Deck 9: The Executive Branch: The President, the Bureaucracy, and Executive Power

Question 1

What event spurred the establishment of the most recent cabinet-level department?

A) World War II
B) The Great Society
C) The Progressive Movement
D) Terrorist attack on 9-11

Answer 1

D

Question 2

When did the last major reorganization of the federal bureaucracy occur?

A) In the mid-1960s
B) In the late 1970s
C) In the late 1980s
D) In the early 2000s

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which presidential institution was established by the Executive Reorganization Act of 1939?

A) Office of Management and Budget
B) The Bureau of the Budget
C) National Security Council
D) Executive Office of the President

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The unitary executive theory is also known as the ___ .

A) weak legislative theory
B) strong presidency theory
C) tepid court theory
D) weak state theory

Question 5

As the emergency of 9/11 receded in the public mind, opposition built in __________to the expanding presidential authority claimed by the Bush administration.

A) the courts
B) public opinion
C) Congress
D) All of the above

Question 6

In the case of Hamdan v. Rumsfeld (2006), the Supreme Court held that the Bush administration's claim of unitary executive power with regard to 9/11 __________constitutional limits.

A) were well within
B) had exceeded
C) preceded
D) assumed

Question 7

When presidents claim unitary executive power, Congress and the courts respond with the doctrine of ___ .

A) federalism
B) due process
C) separation of powers
D) equal protection of the laws

Question 8

Which one of the following statements is true regarding the presidency?

A) Since governing responsibilities are shared with Congress, the presidency does not stand out as the chief point of reference.
B) The president is in charge of the national government.
C) Constitutional authority and political resources are shared by the president, Congress, and the courts.
D) The popular understanding of the power of the presidency aligns with the office's constitutional authority.

Question 9

The "take care" clause of Art. II, section 3, of the Constitution requires that the president ___ .

A) comprehensively audit administrative laws on government agencies
B) effectively coordinate proposed laws with both houses of Congress
C) efficiently administer the laws that Congress has passed
D) thoroughly assess Supreme Court decisions on the limits of proposed laws

Question 10

The treaty-making power of the federal government refers to ___ .

A) the power of the president to make arrangements between the federal and state governments on border issues
B) the power of the president, with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties with foreign nations
C) the power of the president to negotiate an agreement with foreign governments that do not require confirmation by the Senate
D) the power to join international organizations

Question 11

The executive agreements of the presidency refer to ___ .

A) the power of the president to make arrangements between the federal and state governments on border issues
B) the power of the president, with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties with foreign nations
C) the power of the president to negotiate an agreement with foreign governments before deciding whether it requires Senate approval
D) the power to join international organizations

Question 12

Which one of the following statements is true regarding the founders' decision regarding peace and war?

A) The president was given the responsibility and power to "raise and support" armies and navies and to "declare war."
B) The Founders were quite clear that the choice of peace and war that had rested with the monarchs of Europe would also be given to the president.
C) The Congress was given the responsibility and power to "raise and support" armies and navies and to "declare war."
D) The Congress was given the responsibility and power to "raise and support" armies and navies but only the president could "declare war."

Question 13

For which one of the following branches only does the Constitution provide an oath of office?

A) Congress
B) Presidency
C) Courts
D) Military officers

Question 14

The formal or constitutional powers of the presidency have been supplemented by __________powers.

A) expressed
B) enumerated
C) concurrent
D) informal

Question 15

According to Article II, section 2, of the Constitution, the president has the power to grant __________for offenses against the United States except in cases of impeachment.

A) reprieves
B) pardons
C) Both of the above
D) None of the above

Question 16

Which one of the following statements is true regarding the president's veto power?

A) The Supreme Court has held that the power to veto legislation it is an inherent power of the presidency.
B) The use of the veto power by the president is automatically subject to review by the Supreme Court.
C) If the president vetoes a bill from Congress, he must return the bill with his objections.
D) If the president vetoes a bill from Congress, they may override the veto with a majority vote in each house

Question 17

Which one of the following statements is true regarding the impeachment process of federal government officials?

A) The act of impeachment refers only to charges brought against an official.
B) The act of impeachment refers only to the official's conviction at trial.
C) The act of impeachment refers to charges brought against an official and the official's conviction at trial.
D) None of the above

Question 18

After a federal government official has been impeached, a __________vote of senators is required to convict.

A) simple majority
B) three-fifths
C) two-thirds
D) three-fourths

Question 19

Presidents Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump were ___ .

A) impeached but not convicted
B) impeached and convicted
C) convicted but not impeached
D) None of the above

Question 20

The decision to impeach the president, let alone to convict, is ___ .

