Deck 13: The Presidency

Question 1

In ________ states, the candidate who wins the state's popular vote wins all of the electoral college votes for that state.

A) all 50
B) 48 of the 50
C) 38 of the 50
D) none of the 50

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The rise of the national convention was important because it

A) placed the power of selecting presidential candidates entirely in the hands of federal judges.
B) placed the power of selecting presidential candidates entirely in the hands of congressional leaders.
C) gave the presidency a mass popular base that would eventually support and demand increased presidential power.
D) took away the presidency's mass popular base and made the president a much weaker political actor.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

In the early 1800s, the system of nominating presidential candidates that left the candidates beholden to their parties' leaders in Congress was called ________.

A) King Caucus
B) party primaries
C) presidential gerrymandering
D) the spoils system

Answer 3

A

Question 4

By indirect election of the president, the framers meant to

A) make a more independent and powerful chief executive.
B) bind the president to the will of the people.
C) make the president responsible to state and national legislatures.
D) create an imperial presidency to counter the power of Congress.

Question 5

The turning point in American politics toward a president-centered government came about during the administration of ________.

A) Andrew Jackson
B) Abraham Lincoln
C) Franklin Roosevelt
D) John Kennedy

Question 6

An executive-congressional agreement is a contract between two countries that can be approved with a

A) statement by the Speaker of the House.
B) statement by the Senate majority leader.
C) simple majority vote in both houses.
D) simple majority vote in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Question 7

________ powers are specifically established by the language of the Constitution.

A) Expressed
B) Delegated
C) Implied
D) Inherent

Question 8

The president's delegated powers come from ________.

A) the Constitution
B) Congress
C) the president's party
D) the Supreme Court

Question 9

The presidency is awarded to the candidate who wins

A) a majority of votes in the electoral college.
B) two-thirds of votes in the electoral college.
C) a majority of the popular vote.
D) two-thirds of the popular vote.

Question 10

Dwight Eisenhower used ________ in 1957 to send troops to Little Rock, Arkansas, to help desegregate Central High School.

A) the national guard
B) presidential emergency power
C) the War Powers Act
D) the elastic clause

Question 11

The office of the presidency was established by Article ________ of the Constitution.

A) I
B) II
C) III
D) V

Question 12

President Bush ________ in order to allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate the government's response to Hurricane Katrina.

A) signed an executive agreement
B) passed an unfunded mandate
C) issued a signing statement
D) declared a "state of emergency"

Question 13

The Supreme Court affirmed the power of the president to remove appointed officials from office in

A) Clinton v. Jones.
B) Rasul v. Bush.
C) Youngstown Co. v. Sawyer.
D) Myers v. United States.

Question 14

Approximately ________ people work for the various agencies within the Executive Office of the President.

A) 25 to 50
B) 500 to 750
C) 1,500 to 2,000
D) 5,000 to 7,500

Question 15

Which of the following attributes did the framers intend for the office of the president to possess?

A) popularity
B) energy
C) unrestrained power
D) high level of formal education

Question 16

In order to get around the need for Senate approval of treaties, many contemporary presidents have made use of ________ in foreign affairs.

A) diplomacy
B) international protocols
C) executive agreements
D) executive immunity

Question 17

If a state government makes a formal request that the president deploy federal troops, the president

A) is constitutionally required to send exactly as many federal troops as the state government has requested.
B) is constitutionally required to send some federal troops, but can choose exactly how many will be sent.
C) can only refuse to send federal troops if a majority of Congress votes to reject the state government's request.
D) is not constitutionally obligated to deploy national troops.

Question 18

The Constitution attempts to restrain the president's use of domestic force by

A) stating that a state government must request federal troops before the president can deploy them within that state to provide public order.
B) strictly prohibiting presidents from ever deploying federal troops within the United States.
C) requiring two-thirds of both the House and the Senate to vote in favor of any presidential order to deploy federal troops within the United States.
D) requiring a majority of both the House and the Senate to vote in favor of any presidential order to deploy federal troops within the United States.

