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American Federal Government Chapter 13
General Test Questions & Answers
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A treaty requires a two-thirds Senate ratification vote. Presidents often use ____ to avoid this challenge to their foreign policy.
executive agreements
 
As a tool for achieving political goals, presidents have found _____ to be mostly unreliable.
party members
 
As the leading actor in U.S. foreign policy, the president is known as
head of state.
 
Executive orders may be used by the president for which of the following objectives?
to more effectively manage the executive branch and influence existing laws and policies
 
Members of the _____ tend to be very close personal and political associates of the president.
White House staff
 
Most of the framers of the Constitution opposed choosing the president by way of a direct, popular election.
Why did they oppose this method of presidential selection?
It could potentially make the presidency too powerful
 
President Nixon vetoed the ______, but Congress overrode the veto.
Subsequent presidents have tended to ignore this law War Powers Resolution
 
The National Security Council always includes which of the following members?
the vice president, the secretary of defense, and the secretary of state
 
The Supreme Court case of United States v. Nixon (1974) tested the validity of which presidential power?
executive privilege
 
The vice presidency formally exists for two purposes only: to succeed the president in case of death, resignation,
or incapacity, and to
preside over the Senate, casting a tie-breaking vote when necessary.
 
What are expressed powers in the Constitution?
These are specific powers granted in the Constitution to Congress and to the president.
 
What is a signing statement?
The president signs legislation while also noting how the new law will be interpreted; the president may also
express concerns over particular provisions.
 
What presidential power did President Obama use to influence the application of the Defense of Marriage Act?
non-enforcement of the law
 
Which first spouse had considerable policy influence while her husband was in office, even inspiring some popular
criticism for her strong role?
Eleanor Roosevelt
 
Which of the following is an example of delegated powers?
The Environmental Protection Agency interprets and enforces the air pollution laws enacted by Congress.
 
Which of the following is an example of inherent presidential powers?
President Truman deploying troops to Korea in 1950
 
Which of the following is the most important and largest agency of the Executive Office of the President (EOP?)
Office of Management and Budget
 
Which of the following is true of the president's domestic military powers?
The president may deploy troops in a state or city without a specific request from the state legislature or
governor if the president deems it necessary to maintain an essential national service during an emergency.
 
Which of the following was an innovation of the Clinton administration in the realm of "going public?"
making the White House Communications Offices an important EOP institution
 
Which of the following was the biggest reason that Joe Biden was chosen to be the vice presidential nominee on
the Democratic ticket under Barack Obama in 2008?
foreign policy experience
 
In what month do general presidential election campaigns generally begin?
Late August
 
How many electors must a presidential candidate secure in the Electoral College to be elected president?
Simple Majority, 270 votes
 
What is the date of presidential inauguration ceremonies?
January 20th
 
What majority is needed for Congress to check presidential power by overriding a presidential veto?
two thirds majority vote
 
List the legislative powers of the president.
Lobbying members to oppose or support legislation
Defining congressinoal agenda with state of the union address
Submitting fed budget
Signing items into law or veto
 
Why does the president no longer have the line-item veto at his disposal?
1997 Supreme court found "Unconsitutional"
 
Modern presidents are generally ________ to issue vetoes than their predecessors.
much more likely
 
Which president issued more vetoes than any other during his tenure?
Franklin D Roosevelt
 
Which president issued over 750 signing statements, or written bill signature process, during his tenure?
George W. Bush
 
Which position, appointed by the president, plays a significant role in supervising the national economy?
Appointing of Federal Reserve Board and its chair
 
What does the president do as party leader? In what capacity does the president assert his influence as party
leader although he does not perform the actual function?
Chief of one of the 2 main parties, president is symbolic leader for the party members and asserts influence in
party’s operations by selecting national party chair, serves party premier fundraiser
 
Executive agreements are considered to be in force for how long?
during the current presidency, may not be enforced after
 
What pair of presidential functions and roles often overlap?
chief executive, chief of state
 
What presidential role is mostly ceremonial and symbolic?
chief of state
 
Many vice presidents serve a largely ________ role.
ceremonial
 
Most would-be presidents choose their vice-presidential running mate based on their desire for a "________"
approach that provides diversity and maximizes electoral appeal.
balanced ticket
 