A) a political but not a legal judgment
B) a legal but not a political judgment
C) a political and a legal judgment
D) neither a legal nor a political judgment

Question 21

Which one of the following statements is true regarding party control of Congress and the likely possibility of impeaching the president?

A) A president whose party controls either house of Congress, let alone both, is likely to be impeached and highly likely to be impeached and convicted.
B) A president whose party controls either house of Congress, let alone both, is unlikely to be impeached but highly likely to be impeached and convicted.
C) A president whose party controls either house of Congress, let alone both, is likely to be impeached but highly unlikely to be impeached and convicted.
D) A president whose party controls either house of Congress, let alone both, is unlikely to be impeached and highly unlikely to be impeached and convicted.

Question 22

As the twentieth century dawned, the United States was becoming an industrial power that prompted the adoption of the __________of the presidency.

A) unitary theory
B) stewardship theory
C) executive theory
D) strong theory

Question 23

Vast new executive powers that have arisen since World War II have been found in ___ .

A) enumerated powers
B) concurrent powers
C) inherent powers
D) reserved powers

Question 24

Since 1937, the Supreme Court has contributed to the growth of presidential power in domestic politics by supporting ___ .

A) extensive government regulation of the economy but not of social life
B) extensive government regulation of the social life but not of the economy
C) extensive government regulation of the economy and of social life
D) extensive government regulation of neither the economy nor of social life

Question 25

In both foreign affairs and domestic affairs, the president has ___ .

A) more constitutional powers than informal powers
B) more distributive powers than unitary powers
C) more informal powers than constitutional powers
D) more unitary powers than distributive powers

Question 26

Which one of the following is not a check on the president as commander-in-chief?

A) State control of the militia
B) Congress' right to declare war
C) War Powers Resolution
D) Congress' power of the purse

Question 27

In 2006, the Supreme Court found that President Bush's proposed military commissions to try Guantanamo detainees ___ .

A) were authorized by Congress and upheld the administration's contention that the federal courts had no jurisdiction to hear the case
B) were not authorized by Congress and rejected the administration's contention that the federal courts had no jurisdiction to hear the case
C) were not authorized by Congress but upheld the administration's contention that the federal courts had no jurisdiction to hear the case
D) were authorized by Congress but rejected the administration's contention that the federal courts had no jurisdiction to hear the case

Question 28

In 2008 the __________blocked the Obama administration from bringing detainees at Guantanamo, Cuba, to trial in U.S. federal courts.

A) Supreme Court
B) Congress
C) Cuban government
D) None of the above

Question 29

The War Powers Resolution was passed over the veto of ___ .

A) Richard Nixon
B) Jimmy Carter
C) Ronald Reagan
D) George W. Bush

Question 30

Which one of the following requirements on the president is contained in the War Powers Resolution?

A) The president must consult with Congress before committing the U.S. military to hostilities.
B) The president must submit information to Congress within 48 hours of committing the U.S. military to hostilities.
C) After 60 days, the president must terminate the U.S. military's participation in the hostilities.
D) All of the above

Question 31

As chief diplomat, the president must nominate the leading members of the policymaking teams associated with all but which one of the following institutions ___ .

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

Question 32

Which one of the following assignments does not fall within the range of presidential responsibility?

A) chief diplomat
B) chief opinion maker
C) chief trade negotiator
D) chief legislator

Question 33

Upon what does the modern president's legislative leadership depend?

A) annual preparation of a budget to submit to Congress
B) annual preparation of a legislative program to submit to Congress
C) Both of the above
D) None of the above

Question 34

Which one of the following statements is true regarding a president's legislative success?

A) Presidents have more legislative success later in their terms than they do earlier in their terms.
B) Presidents have more legislative success earlier in their terms than they do later in their terms.
C) Presidents build experience, so they thrive during the middle two years of their four-year term.
D) Presidents rarely have any legislative success regardless of where they are in their terms.

Question 35

Which of the following statements is true regarding a president's first year in office?

A) George W. Bush won an extensive package of tax cuts and his No Child Left Behind education bill.
B) Barack Obama cut corporate income taxes.
C) Donald Trump passed his Obamacare replacement.
D) All of the above

Question 36

With regard to public opinion polls, Donald Trump's early job approval ratings were ___ .

A) the lowest in modern times
B) lower than George W. Bush but higher than Barack Obama
C) lower than Ronald Reagan but higher than Bill Clinton
D) the highest in modern times

Question 37

Which one of the following statements is true regarding the president as party leader?

A) As the titular leader of his party, the president has major influence over its activities.
B) The president selects his party's national leaders.
C) The president can absolutely determine the positions taken by the national party in its platform.
D) The president exercises even more control over his party at the state and local levels.

Question 38

Which one of the following presidents issued more signing statements than all previous administrations combined?

