The Presidency #4
1) A parliamentary as opposed to a presidential system is found in all of the following countries
except
a) Great Britain.
b) Norway.
c) Japan.
d) France.
2) If the president selected his cabinet from the same source as a prime minister in a parliamentary
system does, the U.S. cabinet would be selected by
a) Powerful interest groups.
b) Well-known experts in particular fields.
c) Congress.
d) Top campaign aides.
3) In a parliamentary system, the voters cannot choose
a) Their members of parliament.
b) Their prime minister.
c) Between two or more parties.
d) Whether to vote.
4) Each of the following is a fundamental difference between presidents and prime ministers
except
a) Presidents and the legislature often work at cross-purposes.
b) Presidents are often outsiders without previous legislative or executive experience.
c) Presidents choose their cabinets from inside rather than outside Congress.
d) Presidents have no guaranteed majority in the legislature.
5) An obvious and important difference between a president and a prime minister is that the latter
always has
a) Interest group support.
b) Support in the cabinet.
c) Support in the military.
d) Majority support in parliament.
6) Unlike a prime minister, the president selects his cabinet officers and advisers to
a) Help control Congress.
b) Reward personal followers.
c) Ensure that both parties are represented.
d) Appease the electorate.
7) If you are an ambitious member of the British Parliament, prudence will dictate that you
a) Vigorously attack the policies of the other party.
b) Remain independent and objective in your voting decisions.
c) Avoid displeasing the leader of your party.
d) Campaign actively for the prime minister’s direct reelection.
8) Presidents, even with great majorities of their own party in Congress, experience difficulty in
exercising legislative leadership because
a) The presidents must compete against interest groups for influence.
b) The president is unable to control Congress, unlike a prime minister.
c) The president’s use of the veto is ineffective with Congress.
d) Members of Congress attract greater publicity when challenging the president.
9) With substantial Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress, President Kennedy, during
the last year of his presidency, was able to secure passage of _____ of his proposals.
a) Only one-fourth
b) Approximately one-half
c) Approximately three-fourths
d) Almost all
10) Of the twenty-two congressional or presidential elections between 1952 and 1996, ______
produced a divided government.
a) Four
b) Seven
c) Fifteen
d) Nineteen
11) The text observes that the delegates to the Constitutional Convention feared
a) Monarchy more than anarchy.
b) Anarchy more than monarchy.
c) Neither monarchy nor anarchy.
d) Monarchy and anarchy about equally.
12) An aspect of George Washington’s personality that encouraged the delegates to the
Constitutional Convention to approve an elected presidency was his
a) Bravery in battle.
b) Self-restraint.
c) Loyalty to his subordinates.
d) Keen wit.
13) If the Framers had decided to have the president chosen by the Congress, we could reasonably
expect Congress to dominate the president
a) And to control the military.
b) And to pick the cabinet.
c) Or the president to ignore Congress.
d) Or the president to corrupt the legislature.
14) Each of the following was one of the fears expressed by the Founders about aspects of the
presidency except
a) The fear of a president’s using bribery or force to ensure his reelection.
b) The fear of a president’s using the militia to overpower state governments.
c) The fear of a president’s using his position to shape public opinion.
d) The fear of a president’s being corrupted by, or corrupting, the Senate.
15) One of the fears expressed by the Founders about aspects of the Presidency was the fear of a
president’s
a) Claiming certain inherent powers by virtue of his position.
b) Using the militia to overpower state governments.
c) Using his position to shape public opinion.
d) Powers to appoint Supreme Court justices without congressional approval.
16) One of the fears expressed by the Founders about aspects of the presidency was the fear of a
president’s
a) Claiming certain inherent powers by virtue of his position.
b) Being corrupted by, or corrupting, the Senate.
c) Using his position to shape public opinion.
d) Powers to appoint Supreme Court justices without congressional approval.
17) The concern about the presidency that was most vigorously debated by the Framers was over
the president’s
a) Use of bribery or force to ensure reelection.
b) Powers as commander-in-chief of the state militia.
c) Power over foreign affairs.
d) Dominance of the courts.
