AP GOVERNMENT: Executive Branch. AP Classroom note cards (MC)

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of checks on the legislative branch and checks on the executive branch? 1. Check on Legislative Branch 2. Check on Executive Branch A 1. The president may veto bills passed by Congress. 2. The Senate must confirm judicial nominees. B 1. The president has the power to fund wars. 2. The House of Representatives can pass articles of impeachment. C 1. The Supreme Court has the power of judicial review. 2. Congress can remove members of the president's cabinet. D 1. States may nullify federal laws that violate state constitutions. 2. The Supreme Court can declare presidential actions unconstitutional if a case arises.

A why? - The president's power to veto bills passed by Congress serves as a check on the legislature by limiting its ability to enact the laws it passes. The requirement that all judicial nominees be confirmed by the Senate represents a check on the executive branch by not allowing the president unilaterally to appoint federal judges.

In The Federalist 70, Alexander Hamilton states that "energy in the executive is a leading character in the definition of good government." In this statement, Hamilton is arguing in favor of the need for A. a single executive who can respond quickly to crises B. a president who has a good understanding of public policy C. an electoral college in the selection of the president D. a president who is youthful and assertive

Answer A - Hamilton argues in favor of a single executive that can respond quickly to crises.

Which of the following scenarios illustrates how social media has changed the way presidents relate to the public? A. A president appearing on a late-night comedy talk show to make jokes about the news B. A president announcing a major policy initiative via the Internet rather than calling a press conference C. A president allowing film crews to cover a visit to a natural disaster area to highlight federal aid distribution D. A president hosting a rally in a swing state to increase support for policies helping the working class

Answer B - Presidents can directly address citizens through Internet-based social media platforms. This allows the president to exert greater control over how people receive the news and to respond directly to individuals. A press conference is a more traditional way of creating news and is less controlled by the president.

Which of the following situations is an example of the president using the bully pulpit as a tool for agenda setting? A. President Clinton invoking executive privilege in resisting a subpoena by the United States Senate during the Whitewater investigation B. President Bush issuing a signing statement in the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 that considerably weakened its provisions C. President Obama issuing an executive order delaying the deportation of at least five million undocumented immigrants D. President Reagan delivering a televised address urging a reduction in federal taxes

D why? - The president addressing the nation to persuade citizens of his policy agenda is an example of the bully pulpit.

Shortly after the 2008 election, President Obama appointed outspoken and controversial House member Rahm Emanuel to lead his White House as chief of staff, the head of the Executive Office of the President. The selection drew criticism from Republican leaders, including House minority leader John Boehner, who remarked that the selection "is an ironic choice for a president-elect who has promised to change Washington, make politics more civil, and govern from the center." Which of the following explains how Congress could legitimately respond to the appointment? A. The Senate could refuse to confirm the appointment. B. The House of Representatives could filibuster the nomination. C. The Rules Committee could refuse to release the bill that made the appointment. D. Members of Congress could issue statements opposing the appointment but have no formal power to block it.

D. why ? - Unlike cabinet members, appointments to the Executive Office of the President, including the White House chief of staff, do not require Senate confirmation. However, as the scenario illustrates, members of Congress can express their disapproval in statements to the media.

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.

Answer D - In this example, the president has chosen to use the internet, a social media platform, to share a major announcement they have crafted because the president believes social media is the best way to reach the right audience in the population.

Which statement best explains the information in the graphic? A. The secretary was confirmed by a partisan vote. B. Confirmation was blocked by one party. C. Independents swayed the vote for the majority. D. Attempts at compromise were unsuccessful.

A. why? - The graphic shows that the Senate confirmed Tom Price, but the vote was divided along party lines.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the text by Schlesinger and The Federalist 70 ? A. While Schlesinger views centralization of power in the presidency as dangerous, The Federalist 70 views it as vital to the presidency's effectiveness. B. While The Federalist 70 views centralization of power in the presidency as dangerous, Schlesinger views it as vital to the presidency's effectiveness. C. Both Schlesinger and The Federalist 70 view centralization of power in the presidency as dangerous. D. Both Schlesinger and The Federalist 70 view centralization of power in the presidency as vital to the presidency's effectiveness.