A) Barack Obama
B) George W. Bush
C) Bill Clinton
D) Ronald Reagan

Question 39

Some presidents have used signing statements to __________intrude on executive authority and therefore are not binding on the president.

A) oppose executive agreements of his predecessors with which he disagrees because they
B) challenge the arguments of plaintiffs suing the president as inadmissible in court because they
C) declare that certain provisions of legislation passed by Congress and that he signed into law
D) block policy decisions of independent regulatory commissions that expand the authority of Congress and thus

Question 40

The American Bar Association and other critics have questioned the constitutionality of presidential signing statements because they impinge on ___ .

A) Congress's lawmaking power
B) the federal courts' right to declare what is and is not constitutional
C) Both of the above
D) None of the above

Question 41

While the president has the right to control the appointments of 3,400 senior policymakers, how many of these positions require Senate confirmation?

A) approximately 1,100
B) approximately 2,200
C) approximately 3,300
D) All 3,400, since all presidential appointments require Senate confirmation

Question 42

Which one of the following branches of government has the exclusive right to control and direct federal bureaucracies?

A) president
B) Congress
C) courts
D) No branch has the exclusive right to control federal bureaucracies

Question 43

Given the fact that the president, Congress, and the courts all have important constitutional and legal roles in organizing and monitoring federal bureaucracies, a clearer term than that of "separation of powers" might be "separated institutions ___ ".

A) merging power
B) sharing power
C) concentrating power
D) increasing power

Question 44

Federal bureaucracies have become an increasingly accurate reflection of the society it serves, especially with regard to ___ .

A) blacks
B) Hispanics
C) women
D) All of the above

Question 45

The __________is the basic organizational unit of the federal government.

A) commission
B) department
C) agency
D) bureau

Question 46

The addition of departments of the federal government have appeared in three broad waves. The first wave was formed to serve the needs of ___ .

A) specific clientele groups
B) basic tasks of government
C) general social services
D) westward settlement

Question 47

The addition of departments of the federal government have appeared in three broad waves. The second wave was formed to serve the needs of ___ .

A) specific clientele groups
B) basic tasks of government
C) general social services
D) westward settlement

Question 48

The addition of departments of the federal government have appeared in three broad waves. The third wave was formed to serve the needs of ___ .

A) specific clientele groups
B) basic tasks of government
C) general social services
D) Global constituencies

Question 49

Which one of the following statements is not true regarding cabinet members?

A) They are dependent on Congress for approval of their programs and budgets.
B) They can be removed from their office only with the consent of the Senate.
C) They remain subject to congressional scrutiny and investigation.
D) They have been confirmed in their positions by the Senate.

Question 50

Today, the executive branch oversees __________independent regulatory commissions.

A) 6
B) 8
C) 10
D) 12

Question 51

Which one of the following statements is not true regarding the president, Congress, and bureaucracies?

A) The president and the Congress struggle to control the bureaucracy.
B) The bureaucracies take directions from many sources in government.
C) The president is "in charge" of the bureaucracies in some direct and unambiguous sense.
D) The courts act as arbiters between the president and the Congress over legal control of bureaucracies.

Question 52

The president exercises influence over the bureaucracy through his ___ .

A) power of appointment
B) power to propose new programs and budgets
C) power to restructure and reorganize
D) All of the above

Question 53

The Congress exercises influence over the bureaucracy through its ___ .

A) power to grant or refuse new programs and funding
B) power to confirm nominees (Senate)
C) power to engage in oversight and investigation
D) All of the above

Question 54

With regard to the bureaucracy, the judiciary has the power to intervene to ___ .

A) resolve disputes over interpretation of statutes
B) monitor due process and fairness
C) Both of the above
D) None of the above

Question 55

Which of the following statements is not true regarding presidents and their approaches to bureaucracies?

A) Sometimes presidents seek to upgrade communications, personnel, and financial systems
B) Presidents never attempt to reorganize the departments, agencies, and bureaus of the federal government.
C) Every president seeks to reorganize the bureaucracy.
D) Sometimes president's divide departments into two or even create new departments.

Question 56

"Cabinet government" refers to the president's ___ .

A) willingness to look to members of the Executive Office of the President as his most prominent sources of advice
B) willingness to look to members of his National Security Council as his most prominent sources of advice
C) willingness to look to members of his cabinet as his most prominent sources of advice
D) strategic ability to keep his most important initiatives in the cabinet until he is ready to pass them

Question 57

The Executive Office of the President was established as part of an attempt to ensure that the president had adequate __________support.

A) financial
B) campaign
C) legislative
D) staff

Question 58

President Trump's initial cabinet was heavy with ___ .

