1) Describe the executive branch under the Articles of Confederation.
A) a strong plural executive
B) a weak plural executive
C) a strong single executive
D) a strong bicameral executive
E) There was no executive branch under the Articles of Confederation.
2) What is the major function of the vice president?
A) to preside over the presidentʹs cabinet
B) to make executive branch appointments
C) to succeed the president if she dies or becomes disabled
D) to serve as commander in chief of the military
E) to govern all U.S. territories and protectorates
3) Which of the following is a constitutional requirement to become president?
A) to be at least 35 years old and a natural born citizen
B) to be a male citizen for at least 14 years
C) to be ʺexperienced in government and well versed in the lawʺ
D) to win a majority of the popular vote
E) to be married
4) Presidents are elected for
A) two-year terms.
B) four-year terms.
C) six-year terms.
D) eight-year terms.
E) life and serve during times of good behavior.
5) What was the decision in U.S. v. Nixon?
A) Presidents have extensive executive privilege.
B) President Nixon must comply with court orders relating to Watergate.
C) The president can accept gifts from lobbyists and foreign dignitaries, but he must pay
taxes according to the value of the gift.
D) Nixon was a crook and, therefore, had failed to uphold his presidential oath of office.
E) ʺWhen the president does it, that means itʹs not illegal.ʺ
6) What was Watergate?
A) A series of illegal searches of the foreign embassies of communist countries.
B) The break-in of the Democratic Partyʹs national headquarters and the proceeding
coverup.
C) Warrantless wiretaps of the international phone calls of American citizens.
D) A scandal involving Nixonʹs use of the White House for illegal campaign purposes that
ultimately led to his resignation.
E) Secret negotiations with the Soviet Union in which Nixon agreed not to challenge the
Berlin Wall if the Soviets released several Americans spies who were being held hostage.
7) If the president dies in office and the vice presidency is vacant, the next in the line of
succession is the
A) President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
B) Secretary of Defense.
C) Speaker of the House.
D) Secretary of State.
E) Secretary of the Army.
8) The Twenty-Fifth Amendment
A) limits the president to two consecutive terms.
B) authorizes the creation of an Air Force.
C) clarifies impeachment procedures.
D) provide a means for filling vacancies in the vice presidency.
E) established the office of First Lady of the United States.
9) Which president appointed the highest proportion of women to senior administrative
positions requiring Senate confirmation?
A) Jimmy Carter
B) Ronald Reagan
C) George Bush
D) Bill Clinton
E) George W. Bush
10) Which best describes the confirmation of the presidentʹs Cabinet nominees?
A) About half of his nominees are confirmed.
B) About three-quarters of his nominees are confirmed.
C) Nearly all of his nominees are confirmed.
D) Confirmations typically occur only if the Senate is controlled by the presidentʹs party.
E) The presidentʹs first choices are seldom confirmed, but his second choices are usually
confirmed.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Chapter 8.2 Pages 287 to 292
1) In order to make a treaty, the president must
A) have the approval of the House Foreign Relations Committee.
B) have the advice and consent of the Senate.
C) have the approval of the State Department.
D) include stipulations that no American soldiers will be placed in jeopardy, nor abandoned on the battlefield.
E) certify to the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that the treaty is in the best
interest of the country.
2) Presidents have the power to
A) convene congress.
B) introduce revenue bills in the House.
C) introduce revenue bills in the Senate.
D) ratify treaties.
E) confirm high-level executive branch appointments.
3) Agreements that the president enters into with foreign nations that do not require the advice and consent of the Senate are called
A) executive agreements.
B) executive orders.
C) memos of understanding.
D) memos of commitment.
E) covenants.
4) How are presidential vetoes overridden?
A) with a simple majority in the Senate
B) with a simple majority in the House
C) with a simple majority in the House and in the Senate
D) with a two-thirds majority in each chamber
E) with a two-thirds majority of a joint session of Congress
5) Through 2006, how many vetoes did George W. Bush issue?
A) one B) 12 C) 28 D) 189 E) 434
6) What is the line-item veto?
