Question 1

The American political system first began a dramatic turning away from congressional-centered government and toward presidential-centered government with:

Accepted Answer

Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs marked a significant shift towards a more active presidential role in government, moving away from a congressional-centered system.

Question 2

A set of permanent executive branch agencies, such as the Office of Management and Budget and the National Security Council, that perform defined management tasks for the president and compose a major part of what is called the "institutional presidency," is officially known as the:

Accepted Answer

The Executive Office of the President (EOP) is a group of agencies at the top of the executive branch that support the president in carrying out their duties, including the Office of Management and Budget and the National Security Council.

Question 3

How could President Franklin D.Roosevelt be said to have helped strengthen and set the tone for the modern presidency through his holding of biweekly press conferences, and his skillful use of radio in "fireside chats," despite the fact that such tactics might not work today now that American media audiences are vastly more fragmented, with many more avenues of communications available?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How could President Franklin D.Roosevelt be said...

Question 4

When President George W.Bush relied too heavily on his staff for information about weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in Iraq, which led him to erroneous conclusions, his reliance exemplified the trade-off between:

Accepted Answer

President Bush's reliance on his staff for information about WMDs in Iraq, rather than seeking independent outside opinions, illustrates the trade-off between relying on in-house expertise and the need for diverse, independent perspectives to avoid erroneous conclusions.

Question 5

What is the term for a tool presidents can and often do wield that can have the broader effect of legislation, although it is first and foremost a management tool, the power virtually any CEO has to make "company policy"?

Accepted Answer

An executive order is a directive issued by the President of the United States that manages operations of the federal government and has the force of law, similar to how a CEO might set company policy.

Question 6

The tweets, freewheeling political rally speeches, and calls to live cable television news that marked the first year of the Trump administration were, despite their unusual nature, still in keeping with a presidential means of exercising influence known as:

Accepted Answer

"Going public" refers to a strategy where the president communicates directly with the public to gain support for their policies, bypassing Congress. This aligns with Trump's use of tweets, rallies, and media appearances to influence public opinion and policy.

Question 7

In late 2002, overwhelming majorities of the House and Senate voted to give President George W.Bush complete discretion as to whether, when, and how to attack Iraq, despite the fact that:

Accepted Answer

Presidential legal advisers suggested that the president needed no such authorization, implying that the president already had the authority to act without Congress's explicit approval.

Question 8

How has the rapid technological change, and the ease with which media can be created and spread, changed the practice of presidential public appeals?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How has the rapid technological change, and...

Question 9

The annual State of the Union address has, over the past few decades, become a storied tradition in American political life.For most of the first century after the Constitution's adoption, however, presidents only wrote an annual report, which was read to Congress.That changed, however, when:

Accepted Answer

President Franklin D. Roosevelt used the annual address to propose new policies and specific actions in Congress, marking a shift in how the State of the Union was utilized.

Question 10

The clear intent of the framers of the Constitution was for Congress to have:

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is B: legislative supremacy. The Constitution gives Congress the power to make laws, declare war, raise and support armies, and impeach the president.

Question 11

Most historians agree that the American presidency was a weak institution until the early twentieth century, with the strong presidencies of Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln being exceptions that proved the rule.Why was this the case?

Accepted Answer

Jackson and Lincoln exercised strength at the national level by using their power in momentous ways.

Question 12

The traditional but informal designation for the heads of all the major departments of the federal government in the United States is the:

Accepted Answer

The traditional but informal designation for the heads of all the major departments of the federal government in the United States is the "cabinet."

Question 13

Why might a president's attempt to win bipartisan support for legislation backfire, even when such an attempt could go over well with the public?

Accepted Answer

Party loyalty and discipline can suffer-something a president may regret later when seeking support from his or her own party.

Question 14

Presidents have found the regulatory review process useful as a means of gaining power over domestic policy influence because:

Accepted Answer

Presidents can influence domestic policy by guiding how administrative agencies interpret and implement congressional laws, which often outline broad goals but leave the details to be worked out by these agencies.

Question 15

Recent presidents, beginning with Reagan, have used something called "signing statements" to expand presidential power.What has been notable about the expansion in the use of these statements?

Accepted Answer

Presidents have used signing statements to reinterpret and sometimes nullify congressional law, effectively expanding presidential power by influencing how laws are implemented.

Question 16

Which of the following tasks does the text indicate as an important purpose of the White House staff?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following tasks does the...

Question 17

Why can presidents not rely on their own parties as a reliable tool in policymaking, even if they are still valuable?

Accepted Answer

Presidents cannot control members of their own party in Congress, as these members have considerable autonomy and may prioritize their own electoral interests or policy preferences over the president's agenda.

Question 18

One of the most important agencies to presidents has been the agency, which oversees preparation of the national budget, involves itself in the president's legislative proposals, and writes relevant policy reports for the executive.

Accepted Answer

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is responsible for preparing the national budget, assisting with the president's legislative proposals, and writing policy reports for the executive branch.

Question 19

When Donald Trump chose Mike Pence as his vice presidential running mate to offset his lack of government experience, he exemplified how many nominees have handled such picks, in that the former Indiana governor:

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is A because Pence was chosen as Trump's running mate to offset Trump's lack of government experience. Pence's experience as a former Indiana governor made him an electoral asset, boosting Trump's appeal among social conservatives and to voters in the Midwest.

Question 20

Despite their popularity over the past few decades, presidential media strategies and public appeals regarding their policy programs have rarely been consistently effective, mainly because:

Accepted Answer

Presidential policies often fail to meet voter expectations, which can lead to declines in approval ratings. This inconsistency in effectiveness is due to the gap between promises and actual policy outcomes.

Quiz 6: The Presidency