gov test 2

Jurisdiction

(n.) an area of authority or control; the right to administer justice

In order to be a member of the House of Representatives, a person must be ______ years of age.

25

How many justices sit on the Supreme Court?

9

Pentagon Papers

A 7,000-page top-secret United States government report on the history of the internal planning and policy-making process within the government itself concerning the Vietnam War.

amicus curiae

A Latin term meaning "friend of the court." Refers to interested groups or individuals, not directly involved in a suit, who may file legal briefs or oral arguments in support of one side.

roll-call vote

A congressional voting procedure that consists of members answering "yea" or "nay" to their names.

Cabinet

A group of advisers to the president.

Civil Law

A law that governs relationships between individuals and defines their legal rights.

Spanish-American War

In 1898, a conflict between the United States and Spain, in which the U.S. supported the Cubans' fight for independence

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

Lyndon Johnson Franklin Roosevelt Ronald Reagan

Why is blatant partisanship not really a factor in lower-court decisions?

Most lower-court cases are clear-cut, with little leeway in judges' interpretation of the law. Judges value their independence as officers of a separate branch of the government.

Domestic Policy

Plans for dealing with national problems

Who works together to achieve legislative goals?

President and Congress

Which of the following describe the irony of the presidency?

Presidents get too much credit when things go right. Presidents get too much blame when things go poorly.

Which of the following is not part of the Missouri Plan for selecting state-level judges?

The political parties nominate judicial candidates to run for office.

singular authority

The president is the head of the entire executive branch

The theories of judicial restraint and judicial activism differ in what way?

They differ in how much their adherents believe judges should follow precedent and defer to elected officials.

Polls indicate that voters' opinions of Donald Trump's performance had what effect in the 2018 midterms?

Those who were discontented with Trump helped Democrats retake control of the House.

The next step for a federal case on appeal from a U.S. district court is that it travels to ______.

a U.S. court of appeals

per curiam opinion

a brief, unsigned court opinion

NSC (National Security Council)

a committee in the executive branch of government that advises the president on foreign and military and national security

Which of the following are issued by the Supreme Court after hearing a case?

a decision one or more opinions

precedent

an earlier event or action that is regarded as an example or guide to be considered in subsequent similar circumstances.

The Constitution specifies that all federal judges, including Supreme Court justices, shall be ______.

appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate

Presidents can influence the courts by ______.

choosing how much to enforce court decisions influencing the cases that come before courts

The Constitution establishes the Supreme Court. Which entity is empowered by the Constitution to establish the lower federal courts?

congress

Which of the following federal court levels does not have original jurisdiction?

courts of appeals

Identify the checks on judicial power that are available to Congress.

exercising its authority to confirm Supreme Court justices rewriting legislation it feels the judiciary has misinterpreted

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

foreign policy

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.

Judicial review is a term that refers to the power the Supreme Court has to ______.

invalidate a law or action on constitutional grounds

concurring opinion

issued by a justice in the majority when that justice disagrees with all or part of the majority's reasoning

dissenting opinion

issued by one or more justices on the losing side to explain their reasoning

majority opinion

issued when all or most of the justices agree on the legal basis of a decision

plurality opinion

issued when some justices agree on the majority's decision but disagree with the legal basis for it

Which of the following are the functions of Congress?

lawmaking oversight representation

In making their decisions, what are the three main sources of law that judges consider in the United States?

legal precedent U.S. statutory law the Constitution

Statutory laws are created by which branch of government?

legislative

More than half of post-World War II presidents have left office with an approval rating of ______.

less than 50 percent

Secretary of State duties

participating in international conferences providing advice to the president on foreign policy overseeing the diplomatic corps protecting U.S. citizens abroad

If a "turf war" erupts as different committees vie for jurisdiction over a bill, who or what decides the committee assignment?

party leaders

The House and the Senate each elect ______ to direct their party's efforts in the chamber.

party leaders

The Speaker of the House has the right to do which of the following? (Choose every correct answer.)

select the chairperson of the House Rules Committee choose who may speak on the House floor speak first during House debate on legislation

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

Today, Congress and the president ______.

share legislative power

Incumbents have ______ over challengers.

subtle advantage

Recent Supreme Court appointees have come overwhelmingly from what background?

the appellate courts

Speaker of the House

the leader of the majority party who serves as the presiding officer of the House of Representatives

senority system

the person from the majority party who has been on the committee the longest

unified government

the political condition in which the same political party controls the presidency and Congress

To what does political scientist Hugh Heclo's term the illusion of presidential government refer?

the public's belief that the president actually runs the entire government in the United States

ranking committee member

the senior member of the minority party serving on a congressional committee who works closely with the committee chair deciding on committee business

Members of Congress are most indebted to which of the following?

the wealthy donors who fund their campaigns hardcore partisan voters in their state or district

Presidents are likely to be successful and powerful if ______.

they face special circumstances that call for their leadership

Today, nearly every foreign policy initiative originates with the president.

true

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

two-thirds of the Senate

Positive aspects of party polarization include the fact that

voters can more clearly see and understand party differences

In terms of their careers, most members of Congress ______.

want to stay in Congress and put themselves in position for reelection

When is congressional oversight exercised vigorously?

when members are annoyed with an agency when members are intending to modify an agency program.

