unit 4 quizzes

1. A career government employee. 2. The portion of the federal budget that is spent on programs that the president and Congress are unwilling to cut. 3. Established in 1978 to work closely with presidential appointees to manage government. 4. He contributed to the President's campaign and then was appointed ambassador France 5. A tactic used by Congress to assist a bill through the legislative process 6. Example: Federal Reserve Board 7. The Pendleton Act created 8. Example: Amtrak or PBS 9. Prevents civil servants from raising and collecting campaign contributions in a partisan election 10. Monitoring the Federal Bureaucracy 11. Article 1 Section 6: No Senator or Representative shall be appointed to the.... 12. Example: Defense, State, Education, Transportation, etc

1. Bureaucrat 2. Uncontrollable spending 3. senior executive service 4. spoils system 5. administrative discretion 6. independent regulatory commission 7. merit system 8. government corporation 9. hatch act 10. oversight 11. bureaucracy 12. department

1. Advisory council for the president, consisting of the heads of the executive departments 2. A democratic system in which the legislature selects the prime minister 3. Requires a two-thirds approval from the Senate 4. A decision by the president not to spend money appropriated by Congress. 5. Immediately after the 2004 election, president Bush said that he had political capital and he plans to spend it 6. President Bush's approval rating improved by 29 points after 9/11 7. Used by the president to direct the bureaucracy to act 8. Presidential staff that prepares the budget for the President 9. President's most loyal assistant 10. Circumvents treaties 11. Gives the president constitutional authority to execute the laws 12. OMB, White House, Council of Economic Advisors 13. U.S. v. Nixon 14. Would have been a tool to eliminate pork

1. Cabinet 2. Parliamentary system 3. treaty 4. impoundment 5. mandate 6. rally point 7. executive orders 8. OMB 9. chief of staff 10. executive agreement 11. take care clause 12. executive office of the President 13. executive privilege 14. line item veto

1. The powers explicitly given to Congress in the Constitution. 2. The current holders of elected office. 3. Ends a filibuster 4. A procedure in the HR that prohibits any amendments to bills 5. Mutual aid and vote trading among legislators. 6. "Since the American people want out of Afghanistan, I am voting for it." 7. New York -2 and Texas +2 8. A type of redistricting 9. A procedure used for BCRA 10. Mike Pence's substitute in the Senate 11. Example: House of Representatives and Senate 12. A tactic generally used by the minority party in the Senate 13. I voted for the Affordable Care Act against the polling in my district because it was the right thing to do 14. The redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines 15. Effect of Gerrymandering 16. Plans party strategy for the party that controls the Senate 17. Party leader who is the liaison between the leadership and the rank-and-file in the legislature 18. Presides over the House of Representatives. 19. He/she had 10 days before we adjourned

1. Enumerated 2. Incumbent 3. Cloture 4. Closed Rule 5. logrolling 6. delegate role 7. reapportionment 8. gerrymandering 9. discharge petition 10. president pro tempore 11. bicameralism 12. filibuster 13. trustee role 14. redistricting 15. safe-seat 16. majority leader 17. whip 18. speaker 19. pocket veto

1. Authority of a court to review decisions made by lower courts. 2. The rule of precedent. 3. Determines guilt or innocence. 4. In a criminal action, the person or party accused of an offense. 5. A court order requiring explanation to a judge why a prisoner is being held in custody. 6. Public officials are hired to provide legal assistance to people accused of crimes who are unable to hire their own attorneys. 7. Hears evidence presented by the government to determine whether persons shall be required to stand trial. 8. The fate of most prosecutions 9. The power or authority of the court to interpret the constitution. 10. In general terms, explains the reasoning of the court. 11. Example: The Court upholds the Voting Rights Act of 1965 12. Examples: Roe v. Wade or U.S. v. Lopez 13. Most appeals come to the Supreme Court by ________________ 14. The Obama administration filed one in support of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 15. Example: Judge Pregerson's name was presented to the Senators of California for review. 16. "an appeal to the brooding spirit of the law, to the intelligence of a later day." 17. California is in the 9th out of the 12. 18. This doctrine refers to the idea that an issue is so politically charged that federal courts should not hear the issue.

1. appellate jurisdiction 2. stare decisis 3. petit jury 4. defendant 5. writ of habeas corpus 6. public defender system 7. grand jury 8. plea bargain 9. judicial review 10. opinion of the court 11. judicial self-restraint 12. judicial activism 13. writ of certiorari 14. amicus curiae brief 15. senatorial courtesy 16. dissenting opinion 17. court of appeals 18. political question

The number of cabinet level departments is a. fifteen b. eight c. ten d. sixteen

15

Roughly __________ of federal employees work for either a branch of the military or the U.S. Postal Service. a. 55 percent b. 70 percent c. 40 percent d. 25 percent

55%

The membership of the House of Representatives is a. 435 b. 225 c. 100 d. 535

a. 435

The right to apportion representatives among the states according to the population is the authority of the a. Congress. b. president. c. Constitution. d. State governments.

a. Congress.

