PO201 FINAL

Since the passage of the Twentieth Amendment, lame duck sessions have become a. shorter. b. longer. c. more useful. d. more controversial. e. nonexistent.

SHORTER

The purpose of cosponsors of a bill is to a. have help in drafting a bill. b. show how much support a measure enjoys. c. force a bill through committee when it might otherwise have died. d. coerce the president to sign it. e. distribute the blame when it does not pass.

SHOW HOW MUCH SUPPORT A MEASURE ENJOYS

Congress established the National Security Council to a. brief the vice president on the president's foreign policy and national security decisions. b. deliberate about national security and foreign policy. c. establish a committee charged with making foreign policy decisions. d. provide Congressional oversight of the intelligence community. e. unite the FBI and CIA under a single umbrella to eliminate inefficiencies in their organization.

DELIBERATE ABOUT NATIONAL SECURITY AND FOREIGN POLICY

Members of Congress who exercise their judgment independent of the majority opinion in their electorate are known as a. constituents. b. delegates. c. justices d. senators. e. trustees.

E. TRUSTEES

The Constitution established senators who would serve longer terms and be chosen by state legislatures in order to create lawmakers who would function more as a. constituents. b. delegates. c. justices. d. executives. e. trustees.

E. TRUSTEES

What does the Constitution say about the size of the House of Representatives? a. Each state shall have at least one seat in the House. b. Membership in the House should not fall below 100 members. c. The Constitution does not address the issue of House membership. d. The House may not exceed 500 members. e. There should be at least one representative for each 10,000 residents.

EACH STATE SHALL HAVE AT LEAST ONE SEAT IN THE HOUSE

Scholars tend to agree on presidential greatness when considering a. modern presidents. b. peacetime presidents. c. presidents who were neither Democrats nor Republicans. d. early presidents. e. wartime presidents.

EARLY PRESIDENTS

How did the presidents of the nineteenth century differ from those that emerged in the early twentieth century? a. Early presidents addressed the public less frequently about public matters. b. Early presidents exercised more executive privileges. c. Prior to Theodore Roosevelt, presidents always campaigned in person. d. The early presidents were subjected to more congressional oversight. e. Presidents of the nineteenth century rarely encountered conflicts with Congress.

EARLY PRESIDENTS ADDRESSED THE PUBLIC LESS FREQUENTLY ABOUT PUBLIC MATTERS

A provision of a spending bill that sets aside funds for a specific purpose in a district or state is called a(n) a. cloture. b. constituency service. c. earmark. d. franking privilege. e. logroll.

EARMARK

Reagan was called "The Great Communicator" because he a. embraced rhetorical leadership more than any president since Franklin Roosevelt. b. emphasized the need for diplomacy and open communication with foreign nations, whether allies or enemies. c. met personally with individual legislators more than any president since Wilson. d. tended to deliver lengthy speeches at a great variety of events. e. wrote more books than any other president.

EMBRACED RHETORICAL LEADERSHIP MORE THAN ANY PRESIDENT SINCE FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT

The framers of the Constitution recognized that effective government requires a(n) a. executive that is all-powerful. b. judiciary with unlimited access to the executive. c. executive that is isolated from the public. d. legislative branch that can act quickly in a crisis. e. energetic executive.

ENERGETIC EXECUTIVE

If a committee chair wishes to move a bill, he or she usually seeks comments from a. executive agencies. b. his party leader. c. other committee chairs. d. the president. e. the speaker of the House.

EXECUTIVE AGENCIES

By a mutual understanding, President Kennedy independently established a hotline with the Soviet Union, allowing the leaders of each nation to talk reliably. This is an example of a(n) a. executive agreement. b. executive order. c. impoundment. d. signing statement. e. treaty.

EXECUTIVE AGREEMENT

The formal staff structure of the White House is called the a. Chief Aides to the President. b. Executive Affairs Office. c. Executive Office of the President. d. Executive Suite. e. Office of Management and Budget.

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Which of the following usually directs an executive agency to take specific steps, and may have the force of law? a. Executive agreement b. Executive order c. Impoundment d. Line item veto e. Proclamation

EXECUTIVE ORDER

Supreme court justices hold their office a. as long as the public approves them every four years. b. for a lifetime tenure. c. for six years. d. for two years. e. until Congress votes to remove them.

