Deck 6: The Presidency

Question 1

How are appointments to the federal judiciary made?

A)by the president,with the advice and consent of Congress
B)by the president,with the advice and consent of the Senate
C)by the president,with the advice and consent of the House
D)by the president,with the advice and consent of the chief justice
E)by the president only

Answer 1

B

Question 2

While the veto is regarded as one of the president's most formidable powers,it is used relatively rarely.This is likely because:

A)most legislation passed by Congress is very important and presidents dare not veto it
B)legislators will alter the content of a bill to make it more to a president's liking in order to preempt a veto
C)legislators have a great deal of certainty about the president's policy preferences
D)one party almost always controls both chambers of Congress and the presidency,so vetoes are rarely necessary
E)presidents are limited in the number of times they can use the veto in a session of Congress

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which term describes an understanding between the president and another country that has the force of a treaty but does not require Senate authorization?

A)bilateral accord
B)international pact
C)presidential treaty
D)executive agreement
E)organizational edict

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The American presidency was established by:

A)Congress
B)the Declaration of Independence
C)Article I of the Articles of Confederation
D)Article II of the Constitution
E)Article III of the Constitution

Question 5

The framers hoped to achieve a "republican" solution to presidential selection through an indirect election in which electors would be selected by state legislators to participate in the:

A)state caucus
B)popular vote
C)Electoral College
D)national primary
E)presidential referendum

Question 6

When President Jimmy Carter declared official legal forgiveness for all the draft evaders of the Vietnam War,he was said to have granted:

A)paroles
B)pardons
C)reprieves
D)amnesty
E)forgiveness

Question 7

Which of the following is true of the line-item veto power for the president?

A)The Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution does not authorize the line-item veto.
B)The president may currently use the line-item veto but chooses to do so only rarely because veto bargaining makes it unnecessary.
C)Presidents since Bill Clinton have made judicious use of the line-item veto to reduce pork-barrel spending in budgetary bills.
D)The line-item veto can only be used in the last ten days that Congress is in session.
E)The line-item veto is only allowed after Supreme Court review of the legislation

Question 8

When President George Washington received Edmond Genet as the formal emissary of the revolutionary government of France in 1793 and had his cabinet officers and Congress back his decision,Washington established the presidential power to:

A)recognize other countries
B)conduct diplomatic relations
C)receive ambassadors and other public ministers
D)undertake covert operations against foreign governments
E)plan and participate in assassination plots

Question 9

When President George W.Bush refused to release information about controversial interrogation techniques,he did so by invoking:

A)a signing statement
B)executive privilege
C)veto threats
D)an executive order
E)unitary executive power

Question 10

Congress does not even have the option of overriding and must reintroduce the bill in the next session when the president exercises a(n)________ veto.

A)pocket
B)line-item
C)executive
D)legislative
E)hard-line

Question 11

What are the powers given to the president by Congress called?

A)manifest prose
B)delegated powers
C)expressed powers
D)transferred authorities
E)invested powers

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT one of the president's expressed powers?

A)receive ambassadors
B)invoke executive privilege
C)nominate federal judges
D)declare war
E)command the national military

Question 13

What are the powers specifically granted to the president in the text of the Constitution called?

A)manifest prose
B)delegated powers
C)expressed powers
D)articulated authorities
E)direct investitures

Question 14

In many instances of domestic disorder-whether from human or natural causes-how do presidents exercise unilateral power?

A)by deploying national troops
B)by declaring a state of emergency
C)by suspending the writ of habeas corpus
D)by closing banks and other financial institutions
E)by ordering states to deploy their militias

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT a reason Congress has delegated more authority to the executive branch?

A)The expansion of governmental activity since the New Deal has made it difficult for Congress to execute and administer the programs it passes.
B)Most congressional legislation is not very detailed,leaving executive branch administrators to issue rules describing how the act will be implemented.
C)In recent years,Congress has tended to give agencies broad mandates and few clear guidelines for implementation.
D)The congressional agenda is so small that members of Congress prefer to specify long,detailed statutes that instruct agencies in the specific implementation of the law.
E)Congress has too much work to write detailed statutes.

