Deck 5: The Presidency

Question 1

What did Lord Acton, a British historian and political figure, note about power?

A) It is very expensive.
B) It really is not necessary.
C) It tends to corrupt.
D) It should only be used in military situations.
E) It should always be used as a first resort.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The Presidency is designed with which of the following characteristics in mind?

A) Centered on one individual as the executive power.
B) Selection made by an independent body of individual electors.
C) Fixed term of office with the possibility of reelection.
D) Impeachment process allows removal from office.
E) All of the above.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

In The Federalist, ________ Alexander Hamilton wrote that "energy in the executive is a leading character of good government."

A) no. 10
B) no. 30
C) no. 50
D) no. 70
E) no. 90

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT one of the key principles upon which the framers based the presidency?

A) The president could serve no more than two 4-year terms.
B) The president could only be removed from office through an impeachment and removal process.
C) The office of chief executive would be vested in one person.
D) The president would have the power of the veto.
E) The president was not required to appoint an advisory council.

Question 5

Presidential powers are

A) usually open to interpretation.
B) never open to interpretation.
C) always open to interpretation.
D) can only be defined by the president.
E) can only be defined by Congress.

Question 6

The executive veto permits the president to

A) control the flow of legislation.
B) determine which party in Congress will become the majority.
C) defend against legislative excesses.
D) nullify Supreme Court decisions.
E) sign legislation into law.

Question 7

How did the framers see the veto?

A) as unnecessary
B) as insignificant
C) as a bulwark of executive independence
D) as something to be used on a regular basis
E) as something that would undermine the system of checks and balances

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT a requirement to become president?

A) must be at least thirty-five years old
B) must have lived in the United States for at least fourteen years
C) must be a natural-born citizen
D) must be affiliated with a major political party
E) must have degree in international relations.

Question 9

One of the president's most potent legal constitutional weapons is

A) press coverage.
B) the veto.
C) the ability to communicate with Congress.
D) the chance to serve two terms.
E) the franking privilege.

Question 10

Who was the first female presidential candidate?

A) Victoria Woodhull
B) Gloria Adams
C) Sandra Wilson
D) Sylvia Macon
E) Hillary Clinton

Question 11

Treaties

A) have no international effect after five years.
B) can only be used with approval by the House.
C) must have approval of the United Nations.
D) are no longer used by modern presidents
E) are formal international agreements between sovereign states

Question 12

Presidents can use a "backdoor" procedure known as a(n) _________to bypass the Senate regarding presidential appointments.

A) executive agreement
B) plausible deniability
C) signing statement
D) pocket veto
E) recess appointment

Question 13

The constitutional powers given to the president include:

A) veto power
B) Commander-In-Chief of the military
C) appointment power
D) treaty power
E) all of the above.

Question 14

A(n) ___________ is a government-to-government agreement with essentially the same legal force as a treaty.

A) war power
B) signing statement
C) appointment power
D) executive privilege
E) executive agreement

Question 15

The most dramatic example of a treaty involved President

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

Question 16

Who pardoned Richard Nixon?

A) Hubert Humphrey
B) Lyndon Johnson
C) Jimmy Carter
D) Gerald Ford
E) George H. W. Bush

Question 17

Who was the first president to invoke what has come to be known as executive privilege?

A) George Washington
B) James Madison
C) James Polk
D) Andrew Johnson
E) Andrew Jackson

Question 18

In which of the following instances would the president be acting as commander in chief?

A) Traveling to a foreign nation
B) Signing a bill
C) Negotiating a treaty
D) Invoking executive privilege
E) Committing troops to combat

Question 19

The president's implied or inherent power to withhold information on the grounds that such information would affect either national security or the president's ability to discharge official duties

A) is referred to as executive privilege.
B) is referred to as an executive agreement.
C) is no longer valid.
D) has no precedent in the history of the United States.
E) is not allowed under the Constitution.

Question 20

The best-known example of executive privilege involved President

A) Truman.
B) Eisenhower.
C) Kennedy.
D) Nixon.
E) Carter

Question 21

Identify the legislative arm of Congress.

A) the Senate Appropriations Committee
B) the House Budgetary Committee
C) the Government Accountability Office
D) the Internal Scrutiny Office
E) the Senate Ethics Committee.

Question 22

Most Americans expect the president to be

A) truthful.
B) timid.
C) deeply religious.
D) ruthless.
E) egotistical.

Question 23

The rally effect is a term used to describe

A) the euphoria which sweeps the country after an American air strike.
B) the willingness of legislators to vote along party lines.
C) the margin of victory for a presidential candidate.
D) the increased support the president receives during a time of crisis.
E) the belief that the president must serve popular interests/

Question 24

Nearly all historians rank _______________ as the greatest U.S. president to ever hold the office.

