Deck 10: The American Presidency: Individuals, Institutions, and Executive Power

Question 1

Which delegate to the Constitutional Convention gave more thought to creating a new type of republic than any of the other delegates?

A) George Washington
B) Benjamin Franklin
C) James Madison
D) Alexander Hamilton

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The advantage that the president has over Congress in foreign affairs is his or her ability to ______.

A) act quickly and decisively on the international stage
B) negotiate and sign treaties with foreign nations
C) appoint and station ambassadors all over the world
D) fund and conduct secret military operations without approval

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Once the founders settled on a single president, the most contentious issue facing the delegates was ______.

A) how the president would be selected
B) what qualifications the president should have
C) the length of a presidential term
D) whether there should be term limits

Answer 3

A

Question 4

What is the president's main advantage in shaping national foreign policy?

A) He or she can get all the information he or she needs from Congress.
B) The president is able to act quickly and decisively, unlike the House or Senate.
C) He or she can declare war as part of the power of commander in chief.
D) The president can generate emergency funding without Congress's consent.

Question 5

Which of the following best describes the president's role in the lawmaking process?

A) direct introduction of bills into the House of Representatives and/or Senate
B) working with party leaders in both chambers to shape the legislative agenda
C) working with the president's own party to introduce and pass a purely partisan agenda
D) joining and leading congressional committees and subcommittees to steer a bill to the floor

Question 6

As chief diplomat, the president has the power to ______.

A) declare war
B) fund foreign operations
C) ratify treaties
D) receive ambassadors

Question 7

Article II Section 3 gives the president the authority and responsibility to give an annual ______ to Congress.

A) accounting of national spending
B) State of the Union address
C) review of all bureaucratic agencies
D) summary of all executive actions and decisions

Question 8

Three types of presidential powers are ______ powers.

A) reserved, implied, and delegated
B) reserved, enumerated, and delegated
C) enumerated, delegated, and implied
D) expressed, granted, and implied

Question 9

Less populous states were in favor of which of the following methods of selecting the president?

A) direct election
B) state delegation
C) electors chosen by state legislatures
D) congressional appointment

Question 10

The framers of the Constitution feared ______.

A) any executive would be rejected by the states
B) the executive office would become a puppet for Congress
C) the office of the president might become too powerful
D) they had not given the presidential office enough power

Question 11

As chief diplomat, the president is responsible for ______ policy.

A) creating and executing social
B) developing economic
C) implementing domestic
D) guiding national foreign

Question 12

Which of the following is true regarding the president as chief executive?

A) He or she evaluates and passes the annual federal budget.
B) The president can override Congress opposition when passing laws and funding programs.
C) He or she appoints many positions including federal court judges.
D) Many of his or her powers as chief executive are described in the Constitution in great detail in order to limit presidential power.

Question 13

When the president chooses a person to fill a position that requires the advice and consent of the Senate in a period when the Senate is not in session, it is called a(n) ______ appointment.

A) intercessory
B) recess
C) pocketbook
D) executive

Question 14

What was one area the delegates to the Constitutional Convention demonstrated general agreement about the new national government?

A) The new national government should have one chief executive with powers similar to that of a king.
B) The new national government should remain weak to allow for states to have greater autonomy.
C) The new national government should have more power than it did under the Articles of Confederation.
D) The new national government should not involve itself in state matters.

Question 15

Roughly, ______ presidential appointments require Senate confirmation.

A) 17
B) 100
C) 750
D) 1,000

Question 16

What Article of the Constitution describes the presidency?

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

Question 17

The commander in chief of the U.S. armed forces is the ______.

A) chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
B) head of the National Security Agency
C) president
D) secretary of Defense

Question 18

In devising a system in which power had to be shared between the three branches, the framers gave the president a(n) ______ role in the legislative process.

A) positive and powerful
B) expanded and strong
C) unlimited and extreme
D) limited and mostly negative

Question 19

Congress over time granted powers to the president. These are referred to as ______ powers.

A) delegated
B) granted
C) enumerated
D) expressed

Question 20

Who is the real audience of the State of the Union address?

A) Congress
B) the federal bureaucracy
C) the military
D) the American people

Question 21

The president has just vetoed a new national security bill Congress spent months working on, what can be done to save the bill?