Question 19

The Executive Office of the President was created during the administration of ________.

A) Abraham Lincoln
B) Theodore Roosevelt
C) Franklin Roosevelt
D) Harry Truman

Question 20

The rise of national conventions to nominate the president led to the empowerment of ________.

A) Congress
B) state party leaders
C) the voters
D) interest groups

Question 21

When Dwight Eisenhower sent federal troops into Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957, it demonstrated that the

A) president may make unilateral use of the emergency powers to protect states against domestic disorder.
B) president requires the federal court's approval before using troops in domestic disturbances.
C) use of the president's emergency powers against domestic disorder necessitates a request by the governor of the state in question.
D) president needs congressional authorization to use troops in both domestic and international situations.

Question 22

Congress's tendency in recent years to give executive agencies fewer clear guidelines for implementing laws is the result of

A) the greater scope and complexity of the tasks that American government has undertaken.
B) the reduced scope and complexity of the tasks that American government has undertaken.
C) frequent requests made by state governments to transfer more power to the executive branch.
D) numerous initiatives passed by voters that require less legislative specificity.

Question 23

In United States v. Nixon (1974), the Supreme Court justices

A) impeached Nixon.
B) allowed Nixon to withhold secret tapes from Congress.
C) required Nixon to turn over secret tapes to Congress.
D) ruled that Nixon must resign from office in order to avoid criminal charges.

Question 24

When President Lincoln issued a series of executive orders for which he had no clear legal authority during the start of the Civil War, it illustrated the

A) delegated powers of the presidency.
B) inherent powers of the presidency.
C) expressed powers of the presidency.
D) "going public" strategy.

Question 25

The Environmental Protection Agency was created in 1970 directly by ________.

A) an executive order
B) congressional legislation
C) executive privilege
D) a Supreme Court decision

Question 26

The ________ asserted that the president could send American troops into action abroad only in the event of a declaration of war or other statutory authorization by Congress, or if American troops were attacked or directly endangered.

A) War Powers Resolution of 1973
B) National Security Act of 1947
C) Boland Amendment of 1982
D) USA PATRIOT Act of 2001

Question 27

The goal of the War Powers Resolution was to

A) compel a congressional declaration of war for every large-scale military operation.
B) limit the ability of Congress to cut off funding for troops when the president sends them overseas without congressional approval.
C) limit the power of the president to commit American troops to military action without authorization from Congress.
D) end the Vietnam War.

Question 28

The Environmental Protection Agency

A) was created by President Richard Nixon's executive order in 1970.
B) is responsible for establishing and enforcing air and water quality standards.
C) is an agency of the executive bureaucracy.
D) All of these are correct.

Question 29

Congress has successfully overridden a presidential veto ________ times in American history.

A) 2
B) 23
C) 110
D) 563

Question 30

Which of the following has caused an increase in the president's delegated powers?

A) recent constitutional amendments broadening the president's powers
B) the increasing scope and complexity of legislation
C) the War Powers Resolution
D) the shift toward a more bipartisan political environment in Congress

Question 31

All executive agreements differ from formal treaties in that they

A) must be approved by the U.S. Supreme Court but not by Congress.
B) do not have to be approved by the Senate.
C) do not have to be approved by the House.
D) are generally formulated at meetings of the United Nations.

Question 32

What is required for Congress to override a presidential veto?

A) a majority of both houses of Congress
B) two-thirds of both houses of Congress
C) three-fourths of both houses of Congress
D) a unanimous vote of both houses of Congress

Question 33

A pocket veto is a

A) presidential veto that is automatically triggered if the president does not act on a given piece of legislation passed during the final 30 days of a legislative session.
B) presidential veto that is automatically triggered if the president does not act on a given piece of legislation passed during the final 10 days of a legislative session.
C) veto issued by the Senate against a bill passed in the House of Representatives.
D) veto issued by the states against a law passed by Congress.

Question 34

Which of the following statements about Congress and the executive branch is most accurate?

