Deck 11: The President: White House Politics

Question 1

Which phrase best describes the White House press corps?

A)an elite group of reporters assigned to cover the president
B)foreign reporters assigned to cover news about the White House
C)television journalists who cover the activities of the executive branch
D)reporters from the Washington Post who cover the White House

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Historically,vice-presidential candidates are chosen to __________.

A)help set the president's agenda
B)mentor the president
C)politically balance the ticket
D)succeed the president in the next election

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of the rally-round-the-flag effect?

A)George H.W.Bush was reelected after winning the first Gulf War.
B)Jimmy Carter gained respect during his handling of the Iranian hostage crisis.
C)During the Watergate investigation,Richard Nixon's approval ratings soared.
D)George W.Bush's popularity was boosted following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

United States v.Curtiss-Wright (1936),United States v.Pink (1942),and United States v.Belmont (1937)support the use of __________.

A)executive agreements
B)executive orders
C)pardons
D)appointments

Question 5

What is executive privilege?

A)the ability to refuse to spend money appropriated by Congress
B)the ability to veto programmatic requests in a bill
C)the power to declare war or initiate a police action
D)the right to keep communications confidential to the presidency

Question 6

Congress can remove a president through __________.

A)veto
B)executive privilege
C)executive order
D)impeachment

Question 7

Who has the role of breaking a tie in the Senate?

A)president
B)Senate majority leader
C)Speaker of the House
D)vice president

Question 8

Which one of the powers listed below is a constitutional power that the president shares with the Senate?

A)making treaties
B)commissioning officers
C)granting pardons
D)receiving foreign ambassadors

Question 9

In which institutional resource are leaders both appointed by the president and approved by the Senate?

A)Executive Office of the President
B)White House staff
C)the Cabinet
D)Council of Economic Advisors

Question 10

What has to happen in Congress before the president can be impeached?

A)The House can impeach the president by a simple majority; the Senate does not have a vote.
B)The Senate can impeach the president by a simple majority; the House does not have a vote.
C)The House can impeach the president by a simple majority; the Senate needs a two-thirds majority.
D)The Senate can impeach the president with a two-thirds majority; the House does not have a vote.

Question 11

Richard Nixon recognized the communist government of the People's Republic of China in 1972.This is an example of the use of what presidential power?

A)executive agreement
B)diplomatic recognition
C)executive privilege
D)covert action

Question 12

Throughout most of its history,which was considered an insignificant office?

A)attorney general
B)chief of staff
C)secretary of state
D)vice president

Question 13

Which presidential power is balanced by required approval of the Senate with a two-thirds vote?

A)extending diplomatic recognition to foreign governments
B)terminating relations with other nations
C)negotiating treaties with other nations
D)negotiating executive agreements with foreign heads of state

Question 14

The use of __________ in foreign matters is an example of the president acting as a global leader.

A)pocket vetoes
B)executive privilege
C)executive agreements
D)executive orders

Question 15

Which president is associated with the founding of the nation?

A)Benjamin Franklin
B)George Washington
C)John Quincy Adams
D)Patrick Henry

Question 16

Which presidential oversight includes the State of the Union address?

A)The president can issue executive orders and party agenda.
B)The president is commander in chief of the armed forces.
C)The president is in charge of federal departments and agencies.
D)The president must inform and convene Congress.

Question 17

Which institutional resource is closest to the president?

A)Executive Office of the President
B)White House staff
C)the Cabinet
D)the vice president

Question 18

What does the Twenty-Second Amendment do?

A)requires that presidents are natural born citizens
B)requires that presidents serve only two terms
C)requires the president to be a resident of the United States for two years
D)requires the president to be at least thirty-five years old

Question 19

Which of these became an official presidential qualification in 1951?

A)natural born citizen
B)at least 35 years old
C)resident of the United States for two years
D)a maximum of two terms

Question 20

What do presidential box scores show?

A)the number of votes needed to override a veto
B)the number of bills vetoed during a presidency
C)the percentage of the popular votes received during an election
D)the percentages of presidential victories on congressional votes on which the president took a clear-cut position

Question 21

How might presidents use their powers of persuasion in the legislative process?

A)in leading public opinion to support their policy agendas
B)through the impoundment of funds to prevent the implementation of specific laws
C)in leading public opinion to support signing statements on key pieces of legislation
D)in selecting majority and minority leaders in Congress

Question 22

What role was Thomas Jefferson performing as president when he made the Louisiana Purchase?

A)chief executive
B)chief of staff
C)chief diplomat
D)chief legislator

Question 23

After an election,the president can influence Congress through evidence of popular support,otherwise known as __________.

