Deck 13: The American Presidency

Question 1

The Virginia and New Jersey Plans both

A)called for a strong national executive.
B)called for a weak national executive.
C)prohibited the inclusion of a national executive.
D)left the length of the executive's term blank.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

In May 2013, Attorney General Eric Holder formally acknowledged

A)an earlier drone strike that targeted an American citizen.
B)President Obama's official birth status.
C)the attack that killed Osama Bin Laden.
D)President Obama's intent to pass the Affordable Care Act (Obama Care).

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The portion of the Constitution that describes the presidency is

A)Article I.
B)Article II.
C)Article III.
D)Article IV.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Less populous states were in favor of which of the following methods of selecting the president?

A)direct election
B)state delegation
C)electors chosen by state legislatures
D)congressional appointment

Question 5

Presidents act powerfully to shape

A)economic policy.
B)social policy.
C)foreign policy.
D)all areas of policy.

Question 6

Delegates to the Congressional Convention settled on a term of ______.

A)two years with no possibility of reelection
B)four years with the possibility of reelection
C)six years with the possibility of reelection
D)eight years with no possibility of reelection

Question 7

The death of Anwar al-Awlaki was apparently the first time since ______ that the United States government had carried out the deliberate killing of an American citizen as a wartime enemy without trial.

A)the American Revolution
B)the War of 1812
C)the Civil War
D)World War II

Question 8

Once the founders settled on a single president, the most contentious issue facing the delegates was

A)how the president would be selected.
B)what qualifications the president should have.
C)the length of a presidential term.
D)whether there should be term limits.

Question 9

The framers of the Constitution feared

A)any executive would be rejected by the states.
B)the executive office would become a puppet for Congress.
C)the office of the president might become too powerful.
D)they had not given the presidential office enough power.

Question 10

On May 22, 2013, Attorney General Eric H.Holder, Jr., notified ______ of the decision by the Obama administration to target and kill Anwar al-Awlaki two years earlier.

A)the American people
B)the leadership of both parties
C)president Obama's cabinet
D)the leadership of Congress

Question 11

Just two weeks after the killing of Anwar al-Awlaki, another drone strike killed

A)al-Awlaki's top aide.
B)al Qaeda's top leadership.
C)al-Awlaki's son.
D)Osama Bin Laden.

Question 12

the Obama administrations justification for the al-Awlaki killing was

A)to protect from threats against national security.
B)to ensure that national secrecy was maintained.
C)as retribution for attacks against soldiers.
D)as a necessary measure in the conduct of foreign war.

Question 13

As evidenced in the Virginia Resolves, even James Madison had

A)given great consideration to the office of president.
B)defended a strong national executive.
C)worked out few specifics for the "national executive."
D)devised a strong and well-organized executive structure.

Question 14

Anwar al-Awlaki's primary weapon was

A)targeted bombing.
B)the use of the Internet.
C)domestic terrorism.
D)massive kidnapping.

Question 15

The part of the Obama administration's decision to target Anwar al-Awlaki that made many political experts uncomfortable was its

A)level of violence.
B)degree of autonomy.
C)constitutionality.
D)degree of secrecy.

Question 16

The executive branch of government is charged with

A)making the nation's statutory laws.
B)putting the nation's laws into effect.
C)interpreting the laws of the nation.
D)determining the constitutionality of a law.

Question 17

Which of the following best describes the relationship between the president and Congress?

A)Congress is superior in power and authority to the president.
B)The president is able to control the political goals of Congress.
C)Congress and the president often have differing political goals.
D)Presidential authority exceeds that of Congress.

Question 18

In the American political system, the president acts as head of

A)the executive branch.
B)the judicial branch.
C)the legislative branch.
D)all branches of government.

Question 19

The most prominent advocate for a strong and single executive was

A)James Madison.
B)Thomas Jefferson.
C)Patrick Henry.
D)James Wilson.

Question 20

What drove al-Awlaki to defend his faith with violence?

A)U.S. policy of war in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan
B)the treatment of Afghan refugees in Pakistan
C)the issue of Jewish persecution against Palestine
D)the detainment of American citizens in Guantanamo

Question 21

Which of the following best describes the president's role in the lawmaking process?