A) The bill is dead and must be re-written from scratch.
B) The bill must be sent back to the president's cabinet for further modifications.
C) Congress can attempt to override the veto by acquiring a two-thirds majority vote.
D) The vice president can convince the president to reconsider and sign the bill.

Question 22

What is the most important legislative power that the president is given by the Constitution?

A) filibuster
B) cloture
C) veto
D) override

Question 23

Vetoes are more likely during periods of ______.

A) divided government
B) unified government
C) national emergency
D) legislative expediency

Question 24

How many presidents have been convicted and removed by the Senate?

A) none of these
B) one
C) two
D) three

Question 25

The part of the Obama administration's decision to target Anwar al-Awlaki that made many political experts uncomfortable was its ______.

A) level of violence
B) degree of autonomy
C) constitutionality
D) degree of secrecy

Question 26

Which president broke the established precedent of a two-term limit established by George Washington?

A) Thomas Jefferson
B) Woodrow Wilson
C) Franklin D. Roosevelt
D) Richard Nixon

Question 27

Based on the contents of the Constitution, the general powers of the presidency include ______.

A) expressed, implied, and delegated powers
B) legislative, congressional, and judicial powers
C) policy-making, implementation, and enforcement powers
D) congressional, delegated, and enforcement powers

Question 28

Which president was close to impeachment but chose to resign instead?

A) Andrew Jackson
B) Richard Nixon
C) Gerald Ford
D) Andrew Johnson

Question 29

What was the Obama administration's justification for the al-Awlaki killing?

A) to protect from threats against national security
B) to ensure that national secrecy was maintained
C) as retribution for attacks against soldiers
D) as a necessary measure in the conduct of foreign war

Question 30

The president of the United States must be a minimum of ______ years old before attaining office.

A) 25
B) 35
C) 45
D) 55

Question 31

On May 22, 2013, Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., notified ______ of the decision by the Obama administration to target and kill Anwar al-Awlaki two years earlier and why such measures had been necessary.

A) the American people
B) the leadership of both parties
C) President Obama's cabinet
D) the leadership of Congress

Question 32

Which of the following is a requirement of the office of the presidency?

A) The president must be a minimum of 45 years old.
B) The president must have lived within the United States for his entire life.
C) The president must hold his inauguration in front of the Washington Monument.
D) The president must be a natural born American citizen.

Question 33

Except in cases of impeachment, the president has the power to release from all legal consequences and restore the benefits of citizenship to individuals arising from the commitment of federal crimes. This is known as the president's power of/to ______.

A) absolution
B) release
C) pardon
D) commitment

Question 34

What was Anwar al-Awlaki's primary weapon?

A) targeted bombing
B) the use of the internet
C) domestic terrorism
D) massive kidnapping

Question 35

George Washington preferred the title ______ over the simpler title of 'President of the United States'.

A) "Chief Executive of the United States"
B) "Defender of the Faith of the United States"
C) "General Washington of the United States"
D) "His High Mightiness, the President of the United States and Protector of their Liberties"

Question 36

The president's power to pardon most likely to be controversial when the subject has ______.

A) committed a serious crime
B) failed to show remorse
C) been sentenced to a long jail term
D) close personal ties to the president

Question 37

Based on the responsibility of being head of the executive branch, the president must ______.

A) create all new laws for the nation
B) interpret all laws of the nation
C) carry out the laws of the nation
D) create and carry out new laws for the nation

Question 38

What drove al-Awlaki to defend his faith with violence?

A) U.S. policy of war in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Yemen
B) treatment of Afghan refugees in Pakistan
C) the issue of Jewish persecution against Palestine
D) the detainment of American citizens in Guantanamo

Question 39

Under the Constitution, the limitations of presidential power were placed primarily in the hands of whom?

A) the people
B) Congress
C) his or her party
D) the judiciary

Question 40

The Executive Power of the president is instilled in the position by which section of the Constitution?

A) Article I, Section 8
B) Article II, Section 1
C) Article III, Section 2
D) Article IV, Section 3

Question 41

John Merryman was being held by Abraham Lincoln and the Union troops on what charges?

A) He blew up a large gun stash.
B) He led guerrilla attacks against Union troops.
C) He stole secrets from Union generals.
D) He led the burning of at least six railroad bridges.