Which of the following is NOT one of the Hatch Act specified rules for federal civilian employees? a. Employees may be candidates for public office in partisan elections b. Employees may assist in voter registration. c. Employees may register and vote as they choose. d. Employees may join political clubs or organizations.

a. Employees may be candidates for public office in partisan elections

An example of an independent regulatory board or commission is the a. Securities and Exchange Commission b. General Services Administration. c. Americorps. d. Interior Department.

a. Securities and Exchange Commission

The power to confirm presidential nominations belongs to the a. Senate. b. both House and Senate. c. House. d. Supreme Court.

a. Senate.

Because both chambers have roughly equal amounts of money for staff, a. Senators have much larger staffs than their House counterparts. b. none of the above c. House members have much larger staffs than their Senate counterparts. d. Senators and House members have very equal size staffs.

a. Senators have much larger staffs than their House counterparts

Compared to the percentage of other ethnic, racial and gender groups, the group most seriously under-represented in Congress in relation to their proportion of the U.S. population is a. Women b. Farmers c. African Americans d. Latinos

a. Women

Concurring opinions are written when a justice a. agrees with the majority's conclusion but not the reasoning b. agrees with the minority's conclusion but not its reasoning. c. disagrees with the majority's conclusion but accepts its reasoning. d. agrees with the majority's conclusion and reasoning.

a. agrees with the majority's conclusion but not the reasoning

A career government employee is known as a(n) a. bureaucrat b. representative c. insider d. fed

a. bureaucrat

According to the Supreme Court, a. claims of executive privilege are not exempt from review by the courts. b. the president has no right to executive privilege. c. executive privilege has no standing in the court system. d. the president has an absolute right to invoke executive privilege for any reason.

a. claims of executive privilege are not exempt from review by the courts.

A _______________, if signed by a majority of the members of the House of Representatives, will pry a bill from committee and bring it to the floor for consideration. a. discharge petition b. override c. pocket veto d. rider

a. discharge petition

Redistricting of congressional constituencies generally occurs a. every ten years after each national census. b. whenever the state government calls for redistricting. c. every twenty years regardless of population movement or the national census. d. whenever there is a major population shift.

a. every ten years after each national census.

The right to keep executive communications confidential, especially if they relate to national security, is called ______ privilege. a. executive b. presidential c. adjunct d. administrative

a. executive

The two major forms of the Supreme Court's jurisdiction are a. original and appellate. b. judicial and magisterial. c. accusatorial and inquisitional. d. grand and petit.

a. original and appellate.

The responsibility to question executive branch officials to see whether their agencies are complying with the wishes of the Congress and conducting their programs efficiently is part of the a. oversight function b. appropriations and budgeting function. c. policing function. d. investigative function.

a. oversight function

The official role of interest groups and lobbyists in the legislative process is to a. provide information. b. organize opposition forces. c. inform the public as to the legislator's activities. d. encourage the legislator with financial incentives.

a. provide information.

Advantages of bicameralism include a. representation of smaller constituencies and of moderating influence. b. simplifying the legislative process. c. the ability to pass legislation quickly. d. preventing a check and balance within the legislature.

a. representation of smaller constituencies and of moderating influence.

If a district is predictably won by one party, it is called a a. safe seat. b. party district. c. candidate's dream. d. sure bet.

a. safe seat.

The president does not have the power to appoint a. senators. b. judges. c. ambassadors. d. members of the cabinet.

a. senators.

Only about _______ of the federal career civilian employees work in the Washington D.C. area. a. 33 percent b. 15 percent c. 28 percent d. 8 percent

b. 15 percent

The term of a Senator is a. 4 years b. 6 years c. 8 years d. 2 years

b. 6 years

There are _____ senior presidential appointees that are confirmed by the Senate. a. 6,000 b. 600 c. 2,400 d. 200

b. 600

Which department was most recently added to the executive branch? a. Department of Education b. Department of Homeland Security c. Department of Veterans Affairs d. Department of Justice

b. Department of Homeland Security

An example of an independent agency is the a. National Labor Relations Board. b. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). c. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). d. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

b. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The budget for the administration is constructed by the a. Office of the Vice President b. Office of Management and Budget c. Congress d. General Accounting Office.

b. Office of Management and Budget

The formal responsibility of president of the Senate belongs to the a. president pro tempore. b. Vice President. c. majority party leader. d. senior member of the Senate.

b. Vice President.

