Landmark Programs and
Legislation
27. Which of the following is articulated in the War Powers
Resolution?
• A. The president may declare war.
• B. the president must finance any war efforts from a special
contingency fund.
• C. The president must bring troops home from hostilities
within 60 to 90 days unless congress extends the time.
• D. The president may not nationalize state militias without
congressional consent.
• E. The president may not send troops into hostilities without a
declaration of war from congress or a resolution from the
United Nations.
To know...
War Powers Resolution
- 1973
- As Commander-in-Chief president can introduce troops into hostilities
if 1) war is declared 2) "specific statutory authorization" 3) in case
of national emergency -- ex. Attack on US, US
territories/possessions, or US armed forces
- president must report in writing to Congress within 48 hours of
introducing US troops into hostile environments
- after 60 days, president must prove to Congress that troops need to
stay in hostile environment
- if congress does not authorize the troops to stay within the 60-90
days, the troops must be withdrawn
Answer: C
44. Which of the following is true of the Voting Rights Act of
1965?
• A. It was necessary because the 15th amendment effectively
guaranteed African Americans the right to vote.
• B. It has never been applied to any group except southern African
Americans.
• C. It has been a major instrument for increasing the number of
African Americans and other minority voters.
• D. It was declared unconstitutional by the United States Supreme
Court in Shaw vs. Reno.
• E. It requires that minority officeholders be elected.
To know...
Voting Rights Act of 1965
- bans racial discrimination in voting practices by the federal government as well as by
state and local governments
- passed after almost a century of deliberate denial of the vote to African-Americans in
the South and Latinos in the Southwest, as well as non-English speakers nationwide
- regarded as enabling the enfranchisement of millions of minority voters and
diversifying the electorate and legislative bodies
- has been re-authorized by congress 5 times, most recently in 2006
15th amendment
- 1870
- granted African American men the right to vote
- failed: literacy tests, poll taxes, etc.
Shaw vs. Reno
- 1992
- Constitutional Question: Did the North Carolina residents' claim, that the State
created a racially gerrymandered district, raise a valid constitutional issue under the
Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause?
Answer: C
Question # 26 2009
The Americans with Disabilities Act, which provides protections for
the disabled, is an example of:
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State supremacy
Horizontal federalism
Affirmative action
Dual federalism
A federal mandate
• Step 1. Find out what the question is asking you.
• Step 2. Define what the Americans with Disabilities Act is
• Step 3. Which Category does the Americans with Disabilities Act
fall under.
• Step 4. Pick your Answer.
Question Number #23 1999
In which of the following did Congress move to regain powers
previously lost to the executive branch.
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Budget and Impoundment Control Act
Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act
Presidential Disability Act
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Persian Gulf War
• Step 1. Find out what the question is asking you.
• Step 2. You need to know about the events listed as answers.
• Step 3. Eliminate the answers that cannot be true.
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(2006 FRQ) 2. In recent decades, entitlement programs have constituted a
substantial portion of the United States federal budget. Social Security is the larges
entitlement program in the United States. From the information in the chart above
and your knowledge of United States government and politics, performs the
following tasks.
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Define entitlement program.
What is the primary source of revenue for the Social Security should the trends
depicted in the chart above continue.
Identify one threat to the future of the Social Security program should the trends
depicted in the chart above.
Describe one demographic trend that threatens the future of the Social Security
program AND explain how it is responsible for the threat that you identified in (c).
Explain how any one of the trends in the chart above would change if the age of
eligibility for Social Security were raised.
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To approach the question you should have some background knowledge on the
Social Security entitlement program. In the (5 steps to a 5) book a helpful chapter to
look at would be Chapter 16, which reviews economic policy and domestic policy.
If you don’t know how to answer all parts of the question then just focus on what
you do know. On page 63 there is a review on how to answer FRQ questions.
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(2007 FRQ) 3. Conflicts between Congress and the President over war powers have
their origin in the United States Constitution. In 1973 Congress passed the War
Powers Resolutions in an attempt to clarify the balance of powers between the two
branches of government.
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Describe the primary constitution conflict between Congress and the President over
the decision to go to war.
Describe two provisions of the War Powers Resolution that were designed to limit
the President’s power over war making.
The War Powers Resolutions has receives mixed reviews, but Congress has other
powers over war making. Other than the constitutional power that you describe in
(a), identify and explain two other formal powers Congress has over war making.
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You should first have some background knowledge on the War Powers Resolution.
War Powers Resolution: It is a check from the Legislative branch on the
president’s powers on war. It requires the president to let the Congress know within
48 hours of committing armed troops to a foreign country. The troops can only stay
there for 60 days and have to withdraw if the Congress has not yet declared war. If
you don’t know how to answer all parts of the question then just focus on what you
do know. On page 63 there is a review on how to answer FRQ questions.