Unit 2 Progress Checks

On January 30, 2017, President Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring that for each new regulation added, at least two existing regulations be eliminated. Which combination of government actors has the power to fulfill President Trump's executive order? A. Standing committees and subcommittees in Congress B. White House staff and the Executive Office of the President C. Party leadership and party committees in Congress D. Bureaucratic departments and agencies

Bureaucratic departments and agencies

One key interaction that Congress has with the bureaucracy as part of the iron triangle is to A. increase the budget and authority of the bureaucracy to regulate industry B. fire civil servants who refuse to implement policies that regulate industry C. lobby on behalf of regulations that it wants the bureaucracy to implement D. conduct research on public policy issues for the bureaucracy

increase the budget and authority of the bureaucracy to regulate industry

According to the passage, an attempt by Congress to place limitations on presidential power through legislation led to which of the following?

A signing statement by the president that declared that the legislation would not limit presidential power

Which of the following is an action that Congress would most likely take to address the issues illustrated by the data in the table? A. Congress can hold the bureaucracy accountable by working with the federal judicial branch to prosecute individuals and groups receiving illegal payments. B. Congress can hold the bureaucracy accountable by calling on leaders from departments and agencies responsible for the improper payments to testify before committees. C. Congress can hold the bureaucracy accountable by removing cabinet secretaries responsible for the departments and agencies that made improper payments. D. Congress can hold the bureaucracy accountable for improper payments by creating rules that eliminate pork barrel projects in spending bills.

Congress can hold the bureaucracy accountable by calling on leaders from departments and agencies responsible for the improper payments to testify before committees.

Which of the following explains the role of interest groups in the iron triangle diagram? A. Interest groups pass public policies to benefit the industries that they represent. B. Interest groups pass regulations and issue rulings on industries or groups. C. Interest groups work with Congress and the bureaucracy to determine how best to regulate an industry. D. Interest groups contact the bureaucracy on behalf of voters who need problems solved

Interest groups work with Congress and the bureaucracy to determine how best to regulate an industry.

During a television interview on July 1, 2018, Senator Lindsey Graham stated that "one of the concepts that really means a lot in America is stare decisis. That means you don't overturn precedent unless there's a good reason." About which ongoing debate was Senator Graham sharing his position? A. State jurisdiction versus federal jurisdiction B. Judicial activism versus judicial restraint C. Executive orders versus executive agreements D. Reserved powers versus delegated powers

Judicial activism versus judicial restraint

Which of the following is the best example of a president using technology to communicate and obtain public support for a public policy agenda? A. President Ronald Reagan reassuring the nation in a televised address after the Challenger disaster B. President John F. Kennedy outlining Cold War challenges and urging Americans to civic action in his inaugural address C. President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressing a joint session of Congress to seek a declaration of war after the attack on Pearl Harbor D. President Richard Nixon claiming executive privilege to protect the recorded conversations he made in the White House

President John F. Kennedy outlining Cold War challenges and urging Americans to civic action in his inaugural address

Which of the following was the ruling in Shaw v. Reno (1993) ? A. Creating districts where a minority is the majority does not violate the Ninth Amendment. B. Racial gerrymandering can violate the Fourteenth Amendment unless it achieves a compelling state interest. C. Districts must be equal in population size because of the Fourteenth Amendment. D. Districts drawn in unusual shapes or sizes violate the Ninth Amendment.

Racial gerrymandering can violate the Fourteenth Amendment unless it achieves a compelling state interest.

Which of the following correctly describes the facts in Shaw v. Reno (1993) ? A. A lawsuit was filed by an individual living in an urban area who argued that his vote was less important than that of someone living in a rural area. B. The gerrymandered district was challenged because state lawmakers were not involved in the drawing of the district lines. C. The redistricting process was challenged after it merged two districts together, causing two incumbents to compete for the seat. D. Redistricting to create districts with a racial minority that comprise a majority of the district's total population was challenged under the Fourteenth Amendment.

Redistricting to create districts with a racial minority that comprise a majority of the district's total population was challenged under the Fourteenth Amendment.