A)direct introduction of bills into the House of Representatives and/or Senate
B)working with party leaders in both chambers to shape the legislative agenda
C)working with the president's own party to introduce and pass a purely partisan agenda
D)joining and leading Congressional committees and subcommittees to steer a bill to the floor

Question 22

In devising a system in which power had to be shared between the three branches, the framers gave the president a(n)______ role in the legislative process.

A)positive and powerful
B)expanded and strong
C)unlimited and extreme
D)limited and mostly negative

Question 23

The portion of the Constitution authorizing the president to "require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Office in each of the executive Departments… " is generally interpreted as creating the president's ______.

A)appointments
B)bureaucracy
C)cabinet
D)supremacy

Question 24

George Washington's decision not to ______ established a precedent that held until Franklin D.Roosevelt's presidency in the 1930s and 1940s.

A)seek a third term of office
B)override congressional legislation
C)influence congressional legislation
D)issue executive orders

Question 25

Roughly ______ presidential appointments require Senate confirmation.

A)17
B)100
C)750
D)1,000

Question 26

Although the convention settled on the simple title "President of the United States," George Washington was said to have preferred

A)"His majesty the illustrious President of the United States and Defender of the Faith."
B)"His exalted sire, the Chief Executive of the United States and Supreme Commander."
C)"His High Mightiness, the President of the United States and Protector of Liberties."
D)simply to be called "the Honorable Mr. Washington."

Question 27

According to your text, the ingredients of successful diplomacy are

A)strength, authority, influence, and supremacy.
B)stealth, longevity, consideration, and consolidation.
C)secrecy, dispatch, unity, continuity, and access to information.
D)gentleness, communication, collaboration, and cooperation.

Question 28

The real audience of the State of the Union address is

A)Congress.
B)the federal bureaucracy.
C)the military.
D)the American people.

Question 29

To be eligible to hold the office of the presidency, a candidate must

A)be a naturalized American citizen.
B)be a natural-born American citizen.
C)be born inside the continental United States.
D)swear an oath of allegiance if born outside the United States.

Question 30

Article II Section 3 gives the president the authority and responsibility to give an annual

A)accounting of national spending.
B)State of the Union address to Congress.
C)review of all bureaucratic agencies.
D)summary of all executive actions and decisions.

Question 31

The advantage that the president has over Congress in foreign affairs is his/her ability to

A)act quickly and decisively on the international stage.
B)negotiate and sign treaties with foreign nations.
C)appoint and station ambassadors all over the world.
D)fund and conduct secret military operations without approval.

Question 32

Article II Section 3 of the Constitution requires that the president

A)take an oath swearing to uphold the Constitution.
B)take care that the laws are faithfully executed.
C)be a natural-born Citizen of the United States.
D)work faithfully and congenially with Congress.

Question 33

The portion of the Constitution that states "The Executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America" can be found in

A)Article I Section 8.
B)Article II Section 1.
C)Article III Section 2.
D)Article IV Section 1.

Question 34

The most important legislative power that the president is given by the Constitution is the

A)filibuster.
B)cloture.
C)veto.
D)override.

Question 35

Which of the following general powers were placed in the hands of the president?

A)expressed, implied, and delegated
B)legislative, executive, and judicial
C)lawmaking, law enforcement, and legal interpretation
D)policymaking, policy implementation, and policy enforcement

Question 36

As head of the executive branch, the president is responsible for

A)all actions and branches of government.
B)carrying out the laws of the nation.
C)making the laws of the nation.
D)interpreting the laws of the nation.

Question 37

When the president chooses a person to fill a position that requires the advice and consent of the Senate in a period when the Senate is not in session, it is called a(n)

A)intercessory appointment.
B)recess appointment.
C)pocketbook appointment.
D)executive appointment.

Question 38

As chief diplomat, the president has the power to

A)declare war.
B)fund foreign operations.
C)ratify treaties.
D)receive ambassadors.

Question 39

As chief diplomat, the president is responsible for

A)creating and executing social policy.
B)developing economic policy.
C)implementing domestic policy.
D)guiding national foreign policy.

Question 40

How old must someone be before attaining the office of president of the United States?

