AP GOV MCQ unit 2

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.

A In Baker v. Carr, the Supreme Court decided to review gerrymander cases, rejecting the argument that gerrymandering was a political question.

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

A The president is using the bully pulpit because he is directly addressing the American people with the intent of garnering public support for his policy initiative.

Which of the following is an accurate pair of descriptions of the two chambers of Congress? A House of Representatives: Formal debate Senate: Votes scheduled by vice president B House of Representatives: Initiates revenue bills Senate: Representation based on state population C House of Representatives: Led by the House majority leader Senate: Uses committees to organize legislative work D House of Representatives: Serves 2-year terms Senate: Serves 6-year terms

D

Prior to his confirmation, Democrats on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions questioned President Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price about the ethics of some of his investments. He 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

B The process of confirming Cabinet appointments requires Senate approval. Because the rules in the Senate permit even minority members the opportunity to speak at length, controversial appointees sometimes are asked to answer difficult questions during their hearings.

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

B The president's inaugural address is the first official action undertaken as president, and the speech often sets the tone and overall agenda for the administration. For President Kennedy, he used it to rally Americans to his belief of how the Cold War should be fought and to encourage them to be more civic-minded.

According to the passage, which of the following occurred as a direct result of the congressional resolution authorizing action against al-Qaeda? A The Supreme Court authorized the use of force against al-Qaeda. B President Bush interpreted it broadly to allow him to conduct the war on terrorism without much further consultation with Congress. C Members of Congress passed a law that declared that the Geneva Conventions were not applicable to the war on terrorism. D President Bush issued a signing statement regarding the Geneva Conventions.

B The resolution led to a series of actions by the Bush administration in conducting the war on terrorism that Congress did not originally consider.

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

C The president is using the bully pulpit because the president is directly addressing the American people with the intent of garnering public support for a policy initiative.

According to the passage, an attempt by Congress to place limitations on presidential power through legislation led to which of the following? A A signing statement by the president that declared that the legislation would not limit presidential power B A Supreme Court decision that ruled in favor of the power of Congress to check the president C A declaration of war against al-Qaeda as a result of the September 11 attacks D An impeachment proceeding against the president for abuse of power and violation of a treaty

A After Congress passed a law that addressed detainee treatment, President Bush issued a signing statement expressing that he would retain his executive authority to do what was necessary to protect the American people after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001.

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 violates the Fourteenth Amendment. 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.

B In Shaw v. Reno, the Supreme Court ruled that racial gerrymandering violates the concept of equal protection under the law in the Fourteenth Amendment.

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 oftentimes be challenging

D Life-tenured appointments allow presidents to influence public policy through their judicial appointments for a long time after they leave office. The scenario shows a conflict between the Senate and the president. At the core of this conflict were the high stakes of confirming a judicial appointee which reflect ideological differences between the parties.

The House and the Senate have some different constitutional responsibilities. Which of the following pairs correctly matches House and Senate constitutional responsibilities? A House of Representatives: Initiates revenue bills. Senate: Ratifies treaties. B House of Representatives: Drafts articles of impeachment. Senate: Elects the president if there is not a majority of votes in the electoral college. C House of Representatives: Confirms federal judges. Senate: Has limited debate. D House of Representatives: Can call on the Vice President to break ties on votes. Senate: Confirms cabinet appointments.

A

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.

C In this scenario, the press secretary is a member of the White House staff who is attempting to use the media to pressure congress to act on judicial confirmations.

Which of the following is the correct pairing of procedures or rules of each house of the legislative branch? A 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. B House of Representatives: Approves all revenue bills. Senate: Initiates all revenue bills. C House of Representatives: Can pass articles of impeachment against a president or member of the federal courts. Senate: Can remove presidential appointees to the cabinet. D House of Representatives: The Speaker of the House is the most powerful member of the chamber. Senate: The vice president can vote on most bills.

A

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 in order to confine minority voters to a majority in one district was challenged under the Fourteenth Amendment.

D Shaw v. Reno was a case about a state legislature intentionally creating a district that had a majority of African Americans, diluting their representation.

Presidents tend to assert their power and if Congress does not claim its duty to check and balance the executive, then the balance tilts heavily toward the executive branch. For example, the congressional resolution authorizing the United States to respond to the al-Qaeda attacks against the United States in 2001 was applied far beyond the initial campaign in Afghanistan. It was interpreted by George W. Bush's administration as justifying findings that the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of prisoners of war did not apply in the war on terrorism; that harsh interrogation tactics were permissible . . . ; and that the use of intercepts of telephone conversations between American citizens and people abroad was condoned. . . . When, after the Supreme Court ruled in 2006 . . . that the Bush administration was in fact violating the Geneva Conventions, . . . Congress was compelled to pass new laws on detainee treatment. Bush signed the law but then added a separate 'signing statement.' . . . President Bush declared that he would implement the law 'in a manner consistent with the constitutional authority of the President to supervise the unitary executive branch and as Commander in Chief . . . [in order to protect] the American people from further terrorist attacks.'" Sean Kay, America's Search for Security: The Triumph of Idealism and the Return of Realism, 2014 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? A The Supreme Court will intervene to check the power of the president. B The American people will vote in new members of Congress during the next election. C The president will be able to push the limits of constitutional authority. D Treaties, such as the Geneva Convention, will be treated as executive agreements.

C failure by Congress to check the power of the president will likely lead to the president exercising powers that some might consider to be beyond the scope of those laid out by the United States Constitution.