Deck 12: The President

Question 1

How many officials were in President Washington's cabinet?

A) 3
B) 5
C) 10
D) 13
E) 25

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The vague language present in Article II of the Constitution

A)has severely limited the expansion of presidential power over time.
B) was intended by the framer's to strengthen president's hand vis-à-vis Congress.
C) has proven flexible enough to encompass the great expansion of the presidency.
D) has made it easy for presidents to influence legislation before Congress.
E) makes it difficult for presidents to justify acting unilaterally, such as issuing executive orders.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

In the late nineteenth century, the US economy transformed from a simple free-market economy to

A) a corporate-dominated economy.
B) a globalized economy.
C) an agrarian economy.
D) an industrial economy.
E) a multinational brand economy.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

According to the text, the president's power as chief executive began to grow when

A)the US economy transformed from a simple free market economy to a corporate-dominated one.
B) Thomas Jefferson became president.
C) the US economy evolved from a manufacturing to a service-oriented economy.
D) Abraham Lincoln became president.
E) none of the above

Question 5

James Polk is an important figure in presidential history because he

A) stretched the powers of the office to establish the interstate commerce commission.
B) vigorously used his powers as commander-in-chief of the armed forces to capture territory from Mexico.
C) sought to use presidential power to free the slaves.
D) took his policies directly to the common people and spoke directly with them about extensive social programs.
E) accomplished so much without the use of armed forces

Question 6

The Founders envisioned a president who would

A) be directly responsible to the people.
B) be directly responsible to Congress.
C) be primarily commander-in-chief of a standing army.
D) occasionally recommend policy measures to Congress.
E) actively lead Congress.

Question 7

The change in the twentieth century that meant a substantial increase in presidential power was

A) the increase in membership of the Supreme Court.
B) the creation of the Bureau of the Budget.
C) that the United States became a world power.
D) the abolishment of the electoral college.
E) amending the Constitution to grant presidents more war power.

Question 8

Abraham Lincoln established precedents for later presidents by

A) accomplishing so much without the use of armed forces.
B) stretching the powers of the institution to achieve his goals.
C) waging war to gain land from Mexico.
D) setting up a large bureaucracy to regulate the domestic economy.
E) purchasing the Louisiana Territory from France.

Question 9

The presidents of the nineteenth century

A) were more dominant than those of the twentieth century.
B) for the most part conformed to the designs of the Founders.
C) used military force more readily than those of the twentieth century.
D) were the dominant policymakers in the national government.
E) expanded the authority of the presidency dramatically.

Question 10

Who was president during the Mexican-American War?

A) James Polk
B) James Monroe
C) James Madison
D) Andrew Jackson
E) Millard Filmore

Question 11

The Constitution

A) is vague on what presidents are supposed to do.
B) set up a presidency that looks somewhat like the one Franklin Roosevelt presided over.
C) created a presidency to dominate Congress.
D) makes clear that presidents should use their cabinets to run the government.
E) established a clearly organized bureaucracy for the president to oversee.

Question 12

An accurate statement about the presidency is which of the following?

A) Until the beginning of the twentieth century, the presidency was basically reflective of the designs and intentions of the Founders.
B) The presidency was weak because, according to Alexander Hamilton, it has power of neither the purse nor the sword.
C) The growth and development of the presidency occurred primarily during isolationist periods of history when the president was the focal point of national leadership.
D) The presidency began to dominate American politics with the election of Thomas Jefferson in 1800.
E) The presidency was considered the most powerful of the three branches of government, according to the Founders.

Question 13

Which of the following was a movement towards a more democratic presidency in the early years of the United States?

A) States allowed ordinary citizens to elect members of the Electoral College.
B) The two-party system developed.
C) Presidential candidates began to win clear victories in the Electoral College.
D) States eliminated property and religious qualifications for voting.
E) all of the above are correct

Question 14

________, who opposed the Bank of the United States in the 1830s, was the first president to establish the office as a popular institution, a position to meet the needs of ordinary people.

A) Woodrow Wilson
B) Abraham Lincoln
C) Andrew Jackson
D) John Quincy Adams
E) Thomas Jefferson

Question 15

The most important president of the nineteenth century in terms of later development and expansion of the office was

A) George Washington.
B) Thomas Jefferson.
C) Andrew Jackson.
D) Abraham Lincoln.
E) John Adams.