18) The concern shared by the Framers about the popular election of presidents was that it might
a) Give inordinate power to larger, more populous states.
b) Open up elections to mass hysteria and to control by the media.
c) Give inordinate power to political parties, as indeed turned out to be the case.
d) Prove unwieldy at a time when transportation and communication were so primitive.
19) The Framers solved the problem of how to elect the president by
a) Forming a quasi-parliamentary system of government.
b) Providing for constitutional amendments.
c) Forming the House Election Committee.
d) Creating the Electoral College.
20) Under the original provisions of the U.S. Constitution, the states were to choose presidential
electors
a) However they wished.
b) By popular vote.
c) By vote of the legislature.
d) By appointment of the governor.
21) The Framers assumed that, under the Electoral College system, most presidential elections
would be decided in the House. Why did this not turn out to be the case?
a) Because most elections were not close enough to give state delegations the power to decide
the outcome
b) Because the first Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional the Electoral College system for
selecting a president
c) Because political parties ended up playing a major role in producing nationwide support for
a slate of national candidates.
d) Because the Senate quickly usurped the delegate powers of the House
22) Each state determines how to cast its Electoral College votes. Today, the system adopted by all
states is
a) Winner-take-all.
b) Proportional division.
c) The use of national party conventions.
d) A vote by members of Congress from that state.
23) When a presidential election is thrown into the House, one vote is cast by each
a) Member.
b) State delegation.
c) Senator and each representative.
d) Member of the majority party.
24) The number of electoral votes a state is allotted is determined by
a) Its total population.
b) The number of congressional members it has.
c) The number of registered voters it has.
d) The number of people in the state who actually voted in a presidential election.
25) What happens if no presidential candidate wins a majority of Electoral College votes?
a) The candidate with the largest popular vote wins the election.
b) The candidate who carries the ten largest states wins the election.
c) The House is free to select whomever it wishes to be president.
d) The House chooses the president from among the three leading candidates.
26) One political effect of the Electoral College’s winner-take-all system of electing a president is to
a) Encourage candidates to focus on smaller states.
b) Reduce the powers of the office of elector within each state delegation.
c) Discourage third-party candidacies.
d) Allow a president and vice president to come from different parties.
27) How often have presidential elections been decided in the House of Representatives?
a) Never
b) Once
c) Twice
d) Three times
28) Regarding terms of office, the pattern among most early presidents was to
a) Serve one term and then leave office.
b) Serve two terms and then leave office.
c) Be defeated in seeking a second term of office.
d) Serve three or more terms of office.
29) The legitimacy of the office of president was aided during the years of the first presidents by
which of the following?
a) The limit placed on the number of terms a president could serve
b) The appointment of people of stature to federal offices
c) The rise in power of political caucuses
d) The close relationship that developed between the president and Congress
30) The presidential responsibility to receive the Senate’s advice on matters of state effectively
ended during the administration of
a) George Washington.
b) Andrew Jackson.
c) Abraham Lincoln.
d) Ronald Reagan.
31) The personality of which president began to alter the relationship between the president and
Congress and the nature of presidential leadership?
a) Andrew Jackson
b) Ulysses Grant
c) Richard Nixon
d) Jimmy Carter
32) Prior to the 1850s, the president who made the most vigorous use of the veto power was
a) George Washington.
b) Alexander Hamilton.
c) Andrew Jackson.
d) Abraham Lincoln.
33) Andrew Jackson established the precedent that a president’s veto can be used
a) Only on constitutional grounds.
b) Without first having a law declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
c) Even when Congress is still in session.
d) On policy grounds even when a bill may be unconstitutional.
34) The era from 1836 to 1932 is commonly viewed as one of
a) Presidential dominance.
b) Congressional dominance.
c) Supreme Court dominance.
d) A balance of powers.
35) President Lincoln justified his unprecedented use of the vague powers granted in Article II of the
U.S. Constitution by citing
a) The debates of the Framers.
b) The platform of the Republican Party.
c) The conditions created by civil war.
d) Marbury v. Madison.
36) From the examples of Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln, one learns that emergency
conditions and _______ can offer presidents the opportunity for substantial increases in power.
a) A strong Congress
b) A popular and strong-willed personality
c) An uninterested public
d) Majority support in the cabinet
37) When we say that a powerful presidency has been institutionalized, we mean that its power is
no longer dependent on
a) Congress.
b) Personality.
c) Legitimacy.
d) The U.S. Constitution.