FOR A LIFETIME TENURE

The Constitution sets the president's term of office at _______ years. a. two b. four c. six d. eight

FOUR

Lawmakers are able to send mail to their constituents without paying postage because of the a. bicameral nature of Congress. b. concurrency of resolutions. c. franking privilege. d. lame duck session. e. logrolling incentive.

FRANKING PRIVILEGE

Who was the first president to speak directly to the people on a regular basis? a. Theodore Roosevelt b. Woodrow Wilson c. Herbert Hoover d. Franklin Roosevelt e. John F. Kennedy

FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT

Government employees who have the physical task of carrying out public policy are called a. administrators. b. bureaucratic commissioners. c. federal policy experts. d. frontline workers. e. policy managers.

FRONTLINE WORKERS

An unelected organization that carries out government policies is called a. a bureaucracy. b. the legislative branch. c. the Supreme Court. d. corporations. e. an iron network.

A BUREAUCRACY

Members of the Senate and the House feel political pressure to make recorded votes because a. a high absentee rate can be damaging in reelection campaigns. b. committee assignments depend on these votes. c. it is important for logrolling purposes. d. such votes are usually very close. e. these votes usually involve major issues.

A HIGH ABSENTEE RATE CAN BE DAMAGING IN REELECTION CAMPAIGN

Residents of the district or state represented by a member of the House or Senate are referred to as a. constituents. b. delegates. c. justices d. senators. e. trustees.

A. CONSTITUENTS

A bicameral legislature is one with a. two chambers. b. a single chamber. c. directly elected members. d. members of both upper and lower classes. only e. aristocratic members.

A. TWO CHAMBERS

The framers of the Constitution rejected an all-powerful executive in favor of one who was a. accountable through elections. b. bound by the will of the people. c. given absolute authority only in times of war. d. the agent of an advisory council. e. the agent of Congress.

ACCOUNTABLE THROUGH ELECTIONS

Bureaucracy has grown so complex and gained so much autonomy that our form of government is often called a(n) a. administrative state. b. government corporation. c. independent regulatory commission. d. iron triangle. e. issue network.

ADMINISTRATIVE STATE

How many House seats come up for reelection in every even-numbered year? a. None b. One-third c. One-half d. Three-quarters e. All

ALL

The framers helped secure the president's independence from Congress by prohibiting Congress from a. altering the president's salary during any one term. b. confirming supreme court appointees. c. overriding a presidential veto. d. removing the president from office. e. voting on matters of war.

ALTERING THE PRESIDENTS SALARY DURING ANY ONE TERM

Which president made the use of vetoes on policy grounds publicly acceptable? a. Thomas Jefferson b. Andrew Jackson c. Abraham Lincoln d. Theodore Roosevelt e. Dwight Eisenhower

ANDREW JACKSON

"Divided government" occurs when a. at least one house of Congress does not have a majority from the president's party. b. Congress cannot gather enough votes to override a veto. c. the House and Senate are unable to reach an agreement. d. the House is evenly split on an important vote. e. the Senate is deadlocked on a vote.

AT LEAST ONE HOUSE OF CONGRESS DOES NOT HAVE MAJORITY FROM THE PRESIDENTS PARTY

The George W. Bush administration argued that programs implemented to conduct the war on terror were legitimate because Congress had implicitly endorsed them through the a. Authorization for Use of Military Force. b. Congressional-executive agreement. c. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. d. Paris Peace Accords. e. War Powers Resolution.

AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF MILITARY FORCE

The shorter terms and direct popular elections of House members tends to cause them to function more as a. constituents. b. delegates. c. justices d. senators. e. trustees.

B. DELEGATES

What is the role of the president's cabinet? a. Cabinet secretaries coordinate their policies with other departments to achieve the most effective implementation of the president's policies. b. Cabinet secretaries give the president advice but cannot make policy decisions. c. The cabinet convenes to make policy decisions as a group. d. The cabinet designs executive agreements. e. The purpose of the cabinet is to ensure that the president's policies are carried out within each department.