A) the refusal to spend money allocated by Congress
B) when the president does not sign a bill within the last ten days of a congressional session, causing the bill not to become law
C) when the president allows the bill to become law without his signature
D) the authority to invalidate specific spending items without vetoing the entire bill
E) a vote in Congress where a majority of Democrats vote for a bill and a majority of
Republicans vote against it
7) Who currently has a line-item veto power?
A) the president
B) the vice president
C) the Speaker of the House
D) several state governors
E) None of those listed above has the line-item veto power.
8) Why did Congress pass the War Powers Act?
A) because President Johnson misled Americans about progress of the Vietnam War
B) because the president needs to have considerable discretion when waging war
C) to prevent future congresses from cutting off funding for military activities
D) to justify the use of military force against Iraq
E) to boost the morale of Vietnam veterans
9) Who is the most famous person to ever receive a presidential pardon?
A) Johnny Cash
B) Al Capone
C) Samuel A. Mudd
D) Richard Nixon
E) Martha Stewart
10) Which of the following is a presidential check on judicial power?
A) euthanasia
B) the line-item veto
C) the pardon
D) impeachment
E) all of the above
A) have the approval of the House Foreign Relations Committee.
B) have the advice and consent of the Senate.
C) have the approval of the State Department.
D) include stipulations that no American soldiers will be placed in jeopardy, nor abandoned on the battlefield.
E) certify to the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that the treaty is in the best
interest of the country.
2) Presidents have the power to
A) convene congress.
B) introduce revenue bills in the House.
C) introduce revenue bills in the Senate.
D) ratify treaties.
E) confirm high-level executive branch appointments.
3) Agreements that the president enters into with foreign nations that do not require the advice and consent of the Senate are called
A) executive agreements.
B) executive orders.
C) memos of understanding.
D) memos of commitment.
E) covenants.
4) How are presidential vetoes overridden?
A) with a simple majority in the Senate
B) with a simple majority in the House
C) with a simple majority in the House and in the Senate
D) with a two-thirds majority in each chamber
E) with a two-thirds majority of a joint session of Congress
5) Through 2006, how many vetoes did George W. Bush issue?
A) one B) 12 C) 28 D) 189 E) 434
6) What is the line-item veto?
A) the refusal to spend money allocated by Congress
B) when the president does not sign a bill within the last ten days of a congressional session, causing the bill not to become law
C) when the president allows the bill to become law without his signature
D) the authority to invalidate specific spending items without vetoing the entire bill
E) a vote in Congress where a majority of Democrats vote for a bill and a majority of
Republicans vote against it
7) Who currently has a line-item veto power?
A) the president
B) the vice president
C) the Speaker of the House
D) several state governors
E) None of those listed above has the line-item veto power.
8) Why did Congress pass the War Powers Act?
A) because President Johnson misled Americans about progress of the Vietnam War
B) because the president needs to have considerable discretion when waging war
C) to prevent future congresses from cutting off funding for military activities
D) to justify the use of military force against Iraq
E) to boost the morale of Vietnam veterans
9) Who is the most famous person to ever receive a presidential pardon?
A) Johnny Cash
B) Al Capone
C) Samuel A. Mudd
D) Richard Nixon
E) Martha Stewart
10) Which of the following is a presidential check on judicial power?
A) euthanasia
B) the line-item veto
C) the pardon
D) impeachment
E) all of the above
Chapter 8.3 Pages 294 to 301
1) President ________ used the pardoning power to give unconditional amnesty to 10,000 men
who had avoided the draft during the Vietnam War.
A) Richard Nixon
B) Jimmy Carter
C) Ronald Reagan
D) Bill Clinton
E) George W. Bush
2) Which of the following best describes Abraham Lincolnʹs approach during the Civil War?
A) He ignored technical requirements of the Constitution in order to ensure the continued
survival of the United States.
B) He got approval from Congress at every conceivable juncture, as a presidentʹs authority
depends on support from Congress and the people.
C) He believed that the Constitution was ʺan albatross around the neck of democracy. The
quicker the union abandons its stipulations, the quicker we shall win this godforsaken
war.ʺ
D) Abraham Lincoln followed the letter and the spirit of the Constitution.
