pols1101 ch 12

Impoundment

A decision by a president to not spend money that has been appropriated by Congress.

Cabinet

A group of advisors to the president, consisting of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch who head the fifteen executive departments

Independent Executive Agencies

Bureaucratic agencies with specific tasks that are held accountable to the president but are independent from oversight by any cabinet department.

Cabinet Departments

Major executive units, each consisting of a vast network of offices and agencies, that are headed by secretaries that are confirmed by the Senate and held directly accountable to the president.

Alexander Hamilton's plan (for designing the presidency)

Unitary executive with a life term and broad powers

National Security Council (EOC unit)

assists the president in handling crises in the international arena

Sort the outcomes below based on how frequently they have occurred. The outcome that has occurred most often should be at the top. The outcome that has occurred the least frequently should be at the bottom.

- The candidate with the most popular votes gets a majority of the Electoral College votes and is declared the winner. - A candidate wins a majority of the Electoral College votes without winning a majority of the popular votes and is declared the winner. - A candidate fails to get a majority of the Electoral College votes and is declared the winner by the House of Representatives.

Executive Agreement

A formal accord reached between the president and another country made without formal consent by the Senate. This functions much like a treaty except it can be unilaterally broken by future presidents, which means it is viewed by other countries as a less secure and reliable commitment (compared to treaties).

Executive Order

A rule issued by the president that has the force of law. Such a rule is deemed valid only if it is authorized by congressional statue and/or by specific constitutional provision(s).

Signing Statement

A written proclamation made by a president at the time they sign a bill into law that seeks to influence the way the law is interpreted and implemented by the bureaucratic agency charged with enforcing it.

Government Corporation

Agencies formed by the federal government that fulfill a vital public service, but tend to generate enough profit to be self-sustaining.

Independent Regulatory Agencies

Agencies that are not under the control of any cabinet department and are also insulated from political pressure from the president.

Which of the following statements are true about faithless electors? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY) a) A faithless elector is an elector who does not vote for the candidate for president and/or vice president for whom the elector had pledged to vote (as a member of their party). b) It is illegal to perform as a faithless elector in Georgia c) Faithless electors have never impacted the result of a presidential election d) The U.S. Constitution strictly forbids faithless electors e) A faithless elector is an ordinary citizen who abstains from voting on Election Day because they lose all faith in the democratic process

a) A faithless elector is an elector who does not vote for the candidate for president and/or vice president for whom the elector had pledged to vote (as a member of their party). c) Faithless electors have never impacted the result of a presidential election

The Constitution establishes that the president is selected by what method? a) Electoral College b) Direct popular vote c) Legislative appointment

a) Electoral College

Which of the following are characteristics of government corporations (and NOT characteristics of private corporations)? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY) a) Formed by the federal government to administer a quasi-business enterprise that fulfills a vital public service b) Formed by private investors for private profit c) Pays federal taxes on profits d) Exempt from federal taxes e) Has stockholders f) Reinvests profits to perpetuate the enterprise

a) Formed by the federal government to administer a quasi-business enterprise that fulfills a vital public service d) Exempt from federal taxes f) Reinvests profits to perpetuate the enterprise

Which department didn't exist until the twenty-first century? a) Homeland Security b) Education c) Veterans Affairs d) Health and Human Services e) Labor f) Commerce

a) Homeland Security

What would the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact do if enough states joined it? a) It would legally bind member states to cast their electoral votes for the winner of the national popular vote regardless of which candidate won the popular vote within their states. b) It would amend the Constitution to abolish the Electoral College and replace it with direct election of the president through national popular vote. c) It would legally bind member states to refuse to cast any electoral votes if it appeared the candidate who won the national popular vote was going to otherwise win the Electoral College. The expectation would be that this would create a need for the House of Representatives to decide who is president.

a) It would legally bind member states to cast their electoral votes for the winner of the national popular vote regardless of which candidate won the popular vote within their states.