Answer A - In The Federalist 70, Alexander Hamilton asserts a need for "energy in the executive" to respond swiftly to potential crises. Schlesinger's argument about the "imperial presidency" reflects a concern that this same responsiveness in the executive undermines the constitutional separation of powers.

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.

Answer A - The State of the Union Address is a nationally televised event that allows the president to speak to the American public and set a legislative agenda for Congress.

The data in the table illustrate which of the following about United States constitutional government? A. Presidential foreign policy can be checked through the legislative power of Congress. B. The president can declare war, but Congress can vote to block funding for wars. C. Cloture procedures make it increasingly difficult to filibuster bills in the Senate. D. Gerrymandering has intensified partisan divisions in Congress.

Answer A - The bill would remove troops from the conflict with Yemen. The president, as commander-in-chief, sent troops into Yemen without congressional authorization, as the name of the bill suggests. The Senate voted in favor of the bill, which challenges presidential authority.

Which of the following best explains a reason that a president might use a signing statement to express displeasure with a bill as opposed to issuing a veto? A. The president may have objections to provisions of a bill but does not want to risk Congress overriding a veto. B. Congress has severely curtailed the power of the president to withhold funds for bills that have been adopted. C. The Supreme Court is hesitant to acknowledge the president's power to veto legislation. D. The president wants to ensure executive agencies do not spend the money appropriated by Congress.

Answer A Correct. The president can use a signing statement to register protest when a veto override is likely.

Based on the passage before, which of the following constitutional provisions would the author most likely identify as a solution to the problem of the imperial presidency? A. Congress exercising the power to regulate commerce B.Congress insisting that it declare war prior to the use of international force C. The president making stronger use of bureaucratic discretion D. Congress creating term limits for all members of government

Answer B - Though the president is constitutionally empowered to conduct foreign affairs, Congress retains the power to declare war in an international crisis. Insisting upon this would serve as a constitutional check on the president's ability to act unilaterally on issues of foreign policy.

Which of the following statements is most accurately supported by the data in the table? A. President Clinton greatly reduced the use of presidential signing statements compared with his predecessors. B. While President George W. Bush issued fewer signing statements than President Clinton, his included more objections than President Clinton's. C. President Clinton's brief access to the power of the line-item veto allowed him to issue fewer signing statements that raised concerns about legislation. D. President George W. Bush was forced to issue more signing statements as a direct result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Answer B Correct. President George W. Bush did issue fewer signing statements, but his included 127 objections, as opposed to President Clinton's 70.

A newly elected president faces a Senate controlled by the opposition party. Which of the following presidential appointments is the most likely to encounter difficulty with confirmation by the Senate? A. Secretary of defense B. Supreme Court justice C. Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors D. Ambassador to Germany

Answer B Supreme Court justices are lifetime appointments, and these nominations are usually contentious. An opposing party with a majority would have the power to prevent a nominee from being confirmed.

"In the last years presidential primacy, so indispensable to the political order, has turned into presidential supremacy. The constitutional Presidency—as events so apparently disparate as the Indochina War and the Watergate affair showed, has become the imperial Presidency and threatens to be the revolutionary Presidency. The imperial Presidency was essentially the creation of foreign policy. A combination of doctrines and emotions—belief in the permanent and universal crisis, fear of communism, faith in the duty and right of the United States to intervene swiftly in every part of the world—had brought about the unprecedented centralization of decisions. So the imperial Presidency grew at the expense of the constitutional order. Which of the following statements is a correct implication of the author's argument? A. The modern president has abused the power of the executive branch through the use of the bully

Answer C - The author of the passage argues that a perception of perpetual crisis in foreign policy has given the presidency undue supremacy over the other branches of government and undermined constitutional separation of powers.