in Iraq and Afghanistan
E) equal access to and use of the international space station

Question 38

Currently the United States is considered the only true superpower in the world arena. However, from the close of World War II until the late 1980s another superpower existed that often opposed the United States and consumed much of the president's energies. This superpower was ___________.

A) the People's Republic of China
B) Great Britain
C) the Soviet Union (USSR)
D) Cuba
E) Israel

Question 39

In the 1960s, President Lyndon Johnson attempted to resurrect the successes of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal initiatives by implementing more than 60 social reform measures, including Medicare and Medicaid, federal aid for education, and voting rights for African Americans. Collectively, these reforms came to be known as Johnson's _________.

A) Great Society
B) Second New Deal
C) Square Deal
D) New World
E) Corollary

Question 40

After FDR, which president excelled as a "great communicator" by speaking directly to the American people?

A) LBJ
B) Carter
C) Reagan
D) Eisenhower
E) Clinton

Question 41

During major historical events such as the attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and on the World Trade Center and Pentagon in 2001, why does the role and position of president become so important?

A) The constitution requires that Americans follow the president's advice.
B) The president becomes a strong voice to command the nation's attention, calm fears, provide direction, and employ resources.
C) Congress is often unwilling to lead during emergencies so the president's role and authority increases.
D) The states have sole power to respond to threats against them by foreign powers but they rely on the president for guidance.
E) Congress is incapable of taking any type of action against foreign enemies so this responsibility is left to the president.

Question 42

Which of the following is not an example of a president committing American troops into combat without Congressional approval?

A) Roosevelt in Europe and the Pacific Theaters, 1945
B) Truman in Korea, 1950
C) Reagan in Grenada, 1983
D) Bush in Panama, 1989
E) Clinton in Haiti, 1994

Question 43

Since the end of World War II, presidents have acted much more independently in committing American troops to combat situations. In 1973, Congress attempted to severely limit the power of the president to deploy troops without Congressional approval. Then-president Nixon vetoed the legislation, but his veto was overridden. What was this legislation called?

A) Monroe Doctrine
B) North Atlantic Treaty Alliance
C) Presidential Control Act
D) War Powers Resolution
E) Pentagon Papers

Question 44

A presidential action that removes the punishment, as well as the finding of guilt, from a person convicted of a federal crime is called ___________________.

A) a reprieve
B) a commutation
C) a full pardon
D) presidential prerogative
E) certiorari

Question 45

Historically, what percentage of presidential vetoes has been overridden?

A) Less than 1 percent
B) 4 percent
C) 25 percent
D) 40 percent
E) 80 percent

Question 46

As commander-in-chief, the president ____________________.

A) is the nation's principal military leader
B) is responsible for leading troops into battle
C) has unlimited power to declare war on other nations
D) must be an active member of the military
E) must have military experience

Question 47

In Myers v. United States (1926) the U.S. Supreme Court addressed the issue of a president's power to remove an appointed official from office. In the case of Cabinet members such as secretary of state, what power does the president have in removing him or her from office?

A) The president may not remove an appointee without Congressional approval.
B) The U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment and has sole power to remove the appointee.
C) Though the U.S. Senate must confirm the original appointment, the president has the power to remove such an appointee without Congressional approval.
D) The appointee may not be removed from office without a hearing before the Supreme Court.
E) The president has no discretion in removing the appointee.

Question 48

As chief legislator of the United States, the president has the power to ____________.

A) negotiate and execute treaties
B) appoint federal judges
C) meet directly with foreign heads of state
D) help set the lawmaking agenda for Congress
E) grant reprieves and pardons

Question 49

A "signing statement" may be used for which of the following purposes?

A) to express the intent of the president to ignore a law
B) as a means of the president to undermine a law, short of a veto
C) as a statement that the executive branch will construe an act in a manner consistent with the president's own views
D) to express the intent of the president to ignore a law, as a means of the president to undermine a law, short of a veto, and as a statement that the executive branch will construe an act in a manner consistent with the president's own views
E) None of these choices is correct.

Question 50

As chief diplomat of the United States, the president has the power to ______________.

A) negotiate and execute treaties
B) appoint federal judges
C) meet directly with foreign heads of state
D) help set the lawmaking agenda for Congress
E) grant reprieves and pardons

Question 51

The U.S. Constitution extends certain powers to the president in regard to people who are convicted of violating federal laws. An executive action that reduces the severity of a punishment without removing the guilt is called ________.

A) a pardon
B) a reprieve
C) power of appointment
D) writ of habeas corpus
E) presidential oversight

Question 52

Presidents frequently issue rules and regulations that carry the force of law, ranging from orders to the armed forces to designation of public lands. Such actions, once thought to be unconstitutional, are called

A) civil prosecution
B) executive orders
C) diplomacy
D) enforcement prerogative
E) executive negotiation

Question 53

Article II of the U.S. Constitution requires that the president will each year advise the Congress about the condition of the nation. This constitutional requirement is now a formal speech before Congress and is called ______________.

A) the Annual Performance Review
B) the State of the Union address
C) the Appeal to the Nation
D) Review of Congress
E) Face the Nation

Question 54

In his landmark book Presidential Power: The Politics of Leadership, Neustadt argued that the president's most fundamental power is the ​_______________.

A) ​power to persuade
B) ​power to declare war
C) ​power to pass legislation
D) ​power to veto bills
E) ​power to appoint officials

Question 55

The president's responsibility to see "that the laws be faithfully executed" includes the power to __________.