What are two main ways discussed above that presidents seek to monitor and control bureaucratic agencies? (SELECT TWO) a) Learning about agency actions, spending, and performance by reading reports from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). b) Using the powers of appointment and removal to hire responsible agency leaders and hold them accountable c) Conducting presidential hearings in which agency leaders testify d) Doing "undercover boss¸" where presidents disguise themselves as ordinary workers so they can hear the unfiltered truth about the agency from workers' point of view and learn to empathize with them e) Watch TV news stories about agency wrongdoing

a) Learning about agency actions, spending, and performance by reading reports from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). b) Using the powers of appointment and removal to hire responsible agency leaders and hold them accountable

Which two of these statements most accurately describe the president's reliance on Congress on matters of foreign affairs in the present era? (SELECT TWO OPTIONS) a) Presidents normally engage in military hostilities without waiting for Congress to formally declare war first. b) Before engaging in military hostilities with foreign powers¸ presidents almost always wait for Congress to formally declare war first. c) Before entering into commitments with other countries¸ presidents almost always work with the Senate to formalize the commitment as a treaty. d) When entering into commitments with other countries¸ presidents today normally bypass the Senate by formalizing the commitment as an executive agreement instead of a treaty.

a) Presidents normally engage in military hostilities without waiting for Congress to formally declare war first. d) When entering into commitments with other countries¸ presidents today normally bypass the Senate by formalizing the commitment as an executive agreement instead of a treaty.

In what way are independent executive agencies "independent"? a) They are not subject to oversight by any cabinet department b) Presidents can remove agency heads only "for cause" c) They are financially self-sustaining and, thus, not dependent upon the government for money d) They are not independent in any meaningful sense (the label is essentially a euphemism)

a) They are not subject to oversight by any cabinet department

In what way are independent regulatory agencies "independent"? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY) a) They are not subject to oversight by any cabinet department b) Presidents can remove agency heads only "for cause" c) They are financially self-sustaining and¸ thus¸ not dependent upon the government for money d) They are not independent in any meaningful sense (the label is essentially a euphemism)

a) They are not subject to oversight by any cabinet department b) Presidents can remove agency heads only "for cause"

What term refers to an effort by a president to deliver a major television address in the hope that public pressure will result in legislators supporting the president on a major piece of legislation? a) going public b) the nuclear option c) legislative hardball d) congressional diplomacy

a) going public

What name is given to the bureaucratic rulemaking process in which neutral advisors convene a committee of those who have vested interests in the proposed rules and help the committee reach a consensus on them? a) negotiated rulemaking b) notice-and-comment rulemaking c) legislative rulemaking d) red tape rulemaking

a) negotiated rulemaking

Today, the parties' national conventions __ voters' preferences for presidential nominees as expressed through the primaries and caucuses. a) rubber-stamp b) overrule c) ignore

a) rubber-stamp

king caucus

an informal meeting held in the 19th century made up of legislators in the Congress who met to decide on presidential nominees for their respective parties

Council of Economic Advisers (EOC unit)

assists the president in evaluating economic trends and formulating economic policy

Presidential campaigns are expensive. What do they spend most of their money on? a) Debates b) Advertising c) Investments in candidates' personal retirement accounts d) Traveling to rallies

b) Advertising

Which member of the White House Staff is the President's most important "right hand person"? a) Press Secretary b) Chief of Staff c) Communications Director d) Congressional Liaison e) Domestic Policy Adviser

b) Chief of Staff

Which method does nearly every state use for selecting the state's representatives in the Electoral College? a) State legislatures decide without paying significant attention to the popular vote in the state b) Each state party chooses a slate of electors prior to the election, and the candidate who gets the most votes in the state gets to have their party's entire slate be the electors for the state. c) Each state party chooses a slate of electors prior to the election, and the electors are apportioned in proportion to the percent of the state popular vote each candidate received. So, for example, if the candidate from Party A gets 40% of the state popular vote and the candidate from Party B gets 60%, the state's electors will consist of 40% of the electors on Party's A's list and 60% of the electors from Party B's list.

b) Each state party chooses a slate of electors prior to the election, and the candidate who gets the most votes in the state gets to have their party's entire slate be the electors for the state.

Which of the following statements are true about impeachment and/or removal of presidents? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY) a) If the House votes to impeach a president¸ then the president is removed from office. b) If two-thirds of Senators vote to remove a president after the president has been impeached by the House, then the president is removed from office. c) A president can be impeached by a simple majority vote in House d) Five presidents have been removed from office after the Senate voted to convict the presidents for that which they were impeached e) Donald Trump was impeached by the House twice

b) If two-thirds of Senators vote to remove a president after the president has been impeached by the House, then the president is removed from office. c) A president can be impeached by a simple majority vote in House e) Donald Trump was impeached by the House twice