CABINET SECRETARIES GIVE THE PRESIDENT ADVICE BUT CANNOT MAKE POLICY DECISIONS

Which state currently has the most representatives? a. Alaska b. California c. Florida d. New York e. Texas

CALIFORNIA

When the president and Congress clash over documents, Congress may a. charge the president with contempt. b. remove the president from office. c. direct its request to the vice president who is obligated to comply. d. direct the supreme court to issue a writ of mandamus. e. order that the documents be destroyed.

CHARGE THE PRESIDENT WITH CONTEMPT

The framers of the Constitution sought to control the president's power by a. creating an advisory committee. b. establishing a vice-president who could override the president in certain cases. c. limiting service to two terms. d. checking the institution with Congress and the courts. e. requiring the approval of the courts for all executive orders.

CHECKING THE INSTITUTION WITH CONGRESS AND THE COURTS

The president's top aide who supervises White House employees, oversees the president's schedule, and advises the president on policy and politics is called the a. chief of staff. b. executive manager. c. White House liaison. d. Secretary of the Executive. e. chief of cabinet affairs.

CHIEF OF STAFF

Before opening the floor of the House to debate on a bill, the House Rules Committee may draft a rule that bars all amendments to the bill. This is called a(n) a. absolute passage. b. closed rule. c. cloture. d. open rule. e. prohibition.

CLOSED RULE

The Senate can end a filibuster through a(n) a. addendum. b. closed rule. c. cloture motion. d. concurrent resolution. e. veto.

CLOTURE MOTION

__________ is not one of the enumerated powers of Congress. a. Borrowing money b. Commanding the military c. Raising armies d. Raising revenues e. Regulating interstate commerce

COMMANDING THE MILITARY

A measure in one house that is similar or identical to a bill in the other is called a a. joint resolution. b. concurrent resolution. c. companion bill. d. rider. e. referral.

COMPANION BILL

Congress educates the public by a. conducting most formal business in the open. b. creating federal programs to promote its legislation. c. operating its own news channel. d. publishing informational pamphlets. e. releasing daily summary statements to the press.

CONDUCTING MOST FORMAL BUSINESS IN THE OPEN

The president may make recess appointments when a.Congress is not in session b. one house of Congress approves the nomination. c. the nation is at war. d. the Senate is deadlocked on a confirmation. e. the Supreme Court authorizes him to do so.

CONGRESS IS NOT IN SESSION

Much of the day-to-day work at the White House goes into crafting policy arguments as a means to a. contribute to the deliberative function of Congress. b. force the president's agenda through Congress. c. influence the Supreme Court. d. regulate the direction of legislation. e. secure reelection.

CONTRIBUTE TO THE DELIBERATIVE FUNCTION TO CONGRESS

A draft of a proposed law is called a a. constituent. b. delegation. c. markup. d. bill. e. trustee.

D. BILL

The framers endorsed bicameralism to promote a. a less active judiciary. b. a more powerful executive. c. greater representation through more elected officials. d. more legislation. e. safer and more deliberative lawmaking.

D. SAFER AND MORE DELIBERATIVE LAWMAKING

Which of the following is not among the president's powers? a. Command of the military b. Declaration of war c. The pardoning power d. A qualified veto power e. The treaty power

DECLARATION OF WAR

What effect does the difference in term length have on House members? a. House members can act more deliberatively. b. It enables them to consider a more long-term view of issues. c. House members face greater pressure to act quickly. d. House members enjoy greater prestige than senators. e. It reduces campaign pressures on House members.

HOUSE MEMBERS FACE GREATER PRESSURE TO ACT QUICKLY

"The sole Power of Impeachment" lies with the a. House of Representatives. b. Senate. c. states. d. Supreme Court. e. voters.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Which of the following is not a way in which the president exercises direct authority? a. Executive order b. Impeachment c. Proclamation d. Recess appointment e. Signing statement

IMPEACHMENT

Congress's harshest check on the president is a. censure. b. charge of contempt. c. impeachment and removal. d. impoundment. e. proclamation.

IMPEACHMENT AND REMOVAL

The establishment of a national bank is an example of Congress's a. constitutional duties. b. enumerated powers. c. implied powers. d. oversight of the executive branch. e. supremacy act.

