Module 3
Which agency has the highest approval rating among Republicans?
*INCORRECT* U.S. Postal Service
Which president issued the most executive orders per year, on average?
Franklin D. Roosevelt
The Federal Register provide a forum for public comment on proposed rules before they are implemented.
True
When helping a constituent apply for Social Security benefits, Representative Ro Khanna's (D-Calif.) staff is engaging in
casework.
What article of the Constitution gives presidents the power to pardon individuals?
Article II
Who were the only presidents to be impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives?
Who were the only presidents to be impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives?
Which of the following cases would always be heard in federal court?
a case involving the state of New York suing the state of New Hampshire over state highway maintenance
The power to receive ambassadors is an example of
an expressed power.
A defendant is charged by the state of Texas with defrauding senior citizens by convincing them to invest in a shell company. This case would involve
criminal law.
A senator or representative running for re-election is called the
incumbent.
A ________ committee remains in existence from one session of Congress to the next, and has the power to write legislation that covers a particular subject, in most cases paralleling a major department or agency of the executive branch.
standing
The doctrine of ________ requires courts to follow authoritative prior decisions when ruling.
stare decisis
The growth of the Latino population in the United States is significant because
states with sizeable Latino populations could gain seats in Congress.
The power of the Supreme Court to review state actions and legislation is implied by the
supremacy clause of Article VI of the Constitution.
Which of the following is a group of permanent agencies that perform defined management tasks for the president?
the Executive Office of the President
The framers gave the power to introduce appropriations (i.e., "money bills") to the House of Representatives but not the Senate because they believed that
the chamber closest to the people should exercise greater authority over taxing and spending.
Who has the most real power in the Senate?
the majority and minority leaders
A signing statement is an announcement
the president makes about their interpretation of a congressional enactment that they are signing into law.
Who among the following is a member of the National Security Council?
the secretary of defense
Which statement is best supported by the data presented in the chart?
*INCORRECT* At many points in the history of Congress, there is basically no difference in ideology between the two parties.
Comparing the 106th Congress to the 116th Congress, how did the parties change?
*INCORRECT* Both chambers of Congress were less ideologically extreme in the 116th Congress.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has recently enacted a regulation that requires airlines to clearly disclose all taxes and fees when customers purchase an airline ticket. This is best described as an example of
*INCORRECT* Implementing laws.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh has been assigned to write the Supreme Court's opinion in a case. After Justice Kavanaugh drafted the opinion and circulated it to the other justices, Justice Elena Kagan decides that she wanted to emphasize a particular point in the majority opinion. For that purpose, Justice Kagan will likely
*INCORRECT* write a dissenting opinion.
Under which president was the Affordable Care Act passed?
Barack Obama
Compared with the last five presidents, which statement best characterizes President Biden's use of executive orders so far?
Biden has used slightly more executive orders than his immediate predecessors.
The secretary of education, secretary of defense, and secretary of the interior are all members of the
Cabinet.
Which agency shows the greatest difference in approval between Democrats and Republicans?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
What does the jurisdiction of a standing committee entail?
Committee jurisdiction is defined by the subject matter of legislation, which often parallels the major cabinet departments or agencies.
________ has the authority to change the number of justices who serve on the Supreme Court.
Congress
Which of the following is true about the basis for federal court jurisdiction?
Congress has created several specialized courts that have nationwide original jurisdiction in certain types of cases.
Which statement is best supported by the data presented in the graphic?
Democrats have higher approval ratings than Republicans for every single federal agency presented here.
________ is the right of every individual against arbitrary action by national or state governments.
Due process of law
Bureaucratic rule making is permanent; these rules are always stable across different presidential administrations.
False
Government corporations do not have to raise revenue to fund their activities.
False
The merit system awards government jobs based on political connections and support for the political party in office.
False
Which of these factors led to a vast expansion of the role of the federal judiciary after World War II?
Federal courts expanded the concept of standing so that nearly any group wishing to challenge the actions of an administrative agency could have access to the federal courts.
What is the main difference between inherent and implied powers?
Implied powers can be traced to the powers expressed in the actual language of the Constitution, while inherent powers derive from national sovereignty.
Under which Act may presidents deploy troops without a specific request from the state legislature or governor?
Insurrection Act of 1807
Who confirms members of the Cabinet, and to whom are they accountable?
Members of the Cabinet must be approved by the Senate to win confirmation, but after this they are not directly accountable to Congress.
An independent candidate has filed paperwork to appear on the general election ballot for a city council seat. After the election's administrator denied his request, he filed a lawsuit; however, the election has already passed, and the results have been released. What would the court likely decide in this case?
Since the election has already passed, the case would likely be dismissed due to mootness.
Which of the following statements about Congress and the executive branch is MOST accurate?