38) All of the following are powers that only the president is constitutionally entitled to exercise
except
a) Appointing ambassadors.
b) Serving as military commander-in-chief.
c) Convening Congress in special sessions.
d) Receiving ambassadors.
39) The powers that the president shares with the Senate include
a) Receiving ambassadors.
b) Making treaties.
c) Granting pardons for federal offenses.
d) Wielding legislative power.
40) If a president were to act only in accordance with the specific powers of Article II of the U.S.
Constitution, he or she would probably be considered
a) Primarily a policy maker.
b) Primarily an administrator.
c) Head of the military.
d) Primarily a legislator.
41) Grover Cleveland used federal troops to break a labor strike by invoking his power to
a) Take care that the laws be faithfully executed.
b) Prevent riots and insurrections.
c) Serve as commander-in-chief.
d) Oversee the executive branch.
42) According to the text, the greatest source of presidential power lies in the realm of
a) The U.S. Constitution.
b) Politics and public opinion.
c) The execution of laws.
d) Foreign-policy formulation.
43) Until the 1930s, the pattern of U.S. legislation was that
a) Little initiative was taken by the president or Congress.
b) Initiative was taken by the president and Congress about equally.
c) Initiative was taken by the president and responded to by Congress.
d) Initiative was taken by Congress and responded to by the president.
44) If you are a person who revels in the outward display of power, you would enjoy having been
president of the United States
a) At any stage in U.S. history.
b) More in the eighteenth than in the nineteenth century.
c) Mostly in the late nineteenth century.
d) Only since the beginning of the twentieth century.
45) The rule of propinquity states that
a) Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
b) Powers tends to be shared most evenly when leadership is weakest.
c) Power tends to be wielded by the people who are in the room where a decision is made.
d) Power is greatest when legitimacy is strongest.
46) Of the following, the group in closest physical and political proximity to the president is the
a) Executive Office of the President.
b) State Department.
c) Cabinet.
d) White House Office.
47) The principal function of the White House Office is to
a) Oversee the political and policy interests of the president.
b) Administer federal departments as the president’s representative.
c) Prepare the national budget for the president.
d) Supervise the national security agencies, such as the CIA and FBI.
48) The Senate is required to confirm all of the following presidential nominations except
a) Members of the White House Office.
b) The heads of Executive Office agencies.
c) The heads of cabinet departments.
d) Federal judges.
49) According to the text, the three methods by which a president can organize his personal staff
are
a) Intuitive, pyramid, and circular.
b) Pyramid, circular, and ad hoc.
c) Circular, ad hoc, and intuitive.
d) Ad hoc, intuitive, and pyramid.
50) The method of staff organization that poses the risk of isolating or misinforming the president is
called
a) Intuitive.
b) Pyramid.
c) Circular.
d) Ad hoc.
51) President Clinton’s use of task forces, committees, and informal groups of friends and advisers is
characteristic of which method of staff organization?
a) Intuitive
b) Pyramid
c) Circular
d) Ad hoc
52) When President Reagan appointed a chief of staff in 1985, he was acting according to what
model of organization?
a) Circular
b) Pyramidal
c) Ad hoc
d) Intuitive
53) Included in the Executive Office of the President are all of the following except
a) The Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
b) The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
c) The Council of Economic Advisers (CEA).
d) The Office of Technology Assessment (OTA).
54) The most important agency in the Executive Office of the President in terms of providing
administrative assistance is the
a) Council of Economic Advisers (CEA).
b) Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
c) Office of Technology Assessment (OTA).
d) Office of Environmental Quality (OEQ).
55) Which of the following statements about the collegial nature of deliberations at cabinet
meetings is true?
a) It has been consistent throughout most of its history.
b) It is largely fiction.
c) It is more important now than it originally was.
d) It was more important originally than it is now.
56) The seating order at cabinet meetings most accurately reflects
a) The importance of each department represented.
b) The political closeness of each secretary to the president.
c) The age of the department.
d) A spirit of openness and equality.