A)a popular mandate
B)public approval
C)rally points
D)box scores

Question 24

Barack Obama's shares his legislative proposals in speeches and town meetings across the country in attempts to rally grassroots.This shows that he relies on what type of lobbying?

A)executive orders
B)an outside strategy
C)twisting arms
D)cutting deals

Question 25

Why is being the leader of their party rarely a source of presidential strength?

A)Leadership of parties is concentrated in the hands of national party committees.
B)Parties often have difficulty commanding the loyalty of members.
C)Presidents are required to remain neutral with respect to intraparty disputes.
D)Presidents have no role in shaping the leadership and staff of national party committees.

Question 26

Which examines the cost implications of a proposed bill?

A)secretary of the treasury
B)Office of Management and Budget
C)secretary of commerce
D)chief of staff

Question 27

Refer to "The Game,the Rules,the Players" on page 436.Which of the following best describes the qualities that Joe Biden brought to the presidential ticket in 2008?

A)He had vast experience on the House Budget Committee.
B)His more conservative values balanced Obama's more liberal ones.
C)He had many years of experience in national politics and was knowledgeable on foreign affairs.
D)He brought geographical balance to the ticket,as he had served as a senator from California.

Question 28

What is the purpose of the Cabinet officers?

A)to advise the president on economic policy
B)to assess legislative proposals for budgetary issues
C)to lobby Congress in defense of the president's budget
D)to head giant administrative organizations

Question 29

Why does the perception of a mandate matter in presidential politics?

A)Since public approval has become much more important to modern presidents,most presidents rely on the mandate and the polls to measure their popularity and increase their approval ratings.
B)The presidential mandate claimed by modern presidents makes it easier for them to get their choices of Supreme Court justices approved than in the past.
C)Because Congress sees the president as holding a mandate of the people,the legislators do not block the president's agenda as vehemently as legislators in the past did.
D)Because modern presidents are more dependent on the people for election and more involved in policy making than early presidents,they are prone to claim the mandate of the people when governing.

Question 30

When presidents set agendas and attempt to get their preferred policies enacted through the legislative process,they are __________.

A)managing crises
B)providing policy leadership
C)managing the economy
D)acting as global president

Question 31

Which group's major function is to promote the president's views rather than decide important policy questions?

A)the White House staff
B)the Executive Office of the President
C)the first lady
D)the Cabinet

Question 32

Refer to Figure 11.1.Based on history,you have the best chance of becoming president if you hold what office immediately prior to running?

A)congressional representative
B)state legislator
C)vice president
D)governor

Question 33

Which of the following includes the president's closest aides and advisers?

A)White House staff
B)the armed forces
C)the Cabinet
D)Executive Office of the President

Question 34

How did Lincoln defend his decision to order a blockade of southern ports without the approval of Congress?

A)He stated that he had received approval from the Supreme Court for the action.
B)He claimed that the Constitution was not clear about his powers and therefore he could take action and do what he thought best in any situation.
C)He used his power of veto to go around Congress on the issue.
D)He claimed that the inherent powers of his office allowed him to circumvent the Constitution in a time of war or national crisis.

Question 35

Which best describes the president's constitutional duty to Congress?

A)The president must give Congress an occasional update on the state of the union.
B)The president must have at least one Cabinet member of the opposing party.
C)The president must inform Congress of actions potentially leading to war.
D)The president must inform Congress of the reasoning behind a veto.

Question 36

In which capacity is a modern vice president particularly influential in American politics?

A)as an advisor in the policy-making process
B)as a leader of the Cabinet
C)as a lead negotiator for executive agreements
D)as a fund-raiser for the president during reelection

Question 37

What role does a president play when celebrating a national holiday?

A)chief of state/head of state
B)chief of staff
C)chief diplomat
D)chief legislator

Question 38

What is the role of the National Security Council?

A)to advise the president on national security
B)to keep the president and first family secure
C)to manage and advise the president on the armed forces
D)to provide intelligence on national security to the president and Congress

Question 39

One of many ways the president can influence Congress is by __________.

A)public approval
B)executive privilege
C)impeachment
D)negotiating treaties

Question 40

Which presidential power gives the president the ability to shape policy but gives them only limited control over the executive branch of government?

A)appointment
B)veto
C)pardon
D)take care

Question 41

How does the White House staff differ from the president's Cabinet?

A)The White House staff has greater access to and more influence on the president than the Cabinet.
B)The Cabinet has more access to the president than the White House staff.
C)The president can fire the White House staff but only Congress can dismiss a member of the Cabinet.
D)The Cabinet is less democratic and less accountable than the White House staff.

Question 42

What describes Franklin D.Roosevelt's actions when he ordered the nation's banks to close temporarily during the Great Depression?

