Deck 10: The Presidency

Question 1

Which of the following statements about the military sources of domestic power is most accurate?

A) The president is obligated to deploy national troops every time the state legislature or governor requests them.
B) The president may not deploy troops in a state or city without a specific request from the state legislature or the governor.
C) The president is not allowed to deploy military forces within the United States under any circumstance.
D) Military emergencies, such as World War I, World War II, and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, have typically led to an expansion of the domestic powers of the executive branch.
E) Military emergencies, such as World War I, World War II, and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, have typically led to a decrease in the domestic powers of the executive branch.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

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

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

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Executive agreements differ from formal treaties in that they:

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

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Why was George Washington's reception of Edmond Genet as ambassador of France during the French Revolution so significant?

A) It demonstrated that the United States could use diplomacy to stay out of European conflicts.
B) It reflected the authority of the president to officially recognize a specific regime as the sovereign power of a nation, even when there is doubt as to who rules that nation.
C) It was the first time any nation had recognized the United States as independent.
D) It prevented the economic embargo of American goods by the king of France.
E) It ensured that France would be America's ally in any foreign conflict.

Question 5

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) Neutrality Act of 1937
D) Boland Amendment of 1982
E) Arms Control Export Act of 1976

Question 6

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 immunity
D) executive agreements
E) bypass agreements

Question 7

In undertaking the campaign against the Taliban in 2001,George W.Bush:

A) sought and received a declaration of war from Congress
B) sought but failed to receive a declaration of war from Congress
C) sought and received congressional authorization for the bombing but not a declaration of war
D) took action without approval from Congress
E) launched military operations only after Congress passed a formal declaration of war that legally required the president to attack Afghanistan

Question 8

When North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950:

A) Congress declared war before President Truman could formally request it
B) Truman asked for a declaration of war and received one
C) Truman asked for a declaration of war and was rebuffed
D) Truman sent American troops to Korea without asking for a declaration of war
E) Truman did not immediately send American troops to Korea because the Supreme Court ruled that it would be an unconstitutional use of presidential power

Question 9

The president's expressed powers include all of the following except:

A) military powers
B) partisan powers
C) judicial powers
D) diplomatic powers
E) executive powers

Question 10

The office of the presidency was established by _______ of the Constitution.

A) Article I
B) Article II
C) Article III
D) Article IV
E) Article V

Question 11

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
E) give the president more freedom in determining when and where to deploy American military forces

Question 12

Which of the following statements about presidential pardons is FALSE?

A) George Washington declared amnesty for all Americans who fought for the British during the War for Independence.
B) Andrew Johnson declared amnesty for all Confederate soldiers.
C) Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon for crimes he may have committed.
D) Jimmy Carter declared amnesty for all draft evaders during the Vietnam War.
E) The presidential power to grant pardons involves power over all individuals who may be a threat to the security of the United States.

Question 13

When the president infers powers from the "rights,duties,and obligations" of the presidency,these are called:

A) delegated powers
B) necessary and proper powers
C) inherent powers
D) war powers
E) expressed powers

Question 14

The power to receive ambassadors is an example of:

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

Question 15

What did the framers mean to accomplish by indirect election of the president?

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

Question 16

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

A) the president may make unilateral use of the emergency powers to protect states against domestic disorder
B) the president requires the federal court's approval before using troops in domestic disturbances
C) the use of the president's emergency powers against domestic disorder necessitates a request by the governor to the affected state
D) the president needs congressional authorization to use troops in both domestic and international situations
E) the president can only use troops in domestic situations when the health and safety of children under the age of 18 is threatened

Question 17

The power to declare war is given to whom under the Constitution?

A) the president
B) the Senate
C) both houses of Congress
D) the Senate, with the approval of the president
E) the Department of Defense

Question 18

Which of the following statements is most accurate?

A) The War Powers Act has been fully observed by every president who has deployed the military overseas since Gerald Ford.
B) Recent presidents have refrained from asking Congress to declare war and have, instead, frequently deployed the military without congressional authorization.
C) Recent presidents have asked Congress to declare war many times and have never deployed the military without congressional authorization.
D) Congress passed the War Powers Resolution in order to give the president more control over the military.
E) As a result of the War Powers Resolution, Congress now has more control over the military than the president does.

Question 19

Why is the president's State of the Union address important?

A) It is often the only time that members of Congress get to question the president directly.
B) It is an opportunity for the president to set the legislative agenda by initiating proposals and directing public attention to the executive's goals.
C) It is an opportunity for the president to highlight the positive actions of the previous year.
D) It is the only time the president is constitutionally allowed to address Congress.
E) It determines the exact budget for the upcoming year.