57) The cabinet officers consist of the heads of
a) The major executive departments.
b) The major governmental agencies and commissions.
c) The major and minor governmental agencies.
d) Independent agencies and commissions.
58) One reason a president has relatively little power over his cabinet departments is because he
a) Cannot appoint their heads.
b) Requires Senate approval of his choices for heads of these departments.
c) Cannot appoint more than a fraction of their employees.
d) Must share power with both the legislative and judicial branches of government.
59) The main reason the cabinet is a weak entity is that
a) The secretaries are inherently jealous of one another.
b) Not all agencies are members of the cabinet.
c) The secretaries defend, explain, and enlarge their own agencies.
d) They are all personal friends of the president.
60) What distinguishes executive and independent agencies?
a) Where they are located
b) Whether they report to Congress
c) How they are funded
d) The distinction is not altogether clear
61) The prior work experience of presidential appointees to the executive branch is most likely to
include
a) Some federal agency.
b) Private corporations.
c) Foundations.
d) Labor unions.
62) A trend in recent cabinet appointments has been to
a) Include those with independent followings.
b) Appoint both Democrats and Republicans.
c) Include those without political followings.
d) Appoint party leaders and workers.
63) In recent administrations, presidential appointments to the cabinet are least likely to have had
a) A strong political following.
b) Relevant expertise.
c) Interest group support.
d) Prior government experience.
64) Relationships between White House staff and department heads are typically characterized by
a) The revolving door.
b) Teamwork.
c) Mutual noninterference.
d) Tension and rivalry.
65) Personality plays a more important role in explaining the presidency than it does in explaining
Congress because a president is
a) More likely to rely on hands-on politics and persuasiveness to enact policy.
b) Less constrained by the rules and roles that operate within government.
c) More likely to be judged by his character in addition to his accomplishments.
d) Relatively immune from public opinion and polls.
66) The presidential character of Dwight Eisenhower was characterized by
a) The use of talented amateurs.
b) Persuasion in face-to-face encounters.
c) Careful and complete staff work.
d) Deep suspicion of the media.
67) The presidential character of Lyndon Johnson was characterized by
a) The use of talented amateurs.
b) Persuasion in face-to-face encounters.
c) Careful and complete staff work.
d) Deep suspicion of the media.
68) The presidential character of John F. Kennedy was characterized by
a) The use of talented amateurs.
b) Persuasion in face-to-face encounters.
c) Careful and complete staff work.
d) Deep suspicion of the media.
69) The presidential character of Richard Nixon was characterized by
a) The use of talented amateurs.
b) Persuasion in face-to-face encounters.
c) Careful and complete staff work.
d) Deep suspicion of the media.
70) The presidential character of Gerald Ford was characterized by
a) The use of talented amateurs.
b) Give-and-take, discussion-oriented procedures.
c) Voracious reading on very detailed matters.
d) Giving wide latitude to subordinates.
71) The presidential character of Jimmy Carter was characterized by
a) The use of talented amateurs.
b) Give-and-take, discussion-oriented procedures.
c) Voracious reading on very detailed matters.
d) Giving wide latitude to subordinates.
72) The presidential character of Ronald Reagan was characterized by
a) The use of talented amateurs.
b) Give-and-take, discussion-oriented procedures.
c) Voracious reading on very detailed matters.
d) Giving wide latitude to subordinates.
73) The presidential character of George Bush was characterized by
a) Hands-on management and personal contact.
b) The use of talented amateurs.
c) Voracious reading on very detailed matters.
d) Giving wide latitude to subordinates.
74) The presidential character of Bill Clinton was characterized by
a) Careful and complete staff work.
b) Keen interest in foreign affairs.
c) Persuasion in face-to-face encounters.
d) Deep suspicion of the media.
75) Presidents need to rely on their powers of persuasion because of their
a) Limited staffs and sketchy constitutional powers.
b) Opponents within the party and limited staffs.
c) Lack of ensured legislative majorities and opponents within the party.
d) Sketchy constitutional powers and lack of ensured legislative majorities.
76) When President Franklin Roosevelt gave the impression of self-confidence and being on top of
things, the audience that was most likely to perceive him as effective comprised
a) Fellow politicians and leaders.
b) Partisan activists at the state and local levels.
c) The general public.
d) The media.
