gov exam 2

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

Andrew Johnson

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

Congress

True or false: An executive agreement made by the president with another country has the same force of law as a formal treaty and cannot be rescinded.

False

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

Franklin Roosevelt

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

Franklin Roosevelt Lyndon Johnson Ronald Reagan

Which chamber of Congress can vote to impeach the president?

House

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.

The president who redefined the role of the vice president was ______.

Jimmy Carter

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

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

What are potential problems presidents can have in controlling low-level appointees?

Many of them are politically inexperienced. They can become closer to the agency in which they work than to the president

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

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

The White House Office consists of the Office of the Counsel to the President, the Communications Office, and the Office of the______.

Press Secretary

Which cabinet member can be described as a close advisor to the president in most administrations?

Secretary of State

Which chamber of Congress has the power to try and remove the president from office once the president has been impeached (placed on trial)?

Senate

Which of the following statements are true of bills that are killed in committee?

Some bills are not supported by the members who introduced them. Most are poorly conceived or of little interest to anyone. They can be brought back to life by a vote of the full House or Senate.

True or false: Studies by political scientists have shown that Supreme Court justices tend to vote according to their political attitudes.

True

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.

After Vietnam, Congress sought to limit the ability of presidents to commit the United States to war by passing the ______.

War Powers Act

In his role as chief diplomat, the president ______.

appoints ambassadors negotiates treaties with other nations

Members of Congress cannot claim to be the leader of the United States because they ______.

are elected from different areas and not nationally share power with other members of Congress

To plan strategy and resolve policy issues, party members in Congress typically meet behind closed doors in a session called a party

caucus

The president shapes and administers the nation's foreign policy while acting in the role of ______.

chief diplomat

As ______, the president is the supreme military commander of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard.

commander in chief

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

Each of the 50 states structures and maintains its own ______.

court system

A key to understanding the power of the presidency is a recognition that presidential power ______.

depends on the occupant of the office

The duties of each vice president are ______.

determined by the particular president with whom he or she serves

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

directors of federal departments and agencies

The scenario in which the president belongs to one political party while the opposition party has majority control of at least one chamber of Congress is known as ______.

divided government

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

In 2020, when President Trump directed the production of ventilators and other medical supplies in response to the COVID-19 crisis, he did so by issuing an ______.

executive order

True or false: Most congressional bills survive committee scrutiny and are voted upon by the House and Senate.

false

True or false: The president's ability to command attention via the bully pulpit guarantees that the desired policy objectives will be achieved.

false

The ability to command attention via the bully pulpit serves primarily to ______.

focus the public and media on issues the president cares about

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

foreign policy

According to the doctrine of judicial restraint, judges should ______.

generally defer to the policy decisions made by elected officials

The beginning of a new presidential administration, which is often characterized by higher levels of public approval, is known as a ______.

honeymoon period

Since the 1790s, the power of the presidency has evolved owing to the ______.

increased involvement of the presidency in a range of policy areas

When a bill falls into the area in which a committee is authorized to act, that committee is said to have ______.

jurisdiction

members of the supreme court are called

justices

An example of Congress's ______ occurs when Congress passes legislation that creates incentives for the development of alternative energy sources.

lawmaking function

What has been one result of the decreasing number of moderates in Congress?

legislative deadlock

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

less than 50 percent

In relation to Congress, the president's power is ______.

limited by the willingness of Congress to act on the president's agenda more effective in setting the national agenda

Elections held two years after presidential elections are called ______ elections.

midterm

President Ronald Reagan was viewed as ______.

more powerful than President Jimmy Carter

A Supreme Court ______ explains the justices' legal basis for their decision.

opinion

Which function describes the process by which the legislature checks on the executive branch to make sure it is carrying out the laws in the way Congress intended?

oversight

Which of the following are duties of the Secretary of State?

participating in international conferences overseeing the diplomatic corps providing advice to the president on foreign policy 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

During his presidency, Donald Trump's many tweets, campaign-style rallies, and social media advertising were all part of his use of a _____ strategy.

permanent campaign

The blurring of the line between campaigning and governing has come to be known as the

permanent campaign

In his book Electing Justices, Richard Davis likens Supreme Court appointments in the era of party polarization to ______.

political campaigns

When foreign countries look to the United States for leadership, they direct their attention to the ______.

president

The importance of an advertising style of governing emerged when candidates began to build their campaigns around which three of the following?

rallies the media polling

The minority party's committee and subcommittee leaders are its _______ members.

ranking

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

On major bills, it is increasingly typical for the majority party's leaders to

shape the bill's broad content. direct the floor debate after the bill leaves the committee.