Question 16

When we look at the presidency, we find that

A) the presidency began to dominate the political life of the nation by the time of the election of Thomas Jefferson in 1800.
B) although the United States became a world power in the twentieth century, the modern presidency functions essentially as the Founders expected.
C) the growth and development of the presidency occurred primarily during isolationist periods of history when the president was the focal point of national leadership.
D) until the end of the nineteenth century, the presidency basically conformed to the designs and intentions of the Founders.
E) the presidency was considered the most powerful of the three branches of government, according to the Founders.

Question 17

Who was president when the Louisiana Purchase was made?

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

Question 18

Andrew Jackson is best known for

A)purchasing the Louisiana Territory.
B) establishing a doctrine of American dominance of the Western Hemisphere.
C) helping transform the presidency into a popular institution.
D) forestalling the popular election of electors to the Electoral College.
E) supporting the creation of a National Bank.

Question 19

About how many civilians are employed by the federal government?

A) 200,000
B) 600,000
C) 1 million
D) approximately 2.4 million
E) approximately 3.8 million

Question 20

Which of the following statements about the framer's view of presidential power is correct?

A)Article II of the Constitution provided for a single executive who would be strong.
B) The Constitution made the president "commander-in-chief" of the armed forces.
C) The Constitution empowered presidents to appoint and to "require the opinion in writing" of executive department heads.
D) The Constitution provided that presidents could from time to time "recommend measures" to Congress.
E) all of the above

Question 21

The modern presidency largely attained its shape under

A) Franklin Roosevelt.
B) John F. Kennedy.
C) Ronald Reagan.
D) Bill Clinton.
E) Harry Truman

Question 22

The Fair Deal is associated with which president??A)John F. Kennedy
B) Harry S. Truman
C) Franklin Roosevelt
D) Theodore Roosevelt
E) Woodrow Wilson

Question 23

The New Deal is associated with which president??A)John F. Kennedy
B) Harry S. Truman
C) Franklin Roosevelt
D) Theodore Roosevelt
E) Woodrow Wilson

Question 24

Which president, without the approval of Congress, raised and spent money, deployed troops, suspended the right of habeas corpus, and allowed civilians to be tried in military courts?

A) Andrew Jackson
B) Abraham Lincoln
C) Ulysses Grant
D) James Polk
E) John Quincy Adams

Question 25

One way that Woodrow Wilson changed the presidency was by

A) beginning the practice of delivering the "state of the union" as an address to a joint session of Congress.
B) beginning the practice of writing annual "state of the union" addresses to be formally delivered to Congress.
C) refusing to issue a "state of the union" address more than once a term.
D) being the first to have the "state of the union" on the radio for the public to hear along with the joint session of Congress.
E) inviting the Supreme Court to hear the delivery of the address.

Question 26

In the role as chief of state, the president

A) serves as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
B) has assumed the leadership role in managing the nation's economy.
C) performs ceremonial functions and serves as the symbol of national authority and unity.
D) is expected to assume the initiative in forming public policy.
E) leads Congress into action.

Question 27

Franklin Roosevelt is credited with

A)largely shaping the modern presidency.
B) undermining Supreme Court authority by refusing to fill vacancies on the bench.
C) being the first president to seek public support as a tool to influence public policy.
D) breaking up trusts in the US economy.
E) creating a national parks system in the United States.

Question 28

Which of the following roles does the modern president NOT perform?

A) Chief Legislator
B) Manager of the Economy
C) Chief of State
D) President of the Senate
E) Party Leader

Question 29

According to the text, the president plays which of the following roles while in office??A) commander-in-chief
B) legislator
C) manager of the economy
D) chief of state
E) all of the above

Question 30

President Reagan helped push

A) labor interests.
B) a liberal agenda.
C) a conservative agenda.
D) the regulation of business.
E) domestic spending increases.

Question 31

The president does which of the following in his role as chief of state?

A) The president serves as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
B) The president leads management of the nation's economy.
C) The president serves as the symbol of national authority and unity.
D) The president leads in the formulation of public policy.
E) The president leads Congress into action.

Question 32

Ceremonial responsibilities of the president are particularly useful in that they

A) add to their prestige and standing with other government officials and the public.
B) are ways to take a break from the continual demands of the office.
C) unify the country behind the president, often in times of division.
D) are ways to get more coverage of their office without the risk of negative press.
E) are a part of the president's role as leader of the United States and thus improves their leadership qualities.