Question 42

What position did Roger Brooke Taney hold in May 1861?

A) vice president of the United States
B) ambassador to the Confederate States
C) chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
D) chief of staff of the U.S. Army

Question 43

What is the name of the procedure through which a person can challenge what they see as an unlawful detention by issuing a written command?

A) judicial review
B) bill of attainder
C) writ of habeas corpus
D) writ of certiorari

Question 44

The detention of John Merryman was an important case in presidential power because of President Lincoln's assertion of the power to which of the following?

A) suspend habeas corpus
B) indiscriminately punish Southern traitors
C) write and enforce bills of attainder
D) command the Union army

Question 45

While Richard Nixon had one of the most troubled presidencies in U.S. history, he had successes in ______.

A) building international relations with China
B) improving domestic policy
C) increasing presidential executive accountability
D) revising the operations of the executive branch

Question 46

While George W. Bush wanted his legacy to be that of the education president, his legacy was greatly impacted by the events of and reaction to ______.

A) No Child Left Behind
B) legislative gridlock
C) the September 11 attacks
D) proposed healthcare legislation

Question 47

Based on political scientist Edward S. Corwin, the Constitution of Rights becomes the Constitution of Powers during ______.

A) wartime
B) a recession
C) a depression
D) a divided government

Question 48

A resolution of congressional authorization to conduct a War on Terror sought by President George W. Bush was a main response to the ______.

A) Oklahoma City bombing
B) ongoing battle during Operation Desert Storm
C) September 11th attack on the World Trade Center
D) overthrow of Saddam Hussein as Afghanistan's dictator

Question 49

Ronald Reagan's nickname was the Great ______.

A) Debater
B) Communicator
C) Statesman
D) Legislator

Question 50

One of the most enduring and controversial legacies of the Nixon presidency was the passage of the ______ over Nixon's veto.

A) International Relations Bill
B) War Powers Resolution
C) Foreign Relations Agenda
D) Congressional Authorization Law

Question 51

President Thomas Jefferson was able to ______.

A) exert executive control over Congress
B) double the size of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase
C) defeat the British in the War of 1812
D) veto bills without ever being overridden by Congress

Question 52

Who was the first president to govern as the leader of a political party?

A) George Washington
B) John Adams
C) Thomas Jefferson
D) James Madison

Question 53

President Lincoln's decision to suspend the writ of habeas corpus in order to confine John Merryman was ______.

A) based on Article 2 of the 8th Amendment
B) without any statutory authorization
C) based on actions taken by George Washington during the Revolutionary War
D) supported by the Supreme Court

Question 54

President Jefferson did not veto a single bill. Why?

A) He completely agreed with Congress's decisions since he highly respected Congress as an institution.
B) He was able to kill bills he disagreed with before they reached his desk by using his leadership of his political party.
C) He was a very popular president and thus did whatever he wanted to.
D) There was unified government, and he completely controlled his party like a king.

Question 55

There is a constant battle between the president and Congress. What is the main reason for that?

A) The president and Congress serve different constituencies.
B) The Constitution grants much more power to Congress than the president.
C) Congress is usually divided.
D) The Supreme Court does not check the powers of the other two branches.

Question 56

Washington's suppression of the ______ helped establish the supremacy of federal law and the power of the federal government to levy and collect taxes.

A) Boston Tea Party
B) War of 1812
C) Whiskey Rebellion
D) Revolutionary War

Question 57

Presidential powers saw a marked ______ during the post-Civil War era.

A) decrease
B) increase
C) static hold
D) fluctuation

Question 58

In the decision of Ex Parte Merryman (1861), Chief Justice Taney placed a limit on the president's ability to ______.

A) issue writs of habeas corpus
B) command the U.S. military
C) allow the use of bills of attainder
D) suspend habeas corpus

Question 59

Which of the following presidents was responsible for negotiating the purchase of the Louisiana Territory?

A) George Washington
B) Thomas Jefferson
C) John Adams
D) James Madison

Question 60

Which of the following presidents believed their election to office was part of a divine plan?