77) When a president makes fire-and-brimstone speeches confirming a shared sense of purpose, he
is appealing principally to
a) Fellow politicians and leaders.
b) The media.
c) Partisan activists at the state and local levels.
d) The general public.
78) When a presidential candidate talks on the campaign trail of the many good things that he
would accomplish as president, he is appealing principally to
a) Fellow politicians and leaders.
b) The media.
c) Partisan activists at the state and local levels.
d) The general public.
79) Which of the following statements about the effect of presidential coattails on congressional
elections is true?
a) It has increased in recent years.
b) It has decreased in recent years.
c) It has been a consistently powerful factor in recent years.
d) It has been a consistently negative factor in recent years.
80) When voters choose as members of Congress people of the same party as an incoming
president, they probably do so for what reason?
a) As a reward to the incoming president for his successful campaign
b) As a means of ensuring additional congressional support for the incoming president
c) As an indication of the incoming president’s personal popularity
d) As a result of the unpopularity of the outgoing president
81) From the time of winning office to the time of leaving it, the popularity of most recent
presidents
a) Decreased steadily.
b) Decreased except at election time.
c) Increased steadily.
d) Increased except at election time.
82) Members of Congress pay attention to the personal popularity of a president because
a) The president may be called on to campaign for them.
b) The president may campaign against them in a primary.
c) Many members of Congress have aspirations to the presidency.
d) Politicians tend to rise and fall together.
83) How successful a president is with Congress is difficult to gauge because:
a) He never reveals his position on non-controversial bills.
b) He can keep his victory score high by not taking a position on any controversial measure.
c) He does not have the power to veto bills of Congress.
d) He does not have the ability to show his approval or disapproval, since he must not sign bills
before they can become law.
84) A president can appear to be successful with Congress yet not be so if:
a) A few bills he likes are passed but most of his legislative program is bottled up in Congress
and never comes to a vote.
b) Congress approves neither big nor trivial bills he endorses.
c) He never reveals his position on any bills.
d) He vetoes most bills sent to him by Congress.
85) Which of the following is most clearly affected by the personal popularity of the president?
a) How well members of his party do in House elections
b) How Congress treats his legislative proposals
c) How well members of his party do in Senate elections
d) How he conducts foreign policy
86) The classic example of the honeymoon phenomenon was
a) Harry Truman.
b) Franklin Roosevelt.
c) Richard Nixon.
d) Gerald Ford.
87) Veto power and executive privilege give a president both a way of blocking action and a
a) Route of appeal to the people.
b) Means of affecting the party platform.
c) Trump card to play with the media.
d) Means of forcing Congress to bargain.
88) If by December 30 the president does not sign a bill that was sent to him by Congress on
December 24, he has probably
a) Used his pocket veto.
b) Vetoed it.
c) Let it become law without his signature.
d) Tabled it.
89) A bill is passed to the president for action while Congress is still in session. After ten days he has
still not approved it. What happens to the bill?
a) It is returned to Congress.
b) It is vetoed.
c) It becomes law.
d) Nothing – the president has thirty days to act on a bill.
90) When President Reagan was governor of California, he could veto portions of a bill that were
irrelevant to the subject of the bill. He was exercising what is called
a) Constitutional discretion.
b) A pocket veto.
c) States’ rights.
d) A line-item veto.
91) About what proportion of presidential vetoes has Congress been able to override?
a) Less than 4 percent
b) Between 10 and 20 percent
c) Between 30 and 40 percent
d) More than 65 percent
92) More than 2,400 presidential vetoes have been made since 1789. Congress has overridden
about what percent of these?
a) 4 percent
b) 25 percent
c) 38 percent
d) 45 percent
93) The presidential claims for executive privilege are based on the separation of powers and on
a) The U.S. Constitution.
b) The need for cooperation with Congress.
c) The need for candid advice from aides.
d) Marbury v. Madison.
94) United States v. Nixon held that there is
a) No executive privilege.
b) Absolute presidential immunity from judicial process.
c) No unqualified presidential privilege of immunity from judicial process.
d) Real but limited presidential immunity from judicial process.