A)25 years old
B)30 years old
C)35 years old
D)40 years old

Question 41

How many presidents have been convicted and removed by the Senate?

A)none
B)one
C)two
D)three

Question 42

For the framers of the Constitution, the war power of the presidency was

A)a limited one.
B)absolute.
C)highly suspect.
D)nonexistent.

Question 43

John Merryman was being held by Abraham Lincoln and the Union troops on charges that he

A)blew up a large gun stash.
B)led guerrilla attacks against union troops.
C)stole secrets from Union generals.
D)burned at least six railroad bridges.

Question 44

While Congress may have the broader power to "make war," the Founding Fathers feared that the nation might

A)find itself in a unilateral military operation with a foreign power without Congress's authorization.
B)be unable to respond quickly to threats when Congress was not in session.
C)be susceptible to military invasion by foreign powers without proper protection.
D)lack centralized military expertise and leadership under presidential authority.

Question 45

Which president was close to impeachment but chose to resign instead?

A)Andrew Jackson
B)Richard Nixon
C)Gerald Ford
D)Andrew Johnson

Question 46

The president's power to pardon can be controversial when the subject has

A)committed a serious crime.
B)failed to show remorse.
C)been sentenced to a long jail term.
D)close personal ties to the president.

Question 47

The procedure through which a person can challenge what they see as an unlawful detention by issuing a written command is called

A)judicial review.
B)bill of attainder.
C)writ of habeas corpus.
D)writ of certiorari.

Question 48

The House is authorized to

A)draft articles of impeachment.
B)remove the president from office.
C)conduct impeachment hearings.
D)convict and punish a president.

Question 49

Except in cases of impeachment, the president has the power to release from all legal consequences and restore the benefits of citizenship to individuals arising from the commitment of federal crimes.This is known as the president's power of/to ______.

A)absolution
B)release
C)pardon
D)commitment

Question 50

What position did Roger Brooke Taney hold in May of 1861?

A)vice president of the United States
B)ambassador to the Confederate States
C)Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
D)Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army

Question 51

Under the Constitution, the limitations of presidential power were placed primarily in the hands of

A)the people.
B)Congress.
C)his/her party.
D)the judiciary.

Question 52

Since the power to declare war is found in Article I Section 8, it is inherently believed to belong only to

A)Congress.
B)the president.
C)the military leadership.
D)the State Department.

Question 53

In the decision of Ex Parte Merryman (1861), Chief Justice Taney placed a limit on the president's ability to

A)issue writs of habeas corpus.
B)command the U.S. military.
C)allow the use of bills of attainder.
D)suspend habeas corpus.

Question 54

Vetoes are more likely during periods of

A)divided government.
B)unified government.
C)national emergency.
D)legislative expediency.

Question 55

Under Article II Section 4 of the Constitution, Congress has the power to

A)suspend presidential power.
B)override presidential orders.
C)impeach the president.
D)censure the president.

Question 56

In his written statement before a federal courtroom in Baltimore, Maryland, Roger Taney demanded the body, alive and in person, of

A)John Wilkes Booth.
B)John Merryman.
C)John Brown.
D)John Jay.

Question 57

The heavy briefcase whose contents are classified but have traditionally included strategic plans and codes for a variety of nuclear combat scenarios, along with communications equipment, is nicknamed the

A)hotline.
B)football.
C)gadget.
D)widget.

Question 58

The detention of John Merryman was an important case in presidential power because of President Lincoln's assertion of the power to

A)suspend habeas corpus.
B)indiscriminately punish Southern traitors.
C)write and enforce bills of attainder.
D)command the Union army.

Question 59

Perhaps the most fateful role that the Constitution creates for the president is his or her authority as

A)chief executive.
B)chief administrator.
C)chief legislator.
D)commander in chief.

Question 60

Which two presidents have been impeached?

A)Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson
B)John Adams and William Henry Harrison
C)Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford
D)Andrew Johnson and William Jefferson Clinton

Question 61

In order to conduct a War on Terror, President George W.Bush sought ______.

A)a unilateral act of aggression
B)a multinational military mission
C)a resolution of Congressional authorization
D)an official declaration of war

Question 62

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR)responded to the Great Depression by

A)rewriting laws and regulations regarding domestic policy.
B)greatly expanding the size, scope, and power of government.
C)involving the United States in World War II.
D)expanding the scope of U.S. international policy.

