Question 1

How are appointments to the federal judiciary made?

Accepted Answer

Appointments to the federal judiciary are made by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate. The president nominates a candidate, and the Senate Judiciary Committee conducts a hearing to evaluate the nominee's qualifications. The committee then votes on whether to recommend the nominee to the full Senate, which must confirm the nomination with a simple majority vote.

Question 2

While the veto is regarded as one of the president's most formidable powers,it is used relatively rarely.This is likely because:

Accepted Answer

Legislators often alter the content of a bill to make it more to a president's liking in order to preempt a veto. This is known as "vetoproofing" and helps to avoid a direct confrontation between the president and Congress. Therefore, presidents may not need to use their veto power as frequently.

Question 3

Which term describes an understanding between the president and another country that has the force of a treaty but does not require Senate authorization?

Accepted Answer

An executive agreement is a type of international agreement made through the executive branch of the government. It has the force of law, but does not require the approval of the Senate. It is often used for routine diplomatic matters and other issues that do not require a formal treaty. This type of agreement is also called a presidential agreement or sole executive agreement.

Question 4

The American presidency was established by:

Accepted Answer

The American presidency was established by Article II of the Constitution, which outlines the powers, responsibilities, and limitations of the President of the United States.

Question 5

The framers hoped to achieve a "republican" solution to presidential selection through an indirect election in which electors would be selected by state legislators to participate in the:

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is the Electoral College, as this is the system established by the Constitution for the indirect election of the President. State legislatures were given the power to select electors who would then vote for President, with each state being given a number of electors equal to its representation in Congress. This system was designed to balance the interests of larger and smaller states, and to prevent a direct popular vote from overwhelming the will of less populous states.

Question 6

When President Jimmy Carter declared official legal forgiveness for all the draft evaders of the Vietnam War,he was said to have granted:

Accepted Answer

Amnesty is a pardon granted to a group of people for a specific crime or offense. In this case, President Jimmy Carter granted amnesty to all the draft evaders of the Vietnam War, which means they were officially forgiven and would not face any legal consequences for their actions.

Question 7

Which of the following is true of the line-item veto power for the president?

Accepted Answer

In 1998, the Supreme Court ruled in Clinton v. City of New York that the line-item veto violated the Presentment Clause of the Constitution, which outlines the process for passing legislation. Therefore, the line-item veto power for the president is not authorized by the Constitution.

Question 8

When President George Washington received Edmond Genet as the formal emissary of the revolutionary government of France in 1793 and had his cabinet officers and Congress back his decision,Washington established the presidential power to:

Accepted Answer

The answer of When President George Washington received Edmond Genet...

Question 9

When President George W.Bush refused to release information about controversial interrogation techniques,he did so by invoking:

Accepted Answer

Executive privilege is the power of the President to refuse to disclose information or provide testimony in legal proceedings on the grounds that it may be detrimental to national security. In the case of controversial interrogation techniques, President Bush invoked executive privilege to keep the details of the techniques and their effectiveness secret. This decision was widely criticized by human rights organizations and legal experts.

Question 10

Congress does not even have the option of overriding and must reintroduce the bill in the next session when the president exercises a(n)________ veto.

Accepted Answer

A pocket veto occurs when the president takes no action on a bill for 10 days while Congress is not in session. In this case, Congress cannot override the veto and must reintroduce the bill in the next session. A line-item veto allows the president to veto specific portions of a bill, while an executive veto refers to the president's overall veto of a bill. A legislative veto is a veto by Congress of the actions of the executive branch, and a hard-line veto is not a commonly recognized term.

Question 11

What are the powers given to the president by Congress called?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are the powers given to the...

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT one of the president's expressed powers?

Accepted Answer

The power to declare war belongs to Congress, not the president.

Question 13

What are the powers specifically granted to the president in the text of the Constitution called?

Accepted Answer

The specific powers granted to the president in the text of the Constitution are called expressed powers. These powers are specifically listed in Article II of the Constitution and include powers such as serving as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, appointing federal judges and officers, and making treaties with foreign nations.

Question 14

In many instances of domestic disorder-whether from human or natural causes-how do presidents exercise unilateral power?

Accepted Answer

Presidents can exercise unilateral power by declaring a state of emergency, which allows them to take certain actions without seeking approval from Congress. This can include deploying national troops, ordering states to deploy their militias, and closing banks and other financial institutions, but these actions would typically require additional justification beyond the declaration of a state of emergency. Suspending the writ of habeas corpus is a drastic measure that is rarely used and would likely face significant legal and political challenges.

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT a reason Congress has delegated more authority to the executive branch?

Accepted Answer

This answer is the opposite of the others listed, as it suggests that Congress prefers to specify long, detailed statutes instead of delegating authority to the executive branch.

Question 16

Who has the highest military authority in the United States?

Accepted Answer

As the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, the president of the United States has the highest military authority.

Question 17

The American president exercises a measure of judicial authority through his power to:

Accepted Answer

The president has the power to grant reprieves, pardons, and amnesties, which is a form of judicial authority. This power allows the president to mitigate or overturn the punishments levied by the courts. The other choices either do not pertain to the president's judicial authority or are not within the scope of his constitutional powers.

Question 18

If the president vetoes a bill:

Accepted Answer

The veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate. This means that if two-thirds of the members of both the House and Senate vote to override the veto, the bill can still become a law even if it was initially vetoed by the president.

Question 19

The scope of executive privilege was clarified in the court case:

Accepted Answer

United States v. Nixon clarified that executive privilege is not absolute and cannot be used to withhold evidence in a criminal trial. Additionally, the Supreme Court held that the need for evidence in a criminal case outweighed the President's interest in keeping certain conversations confidential. This decision had significant implications for the limitations of executive privilege.

Question 20

How can a presidential veto be overridden?

Accepted Answer

According to the Constitution, a presidential veto can only be overridden by a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate. Therefore, choice C is the correct answer.

Quiz 6: The Presidency