Deck 10: The President: Governing in Uncertain Times

Question 1

The President fulfills the following function of ___.

A) President of the Senate
B) Chief Legislator
C) Chief Justice
D) All of the above.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following statements about unitary executive theory is true?

A) The George W. Bush administration was a proponent of the theory
B) The central tenet of the theory is that Presidents and Vice-Presidents should be conceived of as a unified actor (with "equal and concurrent" power)
C) The Obama administration was a proponent of the theory
D) Both of the first two options

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of these statements accurately describes the Constitution's allocation of national security policymaking authority?

A) It concentrates that authority exclusively in the hands of the presidency.
B) It divides that power by making the Congress the commander-in-chief and giving the President the power to declare war.
C) It divides that power by making the President the commander-in-chief and giving Congress the power to declare war.
D) The Constitution does not mention national security policymaking authority.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following are two gubernatorial precedents that influenced the American Founders' notions of executive power as they convened at the Constitutional Convention?

A) Crown governors and state governors
B) The King of England and the King of France
C) Colonial governors and local mayors
D) None of the above

Question 5

Where was executive power vested in the Articles of Confederation?

A) Nowhere
B) Everywhere
C) In the Confederate Congress
D) In the states alone

Question 6

According to the Let's Compare section, the residency and nativity requirements in the presidency stem from what?

A) Xenophobia
B) A desire to ensure the inculcation of republican principles
C) Both of the above
D) None of the above

Question 7

Which qualifying characteristic for running for the presidency is also a common requirement for being elected to high office in other democracies?

A) Citizenship
B) Nativity
C) Both citizenship and nativity
D) Neither citizenship nor nativity

Question 8

How was the Electoral College chosen as a means of presidential election?

A) Through decisive action
B) Through intense deliberation
C) Through compromise
D) It was chosen on a whim

Question 9

In which constitutional article is the "executive power" established?

A) Article I
B) Article II
C) Article III
D) Article IV

Question 10

Which of the following executive powers, which were traditionally vested absolutely in monarchs, did the founders grant to the presidency without any checks from the legislative or judicial branches?

A) Authority of foreign affairs
B) Pardon power
C) Legislative veto
D) None of the above

Question 11

With which of the following institutions does the president share treaty-making powers?

A) The House of Representatives
B) The Congress
C) The Supreme Court
D) The Senate

Question 12

What is the appointment power?

A) The power of the President to appoint senior government officials
B) The power of the President to appoint members of the federal judiciary alone
C) The power of the President to confirm senatorial appointments to the federal bureaucracy
D) The power of the House to confirm presidential appointments to the federal bureaucracy and judiciary

Question 13

What is executive privilege?

A) There is no such thing
B) The right of executive branch officials to keep conversations and communications with the President confidential
C) The right of Presidents to keep conversations and communications with their advisors confidential
D) None of the above

Question 14

What is impeachment?

A) The process of removing congressmen from their respective chambers for misconduct
B) The process of removing any national government official from office
C) The process of removing Presidents alone from office
D) The process of removing executive branch officials alone from office

Question 15

The concept of "inherent powers" is defined as ___.

A) powers held by all sovereign nations allowing executives to take actions required to defend the nation and protect its interests
B) powers held by all sovereign nations allowing the legislative branch to take actions required to ensure steady commerce and domestic order
C) powers held by all sovereign nations allowing the judicial branch to take actions required to ensure a constitutional balance of prerogatives among the various branches of the national government
D) powers moving away from sovereign nations to the international system as a result of the processes of globalization

Question 16

What does the role of Chief Executive mean?

A) The President shares control over the executive branch with the Congress.
B) The President is the head of the executive branch with its attendant bureaucracy in order to enforce this country's national laws.
C) The President is the head of the executive branch with its attendant bureaucracy in order to make this country's national laws.
D) The President is the head of the executive branch with its attendant bureaucracy in order to interpret this country's national laws.

Question 17

What does the role Commander-in-Chief mean?