In the case Randall v. Sorrell (2006), Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer argued that following judicial precedent "avoids the instability and unfairness that accompany disruption of settled legal expectations. For this reason, the rule of law demands that adhering to our prior case law be the norm. Departure from precedent is exceptional and requires special justification." Justice Breyer is referring to which of the following legal principles? A. Selective incorporation B. Judicial activism C. Judicial review D. Stare decisis

Stare decisis

Which of the following best explains the concept of the iron triangle, as illustrated in the diagram? A. To show how interest groups work to increase the size of their membership B. To show how bureaucratic agencies and Congress gather public feedback on proposed regulations C. To show how interest groups, Congress, and the bureaucracy interact in a public policy area D. To show the process that both houses of Congress use to pass new public policies

To show how interest groups, Congress, and the bureaucracy interact in a public policy area

Which of the following is likely to occur as a result when Congress refuses to act as a check on the power of the president, according to the main idea of the passage?

The president will be able to push the limits of constitutional authority.

Which of the following clauses of the Constitution could the Supreme Court have used when deciding the case Marbury v. Madison (1803) ? A. "The judges, both of the supreme and inferior courts, shall hold their offices during times of good behavior." B. "The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been committed." C. "In all other cases before mentioned, the supreme court shall have appellate jurisdiction, both as to law and fact." D. "The judicial power shall extend to all cases, in law and equity, arising under this Constitution, the laws of the United States, and treaties made."

"The judicial power shall extend to all cases, in law and equity, arising under this Constitution, the laws of the United States, and treaties made."

Which of the following is the best example of a president using the bully pulpit? A. A wartime president writing a condolence letter to the mother of a son lost in combat B. A president convening a cabinet meeting to address an economic crisis C. A president making a televised speech to gain public support for a policy initiative D. A president responding to questions about a scandal during a press conference

A president making a televised speech to gain public support for a policy initiative

Which of the following is a likely response by another branch of government to a controversial decision such as Engel v. Vitale (1962) which declared that school-sponsored prayer was a violation of the First Amendment? A. The House of Representatives can impeach members of the Supreme Court in response to the decision. B. The president can propose a constitutional amendment that will be ratified by the Senate. C. Congress could strip the Supreme Court of appellate jurisdiction on cases dealing with prayer in school. D. The Senate could refuse to confirm future federal court appointees until the case is overturned.

Congress could strip the Supreme Court of appellate jurisdiction on cases dealing with prayer in school. (Congress can limit the appellate jurisdiction of the Court)

Which of the following best explains why Congress has used its power to help certain types of businesses obtain federal contracts, as shown in the table? A. Congress is attempting to find ways to decrease overall federal expenditures. B. Congress is ensuring that the bureaucracy is accountable to groups other than large corporations. C. Congress is using block grants to help the states have access to government contracts. D. Congress is using its legislative power to reorganize the federal bureaucracy.

Congress is ensuring that the bureaucracy is accountable to groups other than large corporations.

Which of the following best describes the holding in Baker v. Carr (1962) ? A. Congressional redistricting is subject to judicial review. B. Congressional districts must be compact and contiguous. C. Diluting minority representation by confining their majority to one or two districts is unconstitutional. D. Racial gerrymandering is allowed in certain circumstances.

Congressional redistricting is subject to judicial review.

Which of the following is the correct pairing of procedures or rules of each house of the legislative branch?

House of Representatives: has a Rules Committee that decides how long debate will be on most bills. Senate: has use of the filibuster and cloture, which can help the minority to defeat a bill.

The House and the Senate have some different constitutional responsibilities. Which of the following pairs correctly matches House and Senate constitutional responsibilities?

House of Representatives: initiates all revenue bills introduced into Congress Senate: passes resolutions to ratify treaties

In a press briefing, the White House press secretary issues a statement criticizing members of Congress who refuse to act on the president's judicial nominees to the federal courts. This scenario best illustrates which of the following? A. Congress does not consider judicial nominations important enough to act on. B. Judicial nominees must pass both chambers of Congress, which slows down the process. C. Members of the White House staff are strategically used to help the president pass an agenda. D. Cabinet members have a tendency to clash with members of the opposing party.

Members of the White House staff are strategically used to help the president pass an agenda.

According to the passage, which of the following occurred as a direct result of the congressional resolution authorizing action against al-Qaeda?

