Deck 10: The Presidency

Question 1

Which president's attempt to participate in the League of Nations illustrated the limits of presidential power?

A) Woodrow Wilson
B) Dwight Eisenhower
C) George Washington
D) Franklin Roosevelt
E) Harry Truman

Answer 1

A

Question 2

When presidents choose their closest advisors,the most important factor is policy expertise because presidents have only limited knowledge in most policy areas.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

A president's ability to succeed in office despite clear limits on presidential power depends most strongly on:

A) the president's willingness to reach out to political opponents and forge bipartisan compromises on key policy issues
B) the amount of money the president can raise for reelection
C) whether the president is a first-term or second-term president
D) age: younger presidents are usually bolder and more aggressive than older presidents are
E) skill at using the power of the presidency

Answer 3

E

Question 4

Presidents have become more important in influencing politics and policy in the last sixty years.

Question 5

Which of the following was a principal part of Ronald Reagan's goals while president?

A) smaller government
B) the protection of American workers and jobs, with higher tariffs on foreign goods
C) ending the war with communist forces in Vietnam
D) tighter economic regulations
E) tougher immigration laws, including strong opposition to any amnesty proposals

Question 6

Presidents generally have more power in influencing foreign policy,though that does not ensure they will always be successful in doing so.

Question 7

Presidents have a significant advantage over the Senate in the treaty negotiation process because they have the right to act last.

Question 8

A president's level of support among the public is most strongly influenced by economic conditions and national security.

Question 9

Which American president was instrumental in creating local party organizations in the United States?

A) George Washington
B) Andrew Jackson
C) George H. W. Bush
D) James Madison
E) Thomas Jefferson

Question 10

The president's power to implement and execute laws provides few opportunities to influence policy.

Question 11

As the most powerful politician in the American political system,a president is usually able to achieve most of the president's political and policy-making goals.

Question 12

The first presidents,from Washington to Jefferson,helped guide political compromise on such important issues as:

A) the system for financing government actions
B) limiting slavery in the far western territories, such as California
C) restoring national economic growth in response to a depression
D) immigration policy
E) how to regulate corporations

Question 13

Which of the following was one of Lyndon Johnson's most notable accomplishments?

A) opening diplomatic relations with communist China
B) overseeing creation of a national highway system
C) ending the Vietnam War
D) ending the Korean War
E) the War on Poverty

Question 14

The Emancipation Proclamation:

A) suspended the rights against lengthy detainment, otherwise known as habeas corpus
B) made large economic trusts illegal
C) was a compromise on limiting slavery in California
D) freed the slaves in the South during the Civil War
E) freed all slaves throughout the United States as soon as the Civil War ended

Question 15

Presidents may serve only two terms in office,making them the only elected members of the government who have term limits.

Question 16

Which president oversaw the development of an interstate highway system?

A) Dwight Eisenhower
B) Woodrow Wilson
C) Theodore Roosevelt
D) Lyndon Johnson
E) Franklin Roosevelt

Question 17

Debates over executive privilege are typically resolved by examining the clear language outlining it in the Constitution.

Question 18

The term executive privilege refers to the president's right to keep internal White House discussions private.

Question 19

Executive orders are unilateral changes in policy that presidents issue without consulting Congress.

Question 20

The Monroe Doctrine stated that:

A) any foreign nations should notify the United States before attacking any country in the western hemisphere
B) the United States would respect the rights of its neighbors
C) when the United States expanded, one slave state would be admitted for every nonslave state
D) European nations should stop trying to colonize in the Americas
E) the United States would provide humanitarian aid to any nation in the western hemisphere that needed it

Question 21

Which one of a president's appointments does not need Senate approval?

A) secretary of state
B) secretary of Defense
C) chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
D) federal judge appointments
E) recess appointments

Question 22

The principal consequence of the War Powers Resolution has been to:

A) encourage the president to seek congressional approval for large military action
B) expand the president's powers as the commander in chief of the military
C) make declarations of war more frequent because the president is more likely to take the case to Congress
D) substantially reduce the president's war-making powers
E) give greater power to the joint chiefs of staff in directing military strategy and action

Question 23

Which of the following is part of the president's job as head of the executive branch?

A) deciding when to declare war
B) operating as commander in chief of the military
C) using the power to lay and collect taxes
D) using legislative powers to provide for the general welfare of the United States
E) regulating trade and commerce with foreign nations

Question 24

When a law is passed that requires a president to take action,it expands:

A) his constitutional authority
B) his role as head of government
C) his statutory authority
D) his role as head of state
E) the power and responsibilities of the executive branch

Question 25

Although presidents can negotiate treaties,they require approval of ________ in order for them to take effect.

