Government Chapter 10 Test Review
2. What is the Electoral College? A. A system set by the Constitution for selecting the president and vice president. B. The name for training or courses a president elect must complete before taking office. C. A body that validates that votes for the presidential election were properly counted in each state. D. The body that implements and monitors campaign finance laws for presidential campaigns.
A. A system set by the Constitution for selecting the president and vice president.
8. Why is Richard Nixon's opening of diplomatic relations with China often cited as an example of political courage? A. His action was unpopular with both his party and the public. B. At the time, China was a much more powerful country than the United States. C. There was a chance that he would have been taken hostage by Chinese radicals during his visit to China. D. Because he changed his own views about China to match those held by other Republicans.
A. His action was unpopular with both his party and the public.
5. Why is the ability to generate public support for policies important for a president? A. Members of Congress are sensitive to the amount of popular support policies have. B. The president can bypass Congress by appealing directly to the public to create new laws. C. The president wants to avoid being impeached because of implementing unpopular policies. D. Foreign leaders are more likely to implement policies that are popular with the U.S. public.
A. Members of Congress are sensitive to the amount of popular support policies have.
7. Why are presidential primaries and caucuses held? A. They are part of the process of securing a party's nomination for the general election. B. These are fund-raising events to raise money for the general election. C. They help candidates solidify their positions on important issues and develop campaign slogans. D. Candidates use them to determine if they have a chance to win election before officially declaring their candidacies.
A. They are part of the process of securing a party's nomination for the general election.
12. If the Twenty-second Amendment is repealed, A. a president might gain too much power. B. eighteen-year-olds would lose the right to vote. C. senators would no longer be elected directly by the people. D. non-citizens could be elected president.
A. a president might gain too much power.
14. Abraham Lincoln showed political courage by A. adhering to his beliefs. B. negotiating peace in the Civil War. C. compromising to appease critics. D. supporting unpopular economic ideas.
A. adhering to his beliefs.
11. To become president, a person must A. be a U.S. resident for at least 14 years. B. be an U.S. citizen for at least 14 years. C. be at least 30 years of age. D. have always lived in the United States.
A. be a U.S. resident for at least 14 years.
11. The Framers of the Constitution established the Electoral College because they A. had doubts about the average person's ability to select a candidate. B. highly trusted the average voter's judgment. C. knew that voters would research candidates. D. wanted Congress to have a say in presidential elections.
A. had doubts about the average person's ability to select a candidate.
2. Which characteristic has made winning a presidential election more difficult? A. holding extreme political beliefs B. being from the middle class C. having European heritage D. serving in the U.S. military
A. holding extreme political beliefs
7. In addition to a salary, which of the following is a benefit received by the president of the United States? A. lifetime Secret Service protection B. free tutors for his or her children C. lifetime rent-free lodging at Camp David in Maryland D. paid food expenses
A. lifetime Secret Service protection
1. The amount of compensation a president receives is determined by A. the Congress. B. the Supreme Court. C. the Constitution. D. the state legislatures.
A. the Congress.
5. Who is given the power to cast tie-breaking votes in the U.S. Senate? A. the vice president B. the president pro tempore of the Senate C. the Speaker of the House D. the president
A. the vice president
5. What is a winner-take-all system in a presidential election? A. If a candidate secures 60 percent or more of the total popular vote, no Electoral College vote is needed. B. If a candidate receives the most votes in a state, he or she receives all the state's electors to the Electoral College. C. If a candidate secures enough states in the eastern and central time zones on Election Day, voting will be stopped in the mountain and western states when victory is declared. D. If a candidate secures over 50 percent of the popular vote in the country, he or she wins the Electoral College vote.
B. If a candidate receives the most votes in a state, he or she receives all the state's electors to the Electoral College.
10.Why might a presidential candidate select a vice presidential running mate from a different part of the country? A. The Constitution specifies that the president and vice president cannot be from the same state. B. It helps the candidate appeal to a voters from another area of the country. C. Presidential candidates tend to make too many enemies in their local areas competing in political races. D. Doing so will ensure that at least two states will give their Electoral College votes to that candidate.