Question 16

Who has the highest military authority in the United States?

A)the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
B)the secretary of state
C)the secretary of defense
D)the president
E)the Speaker of the House

Question 17

The American president exercises a measure of judicial authority through his power to:

A)offer paroles and probations
B)give atonements and expiations
C)grant reprieves,pardons,and amnesties
D)mandate subpoenas,writs of habeas corpus,and warrants of indemnity
E)veto Supreme Court rulings

Question 18

If the president vetoes a bill:

A)the bill dies for at least ten years
B)it can be reintroduced in the next session,but cannot pass in the session during which it was vetoed
C)the veto can be overridden by a simple majority vote in both the House and Senate
D)the veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate
E)the veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in either the House or Senate

Question 19

The scope of executive privilege was clarified in the court case:

A)United States v.Nixon
B)Bush v.Gore
C)Hamdan v.Rumsfeld
D)Clinton v.Jones
E)New York Times v.United States

Question 20

How can a presidential veto be overridden?

A)by a two-thirds majority vote in either the House or the Senate
B)by a simple majority vote in both the House and Senate
C)by a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate
D)by majority votes in three-fourths of state legislatures
E)It cannot be overridden.

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT in the president's National Security Council?

A)the vice president
B)the secretary of state
C)the director of the CIA
D)the secretary of defense
E)other officials invited by the president

Question 22

When President Barack Obama called on Congress to consider major national health care reform within his first year as president,he was exercising the power of:

A)an executive order
B)a mandate
C)legislative initiative
D)presidential persuasion
E)gatekeeping

Question 23

How was the presidency strengthened in the 1830s?

A)with the introduction of the line-item veto power
B)with the introduction of the kitchen cabinet system
C)with the introduction of the linked regional newspaper system
D)with the introduction of the national convention system for nominating presidential candidates
E)with the introduction of the caucus system

Question 24

The landmark Supreme Court case National Labor Relations Board v.Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation was significant because it:

A)freed the slaves
B)affirmed a federal role in regulating the national economy
C)clarified the president's role as a mediator in major labor disputes
D)established the bounds of executive privilege
E)delegated unprecedented amounts of discretionary authority to executive agencies

Question 25

The president's inherent power to bring a legislative agenda before Congress is known as the power of:

A)legislative orders
B)legislative agenda setting
C)legislative initiative
D)executive privilege
E)executive orders

Question 26

The era of presidential government was launched by the:

A)Civil War
B)New Deal
C)Great Society
D)Watergate scandal
E)Economic Panic of 1896

Question 27

How was Richard Nixon able to establish the Environmental Protection Agency without having to put a measure before Congress?

A)executive order
B)executive agreement
C)executive decree
D)executive prerogative
E)executive privilege

Question 28

Who is in the president's cabinet?

A)top White House staff
B)top agency leaders and White House staff
C)heads of all the major executive departments
D)congressional leaders and the heads of national party organizations from the president's party
E)White House staff,top agency leaders,and leaders of the president's party

Question 29

The Constitution grants the power to declare war to:

A)the president
B)Congress
C)the secretary of defense
D)the director of homeland security
E)the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Question 30

Which of the following is a reason that the presidency was relatively weak during the legislative epoch (1800-1933)?

A)The individuals elected to presidential office were unskilled and not capable of attaining greatness.
B)There were few important national political or social forces to which presidents could have linked themselves.
C)The national government had very expansive powers.
D)Presidents were so busy managing the federal bureaucracy that they had no time to invest in legislative policy making or party politics.
E)Nationalized media outlets and rapid communication made it difficult for presidents to form a supportive coalition.