A) The Constitution explicitly prohibits Congress from providing specific guidelines to executive agencies for implementing laws.
B) Starting around the time of the New Deal, Congress has tended to draft legislation that offers very specific guidelines for implementation by the executive.
C) Congress has never given executive agencies broad mandates and has always drafted legislation that offers very specific guidelines for implementation by the executive.
D) Starting around the time of the New Deal, Congress has tended to give executive agencies broad mandates and to draft legislation that offers few clear guidelines for implementation by the executive.

Question 35

The wars in Korea, Vietnam, Bosnia, and Afghanistan were all fought

A) without presidential approval.
B) under the authority provided by the War Powers Resolution.
C) without a formal declaration of war from Congress.
D) with a formal declaration of war from Congress.

Question 36

Which of the following statements about the presidential veto is most accurate?

A) Presidents have used the veto only twice in American history.
B) Use of the veto has remained constant across presidential administrations, and vetoes are frequently overridden.
C) Use of the veto varies considerably across presidential administrations, and vetoes are seldom overridden.
D) Use of the veto has remained constant across presidential administrations, and vetoes are seldom overridden.

Question 37

The State of the Union address is

A) required by a law passed by Congress in 1803 and renewed ever since.
B) requested by the president, and comity demands that his or her request is always accepted.
C) based on tradition, but was discontinued during the Great Depression and World War II.
D) mandated by the Constitution.

Question 38

The power to receive ambassadors is an example of ________.

A) an expressed power
B) a delegated power
C) executive privilege
D) an executive order

Question 39

Richard Nixon claimed ________ when he refused to turn over secret White House tapes to congressional investigators.

A) presidential immunity
B) expressed powers
C) executive privilege
D) the Fifth Amendment

Question 40

A sole executive agreement is a

A) formal contract negotiated by a state governor and the president that requires the Senate's approval.
B) treaty negotiated by the Senate and a foreign state that requires the president's approval.
C) formal contract between the United States and a foreign state that is approved by a vote in the House of Representatives.
D) simple understanding between the president and a foreign state that is not submitted to Congress for approval.

Question 41

Presidential spouses are an important resource for the president in order to carry out the duty of ________.

A) head of government
B) head of state
C) commander in chief
D) chief diplomat

Question 42

The Office of Management and Budget and the Council of Economic Advisers are both parts of the ________.

A) Cabinet
B) White House staff
C) Executive Office of the President
D) Department of the Interior

Question 43

The Council of Economic Advisers

A) negotiates foreign trade treaties on behalf of the federal government.
B) regulates all stock market transactions and enforces federal antitrust laws.
C) sets interest rates for the federal government.
D) analyzes the economy and economic trends in order to help the president anticipate economic events.

Question 44

The president's group of advisers and analysts is collectively called the ________.

A) Cabinet
B) White House staff
C) Executive Council of Advisers
D) Department of State

Question 45

How many vice presidents have had to replace presidents who died in office over the course of American history?

A) 0
B) 3
C) 8
D) 12

Question 46

________ was the first first lady to seek public office on her own.

A) Dolley Madison
B) Eleanor Roosevelt
C) Hillary Clinton
D) Laura Bush

Question 47

An informal group of advisers to the president is often called the ________.

A) kitchen cabinet
B) plumbers
C) round table
D) inner cabinet

Question 48

The Office of Management and Budget is important because

A) it has the power to veto any legislation passed by Congress that negatively impacts the federal budget.
B) the Constitution requires that the president receive its approval for every administrative rule change and tax increase that he or she proposes.
C) it is granted the authority under the Constitution to pass the federal budget.
D) its personnel are an integral part of virtually every conceivable presidential responsibility, such as overseeing regulatory proposals, reporting on agency activities, and preparing the national budget.

Question 49

The formal group of presidential foreign policy advisers, established in 1947, is called the ________.

A) State Department
B) National Security Council
C) Council on Foreign Relations
D) War Council

Question 50

The Cabinet

A) has no legal status under the Constitution.
B) does not meet as a group, except during the State of the Union address.
C) secretaries do not have to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
D) has no responsibility to Congress.

