Chapter 12: The Presidency

Although George W. Bush enjoyed the highest approval ratings ever recorded after 9/11, by his second term his approval ratings fell to a low of ______% in 2006.

31

If the president uses a veto, he or she

must return the bill to Congress with a veto message

Rewarding faithful party workers with government employment is called

patronage

Political scientist Richard Neustadt argues that presidential power is ultimately the power to

persuade

When President Carter extended amnesty to more than 50,000 people who avoided the Vietnam War draft by fleeing to Canada, he demonstrated that the

power to pardon can also be applied to large groups of individuals

Which constitutional amendment specifies the separate election of the president and vice president by the Electoral College?

12th Amendment

US Senators have a difficult time being elected president because they

frequently have difficulty defending their voting records

The role of the president in influencing the making of laws is called

Chief Legislator

As Commander in Chief the president is,

the ultimate decision maker in military matters

The Constitution states tat the minimum age requirement for the presidency is

35 years

. A key difference between a treaty and an executive agreement is that __________. a. a treaty has to be approved by Congress b. executive agreements expire at the end of a president's term in office c. treaties are much more common (about 13,000) compared to executive agreements (around 1,300) d. executive agreements can only be made with other nations e. a treaty can only be made is one country, while an executive agreement can include multiple countries

A

An executive order __________. a. is a rule issued by the president that has the effect of law b. is not valid unless both chambers of Congress approve it c. must be approved by a majority of the cabinet d. can only be issued when Congress is not in session e. cannot be overturned by Congress

A

An inherent power exercised by the president during a period of national crisis is known as __________. a. emergency power b. executive orders c. executive privilege d. expressed power e. immunity

A

As chief executive, the president is constitutionally bound to __________. a. enforce laws, treaties, and court orders b. submit a balanced budget to Congress c. inform Congress prior to any military action d. oversee actions of state governments e. honor pronouncements of the United Nations

A

The number of political appointments available to the president __________. a. is constrained by the civil service system that bases employment on merit b. puts the president in charge of deciding which individuals will occupy more than 50,000 jobs in government c. allows the president to appoint a majority of the civilian appointments in the bureaucracy d. is confined mainly to the military e. has been dramatically limited by the use of the constitutional amendment process

A

What is the significance of the War Powers Resolution of 1973? a. It made all uses of U.S. troops subject to congressional approval. b. It gave the president the power to commit troops for up to two years without congressional approval c. It was the first time the Supreme Court overturned a bill limiting the president's powers as commander in chief. d. It placed power over the armed forces in the hands of the joint chiefs of staff. e. It forced presidents to gain congressional approval for large-scale military actions.

A

Which of the following is a constitutional duty of the vice president? a. breaking a tie vote in the Senate. b. overseeing the federal court system. c. serving as a member of the Cabinet. d. attending meetings among foreign leaders. e. representing the United States in the United Nations.

A

Which statement accurately describes executive agreements? a. Executive agreements take place between the executive branch and a foreign government and can be reversed by subsequent presidents. b. Executive agreements take place between the executive branch and a foreign government and are difficult to reverse by subsequent presidents. c. Executive agreements can be reversed by subsequent presidents and are subject to Senate approval. d. Executive agreements are subject to Senate approval and take place between the executive branch and a foreign government. e. Executive agreements were deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court because they bypassed congressional approval.