E) Abraham Lincoln followed the letter of the Constitution, but not the spirit of the
Constitution.
3) For several decades, the trend has been for the president to play a more important
decision-making role. This trend began in earnest with
A) Herbert Hoover.
B) Franklin Roosevelt.
C) Dwight Eisenhower.
D) Ronald Reagan.
E) Bill Clinton.
4) All of the following have demonstrated support for the principle of presidential prerogative
EXCEPT
A) Abraham Lincoln
B) Franklin Roosevelt
C) John Locke
D) George W. Bush
E) Bill Clinton
5) Franklin Rooseveltʹs legacy includes all of the following EXCEPT
A) a rapidly expanding federal bureaucracy.
B) a leading role for the president in domestic policy.
C) an anemic military and diminished national morale.
D) a nationalized executive office.
E) a new relationship between the people and the president that is heavily dependent on
new technologies.
6) How did Dick Cheney balance out George W. Bushʹs ticket in 2000?
A) Bush is from the South; Cheney is from the Northeast.
B) Bush is a secular Christian; Cheney is a born-again Christian.
C) Bush lacked national government experience; Cheney had an impressive re´sume´.
D) Bush is a moderate Republican; Cheney is a conservative Republican.
E) Bush had a rough-and-tumble demeanor; Cheney had a smooth and polished
demeanor.
7) Who was the most powerful vice president?
A) Walter Mondale
B) Al Gore
C) Nelson Rockefeller
D) Spiro Agnew
E) Dick Cheney
8) The membership of the Cabinet is determined by
A) the Constitution.
B) the Secretary of State.
C) seniority within each executive department.
D) the president.
E) the Congress.
9) As first lady, which of the following issues did Laura Bush advocate for?
A) literacy
B) highway beautification
C) health care
D) elimination of poverty
E) keeping children off drugs
10) The Executive Office of the President was established in 1939 to
A) formalize the informal structure of the Cabinet.
B) act as a liaison with the legislative branch.
C) aid in the war effort.
D) help the president manage the bureaucracy.
E) respond to increasing amounts of mail addressed to the White House.
who had avoided the draft during the Vietnam War.
A) Richard Nixon
B) Jimmy Carter
C) Ronald Reagan
D) Bill Clinton
E) George W. Bush
2) Which of the following best describes Abraham Lincolnʹs approach during the Civil War?
A) He ignored technical requirements of the Constitution in order to ensure the continued
survival of the United States.
B) He got approval from Congress at every conceivable juncture, as a presidentʹs authority
depends on support from Congress and the people.
C) He believed that the Constitution was ʺan albatross around the neck of democracy. The
quicker the union abandons its stipulations, the quicker we shall win this godforsaken
war.ʺ
D) Abraham Lincoln followed the letter and the spirit of the Constitution.
E) Abraham Lincoln followed the letter of the Constitution, but not the spirit of the
Constitution.
3) For several decades, the trend has been for the president to play a more important
decision-making role. This trend began in earnest with
A) Herbert Hoover.
B) Franklin Roosevelt.
C) Dwight Eisenhower.
D) Ronald Reagan.
E) Bill Clinton.
4) All of the following have demonstrated support for the principle of presidential prerogative
EXCEPT
A) Abraham Lincoln
B) Franklin Roosevelt
C) John Locke
D) George W. Bush
E) Bill Clinton
5) Franklin Rooseveltʹs legacy includes all of the following EXCEPT
A) a rapidly expanding federal bureaucracy.
B) a leading role for the president in domestic policy.
C) an anemic military and diminished national morale.
D) a nationalized executive office.
E) a new relationship between the people and the president that is heavily dependent on
new technologies.
6) How did Dick Cheney balance out George W. Bushʹs ticket in 2000?
A) Bush is from the South; Cheney is from the Northeast.
B) Bush is a secular Christian; Cheney is a born-again Christian.
C) Bush lacked national government experience; Cheney had an impressive re´sume´.
D) Bush is a moderate Republican; Cheney is a conservative Republican.