Over time, presidents have come to rely _____ on the cabinet for advice. a) More b) Less c) Unchanged

b) Less

Which of the following statements most accurately describes the constitutional history of the president's tenure in office? a) The original Constitution allowed presidents to serve only one seven-year term, but the Twenty-Second Amendment changed this to allow presidents to serve up to two four-year terms. b) The original Constitution allowed presidents to serve an unlimited number of four-year terms, but the Twenty-Second Amendment changed this to allow presidents to serve no more than two four-year terms. c) The original Constitution allowed presidents to serve no more than two four-year terms, but the Twenty-Second Amendment changed this to allow presidents to serve an unlimited number of four-year terms. d) The original Constitution allowed presidents to serve an unlimited number of four-year terms, but the Twenty-Second Amendment changed this to allow presidents to serve only one seven-year term.

b) The original Constitution allowed presidents to serve an unlimited number of four-year terms, but the Twenty-Second Amendment changed this to allow presidents to serve no more than two four-year terms.

Which of the following is NOT a factor mentioned above that has contributed to the growth of presidential power? a) the growth in the size and role of the American national government (in general) b) an increased yearning for monarchy in the American psyche c) the rising profile of the United States on the international stage d) major events and crises, such as the Great Depression, two world wars, the Cold War, and the war on terrorism e) the rise of electronic mass media

b) an increased yearning for monarchy in the American psyche

Why has Congress passed whistleblower protection laws? a) to reward disloyalty within bureaucratic agencies and thereby weaken them b) to help employees overcome their fear of reporting genuine wrongdoing when they see it, and thereby to reduce wrongdoing within agencies in the future c) to get criminals within bureaucratic agencies to turn themselves in

b) to help employees overcome their fear of reporting genuine wrongdoing when they see it, and thereby to reduce wrongdoing within agencies in the future

The chart above shows that Wyoming has 192,284 persons per elector. Wyoming has a population of 576,851. If Electoral College electors were allocated based simply on the number of House seats a state has, then how many persons per elector would Wyoming have? a) 192,284 b) 384,568 c) 576,851 d) There is no way to know

c) 576,851

In designing the presidency, the delegates tried to strike what kind of balance? a) A balance between monarchy, aristocracy, and anarchy b) A balance between militarism and economic stewardship c) A balance between assuring adequate executive power and minimizing risk of tyranny d) A balance between social policy and cultural leadership

c) A balance between assuring adequate executive power and minimizing risk of tyranny

Which president was the first to make a conscious effort to make vice presidents are more central part of the president's policy team? a) Dwight Eisenhower in the 1950s b) Lyndon Johnson in the 1960s c) Jimmy Carter in the 1970s d) Ronald Reagan in the 1980s e) Bill Clinton in the 1990s f) Barack Obama in the 2010s

c) Jimmy Carter in the 1970s

Which department oversees issues related to wages, unemployment insurance, and occupational safety? a) Treasury b) Commerce c) Labor d) State e) Housing and Urban Development

c) Labor

Which departments has been in existence since the time George Washington was president? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY) a) Commerce b) Interior c) State d) Transportation e) Labor f) Treasury

c) State f) Treasury

What impact do the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary have on the presidential candidate selection process? a) They have no impact. They are small and demographically unrepresentative states that mean nothing compared to more populous and representative states. b) They essentially determine who becomes each party's nominee. c) They reduce the field down to a smaller number of candidates.

c) They reduce the field down to a smaller number of candidates.

Which of the following is NOT a power or responsibility of the president established by the U.S. Constitution? a) commander-in-chief of the armed forces b) veto legislation (but subject to override by Congress) c) oversee the economy d) negotiate treaties (with the advice and consent of the Senate) e) power to pardon those convicted of federal offenses f) receive representatives of foreign nations g) nominate federal judges, including Supreme Court justices, as well as other federal officials h) make appointments to fill military and diplomatic posts i) call Congress into session when needed j) All of the above are powers or responsibilities of the president established by the U.S. Constitution

c) oversee the economy

How large is the White House Staff under President Biden? a) Fewer than 100 staffers b) ~ 100-300 c) ~ 301-500 d) ~ 501-700 e) More than 700 staffers

c) ~ 301-500

According to the Constitution, if no candidate wins a majority of the Electoral College votes, which institution decides the winner and how? a) The Senate decides by majority vote with each Senator voting individually. b) The Senate decides by majority vote with each state getting one vote. c) The House decides by majority vote with each representative voting individually. d) The House decides by majority vote with each state getting one vote.

d) The House decides by majority vote with each state getting one vote.