Starting around the time of the New Deal, Congress has tended to draft legislation that offers few clear guidelines for implementation by the executive.
Which of the following statements regarding the Supreme Court overturning acts of Congress is correct?
The Supreme Court rarely overturns acts of Congress, although there have been some notable exceptions.
Which of the following best describes federal contractors?
The number of federal contractors exceeds the number of federal employees.
In what way can members of Congress's privilege of being able to send mail free of charge to constituents give them an advantage?
They can use this privilege to advertise their accomplishments to their constituents which helps them gain name recognition and can increase their favorability among constituents.
The Pendleton Act requires those working for the federal government civil service to be qualified for their positions.
True
Which institution creates specialized federal courts like the U.S. Court of International Trade?
U.S. Congress
When a president "recognizes" a country, it means that the United States
When a president "recognizes" a country, it means that the United States
Which of the following would the Supreme Court likely refuse to hear because of "mootness"?
a case involving a student suing a state-run university for discrimination in the admissions process after the student was first rejected but then later admitted to the university
A bill's supporters in the House of Representatives generally prefer ________, while opponents generally prefer a(n) ________.
a closed rule; open rule
In the federal court system, each circuit court of appeals has
a range of permanent judgeships depending on the workload of the circuit.
The number of cases filed in 2015 was considerably lower than in previous years. How many fewer cases were filed in 2015 relative to the highest point?
about 3,000 fewer cases
What was the approximate number of cases filed with the Supreme Court in 2021?
about 5,000 cases
Of the following, which is the most important factor in bureaucracies' ability to implement laws effectively?
administrative capacity
In a case challenging a state's voter identification law, several civil rights groups, such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), filed _________ arguing that the law places unfair burdens on people of color.
amicus curiae briefs
Verdicts rendered by the federal courts of appeals are
appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court about 15 percent of the time.
The process of allocating congressional seats among the 50 states is called
apportionment.
Which of the following describes the president's role as head of the national military and the state national guard units?
commander in chief
All of the people living in a congressional district are the ________ of their member of Congress.
constituency
Which courts typically hears appeals of trial court decisions?
courts of appeals
Since 1950, the number of employees who work in the federal bureaucracy has ________ and the number of employees who work in both state and local government has ________.
decreased; increased
A member of Congress who votes for a bill with which he or she disagrees because a majority of his or her constituents favor it is acting as a
delegate.
Fixed terms of office, especially long ones like the 14-year terms for the members of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, tend to
diminish presidential control.
To get around the need for Senate approval of treaties, many contemporary presidents have made use of ________ in foreign affairs.
executive agreements
The 15 departments in the executive branch that constitute the majority of the federal bureaucracy and are headed by secretaries are
executive departments.
When the president grants a pardon to someone convicted of a federal crime, this is an example of using one of their ________ powers.
expressed
In his attempt to manage the federal bureaucracy, the president can use all of the following tools EXCEPT
firing low-level civil service employees for failure to express loyalty to the president.
Since 1950, compared with the entire U.S. workforce, the number of federal employees has
gradually declined.
The role that the U.S. House of Representatives plays in impeachments can best be compared with that of a
grand jury.
Which of the following is an expressed power of the presidency?
granting pardons
The president is America's presence on the global stage, representing America at official ceremonies and functions. In this role they are acting as the
head of state.
A U.S. senator in a competitive state has an important vote on immigration reform coming soon. If she wants to act as a delegate of her constituents, then she would likely
hold town hall meetings with constituents to hear their views on the issue so she can vote in accordance with their wishes.
Congress recently passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Under one provision of the Act, the Internal Revenue Service has decided that taxpayers cannot take tax credits on electric vehicles made outside of the United States. This is an example of
implementing law.
Which of the following is usually run by a small group of individuals appointed by the president for fixed terms?
independent regulatory commissions
In court cases the ________ is the party that brings charges and the ________ is the party accused of a violation of the law.
plaintiff; defendant
A ________ veto occurs when Congress adjourns during a 10-day period after presenting the president with a bill and he or she takes no action.
If the federal government decided to hire Google to provide email services to all of its employees rather than maintaining its own, in-house email services, this would be an example of
privatization.
The decision in Shelby County v. Holderis important because it
removed the requirement that states and localities with a history of racially biased election laws obtain federal preclearance before adopting any new voting rules.
A member of Congress who feels only loosely constrained by the policy preferences of his or her constituents and empowered to make the decisions he or she thinks best is acting as a
trustee.
The idea that all executive power inheres in the president except as explicitly limited by the Constitution is called the ________ executive theory.
unitary
Agencies like the Departments of State, Department of Defense, and Homeland Security
work to maintain national security and protect American interests at home and abroad.