A) Thomas Jefferson
B) Abraham Lincoln
C) Woodrow Wilson
D) Ronald Reagan

Question 61

Although Lyndon Johnson was exceptionally skilled at cajoling Congress, most of his achievements were ultimately eclipsed by ______.

A) the assassination of John F. Kennedy
B) the onset of the Great Depression
C) the bombing of Pearl Harbor
D) his dramatic expansion of the conflict in Vietnam

Question 62

A criticism of James David Barber's research on presidential character is in his ______.

A) research methods
B) sample size
C) statistical analysis
D) interpretation of results

Question 63

Chief Justice Taney delivered his opinion in which he challenged President Lincoln's authority to suspend writs of habeas corpus in an article entitled ______.

A) Ex parte Merryman
B) Federalist Number 5
C) Constitutional Rights During Wartime
D) Constitutional Powers During Wartime

Question 64

______ is arguably the most powerful tool for the president in having his or her agenda prevail when it conflicts with that of Congress.

A) Favorable public opinion
B) The veto power
C) The Supreme Court's support
D) The power of appointment

Question 65

What formal role does the spouse of the president serve?

A) receiving foreign delegations
B) communicating with the American people
C) spearheading domestic policy issues
D) the first spouse serves no formal role

Question 66

Which power was secured for the president during World War I?

A) suspending habeas corpus
B) censoring the mail
C) joining the League of Nations
D) creating new cabinet positions

Question 67

Theodore Roosevelt described the presidency as ______.

A) his divine destiny
B) a bully pulpit
C) the loneliest job in the world
D) a big stick to shape legislation

Question 68

To many people, Woodrow Wilson came off as ______.

A) kind and understanding
B) approachable and thoughtful
C) intolerant and arrogant
D) racist and derogatory

Question 69

According to the text, the most powerful first lady was most probably ______.

A) Martha Washington
B) Edith Bolling Galt Wilson
C) Dolly Madison
D) Eleanor Roosevelt

Question 70

The heads of the 15 major executive branch departments make up the ______.

A) president's cabinet
B) National Security Council
C) Executive Office of the President
D) Office of Homeland Security

Question 71

Which of the following is a collection of agencies and offices that assist the president in an advisory and policy-making capacity?

A) Office of the National Security Advisor
B) General Accounting Office
C) Executive Office of the President
D) White House Chief of Staff

Question 72

What did Teddy Roosevelt use to demonstrate the nation's growing industrial might?

A) Navy
B) Army
C) Air Force
D) Marines

Question 73

Which president was known for his 'fireside chats' that were meant to rally support for World War II?

A) Woodrow Wilson
B) Theodore Roosevelt
C) Franklin D. Roosevelt
D) Lyndon Johnson

Question 74

Thomas Jefferson belonged to which political party?

A) Whigs
B) Democrats
C) Democratic-Republicans
D) Federalists

Question 75

Justice Taney determined President Lincoln had no right to keep John Merryman confined because ______.

A) the president did not have the authority to suspend habeas corpus
B) John Merryman had been proven innocent in a court of law
C) the president is not responsible for carrying out the laws of the nation
D) Congress had already agreed to Merryman's release

Question 76

How did the presidency become more dependent on the public during Andrew Jackson's era?

A) Jackson pushed for an amendment regarding term limits and was successful.
B) The rules for how the Electoral College were modified in favor of more populous states.
C) The Electoral College was briefly suspended, and the president was elected by popular vote.
D) The electoral changes made that won him the presidency also made him more dependent on their favorable opinions of him for re-election.

Question 77

How many major executive departments compose the president's cabinet?

A) 10
B) 12
C) 15
D) 18

Question 78

Which of the following best describes the relationship between modern presidents and their parties?

A) Modern presidents serve as unofficial but real leaders of their own political parties.
B) Presidents must contend with their party only during periods of divided leadership.
C) The president will have an easy time of achieving policy objectives if his/her political party controls the Senate.
D) Today, the president is rarely concerned with the agenda of his/her party.

Question 79

Which of the following can act to slow, or completely halt, presidential initiatives?

A) Senate
B) House
C) Federal Bureaucracy
D) White House Chief of Staff

Question 80

The White House staff members are often considered to be the ______.

A) most loyal to the president
B) most biased workers on Capitol Hill
C) most neutral members of the legislature
D) least loyal to the president