A)He was exercising his power of executive agreement.
B)He was acting independently and was going beyond the constitutional powers of the presidency.
C)He was working within the powers granted to him by the Constitution.
D)He was following the powers granted by Congress on crisis management.

Question 43

The __________ is an advisory group chosen by presidents.The group rarely functions as a decision-making body,but officers are powerful because they head giant administrative organizations.

A)White House staff
B)Cabinet
C)Executive Office of the President
D)office of the vice president

Question 44

Refer to Figure 11.2.Which conclusion can be drawn from this figure?

A)Jimmy Carter's approval rating rose steadily throughout his term in office.
B)Ronald Reagan's approval rating was not impacted by the Iran-Contra scandal.
C)George W.Bush's approval rating peaked near September 11,2001.
D)Barack Obama's approval rating has yet to dip under 50 percent.

Question 45

Why might we use the phrase "the symbolic president" to describe the modern president?

A)because the president has few direct powers in the policy-making process
B)because,for many Americans,the president is the American government
C)because,for many Americans,the president has become so ineffectual that any presidential action is seen merely as symbolic in nature
D)because the media discusses the president in symbolic terms and does not focus on a president's policy proposals

Question 46

Which of the following statements provides the best characterization of the members of the White House staff?

A)The White House staff is a loose collection of bureaucrats who are loyal to executive agencies.
B)The White House staff is composed of individuals personally and politically close to the president chosen specifically to serve the president's needs.
C)The White House staff is composed of policy specialists who have little personal loyalty to the president.
D)The White House staff is the link between executive agencies in the bureaucracy and Congress.

Question 47

Why was the War Powers Resolution (1973)adopted by Congress?

A)to expand the powers of the president in the conduct of war
B)to limit the powers of the military-industrial complex in influencing foreign policy
C)to reinvigorate the role of Congress in the conduct of war
D)to empower the president to act unilaterally when American troops are in harm's way

Question 48

In the role of __________,presidents have argued that they have inherent power to respond to emergencies and protect the safety of Americans and the security of the United States.

A)chief executive officer
B)president pro tem
C)commander in chief
D)chief of staff

Question 49

How did the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 change the budget?

A)The Bureau of the Budget was created to assist Congress in budget preparation for presentation to the president.
B)The Bureau of the Budget was created to assist the president in budget preparation and presentation to Congress.
C)Executive departments began to submit their budget requests to Congress before sharing them with the president.
D)The Cabinet was granted the formal power of approving the budget prior to the budget being sent to Congress.

Question 50

Why was the Twenty-Fifth Amendment to the Constitution adopted?

A)to clear up ambiguities over the constitutional provisions surrounding presidential powers to conduct war
B)to clear up ambiguities over the constitutional provisions surrounding the role of the vice president should the president die or become incapacitated
C)to clear up ambiguities over the constitutional provisions surrounding the president's powers to negotiate treaties
D)to clear up ambiguities over the constitutional provisions surrounding the separate election of the vice president

Question 51

How might rallying events ("rally 'round the president")affect presidential politics?

A)Rallying events lead to drops in presidential approval ratings,making passage of their agendas more difficult.
B)Rallying events have no effect on presidential politics.
C)Rallying events make presidents more politically cautious.
D)Rallying events tend to temporarily increase presidential approval ratings,providing windows of opportunity to press for action on their agendas.

Question 52

Which might be considered a violation of the War Powers Resolution?

A)The president uses armed forces to prevent an armed attack against U.S.forces in Honduras.
B)The president uses armed forces in reaction to a threat of an attack on U.S.forces in Turkey.
C)The president uses armed forces without congressional authorization for 80 days in reaction to a threat of an attack on U.S.forces in Kuwait.
D)The president uses armed forces to protect U.S.citizens in Portugal and to plan an evacuation.

Question 53

Which is true about modern presidents and institutional power?

A)Presidents are delegating too many constitutional powers to Congress,thus weakening their own institutional powers.
B)Presidents get the "last-mover" advantage,which increases their institutional power.
C)Presidents are increasingly institutionally powerful because they have more legal ability to act unilaterally.
D)Presidents' recent uses of executive orders and agreements have been ruled unconstitutional,decreasing the institutional power of presidents.

Question 54

When might citizens be particularly concerned about an expansion of presidential power?

A)when they support the president's agenda
B)in times of economic crisis
C)during presidential election years
D)when they oppose the president's agenda

Question 55

Refer to the "What Do You Think?" box on page 414.Which is an example of a highly subjective key?