A) change the wording of laws to his own particular advantage
B) determine which laws to implement
C) determine which laws are considered by Congress
D) implement and enforce measures passed by Congress
E) carry out capital punishment

Question 56

John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, and other political theorists of the 1700s argued that the need for an executive power was fundamental and obvious. Which of the following is not one of the primary reasons that Locke and Montesquieu used to justify their arguments?

A) Legislatures meet infrequently and are ill-equipped to execute their own laws.
B) If legislatures enforced their own laws they may be tempted to shape the laws to their own particular advantage.
C) Legislatures are inherently corrupt and incapable of ethical behavior.
D) A clear separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches is necessary so that legislatures do not exert too much influence over the executive area.
E) Legislatures need perpetual execution in order to carry out the intent of their laws.

Question 57

The president has a very important power to appoint judges, justices, and cabinet-level officials. However, the constitution requires that this power be checked through ____________________.

A) approval of the Supreme Court for all appointees
B) a successful background check for all appointees by the FBI prior to taking office
C) approval of three-fourths of the state legislatures for all appointments
D) confirmation by the U.S. Senate for all political appointments
E) a thorough security clearance by the CIA

Question 58

What is the primary purpose for the president's designation as commander-in-chief?

A) to use the military experience that presidents must have for leading troops into battle
B) to allow for the United States to have the ability to declare war and take necessary military action
C) to allow the military to ultimately remain under civilian control
D) to simplify the chain of command
E) to improve relationships and alliances with the military in other nations

Question 59

The president has constitutional power to veto legislation passed by Congress. However, the Congress also has constitutional powers to override the veto. How is the veto overridden?

A) The senate has the sole power to override the veto but it must have a three-fourths vote of all senators.
B) A simple majority of both houses of Congress is required for override.
C) A simple majority of both houses plus approval of the Supreme Court is required for override.
D) A three-fourths majority vote of both houses of Congress is required for override.
E) A two-thirds majority in each house of Congress is required for override.

Question 60

The recent president with the highest percentage of veto overrides was ____________.

A) Richard Nixon
B) Gerald Ford
C) George H. W. Bush
D) George W. Bush
E) Barack Obama

Question 61

Which of the following is not an example of a role taken throughout history by the First Lady, who is the spouse of the president?

A) advocating for social issues such as illiteracy or health care
B) serving on national committees to develop policy recommendations to Congress
C) serving as host and White House manager of social affairs
D) serving as intermediary between the president and other government leaders when the president is incapacitated
E) serving as an official member of the president's cabinet

Question 62

What are the express powers and responsibilities of the president? How do they differ from implied powers? Provide specific historical examples.

Question 63

The 15 heads of departments, that serve as principal officers also serve as key advisers to the president, form the______________.

A) ​cabinet
B) ​budget office
C) ​economic advisory council
D) ​G-15
E) ​accountability office

Question 64

In what ways have presidents perfected the art of what social scientist Samuel Kernell calls "going public?"​

A) ​holding town meetings
B) ​annual State of the Union address
C) ​special televised messages
D) ​interviews and press conferences with the media
E) All of these choices are correct.

Question 65

According the authors of the textbook, who was the first president to rely on public opinion polls?​

A) ​Wilson
B) ​FDR
C) ​JFK
D) Clinton
E) ​Obama

Question 66

The executive office of the president is a large bureaucracy of currently more than 2,000 employees who work for the president to carry out management and administrative functions. The head of this bureaucracy and a very close advisor to the president is the _______________________.

A) vice president of the United States
B) speaker of the House
C) White House chief of staff
D) attorney general
E) National Party chairman

Question 67

Historically the office of vice president has not been a statistically good position from which to launch a bid for the office of president. What are some reasons for the low number of vice presidents who have later been elected president? In contrast, which previously held political offices are most commonly represented among all the individuals who have served as president?

Question 68

As commander-in-chief, the role of the president in the twentieth century has evolved dramatically. Describe how presidents of the twentieth century have used this constitutional role to project their power in a global arena.

Question 69

Describe how the following positions and groups have historically served the president and helped him to perform his duties: First Lady, White House Chief of Staff, White House Press Secretary, Director of Communications, and Cabinet.

Question 70

How many presidents have been unmarried while serving as president?

A) zero
B) one
C) two
D) four
E) six

Question 71

Discuss the evolution of executive powers since World War II.

Question 72

What are the differences between an executive order and a law? What are the differences between an executive agreement and a treaty? How do executive orders and executive agreements expand the authority and power of the presidency?

Question 73

Article II of the U.S. Constitution provides that, if the office of the president becomes vacant (by death, resignation, or impeachment), the powers and duties of the president "devolve" on the vice president. Historically, when has this occurred and what has been the role of the vice president?

Question 74

In what ways does the president play the role of chief legislator? What are the major powers and responsibilities of this role?

Question 75

Which of the following are tools the president has for influencing Congress?​

A) ​status as party leader
B) ​personal contacts with members of Congress
C) ​The White House Office of Congressional Relations
D) ​members of Congress friendly to the administration
E) ​All of these choices are correct.

Question 76

The office of president has changed significantly since the administration of George Washington. One example is in the arena of relationships with other nations. Beginning with the Theodore Roosevelt administration in 1901, describe how the role of the president in foreign policy matters and global relationships has evolved over the past century giving specific examples.

Question 77

Describe the implied powers and responsibilities of the president; provide specific examples. Explain their constitutional grounding and the Supreme Court's view of the powers.

Question 78

Describe the president's relationships with the public, Congress, and the media, and how each plays a role in his success as president.

Question 79

Which of the following is not part of the executive office of the president?​

A) ​office of management and budget
B) ​government accountability office
C) ​president's council of economic advisors
D) ​national security council
E) ​office of the U.S. trade representatives