Question 20

The last time Congress exercised its constitutional power to declare war was in:

A) 1941
B) 1950
C) 1964
D) 2001
E) 2003

Question 21

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

A) state governors who resign before their term has expired
B) all state Supreme Court justices
C) cabinet secretaries
D) members of the House of Representatives who resign before their term has expired
E) the Speaker of the House

Question 22

An informal group of advisers to the president is often called the:

A) Kitchen Cabinet
B) plumbers
C) round table
D) colloquium
E) good ol' boys (despite the fact that many women have entered these ranks)

Question 23

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 he proposes and for every tax increase he suggests
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
E) its staff constantly analyzes the economy and economic trends in order to give the president the ability to anticipate events rather than reacting to them

Question 24

When Congress delegates power to the executive branch,it:

A) substantially reduces the power of the federal government compared to state governments
B) has no impact on the importance of the presidency at all
C) violates the Constitution by violating the separation of powers
D) substantially reduces the importance of the presidency
E) substantially enhances the importance of the presidency

Question 25

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

A) the Cabinet
B) the White House staff
C) the Office of the Vice President
D) the executive office of the president
E) the Department of the Interior

Question 26

As a means of managing the gigantic executive branch,presidents have increasingly come to rely upon the:

A) Cabinet
B) executive office of the president
C) Kitchen Cabinet
D) White House staff
E) the Speaker of the House

Question 27

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

A) White House staff
B) Committee of Staff
C) presidential advisory committee
D) Cabinet
E) executive office of the president

Question 28

The president's delegated powers come from:

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

Question 29

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
E) a president's veto cannot be overridden unless it concerns the budget, in which case it requires a three-fourths of both houses

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
E) a series of Supreme Court decisions that have reinterpreted Article II of the Constitution

Question 31

The Environmental Protection Agency was created in 1970 by:

A) an executive order
B) congressional legislation
C) a treaty with Canada and Mexico
D) executive privilege
E) a Supreme Court decision

Question 32

The State of the Union address is:

A) required by a law passed by Congress in 1802 and renewed ever since
B) requested by the president, and comity demands that his request is always accepted
C) based on tradition, but was discontinued during the Great Depression and World War II
D) mandated by the Constitution
E) requested by the media and nearly always agreed to by the president and Congress

Question 33

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.
E) Throughout all of American history, Congress has tended to give executive agencies broad mandates and to draft legislation that offers few clear guidelines for implementation by the executive.

Question 34

The president's power to set the debate concerning public policy in Congress is called:

A) an executive mandate
B) an executive privilege
C) a legislative initiative
D) an executive order
E) a presidential prerogative

Question 35

An executive order is:

A) a rule or regulation issued unilaterally by the president, with the status of a law
B) an emergency decree that is law only for the duration of a crisis or pending congressional approval
C) a demand to Congress that it vote on a particular piece of legislation
D) any act of the executive branch that does not have to be made public
E) a decree issued by the president that requires the federal courts to hear a particular case regarding the Constitution

Question 36

The executive office of the president (EOP)was established:

A) under George Washington in 1790
B) under Andrew Jackson in 1829
C) under Franklin Roosevelt in 1939
D) under Lyndon Johnson in 1965
E) under Bill Clinton in 1993

Question 37

Which statement about the Cabinet is incorrect?

A) The Cabinet has no legal status under the Constitution.
B) The Cabinet does not make decisions collectively.
C) The Cabinet does not meet as a group, except during the State of the Union address.
D) The Senate must approve the president's choice of cabinet secretaries.
E) Cabinet members are not responsible to the Senate or Congress at large.

Question 38

The groups of advisers and analysts to the president are collectively called the:

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

Question 39

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

A) to serve as Speaker of the House of Representatives
B) to cast tie-breaking votes in the Senate
C) to act as a chief admiral of the U.S. Navy
D) to represent the president overseas
E) to run the day-to-day operations of the executive office of the president

Question 40

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 frequently overridden.
E) Use of the veto has remained constant across presidential administrations and vetoes are seldom overridden.

Question 41

Which of the following statements about signing statements is FALSE?

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 hundreds of 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.
E) Recent presidents have used signing statements in an attempt to negate congressional actions to which they objected.

Question 42

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) act as the political party's chief fundraiser
E) promote bipartisanship with members of the opposing political party

Question 43

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) Richard Nixon
E) Ronald Reagan

Question 44

According to the text,what are the three most common ways for a president to expand his base of power?

A) party support, popular mobilization, and administrative control
B) congressional mandate, judicial appointments, and constitutional amendments
C) referendums, initiatives, and litigation
D) fund-raising, advertising, and logrolling
E) gerrymandering, appropriations, and oversight of state governments

Question 45

The framers were concerned that a directly elected president would become too powerful.