A)The incumbent hasn't experienced a major scandal.
B)The incumbent party's candidate has charisma.
C)The incumbent administration did not have any major failure in foreign affairs.
D)There is not a significant third-party challenge.

Question 56

Refer to Table 11.3.Which is true?

A)Truman had the fewest vetoes overridden.
B)F.Roosevelt exercised his veto power more than any other president.
C)G.W.Bush and Obama vetoed more bills than the rest of the presidents added together.
D)Obama,Kennedy,and L.Johnson had the lowest percentage of vetoes sustained.

Question 57

Which of the following leadership abilities is critical to presidential success?

A)the ability to enter into executive agreements
B)the ability to write legislation
C)the ability to persuade members of Congress and the American public
D)the ability to negotiate treaties

Question 58

How has the office of vice president changed over the years?

A)The vice president is no longer trusted as he once was.
B)The vice president,who once was very involved,is now frozen out of the policy-making process.
C)The vice president has been more involved in the policy-making process in recent years than in the past.
D)The vice president used to be involved in important tasks,but now spends most of his time acting as a figurehead.

Question 59

Refer to Figure 11.5.President Obama likely benefited from the __________,which attributed to his high box score at the beginning of his first term.

A)improved economy
B)honeymoon period
C)rally effect
D)threat of veto

Question 60

Which word best describes the language used by the Framers to describe the office of the president?

A)exact
B)static
C)deferential
D)vague

Question 61

A command by the president that has the force of law and which does not need Congress's approval and does not involve foreign policy.

A)executive agreement
B)diplomatic agreement
C)treaty
D)executive order

Question 62

Historically,presidents begin their terms of office with higher approval ratings and tend to lose popularity over time.

Question 63

The __________ is an advisory group,selected by the president and approved by Congress,whose major function is to help the president execute the laws and assist him in making decisions.

A)White House staff
B)Cabinet
C)State Department
D)National Security Council

Question 64

When President Obama succeeded in getting Congress to pass the Affordable Care Act he fulfilled the presidential role of __________.

A)commander in chief
B)chief executive
C)global leader
D)chief legislator

Question 65

The __________ was created in 1947 to advise the President on foreign policy,defense,and national security issues.

A)Defense Department
B)Cabinet
C)State Department
D)National Security Council

Question 66

The __________ was enacted to address the potential succession controversy if the office of the vice president is vacant at the moment when a president is unable to perform the duties of the presidency.

A)Twenty-Second Amendment
B)Twenty-Third Amendment
C)Twenty-Fourth Amendment
D)Twenty-Fifth Amendment

Question 67

A presidential veto may be overridden by a _______ vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

A)command
B)two-thirds majority
C)hundred percent
D)simple majority

Question 68

When a bill is sent to Congress,the president is not allowed to encourage specific members of Congress to vote for the bill.

Question 69

The principal responsibility of the vice president is to __________.

A)initiate programs and policies and shepherd them through Congress
B)be prepared to assume the responsibilities of the president
C)oversee the federal budget
D)establish executive departments and agencies

Question 70

The president is authorized to convene one or both houses of Congress on __________.

A)executive agreement
B)extraordinary occasions
C)the Speaker's agreement
D)executive order

Question 71

The president's role as __________ includes the power to veto bills,recommend legislation,and deliver a State of the Union address.

A)chief executive
B)commander in chief
C)chief legislator
D)chief of state

Question 72

Constitutionally,what is the only role given to the vice president?

A)preside over the House of Representatives
B)preside over the Senate
C)implement executive orders
D)formulate foreign policy

Question 73

The Senate must approve the president's appointments to leadership positions in the fifteen Cabinet departments.

Question 74

A(n)__________ is an executive grant releasing the individual from punishment or legal consequences of a crime before or after conviction,and restores all rights and privileges of citizenship.

A)pardon
B)override
C)rescission
D)executive order

Question 75

The president may grant pardons to anyone convicted of a federal crime for any reason.

Question 76

The chief of staff,national security adviser,and press secretary are all members of the __________.

A)Executive Office of the President
B)White House staff
C)the Cabinet
D)Joint Chiefs of Staff

Question 77

A(n)__________ is a deal between the president and a foreign government that does not require Senate ratification.

A)executive agreement
B)diplomatic agreement
C)treaty
D)covert action

Question 78

A(n)__________ is a binding and public agreement between the United States and one or more nations,requiring mutual action toward a common goal.

A)executive agreement
B)diplomatic agreement
C)treaty
D)covert action

Question 79

As commander in chief the president __________.

A)has executive power over the military
B)can declare war
C)has administrative authority over the military
D)can introduce American troops into hostile foreign lands without congressional approval

Question 80

Gridlock is the political inability of the government to act decisively on the nation's problems.