Question 31

The act of Congress declaring that the president can send troops into action abroad only by authorization of Congress or if U.S.troops are already under attack or seriously threatened is known as the:

A)War Powers Resolution
B)Operation Iraqi Freedom Act
C)War Power-Sharing Agreement
D)Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
E)USA PATRIOT Act

Question 32

Most major acts of Congress during the New Deal expanded presidential power because they:

A)created independent regulatory agencies to oversee implementation
B)specified exactly what the president was to do to improve the economy
C)authorized the president or new executive agencies to exercise control over the economy,but did not specify what the controls had to be
D)expanded the War Powers Act to include times of economic crisis as well as times of conflict
E)specifically prohibited most forms of congressional oversight

Question 33

If a president claims the power to take an action not enumerated in the Constitution,like suspending the writ of habeas corpus,he probably does so by claiming that his action is justified by the president's ________ powers.

A)latent
B)delegated
C)inherent
D)concealed
E)expressed

Question 34

Which of the following is NOT a reason that a president might issue an executive order?

A)Executive orders allow the president to take unlimited action without congressional authorization.
B)Executive orders allow the president to take action without the necessity to persuade.
C)Executive orders allow the president to reorganize the structure of the executive branch.
D)Executive orders allow the president to set procedures for the operation of the executive branch.
E)Executive orders allow the president to establish the chain of command.

Question 35

Prior to the New Deal,and consistent with the intent of the Constitution's framers,what was the strongest branch of the government?

A)legislative
B)executive
C)judicial
D)bureaucratic
E)county governments

Question 36

The traditional but informal designation for the heads of all the major departments of the federal government in the United States is the:

A)cabinet
B)executive office
C)White House staff
D)executive service
E)National Security Council

Question 37

Which of the following tasks does the text indicate as an important purpose of the White House staff?

A)prepares to repel impeachment attempts and helps supervise the executive branch
B)enhances communication with constituents and prepares for reelection efforts
C)helps with wartime decision making and obstructs access to the president
D)provides training experiences for future congressional candidates and brainstorms for ways to "spin" news events to make them favorable to the president
E)provides information and acts as a management tool

Question 38

The case in which the Supreme Court affirmed a federal role in the regulation of the national economy was:

A)National Labor Relations Board v.Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation
B)United States v.Nixon
C)Marbury v.Madison
D)McCulloch v.Maryland
E)the Slaughter-House Cases

Question 39

The clear intent of the framers of the Constitution was for:

A)judicial dominance
B)military dominance
C)executive supremacy
D)legislative supremacy
E)bureaucratic autonomy

Question 40

Since it was established by law in 1947,some presidents have relied on an "inner cabinet" composed of the president;vice president;secretaries of state,defense,and treasury;and attorney general.What is this "inner cabinet" known as?

A)the kitchen cabinet
B)the Executive Office of the President
C)the Office of Management and Budget
D)the National Security Council
E)the Office of Legislative Affairs

Question 41

When President George W.Bush's approval ratings dropped from over 70 percent down to the high 30s,it:

A)illustrated the fact that initiating conflict always lowers approval ratings
B)conformed to the expectation that approval surges after a change in party control of the presidency
C)followed the nearly inevitable pattern of declines in popular approval during a president's term in office
D)highlighted the failure of the "surge" strategy in Iraq
E)ran against the normal rise in presidential popularity over the course of a president's term

Question 42

Which of the following is NOT an example of an administrative strategy for presidential influence:

A)signing statements
B)regulatory review
C)executive orders
D)appointments
E)going public

Question 43

When Mitt Romney chose Paul Ryan as his running mate in the 2012 election,he made a decision consistent with the traditional rule that says that vice-presidential candidates:

A)are chosen for electoral reasons,such as winning a battleground state and/or providing ideological balance on the ticket
B)are chosen on the basis of their policy expertise,especially foreign policy expertise
C)are chosen because of their skills as campaigners
D)are chosen on the basis of their stance on abortion rights
E)make it easy to balance gender on a presidential ticket

Question 44

What is the main value of the vice presidency as a political resource for the president?

