Deck 10: Congress and the President

Question 1

Which of the following is considered to be a powerful bargaining tool that the president can take with regard to Congress?

A) veto threats
B) cross-party coalitions
C) sending Congress draft administration bills
D) State of the Union address

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following is an example of the president's power to persuade?

A) giving a televised speech asking voters to call their Senator
B) meeting with members privately to negotiate a deal
C) signing an executive order
D) naming a loyal appointee to head the State Department

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of the "rhetorical president?"

A) using the rulemaking process to achieve an outcome blocked by Congress
B) hosting a private dinner with select members of Congress
C) appearing on a late-night television program to communicate his views
D) promising a Senator campaign support in exchange for a vote on an important bill

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of the administrative president?

A) maintaining informal contacts with members of Congress
B) appearing on an aircraft carrier to bolster support for a military strategy
C) giving the State of the Union address
D) signing an executive order

Question 5

What are the "two presidencies?"

A) domestic affairs versus foreign affairs and national defense
B) administrative versus legislative
C) power of persuasion versus going public
D) informal versus formal

Question 6

Which of the following is an example of a line-item veto?

A) issuing a signing statement that declares part of a law unconstitutional
B) waiting to sign a law for more than ten days, so it is automatically vetoed
C) vetoing some spending items in a bill while signing the rest into law
D) making a veto threat that draws a bright line describing which legislation the president will veto

Question 7

How can a bill become law if the president vetoes it?

A) a ruling by the Supreme Court
B) two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress
C) executive order
D) reintroduction into Congress after waiting 180 days

Question 8

All of the following are actions the president can take on receiving a bill from Congress EXCEPT ______.

A) veto the bill
B) sign the bill
C) veto part of the bill but sign the rest into law
D) take no action, and the bill will become law without his signature

Question 9

Which of the following is a common interest that might cause the president and Congress to cooperate?

A) the pocket veto
B) the bully pulpit
C) veto bargaining
D) shaping public policy

Question 10

In recent years, bargaining and compromise between the president and Congress have grown much more difficult. Which of the following factors helps account for this change?

A) decreased use of the filibuster
B) intense party competition for control of national institutions
C) increase in the number of signing statements
D) gerrymandering

Question 11

In which of the following areas would the "two presidencies" theory predict that the president would have the most power?

A) passing a law to regulate the financial industry
B) raising taxes on high earners
C) sending troops to Syria
D) changing the way agriculture subsidies are distributed

Question 12

The president's capacity for leadership is powerfully driven by expectations.

Question 13

About half of all administrative agencies established between WWII and 1995 were unilaterally created by presidents.

Question 14

Presidents often grant or withhold their patronage resources to cultivate support and goodwill in Congress.

Question 15

Executive orders allow presidents to achieve objectives not explicitly authorized by Congress.

Question 16

The veto power is the result of congressional rulemaking rather than being required by the Constitution.

Question 17

Congress need not act at all on a vetoed bill.

Question 18

Most presidents never use their veto power to block congressional legislation.

Question 19

The president is constitutionally required to issue a signing statement for each bill he signs into law.

Question 20

The Constitution allocates all powers related to legislation solely to Congress.

Question 21

The president and his party in Congress tend to be judged together by voters.

Question 22

The best predictor of presidential success with Congress is the number of seats his party controls.

Question 23

The balance of power between the executive and legislative branches is essentially a zero-sum game.

Question 24

When contemplating a veto, presidents do not generally seek advice from others.

Question 25

The president does not need support from Congress to use administrative powers.

Question 26

There is no limit to the persuasive power of patronage.

Question 27

Why do presidents choose to veto legislation? Provide three distinct reasons and clearly explain the justification for each.

Question 28

Why is the president sometimes called the "chief legislator?"

Question 29

What are the potential benefits and risks of "going public?"

Question 30

How did 9/11 affect Bush's policy making dynamic with Congress?

Question 31

What are signing statements and why do presidents issue them?

Question 32

What is the "two presidencies" thesis and what are its implications for the success of presidential proposals?

Question 33

What are veto threats and why do presidents issue them?

Question 34

What is the difference between a pocket veto and a regular/typical veto?

Question 35

How has President Obama attempted to foster informal ties with members of Congress and how successful have these efforts been?

Question 36

What types of duties fall under the "administrative" presidency?

Question 37

What are the four main theories of the presidency, and which do you think best explains the Obama presidency?

Question 38

What is the line-item veto and why did the Supreme Court declare it unconstitutional? In your view, should Congress try to pass a new line-item veto law or constitutional amendment?

Question 39

What are the three major sources of legislative-executive conflict? Describe each and give a specific example to illustrate. Which do you believe plays the largest role in today's interbranch conflicts?

Question 40

Identify a recent bill that was signed into law. How did various aspects of interbranch conflict and/or cooperation factor into the passage of this piece of legislation?