E) Bush had a rough-and-tumble demeanor; Cheney had a smooth and polished
demeanor.
7) Who was the most powerful vice president?
A) Walter Mondale
B) Al Gore
C) Nelson Rockefeller
D) Spiro Agnew
E) Dick Cheney
8) The membership of the Cabinet is determined by
A) the Constitution.
B) the Secretary of State.
C) seniority within each executive department.
D) the president.
E) the Congress.
9) As first lady, which of the following issues did Laura Bush advocate for?
A) literacy
B) highway beautification
C) health care
D) elimination of poverty
E) keeping children off drugs
10) The Executive Office of the President was established in 1939 to
A) formalize the informal structure of the Cabinet.
B) act as a liaison with the legislative branch.
C) aid in the war effort.
D) help the president manage the bureaucracy.
E) respond to increasing amounts of mail addressed to the White House.
Chapter 8.4 Pages 301 to 309
1) In 1947, the ________ was established to advise the president on military affairs and foreign
policy.
A) National Security Council
B) Central Intelligence Agency
C) Council on Foreign Relations
D) Executive Office of the President
E) Military Tribunal
2) How did George W. Bush change the Executive Office of President when he became
president?
A) He created the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.
B) He dismantled the Council of Economic Advisers.
C) He merged the Office of Management and Budget with the Council of Economic
Advisers.
D) He made the National Labor Relations Board accountable to the Small Business
Administration.
E) He dismantled the entire Executive Office of President, preferring instead to rely on the
assistance of loyal staff members such as Karl Rove and Karen Hughes.
3) The first president to claim the leadership role for the executive branch in law-making was
A) George Washington.
B) Abraham Lincoln.
C) Woodrow Wilson.
D) Franklin Roosevelt.
E) Gerald Ford.
4) When are presidents most likely to get their policies through Congress successfully?
A) when they are advocating for a bill proposed by someone else
B) when they are advocating for a bill that lacks public support
C) just before a midterm election
D) just before a presidential election
E) early in the presidentʹs first year
5) Jobs, grants, or other special favors that a president can give as rewards to political supporters
are known as
A) national security letters.
B) spittoons.
C) perks.
D) bling.
E) patronage.
6) The Office of Management and Budget
A) handles the presidentʹs personal finances.
B) prepares the presidentʹs budget proposal.
C) prepares the presidentʹs State of the Union proposal.
D) rewards young entrepreneurs.
E) has tremendous authority over domestic oil production.
7) An executive order of the president
A) is not enforceable.
B) serves as a recommendation of legislation for Congress to consider.
C) has the effect of law.
D) can only be modified by an act of Congress.
E) is used to ensure order and civility in the Executive Office of the President.
8) George W. Bush signed an executive order that
A) desegregated the military.
B) limited federal funding for stem cell research.
C) prohibited military tribunals from trying foreigners.
D) established that the records of presidents can be accessed by any interested party.
E) provided federal funding for groups that provide abortion counseling.
9) When a president ʺgoes public,ʺ
A) he is trying to persuade the public and hopes that the public will persuade Congress.
B) he is trying to persuade Congress and hopes that the Congress will persuade the public.
C) he is adopting the policy preference of the public in order to increase his popularity.
D) he is preventing Congress from convening.
E) he is establishing rapport with the journalists who cover the president.
10) As chief executive of North Korea, which of the following best describes Kim Jong Ilʹs
authority?
A) He has absolute authority over nearly every aspect of North Korean government and
society.
B) His authority is very similar to George W. Bushʹs authority.
C) His authority is very similar to Bill Clintonʹs authority.
D) He exercises very weak authority over the executive branch.
E) North Korea has a plural executive in which the authority to govern is split between
about a dozen executive branch officials.
policy.
A) National Security Council
B) Central Intelligence Agency
C) Council on Foreign Relations
D) Executive Office of the President
E) Military Tribunal
2) How did George W. Bush change the Executive Office of President when he became
president?
A) He created the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.
B) He dismantled the Council of Economic Advisers.
C) He merged the Office of Management and Budget with the Council of Economic
Advisers.