B. It helps the candidate appeal to a voters from another area of the country.
1.What is unique about how the U.S. president is elected? A. A U.S. president cannot be elected unless at least 75 percent of registered voters cast a ballot. B. The U.S. president is not elected directly by voters. C. A U.S. president cannot be elected to office if he or she fails to win the popular vote. D. The U.S. president is elected by members of Congress.
B. The U.S. president is not elected directly by voters.
2. If the office of vice president is vacant, how is the position filled? A. The position remains open until the next presidential election. B. The president nominates a candidate who must then receive a majority of votes in both houses of Congress. C. The Senate selects a candidate who must be confirmed by a majority vote in the House of Representatives. D. The Electoral College is called back to select a new vice president.
B. The president nominates a candidate who must then receive a majority of votes in both houses of Congress.
15. Which of the following was part of Gore's argument in the Supreme Court case Bush v. Gore? A. Many counties in the states use different voting methods. B. There should be no time limit when constitutional rights are at stake. C. The federal government should respect states' decisions related to ballot recounts. D. The Fourteenth Amendment is violated when voters' ballots are treated differently
B. There should be no time limit when constitutional rights are at stake.
1. Which of the following is a constitutional requirement for becoming president of the United States? A. serving in the U.S. military B. being at least 35 years old C. serving at least one term as an elected federal or state official D. serving at least one term as a judge
B. being at least 35 years old
8.When does each political party officially declare who its candidate for the general election will be? A. after all but one of the candidates drop out of the primary races B. during each party's national nominating convention C. when one candidate surpasses $100 million in fundraising D. after the third debate between party candidates
B. during each party's national nominating convention
7. President Woodrow Wilson's actions involving the League of Nations BEST illustrates A. that a successful president must know when the time is right to introduce a new policy. B. how important it is for a president to be able to compromise. C. how the office of the presidency has become much stronger than the Founders ever intended. D. the importance of political courage.
B. how important it is for a president to be able to compromise.
14. During primaries, candidates often focus on A. achieving consensus on important issues. B. issues affecting the regions they campaign in. C. their personal strengths and weaknesses. D. ways they and their opponents are not alike.
B. issues affecting the regions they campaign in.
14. The current vice president is responsible for A. handling ceremonial tasks only. B. presiding over the Senate. C. solely making succession decisions. D. taking part in most Senate votes.
B. presiding over the Senate.
6. After the vice president, who is next in the line of presidential succession? A. the president pro tempore of the Senate B. the Speaker of the House C. the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court D. the Secretary of State
B. the Speaker of the House
12. What was the purpose of the Twelfth Amendment? A. to allow more electors to be added to the Electoral College B. to change how people voted for the president and vice president C. to give more power to individual voters in national elections D. to make sure all elector votes in a state would go to the same candidate
B. to change how people voted for the president and vice president
4. How many votes in the Electoral College are required for a presidential candidate to secure victory? A. 51 B. 218 C. 270 D. 301
C. 270
3. Which of the following statements about presidential candidates is most accurate? A. A candidate without a military background has no chance of winning a presidential election. B. Extremely liberal or conservative candidates have the best chance of winning a presidential campaign. C. The backgrounds of presidential candidates have become more diverse in recent years. D. Only a wealthy American has any chance of becoming president.
C. The backgrounds of presidential candidates have become more diverse in recent years.
9. Describe how the office of the president has changed over time. A. The symbolic role of the president has declined but the political power of the office has grown. B. The symbolic role and political power of the president have both declined. C. The symbolic role and political power of the president have both grown. D. The symbolic role of the president has grown but the power of the office has declined.