In his role as chief diplomat, the president ______.

appoints ambassadors negotiates treaties with other nations

Which of the following oversight tools help Congress to ensure that the executive branch is administering the laws properly?

congressional hearings budgetary appropriations

Compared to the powers of the presidency that George Washington assumed in 1789, the powers of the presidency that Joe Biden assumed in 2021 are

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 written brief in a court case

is an argument by a party to the case as to why its position should be upheld by the court

The framers of the Constitution granted Congress the power to ______, the greatest of all powers of government.

make laws

appellate court

reviews decisions of lower courts to determine if a significant error of law was made during trial

Who was the only U.S. president to resign from office?

richard nixon

Bully Pulpit

the ability to use the office of the presidency to promote a particular program and/or to influence Congress to accept legislative proposals

During a Supreme Court hearing, who presents oral arguments?

the attorneys for each side

Great Depression

the economic crisis beginning with the stock market crash in 1929 and continuing through the 1930s

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

the great depression

By which name does the text describe past presidencies?

the imperial presidency the imperiled presidency the heroic presidency

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

"the power to persuade"

War Powers Act

1973. A resolution of Congress that stated the President can only send troops into action abroad by authorization of Congress or if America is already under attack or serious threat.

A limit of ______ exists for how long a Republican member can chair a particular committee.

6 yrs

Majority opinion of the Supreme Court:

A decision of the Supreme Court that represents the agreed-on compromise judgement of all the justices in the majority 5/9 judges.

executive agreement

A formal agreement between the U.S. president and the leaders of other nations that does not require Senate approval.

party caucus

A meeting of the members of a party in a legislative chamber to select party leaders and to develop party policy. Called a conference by the Republicans.

Foreign Policy

A nation's overall plan for dealing with other nations

standing committee

A permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area

executive order

A rule issued by the president that has the force of law

Revolutionary War

A war between the British and the colonists. The colonists wanted to be free of British rule.

incumbent

An officeholder who is seeking reelection.

WHO (White House Office)

An organization within the EOP that contains the president's personal advisors and staffers.

Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974

Established congressional budget committees. Established CBO. Extended budget process by three months. Allows either house to override temporary impoundment (deferral). Automatically voids permanent impoundment (rescission) unless both houses approve within 45 days.

For which of the following reasons is the president better suited to oversee government activity and develop comprehensive public policy?

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

Under which of the following presidents did the greatest expansion of presidential authority take place?

Franklin Roosevelt

What is the danger of modern presidents' relentless pursuit of public support?

It can lead them to pursue policies with immediate advantages rather than long-term benefits.

writ of certiorari

It is an order from a higher court for a lower court to submit a record of a case to the higher court.

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

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

Which of the following statements about the War Powers Act are true?

It requires the president to inform Congress within forty-eight hours of the reasons for military action.

aspects of the dual nature of Congress?

Its members have a duty to serve people in their states or individual districts. It has the responsibility to make laws for the country as a whole.

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

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

Wars Powers Act

The President can send troops into combat must inform congress within 48 hours

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.

OMB (Office of Management and Budget)

The office that prepares the president's annual budget proposal, reviews the budget and programs of the executive departments, supplies economic forecasts, and conducts detailed analyses of proposed bills and agency rules.

permanent campaign

The use by recent presidents of campaign-style methods, such as polls and mass rallies, on an ongoing basis in an effort to bolster their public support.

Which of the following statements about the vice president of the United States are true?

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

Which of the following correctly describes how committees and subcommittees serve to decentralize power in Congress?

They allow more members to hold leadership positions.

Which of the following statements about federal judges are true?

They are appointed by the president, subject to confirmation by the Senate. The only way to remove them is through impeachment. They serve until they die or retire voluntarily.

Which of the following statements accurately describes the U.S. district courts?

They are the lowest federal courts.

Which of the following statements about midterm elections are generally true?

Voter turnout is lower than for presidential elections. There is less media coverage of candidates and issues than in a presidential election. The president's party usually loses seats.

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

open rule

an order from the House Rules Committee that permits a bill to be amended on the floor

Disagreement with Congress on Reconstruction policies led to the impeachment of ______ and almost led to his removal from office.

andrew johnson

According to Alexander Hamilton's argument in Federalist No. 78, the best way to ensure that the federal courts exercise their power reasonably and fairly is to ______.

appoint federal judges for life

Which of the following strongly and positively affects a congressional candidate's ability win an election?

being an incumbent

Which of the following are activities that typically take place in a party caucus?

developing issues adopting a single policy message

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

directors of federal departments and agencies

Since the Truman administration, the number of bureaucratic agencies has

doubled

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 cabinet consists of

executive branch leaders who advise the president on policy and administer government departments

Among the reasons that presidents are less powerful than many Americans assume is that they ______.

face uncontrollable circumstances that can hurt their ability to lead ultimately derive their power from the American public itself

True or false: The Constitution requires that federal judges be citizens and at least thirty years old.

false Reason: Unlike other federal offices, the Constitution has no age, residency, or citizenship requirements for federal judges.

EOP (Executive Office of the President)

name for the group of agencies, councils, and staff members which advise the president and help run the federal bureaucracy-was established by an executive order from FDR

If the Rules Committee places a "closed rule" on a piece of legislation, ______ amendments are permitted. Multiple choice question.

no

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

no executive authority

divided government

one party controls the White House and another party controls one or both houses of Congress