This is an article that you can comment on for 10 points extra credit...
http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/the-santorum-surge-and-its-larger-meaning/
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Chapter 8 True False Questions
1) The Framers envisioned a weaker presidency than the U.S. currently has.
2) The Articles of Confederation had a fairly powerful executive.
3) The president must be a natural-born citizen of the United States.
4) Although governors have the power to pardon, the president does not.
5) A president can serve for a maximum of eight years.
6) The House of Representatives has the power to impeach a president. Impeachment trials
occur in the Senate.
7) In U.S. v. Nixon, the Supreme Court ruled that the president has nearly unlimited executive
privilege.
8) If the vice presidency is vacant, the president appoints a new vice president, subject to the
approval of two-thirds of the Senate.
9) Presidents can have a long-range influence on American government through their federal
court appointments.
10) During George W. Bushʹs first term in office, he did not appoint any women or minorities to
major positions in his administration.
2) The Articles of Confederation had a fairly powerful executive.
3) The president must be a natural-born citizen of the United States.
4) Although governors have the power to pardon, the president does not.
5) A president can serve for a maximum of eight years.
6) The House of Representatives has the power to impeach a president. Impeachment trials
occur in the Senate.
7) In U.S. v. Nixon, the Supreme Court ruled that the president has nearly unlimited executive
privilege.
8) If the vice presidency is vacant, the president appoints a new vice president, subject to the
approval of two-thirds of the Senate.
9) Presidents can have a long-range influence on American government through their federal
court appointments.
10) During George W. Bushʹs first term in office, he did not appoint any women or minorities to
major positions in his administration.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
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.
Friday, February 17, 2012
FRQ Weekend Assignment
A number of factors enable presidents to exert influence over Congress in the area of domestic policy. However, presidents are also limited in their influence over domestic policymaking in Congress.
(a) The Constitution grants the president certain enumerated powers. Describe two of these formal powers that enable the president to exert influence over domestic policy.
(b) Choose two of the following. Define each term and explain how each limits the president’s ability to influence domestic policymaking in Congress.
* mandatory spending
* party polarization
* lame-duck period
(a) The Constitution grants the president certain enumerated powers. Describe two of these formal powers that enable the president to exert influence over domestic policy.
(b) Choose two of the following. Define each term and explain how each limits the president’s ability to influence domestic policymaking in Congress.
* mandatory spending
* party polarization
* lame-duck period
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
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.
Friday, February 10, 2012
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)