D) He made the National Labor Relations Board accountable to the Small Business
Administration.
E) He dismantled the entire Executive Office of President, preferring instead to rely on the
assistance of loyal staff members such as Karl Rove and Karen Hughes.
3) The first president to claim the leadership role for the executive branch in law-making was
A) George Washington.
B) Abraham Lincoln.
C) Woodrow Wilson.
D) Franklin Roosevelt.
E) Gerald Ford.
4) When are presidents most likely to get their policies through Congress successfully?
A) when they are advocating for a bill proposed by someone else
B) when they are advocating for a bill that lacks public support
C) just before a midterm election
D) just before a presidential election
E) early in the presidentʹs first year
5) Jobs, grants, or other special favors that a president can give as rewards to political supporters
are known as
A) national security letters.
B) spittoons.
C) perks.
D) bling.
E) patronage.
6) The Office of Management and Budget
A) handles the presidentʹs personal finances.
B) prepares the presidentʹs budget proposal.
C) prepares the presidentʹs State of the Union proposal.
D) rewards young entrepreneurs.
E) has tremendous authority over domestic oil production.
7) An executive order of the president
A) is not enforceable.
B) serves as a recommendation of legislation for Congress to consider.
C) has the effect of law.
D) can only be modified by an act of Congress.
E) is used to ensure order and civility in the Executive Office of the President.
8) George W. Bush signed an executive order that
A) desegregated the military.
B) limited federal funding for stem cell research.
C) prohibited military tribunals from trying foreigners.
D) established that the records of presidents can be accessed by any interested party.
E) provided federal funding for groups that provide abortion counseling.
9) When a president ʺgoes public,ʺ
A) he is trying to persuade the public and hopes that the public will persuade Congress.
B) he is trying to persuade Congress and hopes that the Congress will persuade the public.
C) he is adopting the policy preference of the public in order to increase his popularity.
D) he is preventing Congress from convening.
E) he is establishing rapport with the journalists who cover the president.
10) As chief executive of North Korea, which of the following best describes Kim Jong Ilʹs
authority?
A) He has absolute authority over nearly every aspect of North Korean government and
society.
B) His authority is very similar to George W. Bushʹs authority.
C) His authority is very similar to Bill Clintonʹs authority.
D) He exercises very weak authority over the executive branch.
E) North Korea has a plural executive in which the authority to govern is split between
about a dozen executive branch officials.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
2003 FRQ-Congressional Influence
A1. One element of the Congressional committee system is specialization. After being placed on a particular committee (ideally one which relates to their specific district or professional background), a member of Congress develops a level of expertise that leads to influence on the legislative process. Given that 90% of bills die in Congress, policy specialization is critical in determining whether a bill will live or die. A member well versed on the specifics of a particular committee will be more likely to be able to nurture and strengthen a bill into becoming law.
A2. Another element of the Congressional committee system is through party representation on committees. After an election whereby the party out of power, assumes the majority, an important transformation takes place. All committee chairmanships are now given to the new party of the majority. This means that agenda items favorable to the new party in power become the top priority. Additionally, congressional hearings are often held which feature topics of top concern to the new party in power and may be critical of the minority party. Political scores are often settled through this process.
B1. One way in which party leadership in Congress can influence the legislative process is through their skilled use of the media. The party in power through the Speaker of the House or the Majority Leader can easily assemble the press if they desire to focus on a particular topic of concern. Recently, gun control legislation has been proposed by members of Congress in the wake of a mass shooting. Providing regular access to members of the media has built up an almost inevitable move towards pushing gun control legislation forward.
B2. Another way in which party leadership in Congress can influence the legislative process is through insistence of maintaining party discipline throughout their ranks. For several years the Republican Party has insisted on a broad range of tax cuts for all Americans. They have until recent days insisted that all members of the party sign a no-tax pledge that was instigated by political figure Grover Norquist.
There had been a tremendous amount of party discipline maintained while Republicans have insisted on not raising taxes. Unfortunately for them, it had arguably cost them a presidential election and broad disfavor throughout the country.
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