President Bush interpreted it broadly to allow him to conduct the war on terrorism without much further consultation with Congress.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 was a law passed by Congress prohibiting discrimination based on sex. Which of the following describes how the policy is being implemented? A. The bureaucracy will create rules for enforcement and will have the discretion to implement those rules. B. Congress will issue an order for states to comply with the law. C. The Supreme Court will issue a ruling on the constitutionality of the law if a case naturally arises. D. The president will veto sections of the bill but will enforce other sections.

The bureaucracy will create rules for enforcement and will have the discretion to implement those rules.

Which of the following scenarios exemplifies the principle of stare decisis? A. A Senator raises opposition to a proposed bill by speaking on the floor of the Senate for eight hours. B. A majority opinion of the United States Supreme Court dealing with school segregation states that the decision follows the precedent established in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954). C. A president orders the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to begin an initiative to send manned spacecraft to Mars. D. Four members of the United States Supreme Court agree to hear an appeal on a death penalty case from a state supreme court.

A majority opinion of the United States Supreme Court dealing with school segregation states that the decision follows the precedent established in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954).

In 1973, the United States Supreme Court handed down the controversial Roe v. Wade decision striking down state laws banning abortion. In response, many pro-life groups organized to have the decision overturned. Which of the following represents an action that these groups can take to achieve their goal? A. Pressure the president to issue an executive order changing the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in order to prevent similar decisions in the future B. Become more actively involved in presidential campaigns so that presidential candidates will pledge to appoint justices who favor overturning Roe v. Wade. C. Organize a campaign to pressure members of the Supreme Court to change Roe v. Wade. D. Request that the Senate remove the chief justice of the Supreme Court who issued the majority opinion in Roe v. Wade.

Become more actively involved in presidential campaigns so that presidential candidates will pledge to appoint justices who favor overturning Roe v. Wade.

When deciding Marbury v. Madison (1803), which of the following excerpts from The Federalist No. 51 could best be used to help Chief Justice John Marshall write the argument in favor of judicial review? A. "In a free government the security for civil rights must be the same as that for religious rights. It consists in the one case in the multiplicity of interests, and in the other in the multiplicity of sects." B. "But the great security against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department, consists in giving to those who administer each department the necessary constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachments of the others." C. "In a single republic, all the power surrendered by the people is submitted to the administration of a single government; and the usurpations are guarded against by a division of the government into distinct and separate departments." D. "As the weight of the legislative authority requires that it should be thus divided, the weakness of the executive may require, on the other hand, that it should be fortified."

"But the great security against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department, consists in giving to those who administer each department the necessary constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachments of the others."

Which of the following is an accurate pair of descriptions of the two chambers of Congress?

House of Representatives: serves 2-year terms Senate: Serves 6-year terms

Which of the following is the most effective action that a president can pursue to address the issue of improper payments, as shown in the table? A. The president can require the relevant cabinet secretaries to devise a plan to address the issue of improper payments. B. The president can negotiate with Congress to reduce the levels of improper payments in the budget. C. The president can negotiate with Congress to address the levels of improper payments in the budget. D. The president can issue a signing statement that reduces the payments for these programs.

The president can require the relevant cabinet secretaries to devise a plan to address the issue of improper payments.(Cabinet members are the leaders of the departments that administer government, so the president can hold them accountable for problems in their departments.)

President Theodore Roosevelt took his case directly to the American people to gain public support for his progressive reform initiatives by appearing in a movie newsreel. This type of presidential communication is an example of which of the following? A. Using the bully pulpit B. Making use of a formal power C. Drafting a signing statement D. Issuing an executive order

Using the bully pulpit

Prior to his confirmation, Democrats on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions questioned a Republican president's Secretary of Health and Human Services about the ethics of some of their investments. The nominee was eventually confirmed with support of Republicans in the Senate. This check on presidential power illustrates that A. the process of selecting Cabinet members is usually negotiated by making concessions to the minority party in the Senate B. the process of confirming members of the president's Cabinet can lead to conflict with members of the Senate C. presidents rely on the bully pulpit to get members of Congress to act on confirmations D. even when an executive order is issued, members of the opposing party in the Senate can work to block them

the process of confirming members of the president's Cabinet can lead to conflict with members of the Senate

On September 23, 1957, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a proclamation mandating the use of Arkansas National Guard members and federal armed forces to enforce the United States Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) in Little Rock, Arkansas. Which limitation on judicial power is demonstrated in this scenario? A. Constitutional amendments can modify the impact of the Supreme Court's decisions. B. Congressional legislation can impact the scope of the Supreme Court's jurisdiction. C. Judicial appointments can influence the decisions made by the Supreme Court. D. State and local government can refuse to enforce Supreme Court decisions.