A

The following two presidents are the only ones in American history to have actually been impeached

Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton

A pocket veto __________. a. can be used by a president only once during his term in office, although he can use it twice if he serves two terms b. can only be used when Congress adjourns for the session within ten days of the bill being submitted to the president c. means that the legislation cannot be reintroduced in the next Congress d. was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1936 e. can be overturned if Congress conducts a roll call vote within ten days of the bill being sent back from the White House

B

According to the Constitution, impeachment __________. a. can be applied only to a president who has committed treason b. can be used only against a president who has committed a violation of the criminal law c. cannot be used against an incumbent president d. is voted on by the House of Representatives e. requires a two-thirds vote of the Senate

B

Analyzing and approving all legislative proposals and budgetary requests before they are submitted to Congress is the duty of the __________. a. Department of the Treasury b. Office of Management and Budget c. Office of Independent Regulatory Affairs d. Council of Economic Advisers e. Internal Revenue Service

B

As commander in chief, the president is __________. a. only a symbolic leader of the military b. the ultimate decision maker in military matters c. allowed to make military decisions, but only with the approval of the joint chiefs of staff d. not responsible for military decisions e. obligated to sit on the board of regents for the military, the naval, and the air force academies

B

Cabinet members often do not have a dominant influence on presidential decision making because __________. a. cabinet members generally maintain close independent ties to Congress b. cabinet members generally view their position only as a stepping-stone to further their own political ambitions c. cabinet members are not permitted to disagree publicly with the president d. presidential goals often conflict with the institutional goals of individual cabinet-level agencies e. only half of all cabinet members can be members of the same political party as the president

B

If the office of vice president becomes vacant, __________. a. it remains unfilled until the next election, and the Speaker of the House becomes president if the president dies b. the president nominates a replacement who must be approved by both chambers of Congress c. the president names a replacement who is not subject to congressional approval d. the president nominates a replacement who must be approved by the Senate e. the secretary of state becomes vice president

B

In United States v. Nixon, the Supreme Court ruled that __________. a. a sitting president cannot be sued in civil court for offenses that occurred before the president took office b. executive privilege would not protect Richard Nixon's attempt to withhold tapes of White House conversations c. congressional approval must be granted before presidents make use of executive privilege d. the president is immune from criminal prosecution except for impeachable crimes e. members of the Secret Service cannot be required to testify against the president

B

In early 2014, President Obama raised the minimum wage for all temporary workers provided to the federal government through private contracts because Congress would not enact legislation to increase worker compensation. His actions are an example of __________. a. an executive agreement b. an executive order c. administrative law d. a pocket veto e. a signing statement

B

President Barack Obama nominated John Kerry to be secretary of state during his second term. Which constitutionally authorized power was he exercising in this case? a. the power to serve as commander in chief of the armed forces b. the power to nominate and appoint various political officers c. the power to meet with foreign ambassadors and make treaties d. the power to pardon or grant reprieves e. the power to invoke executive privilege

B

The main duties of the White House chief of staff are to __________. a. serve as the president's personal secretary b. coordinate the White House Office and advise the president c. represent the branches of the military before the president d. serve the president's Cabinet by providing valuable research e. serve as the director of the Executive Office of the President

B

The president can do which of the following without seeking the consent of either the House or the Senate? a. ratify a treaty b. appoint an ambassador c. appoint a federal district court judge d. deploy troops e. declare war

B

The president is able to influence the making of laws as __________. a. chief diplomat b. chief legislator c. commander in chief d. head of state e. party leader

B

Which of the following presidents was impeached during his term in office? a. Andrew Jackson b. Andrew Johnson c. Ulysses Grant d. Richard Nixon e. Gerald Ford

B

Which of the following statements about the presidential impeachment process is most accurate? a. The Senate votes to impeach the president, and the House conducts a trial to decide if the president should be removed from office. b. The House votes to impeach the president, and the Senate conducts a trial to decide if the president should be removed from office. c. The House votes to impeach the president and conducts a trial to decide if the president should be removed from office. d. The Senate votes to impeach the president and conducts a trial to decide if the president should be removed from office. e. The Supreme Court votes to impeach the president and conducts a trial to decide if the president should be removed from office.