95) The result of the Supreme Court’s ruling in United States v. Nixon was that
a) Nixon was allowed to retain the disputed tapes and papers.
b) Nixon was forced to hand over the disputed tapes and papers.
c) Congress was forced to impeach Nixon to gain access to the disputed tapes and papers.
d) Congress was allowed to take custody of the disputed tapes and papers under judicial
review.
96) On the issue of a president’s right to impound funds, the U.S. Constitution says
a) That a president must spend the money that Congress appropriates.
b) That a president does not have to spend money that Congress appropriates.
c) That a president may spend money that Congress does not appropriate.
d) Nothing.
97) Presidential impoundment of funds has been severely limited in recent years because of
a) A string of unfavorable court decisions.
b) The Budget Reform Act of 1974.
c) Public outrage.
d) The opposition of the federal bureaucracy.
98) President Clinton’s approach to his program was to
a) Have a policy on almost everything.
b) Rely heavily on his predecessor’s program.
c) Concentrates on only a few issues at a time.
d) Rely on his cabinet and other advisers.
99) President Reagan’s approach to his program was to
a) Have a policy on almost everything.
b) Rely heavily on his predecessor’s program.
c) Concentrate on only a few issues at a time.
d) Rely on his cabinet.
100)
a)
b)
c)
d)
One major constraint on a president’s ability to plan and develop a program is the
Lack of qualified academic support.
Twenty-third Amendment.
Threat of a legislative veto.
Risk of adverse reaction to the program.
101)
A president who is uncertain whether a policy he is considering will be controversial
would be most likely to
a) Shift the decision to local or state leaders.
b) Leak parts of the policy to the media.
c) Commission a public-opinion poll.
d) Ask opposition leaders for advice.
102)
a)
b)
c)
d)
One major constraint on a president’s ability to plan and develop a program is the
Lack of qualified academic support.
Twenty-third Amendment.
Threat of a legislative veto.
Limit of his or her time and attention span.
103)
The typical workweek for a president numbers approximately
a) 40 hours.
b) 55 hours.
c) 70 hours.
d) 90 hours.
104)
a)
b)
c)
d)
One major constraint on a president’s ability to plan and develop a program is the
Lack of qualified academic support.
Twenty-third Amendment.
Threat of a legislative veto.
Unexpected crisis.
105)
Which of the following would be the most likely substantial constraint on a president’s
ability to plan a program?
a) A visit by foreign dignitaries
b) Criticism by the opposition party
c) Lack of control of federal expenditures
d) An unexpected crisis
106)
Among the unanticipated crises of the Reagan administration were all of the following
except
a) The suppression of Solidarity.
b) U.S. hostages in Lebanon.
c) The invasion of Afghanistan.
d) Civil war in Nicaragua.
107)
a)
b)
c)
d)
One of the crises the Clinton administration faced was
Civil war in Nicaragua.
The dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Continuing war in Bosnia and other parts of Yugoslavia.
Student rebellion in China.
108)
The approach taken by most presidents in dealing with the constraints that are placed
on their planning and developing a program is to
a) Stick to a few key programs.
b) Delegate minor programs to states and communities.
c) Push for many programs simultaneously, expecting a few to succeed.
d) Rely on rhetoric and personal friendships.
109)
In recent decades, the two key issues that presidents have focused on in planning and
developing new programs have been
a) Military spending and social-welfare programs.
b) Inflation and the environment.
c) The economy and foreign affairs.
d) Taxes and the federal budget deficit.
110)
Almost every president since Hoover has tried to
a) Increase the size of the federal government.
b) Decrease the size of the military.
c) Decrease the size of the federal government.
d) Reorganize the executive branch.
111)
a)
b)
c)
d)
The president is not legally required to consult Congress in reorganizing the
White House staff.
Executive Office of the President.
Cabinet.
All of the above.
112)
a)
b)
c)
d)
Which of the following statements about the legislative veto is correct?
It is an effective tool for preventing a president from reorganizing an agency or department.
It was used by Congress for the first time during the Nixon administration.
It was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1983.
It is sometimes used in place of a regular law to reorganize an agency or department.
113)
a)
b)
c)
d)
Every president since Harry Truman has commented that the power of the presidency
Needs to be limited in the defense of freedom.
Looks greater from the outside than the inside.
