AP Gov Chapter 14 Test; Multiple Choice

The text suggests that policy gridlock is a necessary consequence of a. representative democracy. b. big government. c. direct democracy. d. divided government. e. unified government.

a.

The personal popularity of the president affects which of the following most directly? a. How Congress treats presidential legislative proposals b. How members of the president's party do in House elections c. How members of the president's party do in Senate elections d. The president's ability to conduct foreign affairs e. b and d

a.

The phrase "mend it but don't end it" was poll-tested by Bill Clinton for use in discussions concerning a. affirmative action. b. sexual harassment. c. our relationship with Israel. d. his relationship with Republicans after impeachment. e. Social Security.

a.

A president suffers a stroke that leaves him or her partially paralyzed. The vice president, with the support of a majority of the cabinet, declares that the president is unable to discharge the duties of the office, but the president disagrees. What happens next? a. Congress decides who is president. b. Because the vice president has the support of a majority of the cabinet, the vice president assumes the presidency. c. Because the president is still alive, he or she remains president. d. Because the president and vice president disagree, a new election is held, allowing the people to decide who should be president. e. The Supreme Court decides who is president.

a.

From George Washington to Bill Clinton, about ____ percent of over 2,500 presidential vetoes have been overridden. a. 4 b. 15 c. 20 d. 25 e. 30

a.

Of the three audiences that the president confronts, the one that is most often important for maintaining and exercising power is a. other politicians and leaders in Washington. b. the mass public throughout the nation. c. party activists. d. foreign leaders. e. officeholders outside Washington.

a.

The elimination of the Electoral College might have the effect of a. encouraging third parties. b. reducing vote turnout. c. increasing the importance of less populous states. d. reducing the importance of independent candidates. e. expediting the results of presidential elections.

a.

Which of the following statements is true of U.S. presidents but not of British prime ministers? a. Presidents and the legislature often work at cross-purposes. b. Presidents are selected by the legislature. c. Presidents have more strict control over members of their party. d. Presidents are most often government insiders. e. Presidents generally choose their cabinets from among members of Congress.

a.

Which organizational structure runs the risk of isolating or misinforming the president? a. pyramid b. circular c. ad hoc d. titular e. vertical

a.

Andrew Jackson's use of the veto power was conspicuous because a. he rarely used it. b. he used it more than all of the presidents before him combined. c. all of his vetoes were overridden. d. he would not use the power unless he thought legislation was unconstitutional. e. he would not use the veto simply because of a policy disagreement.

b.

In Clinton v.. Jones (1997) the Supreme Court ruled that the president can be sued a. while in office. b. for actions taken before he became president. c. in state and federal court. d. by non-U.S. citizens. e. A and D.

b.

The Framers first considered having __________ select the president. a. the Supreme Court b. Congress c. the state legislatures d. the various governors e. the large states

b.

The Office of Management and Budget both assembles the president's budget and a. manages the departments. b. reviews departmental legislative proposals. c. manages federal personnel. d. organizes presidential cabinet meetings. e. reviews the Senior Executive Service.

b.

The main difference between a presidential agency and an independent agency is that heads of the former a. cannot have their salaries reduced. b. serve at the president's discretion. c. can only be removed "for cause." d. cannot sponsor legislation. e. serve at Congress's pleasure.

b.

The text suggests that the ability of a presidential assistant to influence the president is governed by the rule of a. reason. b. propinquity. c. law. d. integrity. e. Congress.

b.

Which of the following factors is emphasized by the text as placing considerable constraint on a president's ability to plan a program? a. The president's personal ideology b. The limits of the president's time and attention c. The need to campaign d. The leaders in his own party e. The mass media

b.

Which organizational structure lends itself to confusion and conflict? a. pyramid b. circular c. ad hoc d. titular e. vertical

b.

_____________ was the last president not to use public opinion polls. a. Woodrow Wilson b. Herbert Hoover c. John F. Kennedy d. Franklin Roosevelt e. Harry Truman

b.

All of the following statements regarding "acting appointments" are correct except: a. Such appointees hold office until the Senate acts on their nomination. b. Such appointees have been known to hold office for months without confirmation. c. Senators generally favor such appointees because of their heavy nomination workload. d. Presidents see the allowance of such appointees as a necessity. e. The existence of such appointees appears to be contrary to the Vacancies Act of 1868.

c.

During an average year, Congress passes __________ bills. a. between 50 and 100 b. between 200 and 300 c. between 400 and 600 d. over one thousand e. over six thousand

c.