Question 63

Teddy Roosevelt carried a "big stick" in

A)domestic policy.
B)foreign affairs.
C)economic legislation.
D)military dominance.

Question 64

President Lincoln compared his use of extraordinary measures to those of a

A)bricklayer.
B)farmer.
C)physician.
D)soldier.

Question 65

Lyndon Johnson was able to use his skill in ______ in order to pursue his vision of a "Great Society."

A)foreign affairs and international relations
B)domestic relations and social programs
C)working with and influencing members of Congress
D)economic policy and welfare benefits

Question 66

Washington's suppression of ______ helped establish the supremacy of federal law and the power of the federal government to levy and collect taxes.

A)the Boston Tea Party
B)the War of 1812
C)the Whiskey Rebellion
D)the Revolutionary War

Question 67

Since the power to suspend habeas corpus appears in Article I Section 9 of the Constitution, Justice Taney argued that the power to suspend habeas corpus was given only to

A)the states.
B)Congress.
C)the president.
D)the military leadership.

Question 68

Ronald Reagan's nickname was the Great ______.

A)Debator
B)Communicator
C)Statesman
D)Legislator

Question 69

Woodrow Wilson was firmly convinced that his presidency was part of a(n)______.

A)national referendum
B)international solution
C)grand conspiracy
D)divine plan

Question 70

Thomas Jefferson was the first president to

A)expel foreign invaders from U.S. territory.
B)acquire new territory for the United States.
C)use the military in a time of peace.
D)govern through personal leadership of a political party.

Question 71

Under the terms of the War Powers Resolution, a president may only introduce armed forces into conflict or likely conflict if which of the following conditions exist?

A)a commitment of military troops, an executive order, or a perceived threat to United States security
B)a public call for military intervention, a decision by the full cabinet, a commitment of military leadership
C)a vote by the National Security Council, a presidential commitment, or a vote by the House Defense Committee
D)a declaration of war (by Congress), specific statutory authorization by Congress, or a national emergency created by an attack on the United States, its territories, or its armed forces

Question 72

While George W.Bush wanted his legacy to be that of the ______ president, his legacy was greatly impacted by the events of and reaction to ______.

A)economics;No Child Left Behind
B)welfare;legislative gridlock
C)education;the September 11 attacks
D)defense;proposed health-care legislation

Question 73

Andrew Jackson was considered

A)more democratic and less under party control.
B)lacking a significant power base.
C)well educated and elitist.
D)rather ineffective in handling Congress.

Question 74

Political scientist Edward S.Corwin concluded that, during wartime, the Constitution is

A)suspended without prejudice because the national good outweighs the Constitution.
B)dispensable and portable so as to allow for the protection of individual rights.
C)transformed from a Constitution of Rights to a Constitution of Powers.
D)even more necessary in order to ensure and protect the rights of citizens.

Question 75

By establishing regular meetings with the heads of the executive branch departments, President George Washington laid the foundation for the modern

A)Pentagon.
B)cabinet.
C)national security advisor.
D)Central Intelligence Agency.

Question 76

In the decades following the conclusion of the Civil War, presidential powers

A)receded.
B)increased.
C)fluctuated.
D)stayed the same.

Question 77

While Richard Nixon had one of the most troubled presidencies in U.S.history, he had successes in

A)building international relations with China.
B)improving domestic policy.
C)increasing presidential executive accountability.
D)revising the operations of the executive branch.

Question 78

President Jefferson was able to

A)exert executive control over Congress.
B)double the size of the U.S. with the Louisiana Purchase.
C)defeat the British in the War of 1812.
D)veto bills without ever being overridden by Congress.

Question 79

Woodrow Wilson took office with the goal of increasing the president's role in ______ affairs.

A)legislative
B)foreign
C)domestic
D)economic

Question 80

One of the most enduring and controversial legacies of the Nixon presidency was the passage of the ______ over Nixon's veto.

A)International Relations Bill
B)War Powers Resolution
C)Foreign Relations Agenda
D)Congressional Authorization Law