Question 33

An accurate way to describe the founder's interpretation of the president's role in the American system of government was that of

A) an elite leader, not directly connected to the American people.
B) an official who interacted chiefly with the public, rather than with Congress.
C) a powerful representative of the American people.
D) a clerk with no real authority.
E) a leader of a vast and powerful military.

Question 34

________ presided over the most significant expansion of presidential functions in American history with his New Deal.

A) Harry Truman
B) Franklin Roosevelt
C) John Kennedy
D) Richard Nixon
E) Herbert Hoover

Question 35

Presidents typically outline their yearly legislative agendas with

A)letters written to party leaders in Congress.
B) the State of the Union Address.
C) a nationally televised address to the American people.
D) a cross-country tour of legislative priorities.
E) a meeting of the state governors.

Question 36

Which president could be characterized as speaking directly to the people, mobilizing military personnel, and tapping the "arsenal of democracy"?

A) Theodore Roosevelt
B) Franklin Roosevelt
C) John Kennedy
D) Woodrow Wilson
E) Ronald Reagan

Question 37

The framers envisioned each of the following roles for the president EXCEPT

A) the role of appointing an executive cabinet.
B) the role of the representative of the people.
C) the role of manager of foreign affairs.
D) the role of checking the power of Congress and the Supreme Court.
E) all of the above are roles envisioned by the framers

Question 38

What title is given to the role of the president as symbol of national authority and unity?

A) Chief Executive
B) Protean President
C) Chief of State
D) CEO
E) Chief of Washington

Question 39

The New Frontier is associated with which president??A)John F. Kennedy
B) Harry S. Truman
C) Franklin Roosevelt
D) Theodore Roosevelt
E) Woodrow Wilson

Question 40

With which president is the "New Freedom" legislative policy program associated?

A)John F. Kennedy
B) Harry S. Truman
C) Franklin Roosevelt
D) Theodore Roosevelt
E) Woodrow Wilson

Question 41

According to the Constitution, if there is a vacancy in the vice presidency,

A) it remains vacant until the next election.
B) the president can nominate someone to fill the vacancy.
C) the voters elect a new vice president.
D) the Speaker of the House serves as acting vice-president.
E) the Senate appoints a new vice president.

Question 42

The Council of Economic Advisors is

A) a private think tank.
B) a small group of economists located in the Executive Office of the President.
C) the research arm of the Federal Reserve.
D) no longer used.
E) a partisan think tank in Washington.

Question 43

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A) Most recent presidents have relied a great deal on their Cabinets.
B) The Constitution does not mention the president's Cabinet.
C) The Constitution does not mention the president's control over the armed forces.
D) The vice-president presides over the Cabinet.
E) The president's cabinet has recently decreased in size.

Question 44

The Great Society is associated with which president??A)John F. Kennedy
B) Harry S. Truman
C) Franklin Roosevelt
D) Lyndon Johnson
E) Woodrow Wilson

Question 45

Which of the following groups does the president see every day and is considered most loyal to the president?

A) the Cabinet
B) congressional leaders
C) the White House staff
D) leaders of the executive branch bureaucracy
E) members of the executive office of the presidency

Question 46

Before committing troops to major, armed conflicts, recent presidents have typically

A) sought and received a resolution of support from Congress.
B) avoided congressional debate over the issue.
C) been quiet, so as to avoid public opposition.
D) invoked the War Powers Act.
E) requested a congressional declaration of war.

Question 47

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

A) Chair of the Joint Chiefs.
B) Secretary of Defense.
C) Head of the NSA.
D) President.
E) National Security Adviser

Question 48

Which of the following statements is TRUE about presidents and foreign policy?

A) Congressional approval is required for the United States to "recognize" a country.
B) Franklin Roosevelt needed congressional approval to recognize the Soviet Union, whereas Nixon did not to recognize China.
C) Richard Nixon needed congressional approval to recognize China, whereas Roosevelt did not to recognize the Soviet Union.
D) Presidents do not require permission of Congress to recognize any foreign nation.
E) Presidents do not require permission of Congress, but must seek Court approval to recognize a foreign nation.