Establishing the legitimacy of the presidency in the early years was made easier by the fact that the national government a. was both efficient and popular. b. acted cautiously because it was in debt. c. had relatively little to do. d. kept the Treasury Department weak. e. was dominated by one political faction.

c.

The doctrine of executive privilege is based on separation of powers and on the a. constitutional requirements for secrecy. b. War Powers Act. c. president's need for confidential advice. d. White House Sourcebook. e. integrity of each branch of government.

c.

There is a noticeable decline in the number of __________ by recent presidents. a. public appearances made b. public speeches given c. press conferences held d. cabinet meetings called e. State of the Union addresses given

c.

Which of the following statements is incorrect? a. Sixteen persons have been impeached by the House. b. Seven persons have been convicted by the Senate. c. No federal judge has ever been removed by impeachment. d. The impeachment case against Andrew Johnson was "flimsy." e. Clinton's impeachment led to the expiration of the office of independent council.

c.

Which of the following statements is true of a bill that is not signed or vetoed within ten days while Congress is still in session? a. It is considered to have received a pocket veto. b. It is returned to Congress. c. It must be given a veto message. d. It becomes a law until the next session of Congress. e. It becomes law automatically.

e.

In a parliamentary system the prime minister is chosen by the a. people. b. signatories. c. electors. d. legislature. e. monarch.

d.

Jackson's view of a strong and independent presidency a. was forsaken after two years in office. b. has not been adopted by any other president. c. was only adopted by Abraham Lincoln. d. emerged as the norm a century later. e. has been adopted by the Democratic Party.

d.

Once in office a president can expect to see his popularity a. increase over time. b. remain about the same. c. fluctuate in a manner that admits of no generalization. d. decline over time. e. be dependent on the actions of Congress.

d.

The issue of executive privilege was not directly addressed by the Supreme Court until a. John F. Kennedy was reported to have had dealings with organized crime. b. Harry Truman refused to provide testimony in regard to some controversial last minute pardons. c. George Bush interfered with Iran-Contra prosecutions. d. Richard Nixon attempted to withhold tape recordings from a special prosecutor. e. Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon.

d.

Today, winning the presidency means a candidate must get ____ electoral votes. a. 100 b. 170 c. 250 d. 270 e. 538

d.

Which amendment formally limited presidents to two terms? a. 9th b. 10th c. 17th d. 22nd e. 26th

d.

Which modern president is almost the only one given credit for coming close to making his cabinet a truly deliberative body? a. Harry Truman b. Calvin Coolidge c. John F. Kennedy d. Dwight Eisenhower e. Bill Clinton

d.

Which of the following presidential powers is not a shared power? a. Treaty making b. Appointment of ambassadors c. Approval of legislation d. The pardoning power e. Appointment of judges and high officials

d.

Which statement best describes George W. Bush's use of the veto power? a. He has used it about as much as most recent presidents. b. He has used it more often than recent presidents. c. He has used it slightly less than recent presidents. d. He has hardly used the power at all. e. He has vetoed more legislation than any modern president.

d.

In recent administrations there has been a tendency for presidents to place in their cabinet people known for their a. independent political power. b. personal wealth. c. creativity. d. loyalty to Congress. e. expertise.

e.

One item on the presidential agenda for almost every president since Herbert Hoover has been a. reduction in the separation of powers b. expanding legislative power c. reforming the federal judiciary d. lowering taxes. e. reorganization of the executive branch.

e.

The greatest source of presidential power is found in a. the Constitution. b. Congress. c. public communication. d. the bureaucracy. e. politics and public opinion.

e.

The text reports Bill Clinton actually used public opinion polls to determine a. how to decorate the inside of the White House. b. what to name his pets. c. how he should answer the question of marijuana use. d. what color his saxophone should be. e. where he should go on vacation.

e.

Which of the following actions did Abraham Lincoln take without prior congressional approval? a. Raised an army. b. Spent money. c. Blockaded Southern ports. d. Suspended habeas corpus. e. all of the above.

e.

Which of the following statements about George W. Bush's approval ratings is incorrect? a. His initial ratings were comparable to those of President Clinton's in 1993. b. His disapproval rating was the highest of any president since polling began. c. His approval rating for the first six months was fairly typical for modern presidents. d. His approval ratings after the September 11 attack were the highest ever recorded. e. none of the above.

e.

Who called for something like an elective monarchy here in the United States? a. George Washington b. John Adams c. Thomas Jefferson d. John Jay e. Alexander Hamilton

e.