IMPLIED POWERS

The defeat of the League of Nations demonstrated the a. importance of the Senate's constitutional power to ratify treaties. b. power of the president in conducting foreign affairs. c. tendency of the legislative branch towards isolationism. d. importance of the judiciary in establishing foreign policy. e. weakness of the constitutional design of the executive branch.

IMPORTANCE OF THE SENATES CONSTITUTIONAL POWER TO RATIFY TREATIES

A refusal to spend funds that Congress has appropriated is called a. impeachment. b. impoundment. c. line item veto. d. proclamation. e. signing statement.

IMPOUNDMENT

Which type of committee has members from both chambers of Congress to settle differences between Senate and House versions of a bill? a. Conference committees b. Joint committees c. Special committees d. Standing committees e. Subcommittees

JOINT

Riders are a. lawmakers who agree to cosponsor a bill for the prestige, despite not having contributed to the drafting of the measure. b. items added to a bill in the markup. c. provisions a lawmaker adds to a bill after pressure from lobbyists. d. money set aside in a spending bill for projects in a representative's home district. e. legislative measures that lawmakers add to popular bills because they might not pass on their own.

LEGISLATIVE MEASURES THAT LAWMAKERS ADD TO POPULAR BILLS BECAUSE THEY MIGHT NOT PASS ON

How many presidential vetoes has Congress overridden? a. Less than 20% b. About 35% c. Exactly 50% d. More than 70% e. Almost 99%

LESS THAN 20%

In 1790, some southern members of the House agreed to the federal government's assumption of state debts from the Revolutionary War in exchange for northern endorsement of moving the nation's capital to Washington, D.C. This is an example of a. cloture. b. constituency service. c. filibustering. d. logrolling. e. the franking privilege.

LOGROLLING

Subcommittees go through bills line by line and propose amendments in a. agenda meetings. b. cloture sessions. c. legislative hearings. d. markup sessions. e. strategy sessions.

MARKUP SESSIONS

Chairmanships of all committees and subcommittees are given to a. members of both major parties equally. b. members of Congress on a rotating basis. c. members of the majority party. d. members of the minority party. e. the most senior members of Congress, regardless of their party.

MEMBERS OF THE MAJORITY PARTY

Over the years, Congress has tended to become a. less polarized. b. less productive. c. more argumentative. d. more moderate. e. more polarized.

MORE POLARIZED

A veto is the president's a. means of persuading lawmakers to pass spending bills. b. means of approving a piece of legislation. c. only tool for influencing legislation. d. least effective tool for influencing legislation. e. most effective tool for influencing legislation.

MOST EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR INFLUENCING LEGISLATION

Which type of committee is typically a permanent panel that carries out studies or administrative tasks? a. Conference b. Joint c. Select d. Standing e. Business

SELECT

The Constitution limits the presidency to a. male citizens. b. property holders. c. citizens over the age of 55. d. independently wealthy citizens. e. natural born citizens.

NATURAL BORN CITIZENS

How many presidents have been convicted by the Senate? a. None b. One c. Two d. Three e. Four

NONE

The _______ helps the White House control the cabinet by enforcing presidential priorities throughout the executive branch. a. Department of Homeland Security b. National Security Council c. Office of Internal Affairs d. Office of Management and Budget e. Pentagon

OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET

How many Senate seats come up for reelection in every even-numbered year? a. None b. One-third c. One-half d. Three-quarters e. All

ONE-THIRD

The only constitutional duty of the vice president is a. advising the president on matters of foreign policy. b. casting a tie-breaking vote in the house of representatives. c. nominating Supreme Court justices. d. presiding over the Senate. e. selecting presidential electors.

PRESIDING OVER THE SENATE

The framers believed that a strong, energetic executive was necessary in order to a. command an effective military. b. exercise a monopoly on foreign affairs. c. control a rebellious population. d. provide a political check to Congress. e. solidify their separation from Britain.

PROVIDE A POLITICAL CHECK TO CONGRESS

A phenomenon that occurs during crises when Americans tend to support the president and his policies is called the a. boosting trend. b. crisis doctrine. c. national security phenomenon. d. patriotism effect. e. rally effect.