B

Which statement about the Executive Office of the President (EOP) is accurate? a. The EOP was created by President Harry Truman with the goal of providing additional advisers to the president. b. The EOP includes agencies like the White House Office and the Office of the Vice President. c. The attorney general plays a vital role as an adviser to the president on legal matters related to the federal government. d. The EOP is also referred to as the kitchen cabinet because the group consists of informal advisers that were often friends of the president prior to the election. e. The advice of the EOP may be ignored by the president because of the recognized self-preservation tendency of the agencies in the EOP.

B

Which statement regarding President Richard Nixon and impeachment is most accurate? a. The House Judiciary Committee approved articles of impeachment against Nixon for his violation of the War Power Resolution. b. The House of Representatives voted to impeach Nixon which led to his resignation from the office of president. c. The House voted to impeach Nixon, while the Senate failed to convict him, but he ultimately decided to resign as president. d. Nixon chose to resign after information provided by members of the Republican Party in the Senate indicated he would be convicted if the House voted to impeach. e. Nixon is the only president in the history of the United States to be impeached and convicted.

B

_________ is the only president to have not been elected to his position. a. Chester Arthur b. Lyndon Johnson c. Richard Nixon d. Gerald Ford e. Jimmy Carter

B

he line-item veto __________. a. has been used only in the ratification of treaties b. would be used on specific provisions in spending bills c. although being allowed to the president, is prohibited to governors of states d. was denied to the president in legislation enacted by Congress e. has been upheld by the Supreme Court as a constitutional exercise of executive power by the president

B

Which of the following is true?

Bill Clinton was able to raise more than half a billion for the Democratic Party during his two terms

A veto is __________. a. usually employed to punish members of the president's party who disagree with him b. more likely when the president's party controls Congress c. a clear-cut indication of the president's dissatisfaction with legislation d. likely to be overridden about half the time e. required to be used at least once during each president's term

C

According to the Twenty-fifth Amendment, if a president's ability to discharge his normal functions is in question and he is unable to communicate, ___________. a. the Supreme Court is empowered to select a physician to certify whether or not the president is able to perform the functions of his office b. the Speaker of the House becomes acting president until the matter is resolved c. a majority of the cabinet, including the vice president, can declare the president incapable d. the president must be permanently removed from office e. the vice president has the exclusive power to determine the president's capability

C

If the president is dissatisfied with the performance of a member of the Cabinet, the most drastic step that he is able to take is to __________. a. request that Congress remove the person from office b. wait until the person's term of office expires to make a new appointment c. fire the person d. request that the attorney general bring charges against the individual, which would allow the president the power to remove the person from office e. place the member on probation for 90 days

C

In the history of the United States, no president has ever __________. a. been impeached b. been forced from office c. been impeached and convicted d. resigned e. been impeached and acquitted

C

Many of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention wanted to create a very __________. a. strong executive who could not veto legislation b. strong executive who could veto legislation c. weak executive who could not veto legislation d. weak executive who could veto legislation e. weak executive whose powers would be limited in favor of state executives

C

On April 23, 2014, the House of Representatives made four charges against Alexander Reed, including a charge of perjury. When the Senate convicted him of the charges on September 8, 2014, he was removed from his position as a federal judge. What process was the House of Representatives using to make charges against Alexander Reed? a. recall b. referendum c. impeachment d. hiring a special prosecutor e. Senate cloture

C

Presidents have used __________ to withhold information on the activities of the executive branch from other branches of government. a. executive agreements b. executive order c. executive privilege d. pocket vetoes e. signing statements

C

Samuel Kernell has proposed that the __________ has contributed to a change in the style of presidential leadership since World War II that has caused a shift in the balance of national politics. a. advent of nuclear weapons b. rise of the Soviet Union and United States as super powers c. influence of television d. extension of civil rights to a greater number of Americans e. use of satellite technology for communication

C

The State of the Union message is __________. a. delivered by the president to the General Assembly of the United Nations at least once every four years b. a policy statement of Congress over which the president seldom has influence c. required by the Constitution and gives a broad view of what the president wishes the legislature to accomplish during the session d. an effective tool used by the president to limit other countries' foreign policy endeavors in this hemisphere e. limited to reviewing the events of the last year

