AP gov Unit 4

Members of the United States House of Representatives Committee on Veterans Affairs are concerned about the quality of services at hospitals run by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Which of the following is an action the committee can take to address the problem? (A) Holding a hearing and subpoenaing high-level officials in the Department of Veterans Affairs to testify (B) Impounding funding for veterans hospitals until problems are resolved (C) Placing a referendum on the ballot in each state to increase health-care funding for veterans (D) Appointing a new secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs

(A) Holding a hearing and subpoenaing high-level officials in the Department of Veterans Affairs to testify

Appointments to the federal judiciary are often contentious for which of the following reasons? (A) The House of Representatives can undermine presidential authority by overriding judicial appointments. (B) Life terms for federal judges mean that presidential appointments will continue to have influence long after the president's term is over. (C) The president selects nominees based on political orientation, while the Senate focuses on the academic credentials of nominees. (D) Federal judges are given a platform to legislate from the bench, and the Senate is hesitant about relinquishing power to the judiciary.

(B) Life terms for federal judges mean that presidential appointments will continue to have influence long after the president's term is over.

A new president has been elected and has a number of positions to fill within the federal bureaucracy. Which of the following is an example of filling a position based on political patronage? (A) Choosing a secretary of state to appease members from the opposition party (B) Nominating a high-level campaign fund-raiser to serve as an ambassador to New Zealand (C) Reappointing the secretary of defense even though he or she was appointed by the previous president, who is a member of the opposite party (D) Asking the chair of a prestigious university's economics department to serve as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers

(B) Nominating a high-level campaign fund-raiser to serve as an ambassador to New Zealand

Which of the following may the president do to limit the Supreme Court's power? (A) Fire and replace justices(B) Refuse to enforce a ruling by the Court(C) Adopt new constitutional amendments (D) Veto parts of the Court's decisions

(B) Refuse to enforce a ruling by the Court

Bureaucratic rule-making is best defined as (A) legally binding decisions made by Congress to constrain regulatory agencies (B) guidelines issued by government agencies, which provide specific details about how a policy will be implemented (C) directions given by the president to the bureaucracy regarding how a specific policy will be applied (D) review and supervision of departments and agencies conducted by congressional committees

(B) guidelines issued by government agencies, which provide specific details about how a policy will be implemented

Which of the following statements describes a difficulty presidents face in the policy implementation process? (A) Members of the bureaucracy often lack the expertise to carry out the president's preferred policies. (B) Members of the president's Cabinet can be removed at any time by Congress. (C) Because of civil service laws, it is not easy for the president to remove professional bureaucrats when they disagree with the president's agenda. (D) Congress generally gives specific details about how the laws they pass will be executed by members of the professional bureaucracy.

(C) Because of civil service laws, it is not easy for the president to remove professional bureaucrats when they disagree with the president's agenda.

Which of the following best illustrates the concept of iron triangles? (A) The tendency of interest groups to hire former legislators, lobbyists, and judges (B) The inability of third-party candidates to garner public attention through media coverage (C) The long-term relationships between agencies, congressional committees, and interest groups in specific policy areas (D) The practice of congressional leaders diverting PAC funds meant for certain popular candidates to those in more competitive races

(C) The long-term relationships between agencies, congressional committees, and interest groups in specific policy areas

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the House of Representatives and the Senate? A) House: Only the Speaker of the House can initiate the legislative process by proposing bills; Senate: Only the majority leader can initiate the legislative process by proposing bills B) House: Members can delay the policy-making process by invoking cloture; Senate: Members can delay the policy-making process through the use of a filibuster C) House: Members are elected by constituents in a local district based on population; Senate: Members are elected by constituents of an entire state D) House: Members serve six-year terms: Senate: Members serve two-year terms

C) House: Members are elected by constituents in a local district based on population; Senate: Members are elected by constituents of an entire state

Which example best demonstrates a legislator acting as a trustee of his or her constituency? a. A legislator uses his or her best judgment. b. A legislator does whatever is best for his or her reelection. c. A legislator follows the public opinion of his or her constituency. d. A legislator does what is in the best interest of his or her party.

a. A legislator uses his or her best judgment.

