Deck 12: The Presidency

Question 1

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

Answer 1

C

Question 2

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

Answer 2

D

Question 3

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.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

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 5

When President Dwight Eisenhower ordered the Arkansas National Guard into service to enforce court orders to desegregate schools, it was an example of which of the following?

A) An executive order
B) A political mandate
C) Gerrymandering
D) Filibustering
E) Cloture

Question 6

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 7

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 8

Presidential vetoes tend to increase when which of the following occurs?

A) When it's the president's second term
B) When the Supreme Court exercises judicial review with some frequency
C) When members of the Senate and the House are facing election
D) When the legislation involves civil rights
E) When the opposite party controls both houses of Congress

Question 9

The most controversial expansion of presidential power, in attempting to set the nation's policy agenda, has come through which of the following?

A) The veto power
B) The appointment power
C) The pardon power
D) The commander-in-chief power
E) The legislative power

Question 10

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 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

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 13

How did Barack Obama use vetoes during his term of office?

A) He only issued five pocket vetoes.
B) He never used the veto.
C) He used a total of nine vetoes through 2016.
D) He issued a total of thirty-one vetoes.
E) He asked for a constitutional amendment suspending vetoes.

Question 14

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.

Question 15

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 16

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 17

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 18

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 19

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 20

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 21

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 22

How many cabinet departments are there at present?

A) 12
B) 15
C) 10
D) 18
E) 13

Question 23

Which of the following is often seen as the most difficult obstacle presidents face when attempting to influence public opinion?

A) The unwillingness of the media to cover the president's statements
B) The high level of partisanship in the electorate
C) The complexity of modern domestic policy making
D) The lack of serious attention by the public
E) The cultural tendency of Americans to resist central authority

Question 24

When George Washington formed his first cabinet, which of the following was not included?

A) A housing secretary
B) An attorney general
C) A secretary of war
D) A secretary of state
E) A secretary of the treasury

Question 25

What does the phrase "divided government" refer to?

A) Democrats and Republicans agreeing on a coalition government
B) The separation of powers among the three branches
C) The specialization in Congress, based on committees
D) One party controlling the presidency, and the other party controlling Congress
E) Congress and the president being opposed by the Supreme Court

Question 26

Which of the following presidents asked, after being challenged on his aggressive expansion of presidential power, "Was it possible to lose the nation, yet preserve the Constitution"?

A) Andrew Jackson
B) George W. Bush
C) Abraham Lincoln
D) Lyndon Johnson
E) Theodore Roosevelt

Question 27

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 28

The delegation of powers by which of the following gives the executive branch the additional authority to address new problems?

A) State government
B) Congress
C) The voting public
D) The Supreme Court
E) The Senate majority leader

Question 29

Presidential powers that are not clearly specified in the Constitution but which are inferred are called which of the following?

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

Question 30

When a president invokes the idea of "going public", he pressures Congress to go along with his program by doing which of the following?

A) Implementing a pocket veto
B) Using his inherent powers
C) Appealing to constituents
D) Appointing a legislative committee
E) Denying the power of incumbency

Question 31

According to research, which of the following happens when presidents use energetic and well-planned efforts to influence public opinion?

A) It can move public responses to opinion polls by about ten percentage points.
B) They are likely to have little effect.
C) They are far more effective when dealing with foreign policy than domestic policy.
D) They are far more effective when dealing with domestic policy than foreign policy.
E) This only works during the president's first year in office.

Question 32

A president's concern with public opinion can be labeled as a way to advance what kind of democracy?

A) Libertarian
B) Liberal
C) Communitarian
D) Pluralist
E) Majoritarian

Question 33

Which of the following influences current-day presidents the most?

A) The cabinet
B) Congress
C) The White House staff
D) The National Security Council
E) U.S. Supreme Court rulings

Question 34

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 35

When President Lincoln instituted a blockade of southern ports, considered an act of war, he deemed his use of power necessary under which of the following?

A) Under his constitutional power as commander-in-chief
B) Under emergency powers granted by the Constitution
C) Under his constitutional powers to tax and spend for the general welfare
D) By claiming inherent powers to preserve the Union
E) Under his constitutional powers with the authority of Congress

Question 36

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 37

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 38

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 39

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 40

When does a president typically receive his highest approval ratings?

A) During his first year in office
B) During his final year in office
C) During the political campaign leading up to the election
D) Right after the State of the Union Address
E) During the inauguration ceremony

Question 41

From the end of World War II until the late 1980s, the primary item on the foreign policy agenda of American presidents was which of the following?

A) The Arab-Israeli and other Middle East conflicts
B) Islamist extremism
C) Containment of communism
D) Cooperating with European powers to halt the spread of far-right hate groups
E) Working toward trade arrangements with "The East"

Question 42

Which of the following presidents made important strides in foreign relations, completing an important arms control agreement with the Soviet Union and beginning negotiations with China, a country with which the United States had no formal diplomatic relations?