Which vice presidents succeeded in being elected president?
George H.W. Bush, Lyndon B Johnson
 
How many departments serve under the cabinet, the group of experts chosen as advisers by the president?
15 departments
 
The head of the Department of Justice is called the
Attorney General
 
Which president began the practice of using a cabinet to assist in executive governance?
George Washington
 
What is the most recently created cabinet department?
Department of Homeland Security
 
Janet Reno, the first woman to be appointed to a "big four" cabinet position, was appointed by which president?
Bill Clinton
 
Who was the first black secretary of state?
Colin Powell
 
Which office acts as the launch pad for the implementation of presidential policy?
Executive Office of the President (EOP)
 
The National Security Council (NSC) is a group of top foreign policy advisors andrelevant cabinet officials that
advise the president on foreign policy and national securityissues. Who is the official chair of the NSC?
President
 
Which office within the Executive Office of the President is responsible for the creation of the president's annual budget?
Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
 
Which constitutional amendment, passed in 1967, determines the course of action in the case of a president being incapacitated?
Ratification of the 25th Amendment
 
Which event prompted codified procedures for dealing with an incapacitated president?
Kennedy’s assassination
 
Which presidential powers are granted by the Constitution?
"expressed powers"
serve as commander in cheif of armed forces
appoint heads
pardon crimes, and enter into treaties
 
Which presidential powers are granted by Congress?
statutory powers
 
Which presidential power has been granted by decisions of the Supreme Court?
Emergency powers
 
Which clause has been cited by presidents as the basis for the assertion of inherent powers?
take care clause.
 
Thomas Jefferson's decision to initiate the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 was an early example of the exercising
of ________ presidential powers.
inherent
 
Generally, executive orders have ________ limitations and stipulations.
very few
 
During the Civil War, President Lincoln suspended the civil liberties of alleged agitators and drafted state militias
into national service. He did this using what set of are used during times of national crisis?
emergency powers
 
On occasion, which special presidential power has/have been successfully challenged by the judiciary,
such as in Watergate-era case United States v. Richard M. Nixon?
executive privilege
 
Modern presidents use the bully pulpit to persuade the public on a(n) ________ basis.
continuous
 
President Bush's high approval ratings after his response to the September 11 attacks are an example of
the ________ effect.
rally 'round the flag
 
How often do modern presidents sustain continuously high public approval ratings?
rarely
 
Which president first emphasized the doctrine of populism, a political philosophy that emphasizes the needs of
the common person?
Andrew Jackson
 
Which president initiated the New Deal, a series of social programs that dramatically transformed people's views
of the role of the federal government?
Franklin D Roosevelt
 
What event led to a deep decline in popular perceptions of the presidency?
Watergate
 
During impeachment, which federal body conducts the trial of the president?
Senate
 
Except for the Department of Justice, which is headed by the attorney general, each federal agency has a leader known as a
secretary.
 
Which of the following statements reflects the agency point of view in federal bureaucracies?
Workers at one agency hold that the needs of their agency come before the needs of other agencies.
 
Some ways the president exerts control over the bureaucracy include
appointing particular people to head agencies or departments
issuing executive orders to require bureaucrats to do certain things
 
In case the president is disabled, the way the Vice President becomes president is determined by what amendment?
25th Amendment
 
What are the qualifications for running for president?
Natural born citizen, 35 years old, & citizen of the U.S. For 14 years
 
A president can serve no more than how many years in office?
8 years
 
The least number of presidential electors a state can have is ___?
3
 
The order of succession to the presidency after the Vice President is determined by the what?
Presidential succession act of 1947
 
A formal duty assigned to the Vice President by the constitution is to preside over the what?
The senate
 
A presidential primary can serve what 2 purposes?
To choose some/all of the parties delegates and express a preference of the contenders
 
The first succession of the national convention is generally devoted to what?
Naming the party's presidential and vice presidential candidates.
 
