Deck 12: The President

Question 1

When no presidential candidate receives a majority of the electoral vote, which of the following occurs?

A) The current president serves two additional years, and then another general election is held.
B) The candidate who receives a plurality of the vote is elected.
C) Electors cast a second ballot to determine who is elected.
D) The election is decided by the House of Representatives.
E) The election goes to the Senate, and a majority is needed there.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The president, in his capacity as head of state, is responsible for which of the following?

A) Determining the countries with which the United States will have diplomatic relations
B) Engaging in activities that are largely symbolic or ceremonial in nature
C) Sending troops into combat
D) Leading the legislative process by submitting legislation
E) Administering the laws

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following is true of a pocket veto?

A) It can be used by a president only once during a term of office, although a president can use it twice if he or she serves two terms.
B) It can only be used when Congress adjourns for the session within ten days of the bill being submitted to the president.
C) It means that the legislation cannot be reintroduced in the next Congress.
D) It was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1936.
E) It's a veto in which the president does not send a veto message back to Congress.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

A constitutional amendment to clarify the way votes are cast in the Electoral College was necessary because of which of the following?

A) There was no way to tell which votes were for president and which were for vice president.
B) There was a tie in the electoral votes in the election of 1800.
C) Large states did not have fair representation in the Electoral College.
D) In three elections, no candidates received a majority of the votes in the Electoral College.
E) There was a tie in the electoral votes in the election of 1800 and no way to tell which votes were for president and which were for vice president.

Question 5

The Constitution states that the required minimum age for the presidency is which of the following?

A) 30
B) 35
C) 40
D) 45
E) 50

Question 6

Executive agreements are which of the following?

A) Not valid in foreign policy matters unless approved by the Senate
B) Agreements made between the president and the head of a foreign government that do not have to be approved by the Senate
C) An unconstitutional expansion of the power of the president
D) Binding upon future presidents
E) Used to achieve trivial matters, since the most significant issues must be addressed by the Senate

Question 7

The granting of release from punishment for a crime is called which of the following?

A) A reprieve
B) A congressional sanction
C) A pardon
D) Executive privilege
E) Impeachment

Question 8

If the United States cuts back on imports from foreign countries, the most likely result would be which of the following?

A) A return to the United States of high-paying manufacturing jobs
B) Foreign countries cutting imports from the United States
C) Foreign countries giving in to U.S. economic demands
D) Massive job growth in the United States, as the country begins to make what it used to import
E) Massive economic growth

Question 9

Going on official state visits to other countries, decorating war heroes, and dedicating parks are all examples of the president's role as which of the following?

A) Chief legislator
B) Chief diplomat
C) Commander-in-chief
D) Head of state
E) Chief executive

Question 10

Treaties are subject to which of the following before becoming legally binding?

A) Judicial review by the Supreme Court
B) Ratification by a majority of the states
C) Ratification by a majority of both houses of Congress
D) Ratification by a two-thirds majority in the Senate
E) Ratification by a majority of the states and by a majority of both houses of Congress

Question 11

As commander-in-chief, the president has which of the following roles?

A) Is the symbolic leader of the military
B) Acts as the ultimate decision maker in military matters
C) Makes military decisions, but only with the approval of the joint chiefs of staff
D) Has limited authority and needs the secretary of defense's approval
E) Is obligated to meet with the joint chiefs of staff, and usually takes their advice

Question 12

The president's power to recognize or not recognize a foreign government is what type of recognition?

A) Ratification
B) Ambassadorial
C) International
D) Diplomatic
E) Nonpartisan

Question 13

Which of the following individuals is constitutionally qualified to be president?

A) George, 40 years old, born in Florida but has spent his entire life in Cuba
B) John, 32 years old, who was born on an American military base in Germany where his parents were stationed
C) Abigail, 61 years old, born in Great Britain, but who is a naturalized U.S. citizen
D) James, 37 years old, born in Texas of Mexican parents
E) Alexander, 57 years old, who isn't a U.S. citizen, but who has been a legal alien in the United States for 25 years

Question 14

Which amendment to the Constitution requires the president and the vice president to be chosen separately by the Electoral College?