C

The members of the Cabinet __________. a. are an informal group of presidential advisers b. are limited to the heads of the 15 executive departments c. include the heads of the 15 executive departments plus other top officials chosen by the president d. include only the heads of the Departments of State, Justice, Defense, and Treasury, plus the heads of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) e. are a subset of the executive department heads, chosen by the president

C

The president must see that __________. a. Congress passes legislation b. all laws are necessary and proper c. all laws are faithfully executed d. all bills originate within the executive e. checks and balances are maintained

C

The request of recent presidents for the line-item veto is a challenge to which of the following principles? a. executive privilege b. senatorial courtesy c. separation of powers d. eminent domain e. congressional oversight

C

The strategy carried out by the White House to increase the president's popularity and support is known as the __________. a. goodwill effort b. head of state plan c. permanent campaign d. re-election campaign e. spoils-allocation plan

C

When selecting a vice presidential candidate, a nominee for president is usually concerned primarily with choosing a running mate who __________. a. has significant personal wealth b. can serve as a domestic policy adviser c. balances the national ticket d. shares knowledge of how the federal system operates e. shares the ideological beliefs of the presidential candidate

C

As chief diplomat, the president __________. a. is responsible for selecting judges to federal courts b. is responsible for all actions within the executive branch c. selects leaders of his or her party in Congress d. negotiates treaties, recognizes foreign governments, and makes executive agreements e. ratifies treaties with the advice and consent of the Cabinet

D

Before a treaty can become legally binding, the treaty must be __________. a. submitted to the United Nations for approval b. ratified by the Supreme Court c. approved by three-fourths of the state governments d. approved by a two-thirds vote in the Senate e. approved by a majority vote in both houses of Congress

D

Executive privilege refers to the authority of the president to __________. a. receive foreign heads of state b. appoint Supreme Court justices c. remove federal judges from the bench without consulting Congress d. withhold information from the legislature and the judiciary e. campaign for re-election while in office

D

Going on official state visits to other countries, decorating war heroes, and dedicating parks are all examples of the president's role as __________. a. chief legislator b. chief diplomat c. commander in chief d. head of state e. chief executive

D

National Security Council is a link between __________. a. Congress and the president b. leaders of foreign governments and the president c. the Security and Exchange Commission and the president d. key foreign and military advisors and the president e. state governments and the president

D

The powers exercised by modern presidents __________. a. have diminished over time when compared to previous administrations of the 1800s b. have been slowly relinquished to a more powerful Congress c. have been undermined by Supreme Court rulings d. rightfully belong to Congress, but Congress has yielded to the executive branch e. rightfully belong to the state governments

D

Vice President Joe Biden has been a valuable adviser to President Obama on __________. a. farming and the agricultural industry b. emerging technology c. environmental protection d. foreign policy e. military policy

D

Which president vetoed the War Powers Resolution only to have Congress overturn the veto? a. Andrew Johnson b. Harry S. Truman c. Dwight D. Eisenhower d. Richard Nixon e. Gerald Ford

D

__________ served as vice president before ascending to the presidency. a. Dwight D. Eisenhower b. Jimmy Carter c. Ronald Reagan d. George H.W. Bush e. Al Gore

D

If both the president and vice president die, resign, or are disabled, the __________ will become president. a. First Lady b. Secretary of Defense c. Secretary of State d. Senate President Pro Tempore e. Speaker of the House

E

In which of the following situations would a presidential veto most likely be upheld? a. The president has the support of the Supreme Court. b. The president is in a second term, removed from partisan politics. c. The proposed legislation enjoys widespread bipartisan support. d. The proposed legislation was originally adopted by a large majority in both houses of Congress. e. Two-thirds of the representatives and senators are members of the same party as the president.

