Question 1

What would a political scientist most likely say makes some presidents strong while others are weak?&#10;A)individual talent at a positive moment in regime evolution&#10;B)personal genius and political savvy&#10;C)skillful use of the media&#10;D)the political times in which they live

Accepted Answer

A political scientist would likely argue that a president's strength is often due to individual talent aligning with a positive moment in regime evolution, as this considers both personal abilities and the broader political context.

Question 2

From the political history of health care reform, the author distills six points of advice. In which area did President Obama most clearly succeed while President Clinton did not?&#10;A)Move Fast, Act Early&#10;B)Master the Legislative Process&#10;C)The Power of Ideas&#10;D)Lessons of History

Accepted Answer

President Obama succeeded in moving quickly and acting early on health care reform, a strategy that contrasted with President Clinton's approach, which took more time and ultimately did not succeed in passing comprehensive health care reform.

Question 3

According to the text, which statement best describes the presidents elected between 1976 and 2008?&#10;A)All but one came to power with no prior significant national government experience.&#10;B)All came to power with prior significant national government experience.&#10;C)All but one came to power with prior significant national government experience.&#10;D)All came to power with no prior significant national government experience.

Accepted Answer

Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan had no prior significant national government experience before becoming president.

Question 4

Which statement best describes the American presidency?&#10;A)Americans want both a powerful president and a powerful republic.&#10;B)Extensive presidential powers are set forth in Article II of the Constitution.&#10;C)Most Americans prefer an all powerful president.&#10;D)Americans want a strong president domestically and a reserved president internationally.

Accepted Answer

Americans generally desire a balance where the president has significant authority to lead and make decisions, reflecting a powerful presidency, while also valuing a strong republic characterized by checks and balances and the rule of law. This reflects the dual expectation of presidential leadership within a constitutional framework that limits power to prevent tyranny.

Question 5

What was President Ronald Reagan's role with respect to Medicare?&#10;A)introduced prospective payment&#10;B)added prescription drug coverage&#10;C)repealed catastrophic coverage&#10;D)pushed for complete repeal

Accepted Answer

President Ronald Reagan's primary role with respect to Medicare was introducing prospective payment, which established a fixed rate of payment for each diagnosis or procedure in order to control the cost of medical services. He did not add prescription drug coverage or push for complete repeal, although he did support the repeal of catastrophic coverage.

Question 6

Which statement best describes President Harry Truman?&#10;A)He was an ardent supporter of national health insurance though it was not enacted during his term.&#10;B)He is responsible for passage of the first version of national health insurance.&#10;C)He had little interest in health care reform.&#10;D)He viewed national health insurance as akin to communism.

Accepted Answer

President Harry Truman was indeed a strong advocate for national health insurance, making it a significant part of his Fair Deal proposals. However, despite his efforts, it was not enacted during his presidency, largely due to opposition from Congress, the American Medical Association, and other groups.

Question 7

The text states that presidents cannot accomplish anything unless they master management of ____.&#10;A)Congress and the public&#10;B)the Executive Branch and Congress&#10;C)the Executive Branch and the Supreme Court&#10;D)Congress and the media

Accepted Answer

The answer of The text states that presidents cannot accomplish...

Question 8

When Republican Scott Brown won an upset victory to complete the term of Senator Ted Kennedy, how did the Democrats respond in the health care reform process?&#10;A)The House passed the Senate version of the bill to bypass the conference committee.&#10;B)They provided data countering the Tea Party activists' claims of government-run death panels.&#10;C)They took the Republicans to court which led to a 5-4 Supreme Court decision.&#10;D)The Democratic Senators threatened to filibuster a vote on a compromise version of the bill.

Accepted Answer

After Scott Brown's victory, the Democrats in the House passed the Senate version of the health care reform bill, bypassing the conference committee. This was seen as a way to quickly get the bill to President Obama's desk for signature before they lost their filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.

Question 9

Which statement best describes President Lyndon B. Johnson's greatest strength?&#10;A)He came up through the Senate ranks and understood Congress better than any modern president.&#10;B)He had an impeccable grasp of abstract ideas, formal policy studies, and budget analyses.&#10;C)He made direct appeals to the public through his charismatic television presence.&#10;D)He ran the executive branch as a tight ship.

Accepted Answer

Lyndon B. Johnson's greatest strength was his understanding of Congress, as he had previously served in the Senate and was skilled in working with lawmakers to pass legislation.

Question 10

President Richard Nixon proposed, though without ultimate success, ____.&#10;A)a government program that fills gaps in the private insurance system&#10;B)national health insurance&#10;C)the state children's health insurance program&#10;D)a tax break to encourage private employers to provide workers health insurance

Accepted Answer

The answer of President Richard Nixon proposed, though without ultimate...

Question 11

The President wants to propose a new policy on incarceration. Within the executive branch, which entity has the most power over his proposal?&#10;A)the Office of Management and Budget&#10;B)the Council of Economic Advisors&#10;C)the President's White House staff&#10;D)the Federal Bureau of Prisons

Accepted Answer

The answer of The President wants to propose a new...

Question 12

Recently released information indicates that President Johnson's role in the passage of Medicare in 1965 was greater than previously known. What was the source of this information?&#10;A)White House telephone transcripts&#10;B)President Johnson's autobiography&#10;C)Congressman Wilbur Mills's biography&#10;D)the White House Chief Usher's memoirs

Accepted Answer

The answer of Recently released information indicates that President Johnson's...

Question 13

President Barack Obama's health care reform legislation was nearly derailed by Tea Party activists' claims of government-run death panels. What does the author describe as the source and power of this claim?

A)Americans' fear of government
B)Americans' fear of death
C)Americans' fear of socialized medicine
D)Americans' fear of "pull[ing] the plug on grandma"

Accepted Answer

The answer of President Barack Obama's health care reform legislation...

Question 14

Putting a major health care reform proposal before the American public exemplifies which face of the presidency?&#10;A)individual agenda setter&#10;B)political operator&#10;C)manager of the policy process&#10;D)proponent of party values

Accepted Answer

The answer of Putting a major health care reform proposal...

Question 15

The author states that health care reform will always challenge the head and the soul of whomever is the President. What reason does he provide?&#10;A)It reflects the greatest challenge to any society: How well do we minister to our fellow humans?&#10;B)The expense and coverage involved will always seem too high to some and insufficient to others.&#10;C)It touches on abortion which is a polarizing issue.&#10;D)Americans fundamentally distrust government.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The author states that health care reform...

Deck 4: The Presidency