AP Gov unit 2

Congress has the constitutional power to control the judicial branch by A. determining the size of the Supreme Court B. nominating the chief justice of the Supreme Court C. limiting the length of judicial terms D. reducing the salary of judges while they are sitting E. altering the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court

A

In Worcester v. Georgia (1832), the United States Supreme Court ruled that a Georgia law violated the U.S. Constitution. In response to Chief Justice John Marshall's majority opinion, President Andrew Jackson said, "John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it." Which of the following ideas regarding government does President Jackson's statement exhibit? A. Since the Supreme Court has no enforcement mechanism, the executive and legislative branches can restrict its decisions. B. When the Supreme Court takes an activist approach to decision making, it can influence policy. C. Constitutional amendments have granted the Supreme Court greater power to enforce its decisions. D. Unpopular Supreme Court Justices can be removed by a two-thirds vote in Congress and a presidential signature.

A

The United States Constitution says that Congress has the power to coin money.This is an example of A. an enumerated power B. an implied power C. an inherent power D. a reserved power E. a concurrent power

A

The term "bicameralism" refers to the A establishment of two legislative chambers that have different structures and rules B members of the House of Representatives having two-year terms C president having veto power over both chambers of Congress D members of the House and Senate having to appease their mutual constituencies E checks that Congress has over the federal bureaucracy

A

Which of the following is an action a president can take to rally public support for the administration's legislative agenda? A. Use the State of the Union Address to pressure Congress to pass a bill lowering income taxes. B. Hold private meetings with key members of Congress to promote a compromise on the budget. C. Forge an executive agreement with another country regulating the safety of consumer products. D. Sign a bill into law that would provide increased aid to college students.

A

Which of the following is an example of congressional oversight? A. Holding hearings for review of an executive agency's activities B. Assisting constituents with particular problems C. Reporting campaign contributions to the Federal Election Commission D. Signing trade agreements with other countries without input from the president E. Conducting ethics investigations of congressional leadership

A

Which of the following is true of a presidential veto of a piece of legislation? A.It is rarely overridden by Congress. B. It is not binding unless supported by the cabinet. C. It can only be sustained on revenue bills. D. It is automatically reviewed by the United States Supreme Court. E. It is subject to approval by a congressional committee.

A

A "cloture motion" passed in the Senate does which of the following? A Returns a bill to committee. B. Cuts off debate on a bill. C. Criticizes a senator guilty of improprieties. D. Removes a President who has been impeached by the House. E. Brings a bill directly to a vote without formal committee approval.

B

All of the following serve as checks on the power of the federal courts EXCEPT: A. Federal judges can be impeached. b. The voters can oust federal judges in national elections. c. Congress can pass a law clarifying "legislative intent." d. Presidents, governors, and local executives can refrain from enforcing court rulings. e. Congress and the state legislatures can amend the Constitution.

B

An example of a discretionary item in the federal budget is A. interest on the public debt B. spending on national parks C. Social Security payments D. veterans' pensions E. liquidation of prior obligations

B

In 2012, after negotiations on a bill in Congress failed, President Obama issued an executive order that protected from deportation individuals illegally brought to the United States as children by their parents. The president took this action because A. the executive order would require Congress to bring a bill regarding illegal immigration to the floor for a vote B. disagreement between congressional leaders and the president on the issue meant that a compromise on a bill was not likely C. the president was reacting to a Supreme Court decision that required him to do something to protect these individuals D. the Constitution clearly gives the president control over the legal status of immigrants in the United States

B

In selecting members of the White House staff, Presidents primarily seek people who A. give the White House ideological balance B. are personally loyal to the President C. have extensive governmental experience D. will help the President develop a good working relationship with Congress E. can bring a nonpartisan perspective to policy deliberations

B

The doctrine of original intent holds that A. Supreme Court justices must emphasize independent and original thinking in considering constitutional matters B. the meaning of the Constitution depends on the intention of the framers C. cases selected for review by the Supreme Court must address an original and new concern not previously addressed by the Court D. Supreme Court justices should avoid bias by documenting their original impressions of a case E. the Supreme Court should review all treaties that alter previously established foreign policy

B

The framers of the Constitution designed which of the following to be LEAST responsive to public opinion? A The office of the president B The courts C. Congress D The electoral college E Political parties

B

Which of the following describes the president's Cabinet? A. It consists of career civil servants with decades of experience in government service. B. Its members have varying levels of influence on presidential decisions. C. Its members hold office for fixed terms that coincide with the president's. D. Its members must be selected from among current or former members of Congress. E. Its members are required to approve presidential policy decisions.

B

Which of the following statements is best supported by the line graph? A. The number of vetoes has generally increased since 1945, even though the number of bills passed by Congress has decreased. B. The number of vetoes has generally decreased since 1945, but so has the number of bills passed by Congress. C. The number of vetoes has generally decreased since 1945, but the number of bills passed by Congress has increased. D. The number of vetoes has generally increased since 1945, but so has the number of bills passed by Congress.

B

Congress has exerted the greats influence on the operation of a federal agency by doing which of the following? A. Requiring the agency to participate in interagency task forces B. Dismissing an agency head who disagrees with congressional priorities C. Reviewing the annual budget appropriations for the agency D. Passing "sunset" legislation that terminates programs after a certain period E. Asking the Supreme Court for advisory opinions on agency regulations

C

Which of the following is an example of Congress using its implied powers? A. Congress changing the tax code so that individuals making more than $350,000 per year have to pay higher taxes B. Congress requesting that the Supreme Court review the constitutionality of a state gun-control law C. Congress passing occupational safety regulations for the private sector D. Congress ratifying a new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada

C

Which of the following statements about gerrymandering is true? A. It has been banned by United States Supreme Court decisions beginning with Baker v.Carr. B. It was used traditionally to maintain urban control of the House of Representatives. C. It can be used by a political party to draw boundary lines to control as many districts as possible. D. It guarantees greater constituency control over elected representatives. E.It ensures liberal control of the House of Representatives.