A) Ronald Reagan
B) John F. Kennedy
C) Abraham Lincoln
D) John Adams
E) Bill Clinton

Question 25

Which of the following presidents was ranked last in overall ranking?

A) Richard Nixon
B) Chester Arthur
C) Donald Trump
D) James K. Polk
E) James Buchanan

Question 26

The stewardship approach to the presidency was articulated by

A) Benjamin Franklin.
B) Theodore Roosevelt.
C) George Washington.
D) Grover Cleveland.
E) William Howard Taft

Question 27

The stewardship theory

A) expands the power of Congress.
B) expands the power of the Supreme Court
C) limits the power of Congress.
D) limits the power of the president.
E) expands the power of the president.

Question 28

The constructionist theory of presidential powers was articulated by

A) William Howard Taft.
B) Ronald Reagan.
C) James Buchanan.
D) Lyndon Johnson.
E) Theodore Roosevelt.

Question 29

Theodore Roosevelt

A) fought against the independence of Panama.
B) did not believe in the stewardship approach to politics.
C) believed the president had no moral duty to serve popular interests.
D) had an activist, expansionist view of presidential powers.
E) believed the President should only do what the Constitution allowed.

Question 30

The constructionist theory

A) expands the power of Congress.
B) expands the power of the president.
C) limits the power of Congress.
D) limits the power of the president.
E) expands the power of the Supreme Court.

Question 31

Which president established de facto concentration camps?

A) Warren Harding
B) Franklin Roosevelt
C) Theodore Roosevelt
D) Howard Taft
E) George W. Bush

Question 32

Although the chief executive is also commander in chief,

A) the president cannot, at any time, make war without consent of Congress.
B) the president actually has very little involvement in military decisions.
C) presidential military power can be restrained by both Congress and the Supreme Court.
D) the president must give formal approval on all military decisions.
E) the president makes no decisions regarding military action whatsoever,

Question 33

In the case of United States v. Curtiss-Wright, the Supreme Court ruled that in the area of foreign affairs

A) the United Nations is supreme.
B) the president is sovereign.
C) Congress should have the last word.
D) the Court itself possesses the ultimate authority.
E) the president has unlimited powers.

Question 34

Congress passed the War Powers Resolution of 1973 in response to

A) the Treaty of Paris.
B) President Johnson's actions during the Vietnam War.
C) the Supreme Court's decision in the 1952 case of Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company v. Sawyer.
D) the internment of Japanese American citizens following the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
E) the Emancipation Proclamation.

Question 35

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution allowed __________ to carry out any military actions deemed necessary in Vietnam.

A) Woodrow Wilson
B) Theodore Roosevelt
C) Franklin Roosevelt
D) Herbert Hoover
E) Lyndon B. Johnson

Question 36

Which president seized the steel industry?

A) Warren Harding
B) Harry Truman
C) Dwight Eisenhower
D) Richard Nixon
E) Gerald Ford

Question 37

Congress no longer needs to declare war because

A) this is now the responsibility of the United Nations.
B) the president can fight a war without a formal declaration.
C) it is no longer necessary with an all-volunteer military.
D) the Constitution has been amended to make this unnecessary.
E) the decision lies in the hands of Homeland Security.

Question 38

_________________ was the first twentieth-century president to use mass persuasion for a particular policy goal.

A) Franklin D. Roosevelt
B) John F. Kennedy
C) Ronald Reagan
D) Barack Obama
E) Woodrow Wilson

Question 39

A broad interpretation of presidential powers allows that

A) presidents can only exercise those powers spelled out in the Constitution.
B) presidents have certain inherent powers that may not be specifically listed in the Constitution.
C) presidents should be allowed to appoint the leaders of Congress.
D) presidents should not be allowed to send troops overseas unless approved by the Congress.
E) all of the above.

Question 40

Which president is associated with the term 'bully-pulpit'?

A) Woodrow Wilson
B) Andrew Jackson
C) John Quincy Adams
D) Theodore Roosevelt
E) George Washington

Question 41

When the president takes his or her message directly to the people, they are said to be

A) going crazy.
B) showing up Congress.
C) begging for mercy.
D) are at the end of their ropes.
E) going public.

Question 42

The term 'going public' was coined by

A) Ronald Reagan.
B) George Bush.
C) Samuel Kernell.
D) John Kennedy.
E) Anderson Cooper.

Question 43

The textbook states that going public

A) is more difficult than bargaining.
B) is easier than bargaining.
C) is riskier than bargaining.
D) is roughly the same as bargaining.
E) is rarely used by politicians.

Question 44

The President's de facto top aide is

A) the chief of staff.
B) his wife.
C) the Speaker of the House.
D) the Senate Majority Leader.
E) the Vice-President

Question 45

The Executive Office of the President (EOP) was created in______, this office contains all staff units that support the president in administrative duties.

A) 1929
B) 1939
C) 1949
D) 1959
E) 1969

Question 46

The _______ is the second-highest elected official in the United States.