C. The symbolic role and political power of the president have both grown.
9. Which of the following is a constitutional duty of the vice president? A. making goodwill tours to foreign nations B. advising the president on matters of foreign policy C. deciding whether the president is unable to carry out his or her duties D. developing the annual federal budget
C. deciding whether the president is unable to carry out his or her duties
13. Which might be classified as a reason to keep the Electoral College as is? A. effects it may have on a third-party candidate B. some elections are decided by the House of Representatives C. its use for more than 200 years D. winner-takes-all outcome
C. its use for more than 200 years
8. What area of responsibility have all modern presidents kept instead of designating it to their vice president? A. meeting with foreign leaders and visiting foreign countries B. leading efforts to implement public policies C. signing bills passed by Congress D. providing foreign policy advice and recommendations
C. signing bills passed by Congress
4. Which of the following had the greatest impact on the adoption of the Twenty-second Amendment to the Constitution? A. the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865 B. the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor, which drew the U.S. into World War II C. the Red Scare and beginning of the Cold War in the 1950s D. the election of Franklin Roosevelt as president to four consecutive terms during the 1930s and 1940s
C. the Red Scare and beginning of the Cold War in the 1950s
3. The presence of the outgoing president at the inauguration ceremony symbolizes A. balance of power in government. B. separation of power in government. C. the peaceful transition of power in government. D. check and balances in government.
C. the peaceful transition of power in government.
3. How many electors is each state allowed in the Electoral College? A. one for each county in the state B. one for each member it has in the U.S. Senate C. the same as the number of senators and representatives it has in Congress D. one for each member it has in the House of Representatives
C. the same as the number of senators and representatives it has in Congress
10.What is the definition of the term landslide? A. An election outcome where the outcome is seen as a disaster for the country. B. An election outcome where the eastern states support one candidate and the western states support another candidate. C. An election where the victorious candidate dies before taking office. D. An election outcome with a wide margin of victory for a candidate.
D. An election outcome with a wide margin of victory for a candidate.
12. What is one reason Franklin Roosevelt won the 1932 election? A. He communicated in "fireside chats." B. He introduced new policies. C. He promised to end discrimination. D. He understood people's attitudes.
D. He understood people's attitudes.
4. What is the purpose of the Federal Elections Commission? A. It certifies the results of federal elections reported by states. B. It verifies that presidential and vice-presidential candidates meet the formal requirements for the office. C. It runs the meeting of the Electoral College. D. It regulates campaign finance legislation.
D. It regulates campaign finance legislation.
11. What was the effect of George Washington's decision not to run for a third term? A. All presidents would serve for two terms. B. People declared that the Constitution needed revision. C. Political parties were successful. D. Power was transferred peacefully.
D. Power was transferred peacefully.
13. This president was known during his time as "the Great Communicator." A. Abraham Lincoln C. Harry Truman B. George H.W. Bush D. Ronald Reagan
D. Ronald Reagan
6.How do candidates for president make their candidacy official? A. They must form a political action committee (PAC). B. They must secure at least one elector to the Electoral College. C. They must secure at least $1 million in campaign donations. D. They must register with the Federal Election Committee (FEC).
D. They must register with the Federal Election Committee (FEC).
15. Which leader is second in the line of succession to the presidency? A. President pro tempore of the Senate B. Secretary of state C. Speaker of the House of Representatives D. Vice president
D. Vice president
9.What is the term for a candidate who represents a political party that is not the Democrats or the Republicans? A. a landslide candidate B. a radical candidate C. a wild-card candidate D. a third-party candidate
D. a third-party candidate
15. President Roosevelt said "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" during A. a speech at the Democratic convention. B. a 1936 campaign speech. C. his first "fireside chat." D. his first inaugural speech.
D. his first inaugural speech.
6. Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan were both known as A. champions of conservative policies. B. being out of touch with the pulse of the nation. C. first-rate campaign fundraisers. D. skillful communicators.
D. skillful communicators.
13. The term compensation means A. a decrease in salary paid. B. an increase in salary paid. C. extra money paid. D. the amount of salary paid.
D. the amount of salary paid.
10. After a presidential election in November, when does the new president take office? A. exactly one year after Election Day B. the following March C. immediately after the electors meet in December to cast their votes in the Electoral College D. the following January
D. the following January