Question 49

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A) The Cabinet has increased in importance over the last century.
B) The Cabinet as a collective body makes most of the national policy decisions in the United States.
C) Presidents usually prefer to appoint members of the Cabinet without independent bases of power.
D) The Cabinet convenes irregularly, does not play a significant role in presidential policymaking, and has declined in importance in recent times.
E) The president's cabinet has recently decreased in size.

Question 50

The Budget Act of 1921 did which of the following?

A)It required president to submit an annual budget to Congress.
B) It created the Office of Management and Budget
C) It required presidents to outline their budget in the annual State of the Union Address.
D) It weakened presidential authority over the budget by created the General Accounting Office to audit spending in the federal budget.
E) none of the above

Question 51

The last time Congress declared war was during

A) World War I.
B) World War II.
C) the Korean War.
D) the Vietnam War.
E) the Persian Gulf War.

Question 52

Which of the following is TRUE about treaties??A) They hold less weight than executive agreements.
B) They require ratification by the Senate.
C) They require approval by Congress.
D) Much like amendments to the US Constitution, state legislatures must support treaties.
E) None of the above.

Question 53

The President's power of Commander in Chief is found where in the US Constitution?

A) Article I
B) Article II
C) Article III
D) Article IV
E) No where

Question 54

What led to the recognition that presidents had a prominent role to play in the economy after World War II?

A)The Budget Act of 1921
B) Woodrow Wilson's change to an annual State of the Union address
C) the Employment Act of 1946
D) the creation of the Federal Reserve Board in 1913
E) the creation of the Bank of the United States

Question 55

The most important organization in the Executive Office of the President is

A) the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
B) the Internal Revenue Service.
C) the Office of Management and Budget.
D) NASA.
E) FCC.

Question 56

The authors of the Constitution created a system in which the president and Congress are often at odds, which is a __________ fact of American politics.

A) structural
B) politically linked
C) parliamentary
D) unicameral
E) governmentally linked

Question 57

________, while a visible symbol of the executive branch, has met rarely recently and is seldom relied upon to make policy.

A) The Cabinet
B) The White House staff
C) Council of Economic Advisers
D) The executive branch bureaucracy
E) National Security Council

Question 58

What is the title of the official who usually briefs the president each day on foreign policy matters and frequently clashes with the secretary of state?

A) secretary of defense
B) national security advisor
C) chair of joint chiefs
D) head of the CIA
E) secretary of state

Question 59

The president's cabinet

A) is provided for in Article II of the U.S. Constitution.
B) has developed primarily by custom because it is not mentioned in the Constitution.
C) has been designated by law as the primary advisory body in the executive branch.
D) meets with the president on a daily basis to devise policy strategies and implementation.
E) is more important today than ever before.

Question 60

In which of the following countries is there a meaningful separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches?

A) The United States
B) Mexico
C) Great Britain
D) Zimbabwe
E) all of the above

Question 61

American presidents have considerable freedom when waging war.

Question 62

Which of the following contributes to conflict between the president and Congress?

A) Since the 1960s, Congress has usually been controlled by the president's political party.
B) The president and members of Congress may be chosen in different elections.
C) The president and all members of Congress are chosen in the same elections.
D) The president and Congress have completely separate legislative powers.
E) none of the above

Question 63

The most important factor explaining why some presidents have more success than others at getting their measures passed in Congress is

A) presidential popularity.
B) presidential personality.
C) ideology of the president.
D) party control of Congress.
E) the president's time in office.

Question 64

According to the analytical framework presented in Figure 12.2,

A) Congress was poised to reform social security in 2005 but President Bush did not use enough White House resources to place social security on the policy agenda.
B) most Americans supported social security reform.
C) even moderate Republicans in the Senate opposed social security reform.
D) with unprecedented party unity, Democrats were able to filibuster social security reform efforts in the Senate.
E) interest groups were absent from the political linkages of social security reform.

Question 65

Treaties require

A) majority support by the Senate.
B) two-thirds support by the Senate.
C) two-thirds support of both Houses of Congress.
D) presidential consultation with the Senate prior to any negotiations.
E) no support from Congress; treaties are a unilateral presidential power.

Question 66

Woodrow Wilson believed the institution of the presidency has a unique role in the national government because

A) it was given the most important policymaking powers by the Constitution.
B) the president can control the military.
C) the president alone is elected by a national electorate.
D) it can remain insulated from public opinion by the electoral college.
E) the president is chosen by state electors.