Today, Congress and the president ______.

share legislative power

Which two features of the presidency have enabled presidents to claim leadership on national policy?

singular authority national election

A permanent committee in Congress is known as a(n) _______ committee.

standing

The American common law evolved from which legal system?

the British system

Federal judges play a role in the creation of law and public policy because

the Constitution can be interpreted in a number of ways

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

the Great Depression

Which of the following documents revealed that President Lyndon Johnson had presented a falsely optimistic picture of the Vietnam War?

the Pentagon Papers

Which of the following is the part of the Executive Office of the President that consists of the president's closest direct personal advisers?

the White House Office

Recent Supreme Court appointees have come overwhelmingly from what background?

the appellate courts

Which of the following are limits on judicial power?

the law itself the facts of the case

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

Which of the following methods is most often used to select committee chairs?

the seniority system

Whether or not Congress takes the lead in the making of laws usually depends on ______.

the type of policy at issue

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

Presidents have more power in foreign policy making in part because ______.

they have more access to relevant information than Congress does

Members of the House of Representatives typically serve on ______ committees, while members of the Senate serve on ______.

two, four

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

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

The scenario in which the president belongs to the same political party that controls the House and Senate is called ______.

unified government

According to political scientist Richard Neustadt, a sign of presidential weakness is the ______.

veto

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

Alexander Hamilton said that of all the branches of government, the Supreme Court was the ______.

weakest

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

courts of appeals

The type of state law that involves issues such as shoplifting, murder, and rape is known as ______ law.

criminal

every bill must be approved by both the House and the Senate in ________ form before it can be sent to the president.

identical

In the large majority of cases, the winner of a congressional campaign is the ______.

incumbent

Presidents can influence the courts by ______.

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

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

invalidate a law or action on constitutional grounds

Chief Justice John Roberts has observed that the Supreme Court ______.

is not a political branch of government, and the public has to accept its decisions

The nominating process for the Supreme Court places high importance on which of the following aspects of a potential Supreme Court nominee?

legal credentials political philosophy

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

make laws

Compared with Republican presidents, Democratic presidents have appointed ______ to the federal bench.

more women more minorities

Which institution has the power to formally declare war?

congress

Twelve of the thirteen federal appellate courts cover specific geographic regions, which are called ______.

circuits

The type of state law that involves such issues as business disputes or divorces is known as ______.

civil law

Appellate courts review which aspect of lower court decisions?

how a lower court applied the law

The trend toward party unity in Congress can clearly be seen in voting records of members of Congress when their votes are officially recorded during a ________-________ vote.

roll - call

The most powerful leader in the House of Representatives is the ______.

speaker of the house

During a Supreme Court hearing, who presents oral arguments?

the attorneys for each side

To whom or what does the president typically delegate the task of identifying nominees to lower-court positions?

the deputy attorney general

At present there are ______ standing committees in the House of Representatives.

20

Put in order the following steps that a bill must pass through in order to become law. (Place the first step at the top and the last step at the bottom.) A majority of members in the House and Senate approve the bill. A member of the House of Representatives or the Senate formally proposes the bill. The president signs the bill. The bill is submitted to a committee for consideration.

A member of the House of Representatives or the Senate formally proposes the bill. The bill is submitted to a committee for consideration. A majority of members in the House and Senate approve the bill. The president signs the bill.

Which interest group regularly files cases seeking to protect individual rights?

ACLU

True or false: Less than 4 percent of presidential nominees to the Supreme Court have been rejected by the Senate on grounds of judicial qualification, legal views, personal ethics, or partisanship.

False

True or false: The Supreme Court's decision gives the legal basis for the Court's ruling.

False

Which of the following is true about the Supreme Court's control in selecting cases to hear.

It has almost complete control in deciding the cases it will hear.

Overall, what effect has the exercise of judicial review had on the balance of power between levels of government and the branches of government in the United States?

It has increased the power of the federal government. It has increased the power of the courts by creating new powers.

Which of the following descriptions of the U.S. presidency are true?

It operates in a system of divided powers. The formal powers of the presidency are modest. The degree of leadership the president can exert largely depends on circumstances.