C

A person claiming that the House can pass legislation with a simple majority, but the Senate is unlikely to pass legislation unless a bill has the support of a 60-vote supermajority is most likely to cite which of the following institutional differences as the cause of this trend? A. The House has fewer legislative committees than the Senate does. B. Members of the House often represent a much narrower constituency than senators do. C. Party leadership in the House is highly formalized, while leadership in the Senate is much more informal. D. The House has strict limits on debate, while the Senate allows unlimited debate.

D

Establishing the boundaries of United States congressional districts to give one party an advantage over another party is referred to as A.raiding B. apportionment C. reapportionment D. gerrymandering E. filibustering

D

In The Federalist 78, Alexander Hamilton argued that the federal judiciary "is beyond comparison the weakest of the three departments of power." Which of the following statements represents a reason he gave for this argument? A. It has the power of the sword and the power of judgment but lacks the power of the purse. B.Each branch must be given the ability to defend its power and check the others. C. The federal government is further from the people and thus less accountable. D. It must depend on the executive for enforcement of its decisions.

D

The Constitution states that all revenue bills must originate in a White House budget resolution B the Congressional Budget Office C the United States Senate D the United States House of Representatives E the Office of Management and Budget

D

The committee system is more important in the House than in the Senate because A. the seniority system plays no role in the House and therefore committees must play a larger role B. the Constitution mandates the type of committee structure in the House C. committee members are appointed by the President D. the House is so large that more work can be accomplished in committees than on the floor E. the majority party in the House prefers to give priority to the work of the committees

D

The term "pork barrel" refers to legislation specifically designed to A. encourage a balanced federal budget B. ensure the careful inspection of farm goods and other foodstuffs C. distribute excess produce to the poor D. provide funding for local projects that are intended to benefit constituents E. equalize representation between farming and nonfarming states

D

Which of the following actions can Congress take if the Supreme Court finds a federal law unconstitutional? A. Appeal the Court's decision to the District of Columbia's Court of Appeals. B. Formally request the President to veto the Court's decision. C. Remove certain members of the Court and replace them with new members. D. Try to amend the Constitution. E. Reenact the same law.

D

Which of the following is an example of how the innovation of social media can influence presidential behavior? A. The president holds a press conference to discuss midterm election results. B. The president outlines the administration's legislative agenda in the State of the Union Address. C. The president hosts a White House dinner with a foreign head of state. D. The president announces the nomination of a cabinet secretary on the Internet.

D

Which of the following is generally true of the gerrymandering of congressional districts? A. It results in more Democrats being elected to the House. B.It results in more Republicans being elected to the House. C. It guarantees that all minority parties will be equally represented. D. It creates districts that favor one political party over another. E. It violates the principle of one-person, one-vote.

D

Which of the following statements about trends in presidential approval ratings is supported by information presented in the graph above? A. President Reagan was the most popular President since 1953. B. There is little relationship between military conflicts and presidential approval ratings. C. Presidents have tended to become more popular over time. D.A President's popularity tends to fall during his term in office. E. President Carter suffered the largest drop in popularity of any President since 1953.

D

All of the following powers are granted to the President by the Constitution EXCEPT A. commissioning officers in the armed forces B. addressing the Congress on the state of the union C. receiving ambassadors D. granting pardons for federal offenses E. forming new cabinet-level departments

E

The boundary lines of congressional districts are drawn by A the United States House of Representatives B The United States Senate C United States district courts D state governors E state legislatures

E

All of the following have contributed to an increase in presidential power in the post-1945 era EXCEPT A. tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War period B. an increase in public expectations for services from the federal government C. economic and domestic problems such as inflation, unemployment, and civil rights issues D. increasing United States involvement in international affairs E. legislation granting the President the power to impound funds appropriated by Congress

E

The Senate must confirm all of the following presidential appointments EXCEPT A. United States attorneys B. United States Supreme Court justices C. White House staff D. heads of executive agencies E. federal judges

c

Which of the following best explains the principle of stare decisis? A. It requires that at least four Supreme Court justices agree to hear a case. B. It encourages presidents to take judicial experience into account when nominating judges. C. It encourages judges to follow precedent when deciding cases. D. It reinforces the philosophy of judicial activism. E. It increases the number of cases judges are required to hear.

c

Which of the following clauses serves as the constitutional basis for the federal Real ID Act of 2005, a law that established uniform standards for state-issued identification cards and provided regulation of a state function? A. The due process clause B. The establishment clause C. The necessary and proper clause D. The commerce clause

c

Which of the following scenarios illustrates Washington's concerns? A. An increasing number of voters are not turning out to vote in elections. B. Federalism can lead to different public policy outcomes between states. C. Ideological divisions within Congress can lead to partisan gridlock. D. Members of the press fail to report on the illegal activities of certain members of the bureaucracy.

c

Senate confirmation is required for which of the following presidential appointments? Secretary of state White House chief of staff Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Attorney general A. I only B. II and III only C. II and IV only D. I, III, and IV only E. I, II, III, and IV

d

The government depicted above is best described by which of the following terms? A. Nonpartisan government B. Unicameral government C. Unitary government D. Divided government E. Dealigned government

d