One of the major flaws in the electoral-college system is what?
It's possible to win the popular vote & lose the electoral vote
 
The Framers of the Constitution called for the president to be elected by a body of what?
Electorates
 
A states presidential electors are chosen by what type of vote?
Electoral
 
The president’s role as the head of the armed forces.
Commander in chief
 
The speech given by an important party member at the first session of the national convention.
Key address note
 
The formal statement of a political party's basic principles.
Platform
 
The name of the group that makes the formal selection of the president.
Electoral college
 
The plan by which a presidential vacancy is filled
Presidential succession
 
The mass of people who actually cast votes in an election.
Electorates
 
Presidential candidates often choose a running mate who can ________ by virtue of certain characteristics.
Balance the ticket
 
The president is the nations ______, heading a large government organization.
Chief administrator
 
Under the ____ system, a candidate who wins the preference vote in a primary automatically wins the support of
all the delegates chosen in the primary.
Winner-take-all
 
As _______, the president holds broad power in domestic and foreign affairs.
Chief executive
 
The ____ is the group of people chosen from each state and the District of Columbia to formally select the president and Vice President.
Electoral college
 
As ____, the president is the political leader of the nation.
Chief of state
 
Most states had to change their primary laws to account for the democrats' _____ rule.
Proportional representation
 
The basic statement of the party's policies and principles is known as its _______.
Platform
 
_____ must cast their State's formal votes for President.
Presidential elector
 
In what month do general presidential election campaigns generally begin?
August
 
What is the date of presidential inauguration ceremonies?
January 20
 
In which year did the Supreme Court rule that the presidential ability to issue a line-item veto was constitutional?
1997
 
As a chief diplomat, the president performs all the following roles EXCEPT
conduction treaties with other nations
 
Which of the following is Not a power vested in the president by the Constitution?
the power to declare war
 
In terms of military policy positions, President Obama has differed from his predecessor George W. Bush on which issue?
"don't ask, don't tell"
 
Today, the president presides over a federal bureaucracy of more than ___ government employees.
4 million
 
Most would-be presidents choose their vice presidential running mate based on their desire for a "___"
approach that provides diversity and maximizes electoral appeal.
equal partnership
 
Which of the following vice presidents succeeded in becoming president?
George H W Bush and Lyndon B Johnson
 
Which is the most recently created cabinet department?
Homeland Security
 
Which of these offices acts as the launch pad for the implementation of presidential policy?
Executive Office of the President (EOP)
 
What year saw passage of the Presidential Succession Law, which determines presidential succession?
1947
 
Which constitutional amendment, passed in 1967, determines the course of action in the case of a president being incapacitated?
Twenty-Fifth
 
Which event prompted codified procedures for dealing with an incapacitated president?
the assassination of President John Kennedy
 
Which of the following presidential powers are grated by the Constitution?
expressed powers and inherent powers
 
Modern presidents use the bully pulpit to persuade the public on a ___ basis.
virtually continuous
 
Which president initiated the New Deal, a series of social programs that dramatically transformed people's views
of the role of the federal government?
Franklin Roosevelt
 
During impeachment, which federal body votes for a formal trial of the president?
House of Representatives
 
The principal reason that presidents have trouble getting things done is that
other policymakers with whom they deal have their own agendas, interests, and sources of power.
 
As Richard Neustadt has argued, presidential power is probably best understood as the power to
persuade.
 
Richard Neustadt has argued that presidential power is the power to
persuade.
 
Americans want a strong president,
but do not like concentration of power.
 
Americans tend to
look back longingly on the great, powerful presidents.
 
According to the Constitution, a president must be at least ________ years of age.
35
 
All presidents but one have been
Protestant.
 
According to the original Constitution, the president must be
at least 35 years old.
 
How many presidents were political scientists?
one
 
Which president was a political scientist?
Woodrow Wilson
 
________ was widely regarded to be the worst and most ineffective president.
Warren Harding
 
Since World War II, United States presidents have
come from a diversity of career experiences.
 
The Twenty-second Amendment, passed in 1951,
limited presidents to two terms of office.
 
The two-term limit was placed on the presidency by
the 22nd Amendment.
 
________ took over as president upon the death of Franklin Roosevelt in 1945, and eventually ordered the dropping
of the atomic bombs on Japanese cities.
Harry Truman
 
As president, ________ launched the ʺGreat Societyʺ at home while escalating the Vietnam War abroad.
Lyndon Johnson
 
Appointed to the vice presidency in 1973 due to a vacancy, he was the only one to become president having run for
neither the presidency or vice presidency in the preceding election.
Gerald Ford
 
Which of the following presidents was a Republican?
Richard Nixon
 
The only president to resign his office was
Richard Nixon.
 