How do standard operating procedures influence bureaucratic decision making? a. They promote uniform application of rules. b. They promote administrative discretion. c. They promote close coordination with Congress on implementation decisions. d. They promote coordination across agencies on implementation decisions.

a. They promote uniform application of rules.

A __________ is a group of members of Congress who share some interest or characteristic; its goal is to promote the interests around which it is formed. a. caucus b. colloquium c. committee - Consider This: A congressional committee's job is to process legislation. d. conference

a. caucus

In the House of Representatives, who is second in authority to the Speaker of the House? a. majority leader b. majority whip c. minority leader d. president pro tempore

a. majority leader

Which is a constitutional power that the president shares with the Senate? a. making treaties b. declaring war c. granting pardons d. receiving foreign ambassadors

a. making treaties

Which of the following is an example of an independent executive agency? a. the General Services Administration b. the Department of Health and Human Services c. the Consumer Product Safety Commission d. the U.S. Postal Service

a. the General Services Administration

What is common law? a. the accumulation of judicial decisions about legal issues b. laws passed by legislatures c. disputes between two parties d. issues capable of being settled as a matter of law

a. the accumulation of judicial decisions about legal issues

Cabinet secretaries are chosen by __________ and confirmed by __________. a. the president; the Senate b. the president; the House of Representatives c. the president; the Supreme Court d. the Senate; the president

a. the president; the Senate

__________ refers to the authority of administrators in the federal bureaucracy to make choices concerning the best way to implement policies. a. Adjudication b. Discretion c. Division of labor d. Executive control

b. Discretion

Which of the following statements best describes the president's influence over agency budgets? a. The president has final say over all department budgets, but has no control of the budgets of independent agencies. b. The president proposes agency budgets, but depends on Congress for appropriations of federal money. c. The president has sole authority to determine executive administrative budgets d. The president has no authority in the budgeting process.

b. The president proposes agency budgets, but depends on Congress for appropriations of federal mone

A committee created to reconcile differences in versions of a bill passed by the House and Senate is called a(n) __________ committee. a. arbitration b. conference c. standing d. appropriations - Consider This: This committee processes spending legislation and does not involve reconciling House and Senate bill differences.

b. conference

For a case to be heard in the Supreme Court, a minimum of how many justices must vote to hear the case? a. one b. four c. five d. six

b. four

What does the Twenty-second Amendment do? a. requires that presidents be natural-born citizens b. limits the president's terms of office c. requires the president to be a resident of the United States d. requires the president to be at least 35 years old

b. limits the president's terms of office

The Twenty-fifth Amendment was enacted in order to clear up uncertainties over the constitutional provisions surrounding __________. a. presidential powers to conduct war b. presidential and vice presidential succession and disability c. the president's powers to negotiate treaties d. the Electoral College

b. presidential and vice presidential succession and disability

What does a government corporation do? a. generate significant profit for the federal government - b. provide services that could be provided by the private sector c. break up monopolies and promote free-market principles d. expand international trade

b. provide services that could be provided by the private sector

What is substantive representation? a. representing groups that provide subsistence for their campaign coffers and not for their policy preferences b. representing the interests of groups of which they themselves are not members c. representing people and interests that they like personally by voting for legislation that benefits those people d. representing constituents by mirroring their personal, politically relevant characteristics

b. representing the interests of groups of which they themselves are not members

When a court bases its decision or opinion on previous court decisions or rulings, that is called? a. percuriam b. stare decisis c. coram nobis d. amicus curiae

b. stare decisis

What is the point of original jurisdiction for most litigation in the federal courts? a. the Supreme Court b. the U.S. district courts c. the U.S. Court of Federal Claims d. the U.S. courts of appeals

b. the (91) U.S. district courts

Which of the following is a collection of executive branch officials who assist the president, but who also fulfill duties required by law and are therefore limited in the extent of their loyalty to the president? a. the White House staff b. the Executive Office of the President c. the chiefs of staff d. the Court of Executive Assistants