A) John F. Kennedy
B) Gerald Ford
C) Jimmy Carter
D) Ronald Reagan
E) Richard Nixon

Question 43

During the Cuban missile crisis, President Kennedy privately signaled to Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev that if the Soviet Union removed its missiles from Cuba, the United States would do which of the following?

A) Leave Cuba
B) Leave NATO
C) Remove missiles from Europe
D) Remove missiles from Alaska
E) Remove missiles from Turkey

Question 44

In his inaugural address, President Ronald Reagan used the term freedom rhetorically to refer to which of the following?

A) Fair court procedures
B) Economic and social equality
C) Halting communism in Southeast Asia
D) Ensuring a minimal level of government involvement in day-to-day life
E) Equality

Question 45

With respect to presidential leadership in the legislative arena, which of the following is true of the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt?

A) He did not actively pursue an aggressive legislative agenda.
B) He ushered in the era of significant presidential legislative action.
C) He slowed down the traditionally active presidential legislative agenda.
D) He continued the traditionally passive legislative stance of presidents.
E) He was less successful in implementing his legislative agenda than most presidents before or since.

Question 46

Which of the following is the term for the situation where the government is incapable of acting on important issues?

A) Partisanship
B) Gridlock
C) Franking
D) Polarization
E) Fundamentalism

Question 47

Presidents travel frequently to raise funds for congressional candidates. In addition to electing more members of their own party, they also do this to accomplish which of the following?

A) Meet with fundraisers for their own future campaigns
B) Meet with constituents, which helps them the next time they may need to "go public"
C) Get a bump in approval ratings
D) Get the gratitude of legislators
E) Get future Court nominees appointed with ease

Question 48

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 49

The group of advisors that helps the president mold a coherent approach to foreign policy is known as which of the following?

A) The National Security Council
B) The Department of Defense
C) The intelligence community
D) The Foreign Affairs Committee
E) The National Security Agency

Question 50

A pact between the leaders of two nations is known as which of the following?

A) Treaty
B) Executive agreement
C) Legislative act
D) Resolution
E) Initiative

Question 51

The White House is willing to work with interest groups for which of the following reasons?

A) They are able to mobilize their constituents to contact members of Congress.
B) They are a resource Congress tends to ignore.
C) They are able to access financial resources that could be helpful to the president.
D) They are numerous.
E) They are too powerful to be ignored.

Question 52

Which of the following is considered a model of effective crisis management?

A) Bush and the Iraqi war
B) Reagan and the invasion of Grenada
C) Reagan and the TWA hijacking
D) Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis
E) Carter and the Iranian hostage crisis

Question 53

President Jimmy Carter noted that the president's singular responsibility was "representing all the people." Who did he blame for distorting this purpose?

A) Preferred programs
B) Wars
C) Political candidates
D) Constituents
E) Interest groups

Question 54

Which of the following federal organizations has come under closer scrutiny for spying not only on other countries, but also on Americans by gathering phone records?

A) The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
B) The Defense Security Agency (DSA)
C) The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
D) The National Security Agency (NSA)
E) The State Department

Question 55

What name was given to President Lyndon Johnson's liberal agenda for America?

A) The New Deal
B) The New America
C) The Great Society
D) The Great Deal
E) The Renewal Agenda

Question 56

In his inaugural address, President Lyndon Johnson used the term justice rhetorically to refer to which of the following?

A) Fair court procedures
B) Economic and social equality
C) Halting communism in Southeast Asia
D) Ensuring a minimal level of government involvement in day-to-day life
E) A hardline criminal law stance

Question 57

Describe four major duties and/or powers that the Constitution gives to the president.

Question 58

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 59

The "fundraiser in chief" for each party is typically whom?

A) Senate majority leader
B) House majority leader
C) Vice president
D) President
E) Speaker of the House

Question 60

The main conduit for communication between the president and Congress is which of the following?

A) The legislative liaison staff
B) Friendly lobbyists
C) Journalists trading information in their attempts to find out what is likely to happen with legislation
D) The president's chief of staff
E) Staff from the offices of the Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader of the Senate

Question 61

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 62

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

Question 63

Explain why the Founding Fathers were willing to allow the president to be coequal with Congress when the Constitution was first written. How much did the fact that Washington was the obvious choice impact the Founders' decision? Explain.

Question 64

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

Question 65

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

Question 66

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

Question 67

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

Question 68

Discuss the way that Presidents Johnson and Reagan used the words justice and freedom, and how this signaled the philosophies through which they would govern.

Question 69

Describe the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 and why it is a good example of a president exercising sound judgment and remaining cool when faced with difficult choices?

Question 70

What are the three fundamental objectives of the president with regard to international relations?

Question 71

Describe the executive offices that support the president.

Question 72

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