Government ch 12

Before any caucuses or primaries even occur, it is crucial for potential presidential candidates to

raise a lot of campaign money.

In recent elections, the Internet has greatly increased the ability of presidential candidates to

raise money for their campaigns. "get out the vote."

Progressives sought to give voters more power in choosing the president by

introducing the primary election system.

How many votes does it take to remove the president from office?

two-thirds of the Senate

Political scientist Richard Neustadt contended that an effective president is successful in using

"the power to persuade."

The president appoints approximately how many ambassadors?

200

In Federalist No. ______, Alexander Hamilton wrote about limiting the power of the president to declare war to those times when the United States is directly attacked.

69

What aspect of the system of presidential selection changed in 1972?

A majority of national convention delegates are chosen through primary elections.

By which name does the text describe past presidencies?

All these answers are correct.

The first elected U.S. president that was not a white male was

Barack Obama

Why is money so important in nominating races?

Candidates need multi-state campaigns and lots of advertising.

Which institution has the greatest effect on presidential success?

Congress

According to the stewardship theory of the U.S. presidency,

presidents are free to take any action they wish as long as it is not against the law.

Of the major candidates in the nominating races for the 2016 presidential election, who spent the least at this stage?

Donald Trump

The first elected U.S. president who had not previously held public office was

Donald Trump.

True or false: Today, nearly every foreign policy initiative originates with Congress.

False

Among presidents remembered for rising to challenges (benefiting from circumstance) while in office are

Franklin Roosevelt. Lyndon Johnson. Ronald Reagan.

Why was President Hoover slow to respond to the Great Depression?

He claimed he lacked the constitutional authority to take strong action.

Which of the following correctly describes the role that televised debates play in presidential elections?

If their candidate does badly, supporters are likely to waiver. Most voters have made their choice by the time of the debates.

Which of the following are true statements about party conventions?

In the past, party conventions were places that had heated debates to nominate candidates and determine party platforms. Today, candidates and running mates are likely to have been chosen before the convention begins.

As compared to other stages of the presidential nominating process, how important is money once the nominating races are reached?

It is critical.

Which of the following correctly describes the role of the cabinet in the modern presidency?

Members are selected by the president, subject to Senate confirmation. It is made up of the heads of the executive departments. Members are important figures in an administration.

The Executive Office of the President includes which of the following components?

National Economic Council National Security Council Office of Management and Budget White House Office

The president's top advisers on matters related to foreign policy make up part of the

National Security Council.

Successful early starters in presidential campaigns need to do well in which of the following?

New Hampshire Iowa

In 2013, the Senate Democratic majority prohibited the filibustering of presidential nominees, except in the case of ______; in 2017, Senate Republicans extended the practice to include those nominees.

Supreme Court justices

Which chamber of Congress has the power to try and remove the president from office once the president has been impeached (placed on trial)?

Senate

Which of the following descriptions of the U.S. presidency are true?

The degree of leadership the president can exert largely depends on circumstances. It operates in a system of divided powers. The formal powers of the presidency are modest.

Which of the following statements about the presidential election process are true?

The president has the greatest claim of any U.S. official to national leadership by virtue of reaching office through a national election.

Which of the following are reasons why the president is better suited to oversee government activity and to develop comprehensive public policy?

The president is able to direct the actions of federal agencies. Final authority rests with a single individual.

What presidential control problems exist concerning low-level appointees?

The president rarely, if ever, sees them. Many of them are politically inexperienced.

Which president changed the nature of the presidency at the beginning of the 20th century, adopting what he called the stewardship theory of the presidency?

Theodore Roosevelt

True or false: The winner in the November general election is nearly certain to be the Republican or the Democratic candidate.

True

In the 2016 election, Clinton substantially outspent Trump. Of the news coverage devoted to the two candidates during the general election, who received more?

Trump

After Vietnam, Congress sought to limit the ability of presidents to commit the United States to war by passing the

War Powers Act.

The office within the Executive Office of the President that works most closely with the president in developing policy and communicating the president's agenda is known as the

White House Office.

Which of the following circumstances help to create a powerful president?

a decisive election victory a major national problem

Events leading up to the Iowa caucus create a very important time for potential presidential candidates. This period of time is known as the

invisible primary.

There are more than 2,000 full-time presidential nominees. How many of those are subject to Senate confirmation?

about half

In the Whig theory of leadership, the president serves mainly as

an administrator of the will of Congress.

A type of election that gives voters the power to select delegates who choose candidates is called

an indirect primary.

The percentage of survey respondents who say that they support the work the president is doing is known as the president's ______ rating.

approval

By tradition, the choice of the vice presidential candidate has mostly been made by the

presidential nominee.

The scenario in which the president belongs to one political party while the opposition party has majority control of at least one chamber of Congress is known as

divided government.

Ironically, when are most presidents most powerful?

during their first months in office

The leaders of the top executive departments are collectively known as the president's

cabinet.