Simply by looking at this map of the distribution of presidential electors by state, can you tell how many seats California will have in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2024? a) No, this map does not provide enough information for being able to answer that. b) Yes, and the answer is 54 c) Yes, and the answer is 53 d) Yes, and the answer is 52 e) Yes, and the answer is 51 f) Yes, and the answer is 50

d) Yes, and the answer is 52

What are two ways discussed above that Congress members routinely obtain information about the activities, spending, and performance of government agencies? (SELECT TWO) a) watching TV news media stories about agencies b) scrounging the Library of Congress for books about agencies' histories c) reading academic studies d) conducting hearings in which government agency leaders testify e) reading reports from the Government Accountability Office (GAO)

d) conducting hearings in which government agency leaders testify e) reading reports from the Government Accountability Office (GAO)

Which of the following is NOT a presidential eligibility requirement established by the Constitution? a) at least thirty-five years of age b) inhabitant of the U.S. for at least fourteen years c) natural born citizen of the United States d) passed a civic literacy test

d) passed a civic literacy test

The expansion of presidential __ powers is the most significant way the executive's power grew over the first several decades after ratification of the Constitution. a) economic b) criminal justice c) religious / spiritual d) war

d) war

How large is the Executive Office of the President? a) Fewer than 100 employees b) ~ 100-300 c) ~ 301-500 d) ~ 501-700 e) More than 700 employees

e) More than 700 employees (Today, the EOC actually has around 1,800 employees.)

Who do presidents need approval from before they can remove a Senate-confirmed executive branch official? a) Senate b) House c) Surpeme Court d) All of the above e) None of the above (presidents can remove executive branch officials unilaterally)

e) None of the above (presidents can remove executive branch officials unilaterally)

How many cabinet departments are there? a) 10 b) 11 c) 12 d) 13 e) 14 f) 15

f) 15

presidential primary elections

formal events run by states through which voters decide whom the parties' should nominate for president

Freedom of Information Act

law that grants citizens the right to request access to records from any federal agency

Sunshine Act

law that requires meetings of federal government agencies to be open to the public for observation

Office of Management and Budget (EOC unit)

prepares the president's budget proposal to Congress, helps push the proposal through Congress, and analyzes the effects of all new programs on the national debt

James Madison's plan (for designing the presidency)

short on specifics, but aimed generally at empowering an executive to perform its necessary functions without becoming tyrannical

Sort these presidents by the number of executive orders they signed while in office. The president with the most executive orders should be on top. The one with the fewest should be on the bottom.

Franklin Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Truman Carter Trump Obama

Place the following in order of when they emerged as the most important method for selecting presidential nominees. That which was used first should be placed at the top. The most recent method should be placed at the bottom.

King caucus National party conventions Primary elections and party caucuses

Sort these stages of the presidential selection process into the order they occur. The stage that occurs first should be placed at the top. The stage that occurs last should be placed at the bottom.

Primaries and caucuses National party conventions The people vote in general election The electoral college convenes to cast ballots

William Paterson's plan (for designing the presidency)

Very weak executive committee with a single short term and removable by a majority of state governors

Executive Privilege

The president's right, under certain circumstances, to withhold information from Congress, the judiciary, or the public.

Sort these presidents by the number of pardons they issued while in office. The president with the most pardons should be on top. The one with the fewest should be on the bottom.

Truman Trump Obama

Match the bureaucratic agency to its type

U.S Department of Commerce = Cabinet Department National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) = Independent Executive Agency Federal Communications Commission (FCC) = Independent Regulatory Agency Amtrak = Government Corporation

caucus

a meeting run by political parties at which local party members register their preference among candidates running for president

If Washington, D.C. was NOT allowed to cast Electoral College votes for president, how many electors would there be in the Electoral College? a) 535 b) 536 c) 537 d) 538

a) 535

Which two first ladies are credited with doing the most to set new (higher) standards for the role of the first spouse with respect to policy advocacy? (SELECT TWO) a) Eleanor Roosevelt b) Lady Bird Johnson c) Barbara Bush d) Hillary Clinton

a) Eleanor Roosevelt d) Hillary Clinton

According to Richard Neustadt, "presidential power is the power to _." a) issue orders b) go public c) persuade d) coerce

c) persuade