A)personal
B)electoral
C)legislative
D)administrative
E)ambassadorial

Question 45

Which of the following is true regarding the president's ability to use his party as a source of power?

A)Presidents almost always have a large majority in Congress,so partisan support is typically enough to ensure legislative success.
B)The president typically has strong control over his own party;party members have little autonomy.
C)The president often poses as being above partisanship to win "bipartisan" support in Congress.
D)Presidents rarely need to seek votes from the opposition party.
E)The president's party is always homogeneous and united behind the president's agenda.

Question 46

Which of the following is NOT a reason that the president's party is not a fully reliable presidential tool?

A)The president's party may be in the minority in Congress and thus be unable to accomplish much.
B)The more unified the president's party,the more unified the opposition party is likely to be,making for a tough fight in Congress.
C)Presidents must often appeal to the opposition party to offset defectors within the ranks of their own party.
D)Members of Congress typically prefer bipartisan legislation that enhances the public's opinion of Congress as an institution.
E)Even if the president's party holds a majority in the Senate,the filibuster makes it possible for the minority party to block the president's agenda.

Question 47

Which of the following is NOT a reason why presidents are less frequently using the tool of going public?

A)Public opinion is notoriously fickle,and declines in popular approval are inevitable.
B)Presidents are increasingly relying on institutionalized public and media relations efforts to craft a favorable public image to promote specific policies.
C)Congress has increasingly delegated its powers to the executive branch,which has reduced the need for presidents to rely on public opinion to advance their policy goals.
D)Technological change has fragmented the public,leading to declining viewership and readership of mainstream media outlets.
E)Shrinking and fragmented audiences have raised the costs of going public,casting doubt on the effectiveness of presidential efforts to mobilize public opinion

Question 48

What is the largest and most important agency in the Executive Office of the President?

A)National Security Council
B)Council of Economic Advisors
C)Office of Management and Budget
D)Government Accountability Office
E)Office of Legislative Affairs

Question 49

Which choice best describes the practice of "going public"?

A)introducing new legislative ideas to the president's cabinet
B)revealing a newly proposed policy to the legislature
C)appealing to the citizenry to support a policy
D)revealing truths about a candidate's sexual orientation
E)leaking information about a potential policy to gauge public support

Question 50

When George W.Bush relied too heavily on his staff for information about weapons of mass destruction (WMDs)in Iraq,which led him to erroneous conclusions,his reliance exemplified the trade-off between:

A)reliance on the in-house expertise of White House staff and the need to access independent outside opinion
B)believing intelligence reports and discounting them
C)protecting national security and protecting human rights
D)the pressures of public opinion and the president's personal opinion
E)taking issue positions versus keeping options open

Question 51

When Barack Obama chose Joe Biden as his vice-presidential running mate to offset his meager background in foreign policy,he exemplified using the vice-presidential pick as a(n):

A)personal friend
B)electoral asset
C)legislative workhorse
D)administrative taskmaster
E)attack dog

Question 52

Which of the following factors does NOT limit the effectiveness of public appeals?

A)Popular support can be fickle and fade quickly.
B)Programs advocated by the president almost inevitably fall short of popular expectations,leading to a decline in public support.
C)When presidents have high public support,they tend to be unwilling to spend their "political capital" on potentially controversial programs.
D)Declines in popular approval during a president's term are nearly inevitable.
E)Presidents do not always keep campaign promises,resulting in lower public support.

Question 53

The process through which presidents have sought to control rule making by the agencies of the executive branch is known as:

A)an executive order
B)regulatory review
C)an OMB directive
D)presidential purview
E)the referendum process

Question 54

Which of the following is NOT one of the constitutionally specified purposes of the vice presidency?