Which of the following statements is FALSE?
Most presidents have served two or more full terms.
 
Prior to his election as president, ________ had been a well-known actor and served for two terms as governor of California.
Ronald Reagan
 
Impeachment is roughly the political equivalent of a(n)
indictment in criminal law.
 
In order to impeach a president, it takes
a majority vote in the House of Representatives.
 
Impeachment of a president means that the president is
indicted by the House.
 
In order to convict and remove an impeached president, it takes
a two-thirds vote in the Senate.
 
Once the House votes for impeachment, the president
is tried by the Senate.
 
The scandal surrounding Richard Nixonʹs administration that led to impeachment hearings was known as?
Watergate.
 
The order of succession to the presidency, should the president be unable to fulfill his or her duties is
Vice President, Speaker of the House, President Pro Tem of the Senate.
 
The Twenty-fifth Amendment, ratified in 1967,
created a means for selecting a new vice president when the office
 
Under the terms of the Twenty-fifth Amendment, while the vice president is serving as acting president,
the recuperated president can reclaim the Oval Office through a set
 
According to the Twenty-fifth Amendment, in the event of a vacancy in the vice presidency,
the president nominates a replacement, who must be confirmed by both
 
The Constitution framers
generally wanted a president with limited authority and responsibilities.
 
The president’s power can best be understood as
shared with other branches of government as part of the Madisonian system of checks and balances.
 
The Constitution
says remarkably little about presidential power.
 
In order to preserve the balance of power in government without jeopardizing the independence of the presidency, the framers
checked those powers that they believed to be most dangerous.
 
Which of the following is NOT a constitutional power of the president?
enact legislation by issuing decrees.
 
The president has the constitutional authority to make treaties with other nations, subject to the agreement of
two-thirds of the Senate.
 
The founding fathers envisioned a presidency that would.
have fewer responsibilities than todayʹs presidency.
 
Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson
set a precedent for presidents to serve as world leaders.
 
A primary resource available to presidents for controlling the bureaucracy is
the power to appoint top-level administrators.
 
In recent years,
presidents have paid closer attention to appointing officials who will be responsive to the presidentʹs policies.
 
A constitutional duty of the vice president is to
preside over the Senate and cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie.
 
Traditionally, a vice president
has little responsibility.
 
The president’s cabinet
consists of executive branch leaders who advise the president on
 
The presidential cabinet
consists of the head of each executive department, plus any
 
Which of the following is a member of the cabinet?
director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Speaker of the House
secretary of the navy
White House Chief of Staff
none of the above
 
 
Cabinet-level executive departments are created by
Congress
 
The head of each cabinet-level executive department is appointed by the president and
must be confirmed by a majority of the Senate.
 
The cabinet department responsible for making foreign policy and handling treaty negotiations is
state.
 
The two oldest cabinet departments are
A) state and defense.
B) interior and justice.
C) treasury and justice.
D) state and treasury.
E) education and state.
D
 
The newest cabinet department is
homeland security.
 
The National Security Council
links the presidentʹs key foreign and military policy advisors.
 
The Office of Management and Budget is comprised of
political appointees and career officials.
 
The Office of Management and Budget, the National Security Council, and the Council of Economic Advisors are
policymaking bodies of the Executive Office of the President.
 
The budgetary implications of the president’s budget are provided to the president by
Office of Management and Budget.
 
The agency that reviews legislative proposals for the president is the
C) Office of Management and Budget.
 
The part of the executive branch of government that the president sees daily and relies heavily on for information,
policy options, and analysis is the.
White House staff.
 
The system of White House management employed by President John Kennedy was
such that many aides equally participated in the decision-making process.
 
John F. Kennedyʹs ʺwheel-and-spokesʺ system of management was characterized by
many aides with equal status balanced against one another in the decision-making process.
 
The organization and importance of the White House staff depend on
the personal style of the president in office.
 
President Clintonʹs decision making style was
to immerse himself in the details of policy and run an open White House, soliciting the advice of a large number of aides.
 