A) The President, a military officer, is the head of the armed forces of this country during both peace and war.
B) The President, a civilian, is the head of the armed forces of this country in war but not peace.
C) The President, a civilian, is the head of the armed forces of this country in peace but not war.
D) The President, a civilian, is the head of the armed forces of this country in peace and war.

Question 18

Define the Cabinet as it relates to the presidency.

A) The secretaries of the 15 executive departments and other officials who head those departments and consult with the President when called upon to do so
B) The secretaries of the 20 executive departments and other official who head those departments and consult with President when called upon to do so
C) Another name for the Executive Office of the President (EOP)
D) The department heads in the congressional bureaucracy who consult with the President when called upon to do so

Question 19

Where does the White House Staff fall in organizationally within the presidential establishment?

A) It is a part of the Cabinet
B) It is a part of the OMB
C) It is a part of the EOP
D) It is a part of the DOD

Question 20

According to the Pro and Con section, what did the War Powers Resolution attempt to do?

A) Restrict the President's unilateral war making power
B) Expand the President's unilateral war making power
C) Restrict Congress' unilateral war making power
D) None of the above

Question 21

Why is the legislative clearance function so important within the OMB?

A) It ensures that legislative priorities are attended to by bureaucratic agencies
B) It ensures that the legislative requests by executive branch agencies comport with the President's program
C) It ensures that the executive requests to the legislature are given their due hearing in committees and sub-committees
D) The legislative clearance function is done by the CBO not the OMB

Question 22

Did the National Security Council exist prior to World War II?

Question 23

What is meant by the term "revolving door" where the Cabinet is concerned?

A) Career bureaucrats often move in and out of government service on a regular basis
B) Political appointees often leave office after serving abbreviated terms
C) Political appointees and career bureaucrats are often at odds in any given administration
D) All of the above.

Question 24

Who, according to the author, was the most influential Vice-President in U.S. history?

A) Walter Mondale
B) George H.W. Bush
C) Al Gore
D) Dick Cheney

Question 25

At the Constitutional Convention, how did those who wanted a strong executive feel that the national magistrate should relate to legislature?

A) Independently and autonomously
B) Independently but not autonomously
C) Dependently but autonomously
D) Dependently and not autonomously

Question 26

Which of these statements most accurately describes the origin of the President's role as "Chief Legislator"?

A) The President has always been the Chief Legislator; it is in the Constitution
B) The President has been the Chief Legislator ever since George Washington established this extra-constitutional role for the office
C) The President started to become the Chief Legislator with the creation of the BoB in 1921
D) The President started to become the Chief Legislator with the New Deal in 1933

Question 27

When was Congress ascendant in presidential-congressional relations?

A) The eighteenth century
B) The nineteenth century
C) The twentieth century
D) The twenty-first century

Question 28

Which presidential institution was established by the Executive Reorganization Act of 1939?

A) The OMB
B) The BoB
C) The NSC
D) The EOP

Question 29

How did Theodore Roosevelt describe the presidency and why?

A) As the National Voice promoting and guiding public opinion in favor of the President's agenda
B) As the Tribune of the People, national protector of the masses against the elite machinations of the powerful interests in government
C) As the Bully Pulpit, to address and lead the American people toward a better tomorrow
D) As the Great Communicator, molding the public consciousness in such a way as to promote a new outlook on the proper role of government in the economy and society

Question 30

When did the growth of presidential power fully manifest itself?

A) During the nineteenth century exclusively
B) During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries
C) During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
D) During the twentieth and twenty-first centuries

Question 31

One of the legislative powers of the presidency is the veto. Another is what?

A) The power to dismiss the legislature
B) The power to take care that the laws be faithfully executed
C) The power to propose measure to the Congress for their consideration
D) The power to declare war

Question 32

Who was the principal advocate of a weak executive at the Founding?

A) Roger Williams
B) Roger Sherman
C) James Wilson
D) Gouverneur Morris

Question 33

Which one of the following statements best describes the Bush administration's argument regarding the limits of presidential authority in the wake of 9/11?

A) The president may act despite any express congressional prohibition.
B) The president may at times act in the absence of explicit statutory authority.
C) The president may act only with full statutory authority.
D) None of the above, as the limits of the president's inherent powers have never been questioned.