A) President
B) Vice President
C) the Speaker of the House
D) the Senate Majority Leader
E) the Senate Minority Leader

Question 47

The size of the White House staff has increased because

A) the executive budget is larger.
B) the size and complexity of government has increased.
C) the size of Congress has increased.
D) the first lady has assumed more responsibilities.
E) the size of governmental bureaucracies have increased.

Question 48

The National Security Council was established to

A) advise the president on all issues, domestic and foreign, which relate to national security.
B) act as a liaison between the president and the media.
C) act as a liaison between the president and state governors.
D) assume command of the military during times of national crises.
E) after Hurricane Katrina to ensure security in New Orleans.

Question 49

The Council of Economic Advisors was created by the Employment Act of

A) 1902.
B) 1936.
C) 1946.
D) 1956.
E) 1966

Question 50

Collectively, the secretary of the Treasury, the Council of Economic Advisors, the Office of Management and Budget, and the chair of the Federal Reserve Board is known as

A) the troika.
B) the White House Commerce Commission.
C) the Trilateral Commission.
D) the quadriad.
E) the cabinet.

Question 51

The Office of Management and Budget

A) was created by Theodore Roosevelt in 1905.
B) is the least powerful unit in the Executive Office.
C) prepares and implements the federal budget.
D) was dissolved by George W. Bush in 2006 in an effort to streamline government.
E) is an important part of the President's cabinet.

Question 52

The ___________________ is a group of presidential advisers, including secretaries of the major bureaucracy departments and any other officials the president designates.

A) Office of Management and Budget
B) National Security Council
C) Council of Economic Advisors
D) Cabinet
E) White House Office

Question 53

The inner cabinet consists of the secretaries of

A) state, defense, treasury, and justice.
B) transportation, agriculture, energy, and state.
C) justice, health and human services, commerce, and interior.
D) labor, treasury, interior, and state.
E) labor, heath and human services, and state.

Question 54

Since it was neither constitutionally nor statutorily created, the ________ as such does not legally exist.

A) Department of Labor
B) Office of Management and Budget
C) Department of Defense
D) Department of Homeland Security
E) Cabinet

Question 55

The vice president's only constitutional powers are to

A) preside over the Senate and cast a vote when the Senate is deadlocked.
B) serve as majority leader of the House and head the White House staff.
C) sign unimportant legislation and attend funerals of dignitaries.
D) serve as majority leader of the Senate.
E) make declarations of war.

Question 56

Most of the vice president's responsibilities are

A) determined by Congress.
B) determined by the president.
C) determined by the federal judiciary.
D) determined by the White House staff.
E) determined by the Supreme Court.

Question 57

After the vice president comes the _____________ in the presidential line of succession.

A) Senate President Pro Tempore
B) Secretary of State
C) Speaker of the House of Representatives
D) Attorney General
E) Senate Majority Leader

Question 58

The Executive Office of the President (EOP), which contains all staff units that support the president in administrative duties, was created in what year?

A) 1929
B) 1939
C) 1949
D) 1959
E) 1969

Question 59

The appointment power of the president allows the vice president to staff the executive branch with people who will help promote his policies.

Question 60

Lord Acton, a British historian, noted that power tends to corrupt.

Question 61

The presidency may be the framer's most original contribution.

Question 62

An American president must be at least thirty years of age.

Question 63

In 1939, The Executive Office of the President (EOP) was established, providing permanent institutionalized and personal staff for the President.

Question 64

In Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company (1952), the Supreme Court upheld President Truman's seizure of the domestic steel industry.

Question 65

Perhaps the president's most potent legal constitutional weapon is the veto.

Question 66

President Franklin Roosevelt never exercised a presidential veto.

Question 67

In 1985, President Ronald Reagan dared Congress to raise taxes.

Question 68

George Washington was the first president to invoke what has come to be known as executive privilege.

Question 69

The president has the power to convene Congress in extraordinary circumstances.

Question 70

The great paradox of the presidency is that no other office in America unites so much power and purpose to help Americans approach their democratic potential, yet also poses the most serious threats to the ideals of democracy.

Question 71

Treaty approval requires a three-fourths majority of House members.

Question 72

The most dramatic example of a treaty rejection took place in 1919, when the Senate failed to ratify Woodrow Wilson's Treaty of Versailles.

Question 73

The Constitution explicitly mentions executive privilege.

Question 74

The best-known case of executive privilege involved President Richard Nixon.

Question 75

The Government Accountability Office is the legislative arm of Congress.

Question 76

President Ford refused to pardon Richard Nixon.

Question 77

The Constitution is silent on how much actual power a president should possess.

Question 78

The power of the presidency has been steadily declining since the early 1900s.

Question 79

In times of crisis, Congress generally acquiesces to the president.

Question 80

Most legislation addressed by Congress originates in the executive branch.