The president shapes and administers the nation's foreign policy while acting in the role of

chief diplomat.

Which institution has the power to formally declare war?

congress

In the original system of presidential selection, who or what chose party nominees?

congressional caucuses

Compared to the powers of the presidency that George Washington assumed in 1789, the powers of the presidency that Donald Trump assumed in 2017 were

considerably more powerful.

Through the use of administrative powers, the president can

decide how laws will be implemented.

A key to understanding the power of the presidency is a recognition that presidential power

depends on the occupant of the office.

The duties of each vice president are

determined by the particular president with whom he or she serves.

Which of these presidential appointees are the most difficult for the president to control?

directors of federal departments and agencies

When, during a term of office, should the president expect to experience the highest level of public approval?

early in a new president's administration

The president's ______ power includes the responsibility to faithfully execute the laws of the nation and to appoint major administrators.

executive

Over the course of American history, the powers of the president have ______ from those envisioned by the founding fathers.

expanded

In general, presidents have more power to act on their own in which policy area?

foreign policy

As of 2018, most U.S. presidents have been ______. (Select all that apply.)

former public servants white male Protestant

Article I of the Constitution lists the powers of Congress and Article II lists the powers of the presidency. Compared to Article I, the wording of Article II is more

general

The president performs all of the following EXCEPT

having the final say in interpreting the U.S. Constitution.

One of the powers that presidents have is that they can appoint

heads of federal agencies.

The framers of the Constitution anticipated that presidents would

hold limited legislative power.

The beginning of a new presidential administration, which is often characterized by higher levels of public approval, is known as a

honeymoon period.

Since the 1790s, the power of the presidency has evolved owing to the

increased involvement of the presidency in a range of policy areas.

In relation to Congress, the president's power

is limited by the willingness of Congress to act on the president's agenda. is more effective in setting the national agenda.

A strong showing in early presidential election caucuses and primaries is known as

momentum.

President Ronald Reagan was viewed as

more powerful than President Jimmy Carter

In his role as chief diplomat, the president

negotiates treaties with other nations. appoints ambassadors.

Which of the following correctly describes the executive authority that the Constitution assigns the vice president?

no executive authority

In which of the four systems of presidential selection did/do Electoral College members cast their ballots for the popular-vote winner in their respective states?

party convention system party primary, open caucus system party convention, primary system

When foreign countries look to the United States for leadership, they direct their attention to the

president.

Most of America's recent wars have been waged on the basis of a

presidential directive.

What is the title of the person who heads an executive department?

secretary

Presidents might not succeed in achieving certain goals if Congress does not provide the necessary funding for them. This illustrates the government's

separation of powers.

Members of Congress cannot claim to be the leader of the United States because they

share power with other members of Congress. are elected from different areas and not nationally.

During the general election, presidential candidates focus most of their money and attention on which two of the following?

states that are competitive enough that either candidate has a chance of winning the state the largest states, because they have the most voters

Campaigns primarily use which of the following media to persuade undecided voters?

television

During which of these major events was there an enormous expansion of presidential authority?

the Great Depression

Which of the following is the part of the Executive Office of the President that consists of the president's closest direct personal advisers?

the White House Office

Because most states use the unit rule to grant their electoral votes, candidates running for president are most concerned with

the most populous states.

Studies have shown that many voters decide to vote for a particular presidential candidate during

the national party conventions.

The number of electoral voters a state has in the Electoral College is determined by what factor?

the number of members it has in the House and the Senate

What legislative powers does the president possess?

the power of the veto the power to propose legislation to Congress

Who is constitutionally required to see that the laws passed by Congress are faithfully executed?

the president

Andrew Jackson was the first president to forcefully assert the idea that

the president rather than Congress should take the lead on national policy issues.

After the presidential primaries and caucuses are finished, the political parties hold

their national party conventions.

The best opportunity presidents have to get Congress to pass policy initiatives is when

their party controls both houses of Congress.

Presidents are likely to be successful and powerful if

they face special circumstances that call for their leadership.

Presidents have more power in foreign policy making in part because

they have close relationships with the intelligence, diplomatic, and military agencies.

How many votes in the Electoral College does each state have based on its Senate representation?

two

What rough proportion of the nation's voters identify with either the Republican or Democratic party (and disregard third parties)?

two-thirds

The vice president of the United States

typically forms part of the presidential team. is assigned different roles by the president. holds a separate elective office from that of the president.

All but two states use the ______ in assigning their Electoral College votes. According to this rule, the candidate who wins the popular vote in that state receives all of the states' Electoral College votes.

unit rule

Who is the next person to succeed the president if the president is unable to complete the term of office?

vice president

Which of the following are considered criteria that the average American uses to evaluate presidential leadership?

whether the president prioritizes many of the same issues that concern much of the public whether the president is a strong leader unafraid to exercise power and to communicate a vision for the nation

When do potential presidential candidates often begin positioning themselves for presidential office?

years in advance of Election Day