Question 34

Obama's organization of the Executive Office of the President tended to be ___.

A) more hierarchical relative to other Democratic presidents
B) more hierarchical relative to other Republican presidents
C) less hierarchical relative to other Democratic presidents
D) less hierarchical relative to other Republican presidents

Question 35

Which one of the following achievements did not occur during the Obama administration?

A) Signed into law the first major national healthcare program in more than 50 years
B) Signed into law No Child Left Behind, a sweeping overall of education in the U.S.
C) Brought the U.S. out of the Great Recession, albeit with slow but steady economic growth
D) Reduced major military commitments in Afghanistan and Iraq and prevented overcommit to other trouble spots like Libya and Syria

Question 36

The unitary executive theory holds that ___.

A) the chief executive officer of a business cannot be deprived of his annual bonus and any attempt to appropriate property is unconstitutional
B) the commander-in-chief of the U.S. armed forces has sole authority over all troops and any attempt to limit that authority is unconstitutional
C) the president is the sole authority in the executive branch and any attempt to limit that authority is unconstitutional
D) All of the above

Question 37

President Donald Trump sought to govern ___.

A) only on Republican votes
B) only on Republican and Democratic votes
C) only on Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian votes
D) None of the above, since President Trump asserts the argument of the unitary executive and thus governs on his own.

Question 38

With regard to communicating through social media, President Trump had an affinity for ___.

A) Twitter
B) Snapchat
C) Pinterest
D) Instagram

Question 39

President Trump's early 2019 declaration of a "national emergency" on the southern border raised serious concerns of a blatant tendency toward ___.

A) a separated executive
B) an executive agreement
C) a unitary executive
D) an executive privilege

Question 40

President Trump's early job approval ratings were the _______in modern times.

A) lowest
B) medium
C) highest
D) None of the above, since job approval ratings have not been assessed in modern times.

Question 41

President Trump's initial cabinet was comprised primarily of ___.

A) younger, white, female, actresses and beauty queens
B) older, white, male, businessmen and generals
C) younger, black, male, lawyers and engineers
D) older, black, female, teachers and nurses

Question 42

Early in his administration, President Trump's orders on _______were blocked by Congress and the courts.

A) travel bans
B) sanctuary cities
C) border wall
D) All of the above

Question 43

The constitutional nativity requirement of citizenship to serve as president refers to ___.

A) citizenship from birth
B) naturalized citizenship
C) Both of the above
D) None of the above

Question 44

The Constitution states that Congress may remove the president from office if first charged with _______before being tried and convicted.

A) treason
B) bribery
C) high crimes and misdemeanors
D) Any one or more of the above

Question 45

A sitting president who has been removed from office after having been impeached, tried, and convicted by Congress is still subject to additional action in the "___".

A) state courts only
B) federal courts only
C) state and federal courts
D) None of the above, since once removed from office, the president is immune to any legal action

Question 46

Since 1789, the House of Representative's attempts to impeach a sitting president has succeeded only with regard to ___.

A) Andrew Johnson
B) Bill Clinton
C) Donald Trump
D) All of the above

Question 47

Donald Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives and charged with ___.

A) abuse of power
B) obstruction of Congress
C) Both of the above
D) None of the above, since Donald Trump was not impeached

Question 48

Donald Trump was the _______president of the United States to be impeached by the House of Representatives.

A) second
B) third
C) fourth
D) fifth

Question 49

The Constitution provides for the removal of a sitting president according to ___.

A) Article 1, section 2
B) 25th Amendment
C) Both of the above
D) None of the above, since the president can only be removed through the electoral process

Question 50

The 25th Amendment has been used _______times to remove a sitting president from office.

A) two
B) three
C) four
D) None of the above, since the 25th Amendment has never been used to remove a president from office

Question 51

The 25th Amendment provides for the ___.

A) limitation to two terms for a President elected to office
B) right of citizens to vote in any election for President without paying a poll tax
C) conditions and procedures necessary to remove of an unfit President from office
D) right of those 18 years of age or older to vote in any election for President

Question 52

During the first half of the Trump administration, the Department of Justice produced a memo claiming presidential authority for the use of limited ___.