Question 51

The primary constitutional task of the vice president, besides succeeding the president in case of death, resignation, or incapacitation, is to

A) serve as Speaker of the House of Representatives
B) cast tiebreaking votes in the Senate
C) represent the president overseas
D) run the day-to-day operations of the Executive Office of the President

Question 52

The main political value of the vice president is to

A) bring the president votes in the election from a group or region that would not otherwise be a likely source of support.
B) draw negative attention away from the president during times of crisis.
C) give the president an institutional link to Congress.
D) promote bipartisanship with members of the opposing political party.

Question 53

During the nineteenth century, ________ was America's dominant institution of government.

A) the presidency
B) the Supreme Court
C) Congress
D) the executive bureaucracy

Question 54

The president has the power to appoint which of the following positions?

A) state governors who resign before their terms have expired
B) all state Supreme Court justices
C) cabinet secretaries
D) members of the House of Representatives who resign before their terms have expired

Question 55

After the president and vice president, which office is next in the line of succession?

A) Speaker of the House
B) Senate majority leader
C) secretary of state
D) attorney general

Question 56

The ________ is the informal designation for the heads of the major federal government departments.

A) White House staff
B) Presidential Advisory Committee
C) Cabinet
D) Executive Office of the President

Question 57

After the Civil War, why was it considered inappropriate for President Andrew Johnson to make a series of speeches seeking public support for his policies?

A) President Johnson traveled with his own press secretary, the first time a president had used public relations officials.
B) During the nineteenth century, it was perceived to be undignified for a president to campaign on his own behalf.
C) President Johnson did not speak to the general public, but instead spoke only to handpicked audiences where he knew he would be favorably received.
D) President Johnson's speeches were delivered only in the former Confederate states and ignored the North, where he most needed support.

Question 58

When members of Congress delegate power to the executive branch, it

A) substantially reduces the power of the federal government compared to state governments.
B) violates the Constitution by violating the separation of powers.
C) substantially reduces the importance of the presidency.
D) substantially enhances the importance of the presidency.

Question 59

________ states that the vice president assumes the presidency in the event of the chief executive's death or incapacity.

A) Article I of the Constitution
B) The Twenty-Fifth Amendment
C) The Presidential Succession Act of 1947
D) United States v. Nixon

Question 60

As a means of managing the gigantic executive branch, presidents have increasingly come to rely on the ________.

A) Cabinet
B) Executive Office of the President
C) White House staff
D) Speaker of the House

Question 61

The president's partisan ties are most important in

A) winning support from public opinion.
B) raising campaign funds.
C) dealing with Congress on legislative matters.
D) making executive appointments.

Question 62

________ occurs when the president directs administrative agencies to promulgate specific rules and regulations.

A) Regulatory review
B) Administrative oversight
C) Delegation
D) An executive agreement

Question 63

President Clinton was unusual among modern presidents because he left the White House

A) less popular than when he entered.
B) more popular than when he entered.
C) without issuing a single signing statement.
D) without issuing a single executive order.

Question 64

In Youngstown Co. v. Sawyer (1952), the Supreme Court justices determined that

A) segregation in the public schools was unconstitutional.
B) the president could not deploy federal troops to forcibly desegregate public schools.
C) the phrase "under God" could be legally added to the Pledge of Allegiance.
D) President Truman could not nationalize the steel mills in America.

Question 65

The expansion of the Executive Office of the President, the development of regulatory review, and the use of executive orders have been important because they

A) are deeply unpopular with the public and have led to the declining trust in American government.
B) make it very difficult for challengers to defeat incumbent presidents in elections.
C) have given presidents substantial capacity to achieve significant policy results despite congressional opposition to their legislative agendas.
D) have dramatically limited the power of the president and made it easier for Congress to dominate the American political system.

Question 66

Under President Bill Clinton, the White House Communications Office

A) was renamed the Executive Office of the President.
B) was placed under the direct control of the vice president.
C) became responsible for developing and implementing a coordinated communications strategy on behalf of the president's agenda.
D) became responsible for managing all negotiations between the executive and legislative branches of government.