Which of the following is NOT a method by which the president may leave office? a. resignation b. a majority vote by the Supreme Court c. The vice president and majority of the president's cabinet secretaries declare the president unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office. d. The vice president and a majority of Congress declare the president unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office.

b. a majority vote by the Supreme Court

After a bill is introduced and assigned to a committee, it is usually assigned to a a. standing committee. b. conference committee. c. subcommittee. d. special committee.

b. conference committee.

If the full House debates a bill and passes it but it is different from the Senate version, it must go to a a. standing committee. b. conference committee. c. compromise committee. d. special committee.

b. conference committee.

The job of a "petit jury" is to a. investigate. b. determine guilt or innocence in a trial. c. indict. d. determine what evidence is admissible into the trial.

b. determine guilt or innocence in a trial.

The Constitutional Convention never seriously considered selection of the president by: a. the Electoral College. b. direct election. c. the Congress. d. the legislative branch.

b. direct election.

The federal courts that regularly employ grand juries are a. courts of appeal. b. district courts. c. bankruptcy courts. d. military tribunals.

b. district courts.

The power to release persons from custody if the judge is not satisfied that the person is being constitutionally detained is known as a. stare decisis. b. habeas corpus. c. no contenders. d. plea bargaining.

b. habeas corpus.

The most important feature of Supreme Court opinions may be to a. inform the public. b. instruct judges of lower courts c. ask Congress to act. d. evaluate a presidential action.

b. instruct judges of lower courts

The following statements are all true EXCEPT a. judicial philosophy is related to political ideology b. judicial philosophy is nothing more than another way to argue about political ideology c. judicial philosophy can be classified as judicial activism or judicial restraint d. judicial philosophy is a good predictor of how an individual judge will behave

b. judicial philosophy is nothing more than another way to argue about political ideology

Question 9 The assigning by Congress of congressional seats after each census is called a. redistricting. b. reapportionment. c. none of the above d. gerrymandering.

b. reapportionment.

A provision attached to a bill mostly in the Senate—that it may or may not be related—in order to secure its passage is a(n) a. pocket veto. b. rider. c. override. d. discharge petition.

b. rider.

The job of "whip" is to a. ensure that members of the party support the party platform. b. serve as liaison between the House leadership and the rank-and-file. c. reprimand individuals who behave in a less-than-honorable way. d. elect party officers and approve assignments.

b. serve as liaison between the House leadership and the rank-and-file.

Permanently established legislative committees that review proposed legislation and report bills and resolutions to their chamber are called a. special committees. b. standing committees. c. permanent committees. d. select committees.

b. standing committees.

The theory that party loyalists should be rewarded and that government would be effective and responsive only if followers of the president held most key federal posts was called a. pure capitalism. b. the spoils system. c. just compensation. d. just rewards system.

b. the spoils system

An override by Congress requires a ___________ majority in each chamber. a. none of the above b. simple c. 2/3 d. 3/4

c. 2/3

Which of the following is NOT a government corporation? a. Amtrak b. U.S. Postal Service c. American Airlines d. Corporation for Public Broadcasting

c. American Airlines

According to present law, the _______ is not in the line of succession to the presidency. a. Speaker of the House b. Vice President c. Chief Justice of the United States Supreme d. Secretary of State

c. Chief Justice of the United States Supreme

The Constitution delegates the authority to declare the legal state of war to the a. Department of Defense b. Supreme Court c. Congress d. president

c. Congress

The office which administers civil service laws, rules and regulations is the a. Civil Service Administration. b. General Accounting Office. c. Office of Personnel Management. d. Civil Service Employees office.

c. Office of Personnel Management.

The merit system passed after the assassination of President James Garfield in 1881 was part of the a. Garfield Employment Act. b. Hatch Act. c. Pendleton Act. d. Civil Service Commission.

c. Pendleton Act.

Criticisms of Congress include a. unethical. b. inefficiency. c. all of the above d. underrepresentative.

c. all of the above

Dissenting opinions are written when a justice a. agrees with the majority's conclusion and reasoning. b. disagrees with the majority's conclusion but accepts its reasoning. c. disagrees with the majority's conclusion and its reasoning. d. agrees with the majority's conclusion but not the reasoning.

c. disagrees with the majority's conclusion and its reasoning.

The process of putting a law into practice through bureaucratic rules or spending is called a. regulation. b. administration. c. implementation. d. indexing.

c. implementation.

When members of Congress vote with colleagues in the expectation that the favor will be returned it is called a. swapping. b. pork barrel. c. log rolling. d. horse trading.

c. log rolling.