Question 46

The first lady is an important resource for the president in his capacity as:

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

Question 47

Which first lady was the first to seek and win public office on her own?

A) Dolly Madison
B) Eleanor Roosevelt
C) Betty Ford
D) Hillary Clinton
E) Laura Bush

Question 48

The technique of popular mobilization dates back to the presidency of:

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

Question 49

When are the president's partisan ties most important?

A) in winning support from public opinion
B) in raising campaign funds
C) in dealing with Congress on legislative matters
D) in making executive appointments
E) in negotiating treaties and executive agreements

Question 50

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
E) a series of Supreme Court decisions that ruled executive mandates were unconstitutional

Question 51

Why was it considered shocking when,after the Civil War,Andrew Johnson made a series of speeches seeking public support for his Reconstruction policies?

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

Question 52

Which of the following actions was NOT the result of an executive order?

A) the Louisiana Purchase
B) the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II
C) the entrance into the United Nations
D) the annexation of Texas
E) the desegregation of the military

Question 53

When the White House directs administrative agencies to promulgate specific rules and regulations,this is called:

A) regulatory review
B) administrative oversight
C) delegation
D) an executive agreement
E) a mandate

Question 54

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

A) The Constitution requires that the president explain his interpretation of every law he 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.
E) Signing statements were invented during the Reagan administration as a way for the president to circumvent the federal court system.

Question 55

The expansion of the executive office of the president,the development of regulatory review,and the use of executive orders have been important because:

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

Question 56

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

A) Presidents usually begin with moderate ratings which 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 term in office continues.
E) No pattern has been discerned in presidential approval ratings.

Question 57

Which of the following statements best describes the number of significant executive orders between 1960 and 1995?

A) The number of significant executive orders has decreased dramatically between 1960 and 1995.
B) The number of significant executive orders has increased dramatically between 1960 and 1995.
C) The number of significant executive orders increased from 1960 to 1980 but then decreased from 1980 to 1995.
D) The number of significant executive orders decreased from 1960 to 1980 but then increased from 1980 to 1995.
E) The number of significant executive orders remained the same between 1960 and 1995.

Question 58

Contemporary presidents frequently use popular mobilization and executive administration to achieve their goals because:

A) these strategies give the president the opportunity to work directly with members of Congress from both political parties
B) these strategies almost never fail in producing the exact outcome the president wants
C) America's system of separated powers makes party support an unreliable presidential tool
D) the Constitution gives the president almost no other way to pursue political change
E) the Supreme Court has ruled that presidents are no longer allowed to draft legislation and work directly with members of Congress to pass it

Question 59

A signing statement is:

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

Question 60

Which of the following tactics did Franklin Roosevelt NOT use to forge a link between the executive office and the public?

A) speaking trips around the nation
B) radio-broadcast fireside chats
C) biweekly press conferences with reporters
D) designating the first White House press secretary
E) running extensive national television advertising campaigns

Question 61

The president's State of the Union address is mandated by the Constitution.

Question 62

The War Powers Resolution has been obeyed closely by most presidents over the past thirty years.

Question 63

Since the 1930s,Congress has delegated far less authority to the president than in earlier eras.

Question 64

The office of the president has undergone many changes since the Founding era.Describe the evolution of the presidency.How does the presidency of the twenty-first century differ from that of the nineteenth century? How have relations with Congress changed? What are the president's delegated powers?

Question 65

All executive agreements require the approval of the Senate.

Question 66

Authority given to the president by Congress is called express power.

Question 67

The powers of the president's Cabinet are enumerated in Article IV of the Constitution.

Question 68

The vice president breaks tie votes in the Senate.

Question 69

Describe some of the different individuals and institutions that advise the president.What is the role of the Cabinet? What is the job of the executive office of the president? What more informal networks do presidents maintain?

Question 70

Perhaps the most significant constitutional powers of the president are those concerning waging war.Write an essay exploring the president's war powers.What are they? How have different presidents exercised those powers? What are the war powers of Congress? How has Congress attempted to limit the president's unilateral use of war powers? How had George W.Bush used his war powers to conduct the war on terrorism?

Question 71

Recent presidents have taken increased advantage of administrative strategies to achieve their goals.

Question 72

The executive office of the president is run by the vice president.

Question 73

The last time Congress declared war was with North Korea in 1950.

Question 74

Many scholars argue that a president's greatest powers are informal.Write an essay explaining how the president uses informal powers.What has the White House done to increase the president's popularity? What is the role of party?

Question 75

Describe the different constitutional powers of the president.What are some of the president's most important powers? What are some of the checks upon the president's powers? What was the Founders' vision of the office of president?

Question 76

The president's Cabinet is composed of the secretaries of the major departments of the federal government.