Which of the following is a major reason why incumbents are reelected?

Many congressional districts and some states are lopsidedly Democratic or Republican.

Which of the following correctly describe protocol for committee membership?

Most vacancies occur after elections, either from retirements or incumbent defeats Most newly elected members of Congress request committee assignments.

What shift brought the president to a more central role in the legislative process?

National and international forces combined to place greater policy demands on the federal government.

Which of the following describes the power of Congress relative to the other branches of government?

No executive agency or lower court can exist without congressional authorization.

Which of the following statements concerning the political orientation of Supreme Court justices is correct?

Republican appointees are more likely than Democratic appointees to side with law enforcement officials instead of with the criminally accused.

Which of the following statements accurately describes the challenge faced by the judiciary in interpreting the Constitution?

The Constitution is silent concerning the approach that judges should take in deciding cases where the law is not completely clear.

Why is it impossible to firmly settle the argument over judicial restraint and activism?

The Constitution offers no specific method of decision making.

How does public opinion affect Supreme Court decisions?

The Supreme Court is less responsive to public opinion than elected government officials are. The Court takes public opinion into account so as not to create outright defiance of its decisions.

Which of the following is true of appeals to the Supreme Court?

The issue must involve a federal constitutional question or federal law.

What happens during the writing of a Supreme Court opinion?

The justice assigned to write the opinion will continue to speak with the other justices while preparing the opinion.

What usually is the best indicator of how individual Supreme Court justices will vote in cases where the Court issues a divided decision?

The justices' political backgrounds

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.

Why do justices write concurring opinions?

They agree with the Court's decision but disagree with some of the legal arguments made by the justices in the majority.

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. They serve until they die or retire voluntarily. The only way to remove them is through impeachment.

Which of the following statements correctly describe U.S. district courts?

They are the only federal courts where cases are decided by a jury. They are the chief trial courts of the federal court system.

Which of the following is true of bills that emerge from committee with the full support of the committee members?

They are typically passed by an overwhelming majority.

Interest groups that rely on a judicial strategy to advance their cause are careful in which of the following ways?

They choose courts with judges who are likely to be sympathetic. They choose cases that have a chance of success.

What holds party lawmakers together?

They have far more in common with each other than they do with lawmakers of the other party.

Amicus curiae briefs have what impact on the American legal system?

They help the court to understand how interested parties feel about the case in question.

Which of the following are true concerning women and minorities who run for congressional office? (Choose every correct answer.)

Women and minorities are less likely to run for Congress than white males. There are more women than there are minorities in Congress.

The only type of federal court that features two sides presenting a case to a jury for a verdict is ______.

a district court

Following oral argument, the Supreme Court justices meet in complete privacy and secrecy to discuss and vote on the case. This meeting of the justices is called ______.

a judicial conference

Supreme Court chief justice John Marshall used the Court to strengthen the judiciary and made legal decisions not explicitly discussed by the Constitution. These actions demonstrated Marshall's use of judicial ______.

activism

The doctrine of judicial restraint implies that it is the duty of judges to

apply the law.

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

Why is the Rules Committee considered one of the most important committees in the House?

because it decides the length of debate that will occur on a bill and whether amendments will be allowed

Why are future Supreme Court nominees unlikely to be rejected by the Senate?

because the use of the filibuster has been abolished for Supreme Court nominations

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

being an incumbent

The U.S. Congress is a(n) ________ legislature with two chambers, the House and the Senate.

bicameral

Which of the following oversight tools help Congress to ensure that the executive branch is administering the laws properly? (Choose every correct answer.)

budgetary appropriations congressional hearings

Which of the following is not a direct power of the committee chair?

changes party affiliation at will

The relevant circumstances of a legal dispute or offense are known as ______.

facts

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

false

Federal courts address which two types of laws?

federal statutory law administrative laws

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

no

The Supreme Court tends to hear cases ______.

of substantial legal significance

When a majority of the Supreme Court justices agree on a decision but not the legal reasoning behind it, the Court issues a ______, which is the opinion having the most justices in support of it.

plurality opinion

The increase in party polarization in Congress has led to increased ______.

policy deadlock

Compared with their percentage of the overall population of the United States, women and minorities are ______ in Congress.

underrepresented

Both political parties in the House have a ______, who acts as a go-between with the leadership and the party members in the House.

whip