E

Presidents tend to have __________. a. low legislative success rates at the beginning of their administrations with a steep increase in the middle and then a decline at the end b. high legislative success rates throughout their administrations as they pursue their role as chief legislator c. low legislative success rates throughout their administrations as Congress checks and balances them d. no consistent pattern in their legislative success rates e. high legislative success rates at the beginning of their administrations with a steep decline at the end

E

The duties of the __________ revolve around protecting the president's political interests. a. National Security Council b. Office of Management and Budget c. Secret Service d. Supreme Court e. White House Office

E

The main function of the president's cabinet is to __________, a. draft the federal budget and submit to Congress for approval b. write federal regulations c. provide information regarding proposed legislation by testifying before Congress d. provide leadership in the event the president is unable to perform his duties e. provide advice to the president to aid in decision making

E

The office that works most closely with the president is the __________. a. Cabinet b. Council of Economic Advisers c. Executive Office of the President d. Domestic Policy Council e. White House Office

E

The president has a role in the legislative process through __________. a. appointing committee members b. breaking ties in the Senate c. the ratification of treaties d. removing corrupt legislators from office e. vetoing

E

The president, in his capacity as head of state, is responsible for __________. a. determining the countries in which the United States will have diplomatic relations b. conducting the foreign policy of the country c. leading the legislative process by submitting legislation d. administering the laws e. engaging in activities that are largely symbolic or ceremonial in nature

E

Presidents who have used the veto power with unusual frequency include

Franklin D. Roosevelt and Grover Cleveland

Who was the youngest person to be elected President of the US?

John F. Kennedy

President _____ suspended civil liberties and called state militias into national service.

Lincoln

The publication of the executive branch that prints executive orders, rules, and regulations is called

The Federal Register

Which of the following best describes the demographic bias in the selection of American presidents?

The number of white, male Protestants

President ____made the decision to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Truman

The seizure of the nation's steel mills by President ______ was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Truman

The last war to be fought under a Congressional declaration of war was

World War 2

According to the 25th Amendment, if a president's ability to discharge his normal functions is in question and he is unable to communicate,

a majority of the cabinet, including the vice president, can declare the president incapable

The granting of release from the punishment for a crime is called

a pardon

To be elected president one must receive

a simple majority of the electoral vote

Executive agreements are

agreements between the president and a head of government in another country that do not have to be approved by the Senate

The Cabinet is

an advisory group selected by the president to aid in making decisions

In the history of the US, no president has ever

been impeached and convicted

The Chief of Staff

directs the White House Office and advises the president

Informal advisors to the president are called

the kitchen cabinet

The president in his capacity as head of state, is responsible for

engaging in activities that are largely symbolic or ceremonial in nature

"Going public" means that the president

goes to the public and over the heads of the members of Congress

The Office of Management and Budget

helps the president prepare the annual budget

The "Washington community" refers to

individuals regularly involved with politics in Washington D.C.

The most common previous occupation of presidents in the US has been

lawyer

In most democratic governments, the head of state is

someone other than the chief executive

In U.S. v. Nixon, the Supreme Court ruled

that executive privilege would not protect Richard Nixon's attempt to withhold tapes of White House conversations

If the Electoral College fails to give any presidential candidate a majority, the election of the president is determine by

the House

The fact that the president may exercise inherent powers in foreign affairs was stated by

the Supreme Court in Curtiss-Wright Export Corp case

The requirement that the President report to Congress within 48 hours of sending troops into hostilities and then obtain approval of Congress with 60 days is established by

the War Powers Resolution

A constitutional amendment to clarify the way votes are cast in the Electoral College was necessary because

there was no way to tell which votes were for president and which were for vice president

Typically, administrations use executive privilege

to safeguard national security secrets

Presidential candidates have asked individuals to join the ticket as a vice presidential candidate for all of the following reasons except

to serve as a co-president

Presidential approval ratings tend to be

very high when a new president takes office with a decline in the last two years of the second term