RALLY EFFECT

Which of the following is not one of the basic steps for passing a bill? a. Drafting of the bill b. Consideration and modification by a committee c. Debate and decision by the full House or Senate d. Review by the judicial branch e. Fashioning of a compromise measure

REVIEW BY THE JUDICIAL BRANCH

Committees that are established to investigate an issue not addressed by standing committees are called ______________ committees. a. conference b. joint c. select d. nonpartisan e. legislative

SELECT

Presidents can explain their own interpretation of a bill and tell executive officials how to carry it out by issuing a(n) a. executive order. b. impoundment. c. line item veto. d. proclamation. e. signing statement.

SIGNING STATEMENT

Publius believed a unified executive would have an advantage over a committee executive and an executive council because a a. committee or council would be subject to the whims of the public. b. committee or council would be too vulnerable to factions. c. single executive could act with more speed and discretion than a committee. d. unified executive would be better educated. e. unified executive would have more time for deliberation.

SINGLE EXECUTIVE COULD ACT WITH MORE SPEED AND DISCRETION THAN A COMMITTEE

Joseph Cannon is regarded as the most powerful a. whip. b. minority leader. c. majority leader. d. Speaker of the House. e. chief justice.

SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE

___________ committees are a permanent body designed to evaluate legislative proposals, choose certain bills for consideration, and revise and report those bills to the full chamber. a. Conference b. Joint c. Special d. Standing e. Sub

STANDING

A line-item veto is the power to a. veto any bills on particular policy items. b. add provisions to legislation before signing it into law. c. strike particular provisions without vetoing the entire bill. d. state the reasons for vetoing a bill. e. deny Congress prior notice when he intends to veto a bill.

STRIKE PARTICULAR PROVISIONS WITHOUT VETOING THE ENTIRE BILL

The number of representatives for each state is reevaluated every _______ years. a. two b. four c. six d. ten e. twelve

TEN

The direct election of senators was established by a. the Supreme Court. b. executive order. c. the Declaration of Independence. d. the original Constitution. e. the Seventeenth Amendment.

THE 17TH AMENDMENT

Presidents often work through _____________ to negotiate with foreign leaders. a. Congress b. the United Nations c. the Department of State d. the Supreme Court e. temporary appointees

THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE

In the War Powers Resolution of 1973, Congress narrowly defined the conditions that allow the president to send troops into combat. Without the prior consent of Congress the president can make the order only if a. Congress is not in session. b. he has first conferred with the joint chiefs of staff. c. he has sufficient public support. d. the nation or its troops are attacked. e. the Supreme Court gives its approval.

THE NATION OR ITS TROOPS ARE ATTACKED

Throughout the nineteenth century, most federal civilian workers got their jobs through a. merit hiring. b. organized crime. c. presidential appointment. d. the patronage of politicians. e. their family names.

THE PATRONAGE OF POLITICIANS

The doctrine of executive privilege is the principle that a. the president has sole power to make appointments. b. the president may legitimately refuse some requests for information. c. the president has sole power to authorize treaties. d. Congress has no oversight of the executive branch. e. Congress may not override a lawful veto.

THE PRESIDENT MAY LEGITIMATELY REFUSE SOME REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION

How is the president's oath of office different from that of every other federal official? a. The Supreme Court established the wording for the presidential oath in 1792. b. The president's wording is not defined by the Constitution as are other oaths. c. The president's wording is specified in the Constitution rather than by federal law. d. Other officials are not required by the Constitution to swear upon a Bible. e. The oath of each president varies slightly, depending upon his religious preference.

THE PRESIDENTS WORDING IS SPECIFIED IN THE CONSTITUTION RATHER THAN FEDERAL LAW

Treaties must be approved by a. both houses of Congress. b. the House of Representatives. c. the Senate. d. the Supreme Court. e. two-thirds of state legislatures.

THE SENATE

How is the Senate majority leader weaker than the Speaker of the House? a. The Senate majority leader does not get to vote in roll call votes as the speaker does. b. The Senate majority leader cannot override members who may wish to create procedural delays, whereas the Speaker of the House can prevent members from blocking action. c. Unlike the Senate majority leader, the Speaker of the House can veto any bill the chamber passes. d. The Speaker of the House has weekly meetings with the president, whereas the Senate majority leader has more restricted access to the president and other government officials. e. The Senate majority leader retains his position only as long as he is in favor with his fellow members, whereas the Speaker of the House is chosen by the chair of his party.