A)succeed the president in case of death
B)succeed the president in case of resignation
C)preside over the Senate
D)cast tie-breaking votes in the Senate
E)be present when the president makes significant decisions

Question 55

The voice of Franklin D.Roosevelt came into almost every living room in the country to discuss programs and policies and generally to assure Americans that the president was aware of their difficulties and working diligently toward solutions in his famous:

A)fireside chats
B)kitchen table talks
C)backyard conversations
D)over-the-fence confabs
E)hope meets

Question 56

When Bill Clinton ordered the Food and Drug Administration to craft rules to restrict the marketing of tobacco products to children,he used the power of:

A)regulatory review
B)executive privilege
C)presidential purview
D)commander in chief
E)bully pulpit

Question 57

Presidents are typically weaker under divided government.Which of the following options is NOT a way in which presidents attempt to overcome this weakness?

A)appealing to public opinion to put pressure on Congress
B)asserting control over rule making through the power of regulatory review
C)adopting policies through the promulgation of executive orders
D)challenging legislation passed by Congress through the use of signing statements
E)adopting a strategy to increase party loyalty and discipline among members of the president's party

Question 58

The set of permanent agencies (such as the Office of Management and Budget)that perform defined management tasks for the president and comprise a major part of what is called the "institutional presidency" is called the:

A)cabinet
B)kitchen cabinet
C)White House staff
D)Executive Office of the President
E)National Security Council

Question 59

President Franklin Roosevelt's speaking trips around the nation and radio broadcasts designed to promote his programs are an example of the presidential tactic often referred to as:

A)getting dirty
B)going negative
C)going public
D)going native
E)going vocal

Question 60

The Office of Management and Budget does which of the following?

A)It serves as a potential instrument of presidential control over federal spending.
B)It coordinates executive-judicial relations.
C)It manages executive-legislative relations.
D)It coordinates with governors who share the president's party to ensure fiscally healthy state governments.
E)It enforces the constitutional mandate for a balanced federal budget.

Question 61

The president may deploy troops in a state or city without a specific request from the state legislature or governor if the president considers it necessary to enforce a federal judicial order.

Question 62

In general,presidents have used the veto to equalize or perhaps upset the balance of power with Congress.

Question 63

Most of the framers were anxious to provide for an "energetic" executive.

Question 64

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the highest military authority in the United States.

Question 65

Presidents routinely use the line-item veto to strike specific spending items from appropriations bills passed by Congress.

Question 66

The president plays little role in the legislative process.

Question 67

The Constitution provides that a state legislature (or governor when the legislature is not in session)must request federal troops before the president can send them into the state to provide public order.

Question 68

If a president does not sign a bill within five days,it automatically becomes law.

Question 69

When George W.Bush claimed the prerogative to not enforce those portions of a bill that he deemed unconstitutional,he did so using a technique for extending executive power known as the:

A)line-item veto
B)signing statement
C)strike-out declaration
D)declaratory exclusion
E)unitary executive authority

Question 70

In 1998,the Supreme Court upheld the president's authority to exercise the line-item veto.

Question 71

The president's military powers extend into the domestic sphere.

Question 72

The U.S.Constitution gives the president several explicit powers independent of Congress.

Question 73

The president may deploy troops in a state or city without a specific request from the state legislature or governor if the president considers it necessary to protect federally guaranteed civil rights.

Question 74

American citizens vote directly for the president.

Question 75

The president may deploy troops in a state or city without a specific request from the state legislature or governor if the president considers it necessary to maintain an essential national service during an emergency.

Question 76

The veto power makes the president the most important single legislative leader.

Question 77

A president uses the veto as a means to bargain with Congress.

Question 78

The indirect method of electing the president has significantly dampened the power of most modern presidents.

Question 79

The power to confirm the appointment of all principal executive officers makes the Speaker of the House the true chief executive officer (CEO)of the United States.

Question 80

What is an announcement made by the president at the time of signing a congressional enactment into law called?

A)a signing statement
B)a memorandum of understanding
C)a memorandum of executive interpretation
D)an authorization directive
E)an implementation endorsement