A) Ninth
B) Tenth
C) Twelfth
D) Twenty-Fourth
E) Twenty-Fifth

Question 15

When a president receives a bill, which of the following is true?

A) The president can do nothing, and in ten days, if Congress is still in session the bill becomes law without his or her signature.
B) The president can do nothing, and if Congress goes out of session, the bill does not become law.
C) The president can sign it, and it becomes law.
D) The president can veto it.
E) All of these are correct.

Question 16

As chief executive, the president is constitutionally bound to do which of the following?

A) Enforce laws, treaties, and court orders
B) Submit a balanced budget to Congress
C) Inform Congress prior to military action
D) Oversee actions of state governments
E) Honor pronouncements of previous presidents

Question 17

Which of the following statements about a president's veto power is most accurate?

A) Because vetoes are usually overridden, the power has become unimportant.
B) The president's veto is final, and this gives him or her complete control over legislation.
C) The threat of a veto gives the president significant influence over Congress and legislation.
D) The veto has been used by Congress to stop the president from signing legislation.
E) Because vetoes are rarely overridden, the power has become unimportant.

Question 18

Which of the following best describes the people who have been elected president?

A) Older and from western states
B) Primarily Catholics and Jews
C) Military commanders from the South
D) California natives
E) White, male Protestants

Question 19

Supreme Court rulings appear to confirm which of the following?

A) Most treaties can be nullified by the states.
B) Only Congress can withdraw the United States from a treaty.
C) A president can enact a treaty without the support of the Senate.
D) A president can enact a treaty with the support of the House of Representatives.
E) A president can unilaterally withdraw the United States from a treaty.

Question 20

A president can issue a pardon in which of the following circumstances?

A) For all offenses against the United States, including impeachment
B) For all offenses against the United States, except impeachment
C) For all offenses against the United States, or any state
D) For all offenses against the United States, any state, or any locality
E) For all offenses against a state, but only after a state's governor has refused to grant a pardon

Question 21

Executive privilege was limited by the Supreme Court as a consequence of which of the following?

A) The Clinton sex scandal
B) The Sedition Act
C) The Watergate scandal
D) World War II
E) The failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq

Question 22

Which of the following is an example of the president's use of constitutional power?

A) Issuing an executive order
B) Declaring national emergencies
C) Giving a State of the Union message
D) Invoking executive privilege
E) Declaring war

Question 23

A written declaration that a president may make when signing a bill into law is known as which of the following?

A) Executive order
B) Executive agreement
C) Executive privilege
D) Signing declaration
E) Signing statement

Question 24

Which of the following is true of the Executive Office of the President?

A) It assists the president in carrying out major duties.
B) It is an advisory group made up of the heads of the fifteen major government departments.
C) It includes the National Security Agency.
D) It helps control the nation's money supply.
E) It is led by the Speaker of the House.

Question 25

Presidential powers expressly given to the president by the Constitution are called which of the following?

A) Constitutional powers
B) Statutory powers
C) Established powers
D) Inherent powers
E) Emergency powers

Question 26

In the history of the United States, which of the following has never occurred?

A) The president was impeached and acquitted.
B) The president died while in office.
C) The president was impeached and convicted.
D) The president resigned.
E) The president was impeached.

Question 27

Which of the following is true of the Office of Management and Budget?

A) It is now called the Bureau of the Budget.
B) It directly controls the nation's money supply.
C) It publishes the budgets prepared by Congress.
D) It helps the president prepare the annual budget.
E) It is currently in the Department of the Treasury.

Question 28

Which of the following is true of executive orders?

A) They are merely opinions and have no force of law.
B) They are part of a president's executive power.
C) They have only been in effect since 1992.
D) They are part of a president's legislative power.
E) They are part of a president's judicial power.