Question 67

The framers of the Constitution believed that Congress's greatest prerogative would be its ________.

A) war powers
B) power of the purse
C) impeachment powers
D) oversight of the other two branches

Question 68

The technique of popular mobilization dates back to the ________ presidency.

A) Thomas Jefferson
B) Ulysses Grant
C) Theodore Roosevelt
D) Franklin Roosevelt

Question 69

Under President Obama, online petitions submitted to the White House must receive ________ signatures to be reviewed and commented on by the administration.

A) 1,000
B) 10,000
C) 100,000
D) 1 million

Question 70

President ________ began the era of greater presidential control over the budgetary process.

A) Woodrow Wilson
B) Franklin Roosevelt
C) Richard Nixon
D) Ronald Reagan

Question 71

A signing statement is an announcement

A) the president makes about his or her interpretation of a congressional enactment he or she is signing into law.
B) made by a presidential candidate when formally accepting his or her party's nomination.
C) made by the president and the leader of a foreign country immediately following an executive agreement.
D) the president is required to make any time he or she issues an executive order.

Question 72

Why does Congress suffer from a collective action problem in the face of presidential power?

A) Individual members of Congress are more concerned with the substantive impact of presidential action on their constituents than with the general implications of presidential powers.
B) The House and the Senate must work in tandem, but constantly find any unity impossible.
C) The Constitution gives the president the ability to resist any congressional oversight not supported by two-thirds of its members.
D) Members of Congress are often uninformed about the actions of the president.

Question 73

When presidents use popular appeals in an attempt to create a mass base of support that will allow them to accomplish their goals, it is referred to as ________.

A) going rogue
B) going public
C) selling out
D) propagandizing the public

Question 74

Which of the following statements about signing statements is NOT true?

A) Presidents have made signing statements throughout American history.
B) Ronald Reagan's attorney general, Edwin Meese, is credited with transforming the signing statement into a routine tool of presidential direct action.
C) George W. Bush issued more than 150 signing statements during his time in office.
D) Ever since Thomas Jefferson's presidency, all presidential signing statements have been recorded and added to the official legislative record.

Question 75

The last time Congress exercised its constitutional power to declare war was during the ________.

A) Second World War
B) Korean War
C) Vietnam War
D) Afghanistan War

Question 76

The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 happened as a result of a(n)

A) executive order.
B) signing statement.
C) negotiated treaty.
D) presidential pardon.

Question 77

The powers of Congress have declined dramatically in which of the following areas during the last 50 years?

A) national defense and the federal budget
B) health care and education
C) law enforcement and oversight
D) national defense and environmental protection

Question 78

Which of the following statements about signing statements is most accurate?

A) The Constitution requires that the president explain his or her interpretation of every law he or she signs by issuing a signing statement.
B) Although signing statements were commonly used prior to 1900, no modern president has issued them when signing a piece of legislation into law.
C) Signing statements never instruct executive agencies whether to implement sections of a new law and never interpret ambiguous provisions of the law.
D) While presidents have made signing statements throughout American history, they have only recently been recorded and made part of the official legislative record.

Question 79

What is the general tendency of a president's popularity?

A) Presidents usually begin with moderate ratings that move drastically up or down, depending on their success.
B) Presidents usually start out popular and decline over the next four years.
C) Presidents usually maintain the public approval ratings they had when entering office, unless there is an economic recession or international crisis.
D) Presidents usually begin very unpopular and increase their popularity significantly as their terms in office continue.

Question 80

What happened when President Harry Truman seized control of industry during the Korean War?

A) His action was upheld by the Supreme Court justices as a constitutional exercise of war powers.
B) Congress passed a bill shortly afterward that retroactively approved the steel mill seizures.
C) The Supreme Court justices declared that his actions were without basis in law or the Constitution.
D) Congress immediately passed a bill that legally prohibited the president from seizing the mills, and President Truman quickly rescinded his executive order.