A) two-thirds of the Senate
B) two-thirds of the House
C) a majority of the Senate
D) a majority of the House
E) a majority in both the House and Senate

Question 26

Presidents can avoid ratification of a treaty by simply announcing that the United States will comply.The disadvantage of this strategy is that it:

A) limits the president's ability to enforce the treaty
B) requires a congressional resolution to make the treaty politically viable
C) risks that the treaty will not being taken seriously by the rest of the world
D) risks the treaty being easily undone by future presidential administrations
E) angers key leaders in Congress who could retaliate by opposing or stalling action on other parts of the president's legislative agenda

Question 27

How many times has the United States declared war?

A) two times
B) three times
C) five times
D) seven times
E) fifteen times

Question 28

The president's statutory authority is based on:

A) the Constitution
B) laws that give the president responsibilities
C) the Supreme Court's interpretations of the Constitution
D) his political skill in negotiating with opponents
E) traditions and customs that date back to the days of George Washington

Question 29

Which of the following is part of the president's legislative powers?

A) coining money
B) maintaining a military
C) starting the legislative process by proposing bills
D) vetoing legislation with which the president disagrees
E) regulating interstate and foreign commerce

Question 30

As _________ ,the president has authority over the executive branch; as _________,the president acts as the symbolic and political representative of the nation.

A) head of government; head of state
B) head of state; head of government
C) chief executive officer; head of state
D) head of government; chief executive officer
E) chief executive officer; head of government

Question 31

Which of the following describes a situation in which a president negotiates a deal directly between the executive branch and a foreign government?

A) a first-mover advantage
B) fast-track authority
C) an executive agreement
D) an executive order
E) a special order

Question 32

Which of the following is a concern regarding the president's power to pardon people of federal crimes?

A) It provides the president with a loophole in the campaign finance system, trading money for favors.
B) It allows the president's staff to pursue the president's objectives without regard for the law.
C) It releases convicted criminals from jail.
D) It gives the president a significant power that Congress cannot control.
E) It could lead to runaway crime and a lawless society.

Question 33

As commander in chief of the military,the president has the undisputed ability to:

A) declare war
B) oversee day-to-day operations of the military
C) control the military as the president sees fit
D) determine which weapons systems will be funded or not funded
E) close any military bases that the president no longer believes are necessary

Question 34

Which of the following is a tool Congress can use to limit the president's war-making powers?

A) passing a simple resolution in the House or Senate
B) passing a concurrent resolution in the House and Senate
C) passing legislation that cuts military spending or restricts the military budget
D) ordering an immediate recall election
E) invoking the Twenty-Fifth Amendment of the Constitution

Question 35

A president's appointment power includes which of the following offices?

A) low-profile administrative positions
B) positions in the federal judiciary
C) open Senate seats
D) vice president
E) chair of the president's party's national party committee

Question 36

The power to veto legislation:

A) forces legislators to do what the president wants
B) encourages legislators to negotiate with the president
C) often creates tension between the president and congressional leaders in the president's party
D) is most helpful to weak presidents because it makes them look strong
E) is most likely to antagonize those in the minority party

Question 37

Under which of the following conditions has it been shown that vetoes are more likely?

A) when there is divided government
B) when the economy is failing
C) when the president is popular
D) when the president is running for reelection
E) when the president is considered a "lame duck"

Question 38

An executive order is:

A) a temporary appointment that does not require Senate approval
B) an agreement with a foreign nation that does not require congressional approval
C) a statement telling Congress what it must do on a particular bill
D) a presidential statement that changes government policy
E) a presidential order that forgives a crime or changes the penalty for that crime

Question 39

Which of the following is a limit on a president's ability to issue executive orders?

A) Congress can pass a law changing policy.
B) Congress must hold a special session and approve the order before it can take effect.
C) Executive orders apply only to foreign affairs, not foreign policy.
D) Executive orders are subject to review by the Supreme Court before taking effect.
E) There are no limits on a president's ability to issue executive orders.

Question 40

Which of the following is true of the War Powers Resolution?

A) Military forces must be withdrawn immediately without a declaration of war from Congress.
B) Absent a declaration of war from Congress, force must be used for defensive reasons only, rather than for offensive purposes.
C) The president is allowed to bypass the provisions of the War Powers Resolution in cases of a national emergency.
D) Congress will use expedited procedures for authorizing deployment of forces.
E) Congress has invoked it for every military conflict since 1973.