b. the Executive Office of the President

The federal civil service system was introduced with the passage of what law? a. the Hatch Act b. the Pendleton Act c. the Administrative Procedures Act d. the Freedom of Information Act

b. the Pendleton Act

In which way do modern presidents differ from the original intentions of the Framers? a. Modern presidents are considerably less democratic than the Framers originally intended. b. Modern presidents have considerably less power as leaders of their political parties than the Framers originally intended. c. Modern presidents are much more influential in the legislative process than the Framers originally intended. d. Modern presidents are more subservient to the will of Congress than the Framers originally intended.

c. Modern presidents are much more influential in the legislative process than the Framers originally intended.

__________ committees exist in both the House and Senate, may be temporary or permanent, and usually have a specific focus. a. Ways and means b. Caucus - Consider This: This is the meeting a member of Congress of the same party that select party leaders. c. Select d. Steering

c. Select

What has to happen in Congress in order for the president to be impeached and removed from office? a. The House must impeach the president by a simple majority; the Supreme Court must convict with a two-thirds vote. b. The Senate must impeach the president by a simple majority; the House must convict with a two-thirds vote. c. The House must impeach the president by a simple majority; the Senate must convict with a two-thirds majority. d. The Supreme Court must impeach the president with a simple majority; the chief justice presides over a Senate trial that must convict with a two-thirds majority.

c. The House must impeach the president by a simple majority; the Senate must convict with a two-thirds majority.

A writ of __________ is issued by the Supreme Court when it agrees to hear a case. a. mandamus b. prohibition c. certiorari d. attachment

c. certiorari

A filibuster can be ended through __________; it requires the approval of __________ senators. a. abrogation; fifty-one b. censure; fifty-five c. cloture; sixty d. discharge; sixty-seven

c. cloture; sixty

The use of __________ in foreign matters is an example of the president acting as a chief diplomat. a. pocket vetoes b. executive privilege c. executive agreements d. signing statements

c. executive agreements

Which presidential power is checked by required approval of the Senate with a two-thirds vote? a. extending diplomatic recognition to foreign governments b. terminating relations with other nations c. negotiating treaties with other nations d. negotiating executive agreements with foreign heads of state

c. negotiating treaties with other nations

Under the Hatch Act as amended, federal employees are prohibited from __________. a. adjudicating legal disputes b. exercising administrative discretion c. running for partisan office d. running voter registration drives

c. running for partisan office

Who represents the federal government in appeals to the Supreme Court? a. attorney general b. president c. solicitor general d. chief prosecutor

c. solicitor general

Which of the following must plaintiffs have in order to sustain a lawsuit in court? a. a serious injury b. money c. standing to sue d. an attorney

c. standing to sue

In which courts are the vast majority of all cases tried? a. federal b. district c. state d. appellate

c. state

Whose job is it to convey the party's position to rank-and-file congresspersons, keep vote counts, pressure waverers, and report the views and complaints of the House to the party leadership? a. committee chairperson b. majority leader c. whip d. Speaker of the House

c. whip

Who are the three main players in an iron triangle? a. Congress, the president, and the courts b. businesses, interest groups, and political action committees c. politicians, candidates, and bureaucrats d. bureaucratic agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees and subcommittees

d. bureaucratic agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees and subcommittees

Which presidential role includes the State of the Union address? a. head of state b. commander in chief c. chief executive d. chief legislator

d. chief legislator

Which of the following is a way that interest groups attempt to influence the Supreme Court's decisions? a. claiming disputes are justiciable b. filing standing to sue briefs c. lobbying legislators d. filing amicus curiae briefs

d. filing amicus curiae briefs

A(n) __________ regulates industries using marketlike strategies such as rewards. a. patronage system b. iron triangle c. executive order d. incentive system

d. incentive system

Which of the following is an advantage congressional incumbents possess in seeking reelection over challengers? a. outsider status b. financial support from the federal government campaign fund c. progressive taxes d. the franking privilege

d. the franking privilege