Question 29

Who brings charges in the impeachment process, and where is the impeachment trial held?

A) The attorney general; the Senate
B) The House of Representatives; the Senate
C) The House of Representatives; the U.S. Supreme Court
D) The Senate; the House of Representatives
E) Both houses of Congress; the Supreme Court

Question 30

In which of the following court cases did the Supreme Court decide that executive privilege is not absolute and must give way when the government needs the information for a trial?

A) Brown v. Board of Education
B) Hamdi v. Rumsfeld
C) Jones v. Clinton
D) Bush v. Gore
E) U.S. v. Nixon

Question 31

Which of the following is true of executive privilege?

A) It involves the ability of the president and executive branch officials to withhold certain information from Congress and the courts.
B) It means that members of the executive branch cannot be prosecuted for official acts.
C) It has been applied to the president's use of the pocket veto.
D) It allows the president discretion in making political appointments.
E) It was ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1974.

Question 32

Rewarding faithful party workers by appointing them to government or public jobs is called which of the following?

A) Patronage
B) Nepotism
C) Pork barrel employment
D) Executive perks
E) Civil service

Question 33

Which of the following is true of members of the cabinet?

A) They are friends of the president that he or she invites to conferences on specific issues.
B) They are expressly identified in the Constitution.
C) They are all department secretaries who oversee administrative functions for the president.
D) The cabinet may include the vice president and other advisors if the president chooses to include them.
E) They are limited to one presidential term and must then leave government service.

Question 34

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

A) Federal District Court and Court of Appeals judges
B) Ambassadors
C) Cabinet members
D) Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
E) U.S. Supreme Court justices

Question 35

Presidential powers derived from the Constitution stating that "the executive power shall be vested in a president" are which of the following?

A) Constitutional powers
B) Statutory powers
C) Emergency powers
D) Inherent powers
E) Expressed powers

Question 36

The main function of the president's cabinet is to do which of the following?

A) Draft the federal budget and submit it to Congress for approval
B) Write federal regulations
C) Provide information regarding proposed legislation by testifying before Congress
D) Provide leadership in the event the president is unable to perform his duties
E) Provide advice to the president to aid in decision making

Question 37

The Constitution does not give the president the power to do which of the following?

A) Veto legislation
B) Convene sessions of Congress
C) Declare war
D) Serve as commander-in-chief of the military
E) Serve as administrative head of the nation

Question 38

Which of the following is true of a president's consultations with the cabinet?

A) They are required by federal law.
B) They are required by the Constitution.
C) They are funneled through the vice president, as demanded by the Constitution.
D) They are entirely at the discretion of the president.
E) They are required by the Constitution and are funneled through the Supreme Court.

Question 39

Before a treaty can go into effect, which of the following must occur?

A) It must be submitted to the United Nations for approval.
B) It must be ratified by the Supreme Court.
C) It must be approved by three-fourths of the state governments.
D) It must be approved by a two-thirds vote in the Senate.
E) It must be approved by a majority vote in both houses of Congress.

Question 40

Which of the following best describes signing statements?

A) They are provided to the Supreme Court for all cases that involve the federal government.
B) They are used in place of the pocket veto and may be presented to either the Senate or the House of Representatives.
C) They accompany legislation and allow the president to point out sections of the law the president sees as unconstitutional.
D) They are the official forms designating approval of the submitted budget.
E) They are copies of the final legislation provided to the individual states.

Question 41

Describe the difference between the president's role as chief diplomat and head of state. Provide examples to support your argument.

Question 42

Explain executive orders, detailing their powers and usage, and contrast this idea with that of signing statements.

Question 43

Which of the following vice presidents has been viewed as the most powerful, placing his supporters throughout the bureaucracy and exerting a great deal of influence on a number of issues?

A) Joe Biden
B) Al Gore
C) Dan Quayle
D) Dick Cheney
E) Spiro Agnew

Question 44

If the office of vice president becomes vacant, which of the following is true?