State and local government can refuse to enforce Supreme Court decisions.

In its 2003 decision, McConnell v. Federal Election Commission (2003), the Supreme Court upheld the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act's (BCRA) restriction on independent campaign spending by corporations and unions. However, in a 5-4 decision in the case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010), the Supreme Court overturned this decision when it ruled that the government cannot ban independent political spending by a corporation or union because it is protected by the First Amendment. Which of the following is the most likely explanation for the Supreme Court's deciding to overturn the precedent it established just 7 years earlier? A. The results of the 2010 midterm election led to a new majority party controlling the House of Representatives. B. The justices in the majority of the Citizens United opinion followed the principle of stare decisis. C. Changes in public opinion regarding campaign finance reform influenced justices to overturn precedent in the Citizens United decision. D. There were ideological changes in the composition of the members of the Supreme Court due to presidential appointments.

There were ideological changes in the composition of the members of the Supreme Court due to presidential appointments. (Generally, Supreme Courts do not reverse themselves in such a short time span. One likely explanation for the reversal is an ideological change in the makeup of the court)

On July 31, 2018, the United States Department of Education announced in the Federal Register its intention to establish a committee focusing on the implementation of federal programs. Which is the likely product of this committee's work? A. Rule-making B. Legislation C. Executive agreements D. Executive orders

Rule-making

On February 13, 2016, following the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell issued a statement that the Supreme Court vacancy should be left to the next president of the United States, who would be elected that November. Nonetheless, President Obama nominated circuit judge Merrick Garland to fill the vacancy. The Senate judiciary committee never held a hearing nor was a vote scheduled on the nomination. The scenario demonstrates that A. the Senate prefers to pick members of the Supreme Court B. there are very few qualified individuals who can serve as Supreme Court justices C. because the judicial branch is elected, the Supreme Court must be responsive to public opinion D. because federal judges are lifetime appointments, Senate confirmation can often be challenging

because federal judges are lifetime appointments, Senate confirmation can often be challenging

On June 27, 1989, President George H.W. Bush called for the Flag Desecration Amendment, which would prohibit desecration of the American flag. Bush's comments were in response to the United States Supreme Court's 5—4 decision in Texas v. Johnson, which held that a state law banning desecration of the flag was in violation of the First Amendment. Which of the following explains why the president asked for a constitutional amendment to be passed? A. A constitutional amendment would provide guidance to the Supreme Court in its efforts to engage in judicial activism. B. A constitutional amendment would force the Supreme Court to accept the constitutionality of the anti-flag burning laws in subsequent cases. C. A constitutional amendment would be needed in order for the Supreme Court to rule on flag desecration cases. D. A constitutional amendment would permit the Supreme Court to exercise judicial review of state laws on constitutional issues.

A constitutional amendment would force the Supreme Court to accept the constitutionality of the anti-flag burning laws in subsequent cases

Which of the following cases was most likely to derive the basis of its decision from the argument presented in The Federalist No. 78 that states: "that, accordingly, whenever a particular statute [contradicts] the Constitution, it will be the duty of the judicial tribunals to adhere to the latter and disregard the former"? A. Marbury v. Madison (1803) B. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) C. Shaw v. Reno (1993) D. United States v. Lopez (1995)

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

In the case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954), the Supreme Court ruled that school segregation was unconstitutional. Following the ruling, schools were ordered to desegregate, but at a high school in Little Rock, Arkansas, the governor ordered the state's National Guard to prevent African American students from entering the school. Only when President Eisenhower placed the National Guard under federal control and ordered troops to protect the students were they permitted to enter. This scenario illustrates which of the following? A. Legalized segregation is sometimes allowed as an exception to the protections of the Fourteenth Amendment. B. Controversial decisions by the court are often challenged and action is sometimes required to ensure enforcement by other branches of government. C. The executive branch has to decide whether to uphold a court decision or veto it and President Eisenhower's federalizing troops in Arkansas signaled his response. D. States have the authority under the Tenth Amendment to ignore federal court decisions.

Controversial decisions by the court are often challenged and action is sometimes required to ensure enforcement by other branches of government.