A) force, including missile strikes, to protect U.S. interests abroad
B) measures to quell racial rioting in large cities in the U.S.
C) force to prevent illegal U.S. border crossings by undocumented immigrants
D) measures to direct U.S. manufacturing efforts toward production of medical supplies

Question 53

In the presidential election of 2020, Kamala Harris became the first _______elected Vice President in American history.

A) female
B) Black
C) South Asian
D) All of the above

Question 54

Immediately after he was designated president-elect, Joe Biden constructed his cabinet and White House teams amid expectations that they would ___.

A) be the most diverse in the nation's history
B) be key posts distributed across the progressive and moderate wings of his party
C) win some support for his nominees in the majority Republican Senate
D) All of the above

Question 55

Which two of the following forms of executive leadership served as models for the American presidency?

A) The Pope
B) Crown Governors
C) King of France
D) State Governors

Question 56

Which two of the following political issues represented President Trump's attempt to govern only on Republican votes?

A) repeal and replace of Obamacare
B) abandoning the TPP
C) withdrawal from climate accords
D) tax reform

Question 57

In the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump appealed to anti-trade sentiment by threatening to withdraw from _______and ___.

A) CAFTA
B) TPP
C) NAFTA
D) ACA

Question 58

Most presidents abandon any pretense of _______in favor of a tight circle of ___.

A) senior advisers from the White House staff
B) unified government
C) congressional partisans
D) cabinet government

Question 59

According to the War Powers Resolution passed in Congress in 1973, the president _______and ___.

A) must consult with Congress on the use of military force abroad
B) need not consult with Congress on the use of military force abroad
C) must withdraw U.S. military forces from conflict abroad should congressional approval not be forthcoming
D) need not withdraw U.S. military forces from conflict abroad regardless of whether or not Congress approves

Question 60

President Trump's early 2019 declaration of a "national emergency" on the southern border set off immediate _______and _______protests.

A) court
B) congressional
C) executive
D) public

Question 61

Donald Trump was the _______president of the United States to be impeached; the charges included obstruction of Congress and ___.

A) third
B) abuse of power
C) fourth
D) perjury before a grand jury

Question 62

In 1976, Congress enacted the National Emergencies Act to give the _______to act quickly in the face of ___.

A) economic crises that result in massive unemployment during recessions
B) president standby authority
C) foreign actors engaged in terrorism, financial crimes, and cyber intrusions
D) Congress extraconstitutional authority

Question 63

As a result of the 2020 presidential election, Joe Biden became the _______candidate elected as _______in American history.

A) oldest
B) Vice President
C) youngest
D) President

Question 64

Congress's impeachment power extends only to the President.

Question 65

The President shares oversight of bureaucratic agencies with Congress.

Question 66

The White House Staff is nominated by Congress.

Question 67

When the Constitutional Convention first convened, several delegates supported giving the legislative branch the power to choose the national executive.

Question 68

Executive Agreements are the same thing as treaties.

Question 69

The stature of the Vice Presidency has risen over the last few decades?

Question 70

A reprieve is a type of pardon.

Question 71

Essentially, debates regarding the limits of presidential authority have to do with whether or not that authority must be understood within a context of separation of powers or a context of unitary executive authority.

Question 72

The unitary executive argument was popular inside the Trump White House.

Question 73

President Trump's early job approval ratings were the highest in modern times.

Question 74

High level turnover amongst President Trump's cabinet appointees began almost immediately.

Question 75

Similar to the relationship between President Obama and Vice President Biden, President Trump also relied on Vice President Pence to shoulder the burdens of office.

Question 76

President Trump's early 2019 declaration of a "national emergency" on the southern border set off immediate congressional and public protests.

Question 77

The Constitution does not has a nativity requirement to serve as president of the United States.

Question 78

Describe the reasons for the evolution of the Presidency from its Constitutional origins to its contemporary reality.

Question 79

Explain the importance of the pardon power and why Presidents may wait to evoke pardons until exiting office.

Question 80

Which President would you rank as the best and why?