A) It remains unfilled until the next election, and the Speaker of the House becomes president if the president dies.
B) The president nominates a replacement who must be approved by both houses of Congress.
C) The president names a replacement who is not subject to congressional approval.
D) The president names a replacement who must be approved by the Senate.
E) The secretary of state becomes vice president.

Question 45

Compare and contrast the importance of the cabinet and the Executive Office of the President.

Question 46

The Constitution gives the vice president which of the following?

A) The job of presiding over the Senate and voting in case of a tie
B) Many responsibilities independent of presidential authority
C) The job of chief of staff to the president
D) The right to use the veto power, with presidential approval
E) The job of presiding over the Senate and voting in case of a tie, and the right to use the veto power, with presidential approval

Question 47

Which of the following amendments to the U.S. Constitution establishes procedures for filling presidential and vice presidential vacancies and makes provisions for presidential incapacity?

A) Eleventh
B) Fourteenth
C) Nineteenth
D) Twenty-First
E) Twenty-Fifth

Question 48

What are inherent powers? Give some examples of how they have been implemented by presidents in the years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Question 49

Staff members in the Executive Office of the President who oversee a particular policy area are commonly referred to as which of the following?

A) Emperors
B) Czars
C) Dictators
D) Autocrats
E) Aristocrats

Question 50

Which of the following is true of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment?

A) It was first used when President Ford nominated Nelson Rockefeller as vice president.
B) It has never been used.
C) It was the result of the long illness of President Carter.
D) It is only used when the Constitution explicitly says that it is applicable.
E) It was used by President Nixon when he appointed Gerald Ford vice president.

Question 51

Describe the executive offices that support the president.

Question 52

Discuss the characteristics commonly shared by U.S. presidents, and discuss the prospects for deviation from the norm.

Question 53

Describe the evolution of the president's wartime powers, providing examples from various military activities throughout American history.

Question 54

One major reason why Joe Biden was selected by Barack Obama as his vice presidential running mate was Biden's expertise in which of the following areas?

A) Foreign policy
B) Welfare policy
C) Drug policy
D) Economic policy
E) Immigration policy

Question 55

How do political polarization in Congress and divided government affect the success with which the president pursues his agenda?

Question 56

The White House Office, the National Security Council, and the Office of Management and Budget are all part of which of the following?

A) The kitchen cabinet
B) The cabinet
C) The Executive Office of the President
D) The Council of Presidential Advisors
E) The system of checks on executive power

Question 57

Discuss the issue of what it means to be a "natural born citizen" and how this affects the politics of the presidency.

Question 58

Which of the following was the only U.S. president to resign from office?

A) Gerald Ford
B) Richard Nixon
C) Andrew Jackson
D) Bill Clinton
E) Jimmy Carter

Question 59

Which of the following is the correct line of presidential succession, after the vice president?

A) The Speaker of the House, followed by the secretary of state
B) The secretary of state, followed by the Speaker of the House
C) The Speaker of the House, followed by the president pro tempore of the Senate
D) The president pro tempore of the Senate, followed by the Speaker of the House
E) The secretary of state, followed by the president pro tempore of the Senate

Question 60

According to the Twenty-Fifth Amendment, if a president's ability to discharge his or her normal functions is in question and he or she cannot communicate, which of the following is true?

A) The Supreme Court is empowered to select a physician to certify whether or not the president is able to perform the duties of his or her office.
B) The Speaker of the House becomes acting president until the matter is resolved.
C) A majority of the cabinet, including the vice president, can declare the president incapable.
D) The vice president has the exclusive power to determine the president's capability.
E) The president must be permanently removed from office.

Question 61

Detail the reasons and ways in which a vice president may assume the presidency, without actually winning election to that office.

Question 62

Explain the pattern of presidential succession and the policies established by the Twenty-Fifth Amendment.