The president who was known as the ʺconsummate delegatorʺ because he dispersed authority to his advisors was
Ronald Reagan.
 
George W. Bushʹs management style is
to delegate.
 
A presidential veto of legislation passed by Congress
can be overturned by a two-thirds vote of both the House and the Senate to override the veto.
 
The pocket veto can only be used
when Congress is adjourned.
 
The Constitution gives the president the power to influence the legislative process through his responsibility to
report on the state of the union and veto acts of Congress.
 
When a president vetoes congressional legislation,
Congress can override the veto by a two-thirds vote in both houses.
 
A pocket veto is the situation in which the president
lets a bill die by neither signing nor vetoing it after Congress has adjourned.
 
Which of the following statements about the presidential veto is FALSE?
Almost half of all vetoed bills have been overridden by Congress.
 
In 1998, the Supreme Court ruled in Clinton v. City of New York that
a 1996 law granting the president the authority to propose rescinding funds in appropriation bills was unconstitutional.
 
In 1996, Congress passed a law giving the president the authority to propose rescinding funds in appropriations bills. Later,
the Supreme Court voided the decision.
 
The primary obstacle to party unity in Congress is the
lack of consensus on policy issues among party members.
 
When constituency opinion and the president’s proposals conflict, members of Congress are more likely to
vote with their constituents.
 
Presidential coattails refers to
voters casting their ballots for congressional candidates of the presidentʹs party who will support the president.
 
Presidential coattails refers to
voters who support the president casting their ballots for congressional candidates of the presidentʹs party.
 
Recent election studies show
a diminishing connection between votersʹ presidential and congressional voting.
 
A mid-term election is
a congressional election that is not accompanied by a presidential election.
 
In mid-term elections, the
president’s party typically loses seats.
 
Most studies show that
presidential coattails rarely affect elections.
 
The impact of public approval or disapproval of the president on the support that the president receives in Congress is
important, but usually at the margins on most policies.
 
The political resource that has the most potential to turn a situation of stalemate between the president and Congress
into one supportive of the president’s legislative proposals is
public approval.
 
High public approval of the president
provides a cover for members of Congress to cast votes to which their constituents might otherwise object.
 
An electoral mandate ________ the presidentʹs level of support in Congress.
usually has a positive effect on
 
Electoral mandates
consist of the perception that the voters strongly support the winnerʹs positions.
 
Which of the following statements about presidential bargaining is FALSE?
Bargaining in the form of providing specific benefits for members of Congress is critical to creating presidential coalitions.
 
According to the text, two strategies used successfully by President Reagan in achieving his objectives were
moving fast and setting priorities.
 
The primary goal of the presidentʹs legislative strategy is usually
to set the agenda.
 
The president’s role in the legislative process
is especially important in influencing Congressʹs agenda.
 
Studies have shown that once one takes into account the status of their party in Congress and their standing with the public,
presidents renowned for their legislative skills are
no more successful in obtaining congressional support than those considered less adept at dealing with Congress.
 
The presidentʹs legislative skills compete with other factors influencing congressional voting, including all of the following EXCEPT
PAC spending.
 
Among the presidentʹs constitutional powers as a maker of foreign policy is the power to
extend diplomatic recognition to foreign governments.
 
Which of the following is NOT one of the presidents powers as the nation’s chief diplomat?
declaring war against an adversary
 
Which of the following statements about the role of the president as chief diplomat is FALSE?
Senate approval of treaties negotiated by the president is almost automatic.
 
Some believe the War Powers Resolution could be successfully overturned by the Supreme Court because it
uses a legislative veto, which may violate the separation of powers.
 
The War Powers Resolution
mandated the withdrawal of forces after sixty days unless Congress declared war or granted an extension.
 
The War Powers Resolution may be considered unconstitutional because
 its use of the legislative veto may be considered a violation of the doctrine of separation of powers.
 
During the 1991 Gulf War,
Congress passed a resolution authorizing the president to use force against Iraq.
 
In the United States showdown with Saddam Hussein in January 1991,
Congress passed a resolution authorizing the president to use military force against Iraq.
 
Which of the following statements about crises is FALSE?
There were more immediate crises early in American history than there are today.
 
Congress’s role in national security policy has typically included all of the following EXCEPT
initiation of policy.