A) a balancing of positions by gender, race, ethnicity, and region
B) inexperienced but educated youth with little experience in government
C) older, white, male, businessmen and generals
D) a long list of Obama holdovers

Question 59

The White House staff is organized to ___ .

A) get the right people and information to the president
B) transmit the president's decisions and the reasons for them to departments, Congress, and the public
C) Both of the above
D) None of the above

Question 60

The main responsibility of the OMB is to ___ .

A) assisting the president in preparing the annual budget
B) ensure that the legislative priorities of the departments and agencies of the executive branch comport with the president's program
C) monitor the implementation of programs to ensure that they are both effective and cost-efficient
D) All of the above

Question 61

Which one of the following is not a "statutory member" of the National Security Council?

A) president
B) vice president
C) secretary of state
D) director of the CIA

Question 62

Which one of the following is not a "statutory advisor" to the National Security Council?

A) chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
B) director of the CIA
C) secretary of defense
D) director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency

Question 63

In contrast with the monarchies of Europe, the Founders had __________view of executive power.

A) the same
B) a narrower
C) a broader
D) None of the above

Question 64

With regard to identifying the limit of presidential powers, which two of the following theories are in competition with each other for attention?

A) unitary executive
B) legislative oversight
C) judicial review
D) separation of powers

Question 65

Most of the delegates arriving in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 for the Constitutional Convention were convinced that executive power had to be both __________and __________simultaneously.

A) enhanced
B) restrained
C) avoided
D) embraced

Question 66

After a difficult and challenging presidential campaign, Donald Trump entered the presidency with the nation in a state of __________and __________distress.

A) war-weary
B) political
C) economic
D) emotional

Question 67

Most of the president's executive powers are hedged about with __________and __________checks.

A) judicial
B) federal
C) legislative
D) international

Question 68

In the impeachment process of federal government officials, the __________brings charges against the official while the __________conducts the trial.

A) Supreme Court
B) House
C) special prosecutor
D) Senate

Question 69

The modern presidency was largely defined by Franklin Delano Roosevelt's dramatic responses to __________and ___ .

A) World War I
B) World War II
C) Recession
D) Depression

Question 70

Which two of the following cases are examples of presidents finding it easier to lead in foreign policy than in domestic policy?

A) Bill Clinton and military relations with Russia
B) George W. Bush and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
C) Barack Obama and Libyan terrorists
D) Donald Trump and North Korea's nuclear weapons

Question 71

The __________is more dominant in foreign affairs because of ___ .

A) Congress
B) President
C) the constitutional power to declare war
D) superior sources of information

Question 72

Which two of the following were key aspects of the post-World War II period that led to broad changes in the constitutional positions of Congress and the president in regard to war-making?

A) creation of a worldwide network of defense treaties
B) the military-industrial complex that kept the economy on a war footing
C) the U.S. policy of "containment" directed against the Soviet Union, China, and communism
D) Supreme Court decisions that struck down nearly all congressional anti-war legislation

Question 73

In 2006, the Supreme Court __________the Bush administration's plan to try Guantanamo detainees before ___ .

A) civilian courts
B) rejected
C) affirmed
D) military commissions

Question 74

In 2008, the Supreme Court __________the Obama administration's plan to try Guantanamo detainees before ___ .

A) civilian courts
B) rejected
C) affirmed
D) military commissions

Question 75

Which two of the following tracks does the United States pursue in its two-track international trade strategy?

A) bilateral negotiations with nations with whom the United States has a significant trade deficit
B) bilateral trade agreements that lower trade barriers either regionally or globally
C) multilateral negotiations with nations with whom the United States has a significant trade deficit
D) multilateral trade agreements that lower trade barriers either regionally or globally

Question 76

__________tend to use their leverage over the bureaucracy to ___ .

A) limit its intrusion into the private sector
B) Republican presidents
C) insure that federal laws and regulations are closely followed
D) Democratic presidents

Question 77

__________tend to empower the bureaucracy to ___ .

A) limit its intrusion into the private sector
B) Republican presidents
C) insure that federal laws and regulations are closely followed
D) Democratic presidents

Question 78

Which two of the following administrative approaches have presidents used to staff the White House?

A) the model of a wheel on which each spoke, each key staffer, leads directly to the president
B) the model of concentric circles on which staffer authority increases inversely to the circumference of the circle
C) a hierarchical staff design in which lines of authority and reporting are clear
D) a democratic staff design in which lines of authority overlap and are collaborative

Question 79

Vice President Pence's experience as __________and __________gave him valuable knowledge that President Trump did not have when he became president.

A) a member of the Senate
B) a member of the House
C) governor
D) ambassador

Question 80

As with the prior administration of George Bush, Barack Obama also advanced the unitary executive argument during his presidency.