THE SENATE MAJORITY LEADER CANNOT OVERRIDE MEMBERS WHO MAY WISH TO CREATE PROCEDURAL

Under the original Constitution, House members were selected by a. state legislatures. b. Supreme Court justices. c. the president. d. the Senate. e. the voters.

THE VOTERS

Why do lawmakers make speeches on the Senate floor even if few of their colleagues are present? a. The speeches lawmakers deliver have a direct effect on their committee assignments. b. The sponsors of a bill are required to speak on its behalf regardless of attendance in the chamber. c. Their statements are placed on the record, which allows the public to see the rationale behind congressional decisions. d. They hope to appear on C-SPAN, which shows only the member who is speaking, not those in attendance in the chamber. e. They want speeches to which they can refer to during reelection campaigns.

THEIR STATEMENTS ARE PLACED ON THE RECORD, WHICH ALLOWS THE PUBLIC TO SEE THE RATIONAL BEHIND CONGRESSIONAL DECISIONS

What effect did the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal have on the presidencies of Ford and Carter? a. They aggressively pursued their agendas. b. They built upon the notion of an imperial presidency. c. They embraced a more low-key governing style. d. They took a broader interpretation of their constitutional powers. e. They were encouraged to take a dominate role in legislative matters.

THEY EMBRACED A MORE LOW KEY GOVERNING STYLE

Why are presidents often able to provide a broader perspective on problems facing the nation? a. They serve a much broader constituency. b. They retain aides and advisors from each region of the nation. c. They have more experience than members of Congress. d. Executive experience is superior to legislative experience. e. Only presidents have direct foreign policy experience.

THEY SERVE A MUCH BROADER CONSTITUENCY

Each state is represented by how many senators? a. One b. Two c. Three d. It varies depending on the physical size of the state. e. It varies depending on the population of the state.

TWO

A _________ vote is necessary for the Senate to convict the president. a. simple majority b. three-fifths c. two-thirds d. three-fourths e. unanimous vote

TWO-THIRDS

Congress can propose amendments to the Constitution with a a. measure placed on the ballot in a federal election. b. simple majority in each chamber. c. two-thirds vote of each chamber. d. two-thirds vote of the House alone. e. two-thirds vote of the Senate alone.

TWO-THIRDS VOTE OF CHAMBER

Under the Constitution, the _________ presides over the Senate. a. majority leader b. majority whip c. president pro tempore d. secretary of State e. vice president

VICE PRESIDENT

Who is the only other executive official besides the president created by the Constitution? a. National security advisor b. Presidential chief of staff c. Secretary of State d. Speaker of the House e. Vice-president

VICE PRESIDENT

What authority does the House of Representatives have over treaties? a. Approves meetings with foreign ministers in order to negotiate treaties b. Authorizes the president to negotiate a treaty. c. Negotiates treaties on behalf of the president d. Is responsible for approving treaties e. Votes on legislation necessary to carry treaties into effect

VOTES ON LEGISLATION NECESSARY TO CARRY TREATIES INTO EFFECT

A new Speaker of the House is selected a. every January. b. if there is a change in the majority party. c. immediately preceding each presidential election. d. when a motion of cloture is filed by three-fifths of the Senate. e. when each new Congress convenes.

WHEN EACH NEW CONGRESS CONVENES

Vetoes are more likely a. during midterm elections. b. in a president's second term. c. in the first year of a president's term. d. when the president's party holds a majority in one or both houses of Congress. e. when the president's party lacks a majority in one or both houses of Congress.

WHEN THE PRESIDENTS PARTY LACKS A MAJORITY IN ONE OR BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS

Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson both proved to be presidents who a. allowed Congress to direct national policies. b. did little of substance during their terms. c. relied heavily on their advisors to shape policies. d. worked to shape national policies. e. worked well with Congress with few disagreements about the direction of national policies.

WORKED TO SHAPE NATIONAL POLICIES