Question 67

Why did George W. Bush have difficulty getting a Republican-controlled Congress to approve his immigration and Social Security reforms in 2006?

A) Congress never does what the president wants
B) Members of his own political party failed to support him
C) Many members of Congress are immigrants and most collect Social Security
D) he failed to devote enough public attention to both policies.
E) all of the above

Question 68

Which of the following statements about the presidency is true, according to your text??A) The presidency attained much of its modern shape under Franklin Roosevelt.
B) Presidents play important roles in fashioning and carrying out the domestic and foreign policies of the United States.
C) Constitutional authority as commander in chief have expanded presidential influence over the deployment and use of American troops abroad.
D) Presidential personality and style matters.
E) All of the above

Question 69

According to Figure 12.1, presidential approval

A) tends to decline over the course of a presidency.
B) tends to increase over the course of a presidency.
C) remains fairly constant for most presidents.
D) has remained fairly constant over time.
E) is typically not responsive to political, social, or economic events.

Question 70

Conflict between the president and Congress reflects

A) the needs of the American public, who must be protected by the president from partisan politics in Congress.
B) the essential nature of unitary systems, where power tends to rise to the top.
C) a result of the conservative coalition between conservatives in the executive and legislative branches.
D) a structural fact of American politics that was deliberately intended by the Founders.
E) a necessity for policy change in American politics.

Question 71

Which of the following has generally been true of presidential elections?

A) The public has frequently failed to recognize the true goals of candidates and has often elected candidates who are out of touch with public wishes.
B) A candidate whose goals are very far out of line with what the public favors is not likely to be elected.
C) Once in office, presidents usually feel that public opinion is no longer important and they can defy public opinion on major issues.
D) Presidents normally feel that they must pay attention to public opinion only in times of great national crises.
E) none of the above

Question 72

Divided government is defined as

A)when a majority of state legislatures are held by one party and Congress is held by the other.
B) when the president and the majority in the House or Senate belong to different political parties.
C) when the president and majority of state governors belong to different political parties.
D) when policy differences between Congress and the presidency result in lower legislative progress.
E) when policy differences between Congress and the presidency result in higher rates of gridlock.

Question 73

Which of the following is true about public opinion polling and the presidency?

A)As leaders, presidents rarely use public opinion polls.
B) Over recent history, only Democratic presidents have used polls.
C) Over recent history, only Republican presidents have used polls.
D) Polls are used by all presidents to help presidents sell their programs.
E) Presidents respond to polls fickly, thereby undermining presidential leadership.

Question 74

Under the Constitution, if no presidential candidate receives enough electoral votes, who elects the president?

A) House of Representatives
B) Senate
C) Supreme Court
D) voters in a special election
E) state legislatures

Question 75

According to the original Constitution, presidents were to be chosen

A) by the House of Representatives.
B) directly by the people.
C) by electors who were appointed by state legislators.
D) by the majority party in Congress.
E) by state conventions.

Question 76

In day-to-day politics, what the president does is largely

A) in harmony with what the general public wants.
B) unaffected by what the general public wants.
C) in complete accord with his party's wishes.
D) in harmony with the Congress.
E) in opposition to public opinion.

Question 77

Which American president made appeals to the public a central part of his presidency and articulated a new theory that underscored close connections between the president and the public?

A) Franklin Roosevelt
B) Andrew Jackson
C) Woodrow Wilson
D) Jimmy Carter
E) John F. Kennedy

Question 78

When Teddy Roosevelt referred to the presidency as a "bully pulpit," he meant

A) all presidents have to be religious or else they won't be popular.
B) to say "big pitcher of spit."
C) they have a unique ability to shape public opinion.
D) they have the ability to command Congress.
E) they have the ability to persuade Congress

Question 79

The 25th Amendment to the US Constitution

A) invalidated poll taxes in elections.
B) allowed those 18 years or older to vote
C) established a two-term limit for presidents.
D) provides guidance on issues of presidential succession and temporary disability.
E) None of the above

Question 80

Which of the following almost always contributes to a decrease in presidential popularity?

A) economic recession
B) protracted foreign war
C) military crisis abroad
D) veto of congressional legislation
E) domestic tranquility