Question 41

The principal qualification for a president's appointees in the Executive Office of the President is:

A) loyalty to the president
B) a strong academic background
C) length of time knowing the president
D) previous work experience in an executive position
E) previous work experience in the area that the office handles

Question 42

What criteria influence who gets appointed to a position within the Executive Office of the President?

A) policy expertise or connections to the president's party
B) a graduate degree and previous work experience within the federal government
C) connections to either of the major political parties and experience working on a presidential campaign
D) familiarity with testifying before Congress and previous experience on Capitol Hill
E) an Ivy League degree and personal wealth (to help reward the president and the president's party later)

Question 43

Which of the following statements best characterizes the Supreme Court's view on executive privilege?

A) It covers conversations between the president and the president's staff only.
B) It extends only to discussions among policy advisers in the White House.
C) It exists but is not absolute.
D) It does not exist in most situations.
E) It exists in all situations and covers all conversations between the president and members of the executive branch and employees of the White House.

Question 44

Which of the following is on the president's list of minor constitutional powers?

A) the power to break a tie vote in the Senate
B) the power to adjourn Congress if its members cannot decide on an adjournment date
C) the power to try all impeachments
D) the power to punish members of Congress for disorderly behavior
E) the power to provide and maintain a navy

Question 45

Which of the following vice presidents best demonstrates the important role they can play on policy matters?

A) Harry Truman
B) Richard Nixon
C) Dick Cheney
D) John Garner
E) Thomas Jefferson

Question 46

Why are legislators more likely to support policies proposed by a president when the president's approval ratings are high?

A) They think that it shows the president is better at campaigning than them.
B) They believe it reflects public support for the president's policy goals.
C) They hope the president's popularity will rub off on them as well.
D) They are afraid the president will be more likely to veto legislation.
E) Most legislators find themselves overwhelmed by the charm of a popular president and consequently become incapable of opposing the president's policies.

Question 47

Which of the following organizations is a part of the Executive Office of the President?

A) Department of Justice
B) Office of Management and Budget
C) Department of Defense
D) the cabinet
E) Department of Homeland Security

Question 48

Which of the following describes a situation in which a president uses the media attention given to the president's office to build support for policy proposals?

A) media bias toward the president
B) presidential approval
C) the president acting as party leader
D) going public
E) the celebrity power of the president

Question 49

When can the vice president cast a vote in the Senate?

A) on cloture motions, which stop filibusters
B) only when there is a tie vote on a piece of legislation
C) whenever the vice president feels like it
D) when directed by the president to do so
E) in times of national crisis

Question 50

According to the Constitution,what is the vice president's job?

A) to vote on legislation in the Senate
B) to ensure the president's policy vision is being implemented
C) to preside over the Senate
D) to attend state functions
E) to defend the president and to criticize the political opponents of the president

Question 51

The claim of executive privilege is that presidents:

A) do not need to share all of their internal information with other branches of government
B) have the right to negotiate treaties with nations without sharing any information about the treaty with the Senate
C) can determine how to implement laws without congressional interference
D) have the right to control their own party's political apparatus instead of fellow partisans in the legislature
E) are above the law, given their importance, stature, and prestige

Question 52

Presidential approval refers to:

A) the percentage of the public that thinks a president is doing a good job
B) the amount of support the president receives from legislators
C) the president's decision to support specific legislative actions
D) the difference in the president's and Congress's support from voters
E) special occasions when the president has a public ceremony to sign a bill into law

Question 53

There are currently ________ cabinet-level executive departments in the federal government.

A) five
B) ten
C) fifteen
D) twenty
E) thirty-one

Question 54

Which of the following do Americans say is the most important trait presidents should possess?

A) willingness to compromise
B) military experience
C) display good judgment
D) political experience
E) civility

Question 55

According to the Constitution,how many times may a president be elected to office?

A) one time
B) two times
C) three times
D) an overall total of four, but with no more than two in succession
E) There is no limit.

Question 56

Loyalty plays an important role in presidential appointments to the Executive Office of the President because:

A) it is a reward for those people who helped the president get elected
B) it is the only way to keep political strategy secret
C) presidents rely heavily on staff to make decisions consistent with their own views
D) there are not enough qualified people to fill such high-level positions
E) those who are loyal can be trusted in matters of security

Question 57

A vice president who becomes president between elections can,if reelected,serve:

A) one more full term
B) two more full terms
C) three more full terms
D) two more full terms if the vice president takes over during the second half of the predecessor's term
E) There is no limit.