The responsibility to question executive branch officials to see whether their agencies are complying with the wishes of the Congress and conducting their programs efficiently is part of the a. investigative function. b. appropriations and budgeting function. c. oversight function. d. policing function.

c. oversight function.

A mandate is best defined as a(n) a. decline in presidential approval. b. sharp contrast between presidential and congressional ideology. c. perceived level of support for a president's priorities. d. executive privilege used in foreign policy.

c. perceived level of support for a president's priorities.

The formal instructions that government issues for implementing laws are called a. implementations. b. administrations. c. regulations. d. indexes.

c. regulations.

Litigants must have sustained or be in immediate danger of sustaining a direct and substantial injury to have a. a right to win a case. b. actionability. c. standing to sue. d. representation by an attorney.

c. standing to sue.

A president's external influence comes from three sources. Which of the following is NOT one of these three sources? a. the number of seats his party occupies in Congress b. the mandate provided by his election c. the ease of his presidential appointments being d. his level of public approval

c. the ease of his presidential appointments being

The executive power of the presidency includes all of the following EXCEPT the powerThe executive power of the presidency includes all of the following EXCEPT the power a. to select the senior appointees of government. b. to oversee the bureaucracy. c. to declare war. d. to develop recommendations for spending money.

c. to declare war.

Which of the following statements about U. S. attorneys is FALSE? a. They usually resign if the opposition party wins the White House. b. They serve a four year term. c. They begin proceedings against those alleged to have broken federal laws. d. Appointments to this position do not involve senatorial courtesy.

d. Appointments to this position do not involve senatorial courtesy.

Which department does not call its chief administrator the Secretary of the department? a. State b. Defense c. Home Land Security d. Justice

d. Justice

The direct election of Senators was established with the a. signing of the Constitution. b. addition of the Bill of Rights. c. Thirteenth Amendment. d. Seventeenth Amendment.

d. Seventeenth Amendment.

District lines for the House of Representatives are drawn with the authority of the a. Constitution. b. House of Representatives. c. Senate. d. State governments.

d. State governments.

Which is correct regarding ways a bill can become law? a. Congress can override a presidential veto. b. A bill can become law if Congress passes it, adjourns and the president takes no action at all. c. The president can sign a bill into law. d. The president can use a line item veto.

d. The president can use a line item veto.

A president can favorably "influence" Congress by a. holding bill-signing ceremonies b. having important social events. c. helping legislators with fund-raising. d. all of the above

d. all of the above

Incumbents are generally reelected because they a. have high name recognition. b. have greater access to the media. c. can raise more campaign money. d. all of the above

d. all of the above

On the federal level, the job of prosecution belongs to the a. 94 U S. attorneys. b. attorney general. c. solicitor general. d. all of the above

d. all of the above

The right to unlimited debate a. can be subject to cloture. b. is found in the Senate but not the House. c. is called the "filibuster." d. all of the above

d. all of the above

Who is considered the president's most loyal assistant? a. Attorney General b. Secretary of State c. Press Secretary d. chief of staff

d. chief of staff

An official who is expected to represent the views of his or her constituents even when personally holding different views is known as a a. trustee. b. candidate. c. politician. d. delegate.

d. delegate.

The drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit a party, group, or incumbent is known as a. redistricting. b. none of the above c. reapportionment. d. gerrymandering.

d. gerrymandering.

The responsibility to question executive branch officials to see whether their agencies are complying with the wishes of the Congress and conducting their programs efficiently is part of the a. investigative function. b. policing function. c. appropriations and budgeting function. d. oversight function.

d. oversight function.

A rally point is a a. defined period where the president tries to garner more support. b. beginning to a surge in popularity during a presidential campaign. c. long period of applause during a State of the Union Address. d. rise in public approval of the president that follows a crisis.

d. rise in public approval of the president that follows a crisis.

Decisions of the Court of Appeals are a. frequently overturned by the Supreme Court. b. not subject to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. c. never overturned by the Supreme Court. d. seldom appealed to the Supreme Court.

d. seldom appealed to the Supreme Court.

Law that comes from authoritative and specific lawmaking bodies, primarily legislatures but also including treaties and executive orders is called a. administrative law. b. common law. c. equity law. d. statutory law.

d. statutory law.

What did the framers expect regarding the bureaucracy? a. members of Congress would create jobs for themselves b. Congress would create fifteen departments c. Congress would appoint the treasurer of the United States. d. they believed the first bureaucracy would be small

d. they believed the first bureaucracy would be small

The job of a congressional staff person is to do all of the following BUT a. conduct research. b. draft bills. c. help build coalitions. d. vote in the representative or senator's absence.

d. vote in the representative or senator's absence.