Question 58

When a president claims that the president's discussions,decisions,and documents can be shielded from other branches of government,the president is:

A) exercising a right of privacy
B) exercising executive order
C) claiming executive privilege
D) engaging in executive action
E) issuing a pardon

Question 59

What is the proper order of succession if a president dies in office or becomes incapacitated?

A) vice president, secretary of state, Speaker of the House
B) vice president, Speaker of the House, president pro tempore
C) vice president, Speaker of the House, secretary of state
D) vice president, secretary of state, president pro tempore
E) vice president, president pro tempore, Speaker of the House

Question 60

Which executive branch organization is most directly responsible for helping achieve the president's policy initiatives?

A) Executive Office of the President
B) National Security Council
C) Office of Management and Budget
D) the cabinet
E) Council of Economic Advisers

Question 61

Explain how the president controls the implementation of laws through the executive branch.What are the different organizations or people the president can appoint to help implement laws? What criteria does the president use for selecting them? Why?

Question 62

Under which of the following conditions would we expect presidential approval to increase?

A) when a president exercises the veto
B) when national conditions are calm
C) at the end of a president's administration
D) in times of national crisis
E) in the second year of the term when the public is getting comfortable and familiar with the new president

Question 63

Describe the official role that a president can have in the legislative process.Under what conditions can the president propose legislation? What options are available to the president when Congress passes legislation? Do you think that we should consider expanding the president's constitutional role in the legislative process to reflect more accurately the role the president does play? Explain your answer.

Question 64

What does it mean for a president to "go public"? What are the strengths and weaknesses of using this strategy when Congress does not initially want to go along with a president's policy ideas? In your opinion,does the president's ability to do this make the president too powerful? Explain your answer.

Question 65

Although the Constitution discusses the president less than it discusses Congress,most Americans see the president as our most important political official.Drawing on the discussion in the chapter,choose three different examples in which a president has had a significant impact on everyday Americans.Make sure that you clearly describe the situations you choose and explain how they illustrate the importance of the presidency in American politics.

Question 66

Write an essay that describes a president's constitutional and statutory authority.What do these terms mean? How do they influence the roles and responsibilities of presidents? What opportunities and constraints do they create for presidents to influence policy making?

Question 67

The text argues that many presidents engage in what they call unilateral action.What does this mean? If a president does engage in unilateral action,what are Congress's options for undoing it? Based on your answer to these questions,do you think that presidents have too much or too little power?

Question 68

The term unilateral action refers to:

A) a president changing policy without consulting Congress
B) a president issuing orders and directives
C) changing policy within the White House office
D) engaging in military action abroad without a declaration of war
E) a declaration of war by the president

Question 69

Debates about the limits of presidential power often revolve around:

A) vague Supreme Court decisions
B) old and outdated Supreme Court decisions
C) an individual president's level of approval
D) the strong grants of power to Congress through the Constitution
E) the failure of the Constitution to specify clear limits

Question 70

In general terms,how did George W.Bush's approval rating change over his two terms in office?

A) It increased.
B) It stayed the same.
C) It decreased.
D) It was mixed in his first term but was generally positive in his second term.
E) It was among the most positive ever for a president in his first term but was uneven in his second term, with extreme highs and lows.

Question 71

Although presidents have limited constitutional authority,many of them are capable of realizing major accomplishments.Explain this contradiction,and then draw on one of the many examples in the chapter to illustrate your point.

Question 72

What is presidential approval? Under what conditions do presidents see their approval ratings go up? Under what conditions does it go down? Why is this widely considered the best indicator of a president's ability to influence the policy process?

Question 73

When presidents offer interpretations of new laws before those laws are implemented,they typically do so:

A) in a pocket veto
B) in an executive order
C) in an executive agreement
D) in a signing statement
E) when appearing and speaking before a joint session of Congress

Question 74

What criteria do presidents use in choosing their close advisers? Define each criterion you identify and explain why it is important in staffing the Executive Office of the President.

Question 75

What do you think are the most important traits a president can possess? Compare and contrast your answer with what the typical American thinks about this question.Do you agree or disagree with members of the public? Explain your answer.

Question 76

While American politics tend to be fairly ________,Americans value traits in their presidents that are consistent with the need for ________.

A) conflictual; negotiation
B) conflictual; fair play
C) consensual; negotiation
D) consensual; deal making
E) confusing; long explanations about complicated issues

Question 77

How can Congress undo a president's unilateral action?

A) Congress can rule the action to be unconstitutional.
B) Congress can pass new legislation.
C) Congress can invoke the Twenty-Fifth Amendment.
D) Congress can order the military to arrest and temporarily jail the president for high crimes and misdemeanors.
E) Congress cannot do so; unilateral actions by the president are final.