Needs to be expanded in the interest of freedom.
Is greater than it appears to be from the outside.
114)
Which of the following statements about a president’s serving more than two terms is
correct?
a) It has been done by only one president.
b) It is neither prohibited nor encouraged by the U.S. Constitution.
c) It is illegal under Article II of the U.S. Constitution.
d) It has never been done by a president.
115)
a)
b)
c)
d)
______ U.S. presidents have been assassinated while in office.
One
Two
Three
Four
116)
Which of the following is true about presidential elections during times when the
country is deeply divided?
a) A president has the best chance for reelection.
b) Voter apathy is at its highest.
c) A president seldom wins reelection.
d) Voters tend to become preoccupied with local elections.
117)
Which of the following statements about the vice-presidential route to the presidency is
correct?
a) It has hardly ever been a viable one.
b) It works better through election than succession.
c) It works better through succession than election.
d) It has been a viable one for most vice presidents.
118)
Which of the following statements about the vice-presidential route to the presidency is
correct?
a) It has happened only three times in U.S. history.
b) It is the most common route to the presidency.
c) It is prohibited by the U.S. Constitution.
d) It happens most often if a president dies in office.
119)
a)
b)
c)
d)
The constitutional duty of the vice president is to
Preside over the cabinet.
Coordinate foreign policy.
Preside over the Senate.
Supervise the White House staff.
120)
a)
b)
c)
d)
Who succeeds to the presidency if both the president and vice president die?
The Speaker of the House
The Secretary of State
The most senior cabinet officer
The Senate majority leader
121)
Who succeeds to the presidency if both the president, the vice president, and the
Speaker of the House die?
a) The Senate president pro tempore
b) The Secretary of State
c) The most senior cabinet officer
d) The Senate majority leader
122)
a)
b)
c)
d)
The position of acting president was created by
An act of Congress.
Executive reorganization.
The Twenty-fifth Amendment.
The original U.S. Constitution.
123)
When President Reagan was under anesthesia while being operated on in 1985, the
relationship between him and Vice President Bush was governed by the
a) Succession Act of 1886.
b) Succession Act of 1947.
c) Twenty-second Amendment.
d) Twenty-fifth Amendment.
124)
A president suffers a stroke but nevertheless wants to remain in office. The vice
president and cabinet disagree. Who decides whether the president should continue to serve?
a) The president
b) The vice president and cabinet
c) Congress
d) The Supreme Court
125)
Upon the death or incapacitation of a president and the succession of the vice
president, a new vice president is chosen by
a) The new president with congressional approval.
b) Congress.
c) Popular election.
d) The Speaker of the House.
126)
a)
b)
c)
d)
The objects of impeachment have most frequently been
Federal judges.
Federal bureaucrats.
Presidents.
State governors.
127)
a)
b)
c)
d)
An impeached president is always
Removed from office by the Supreme Court.
Indicted by the House.
Removed from office by the House.
Indicted by the Senate.
128)
a)
b)
c)
d)
______ decide(s) whether a president should be brought up on impeachment charges.
The House
The Senate
Both houses of Congress
The Supreme Court
129)
_______ decides whether to remove the president from office following an
impeachment trial.
a) The Joint Judiciary Committee
b) The House
c) The Senate
d) The Supreme Court
130)
When Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon for his role in Watergate, it meant that
Nixon
a) Could not be impeached for any crime he may have committed while in office.
b) Could not be prosecuted under federal law for any crime he may have committed while in
office.
c) Could be impeached but not convicted for any crime he may have committed while in office.
d) Was innocent of any crime he may have committed while in office.
131)
Bill Clinton survived his impeachment trial for all of the following reasons except:
a) The public disliked his private behavior but did not think it amounted to an impeachable
offense.
b) The economy was strong.
c) The nation was at peace.
d) Clinton was a left-wing Democrat.
132)
The fundamental concern in defining the presidential succession is to
a) Find a qualified successor.
b) Ensure the legitimacy of the office.
c) Prevent anarchy.
d) Curb legislative and judicial powers.
133)
Concerning the powers of the executive and legislative branches of government, the
text concludes that
a) Both have become more powerful.
b) Both have become more constrained.
c) Only the presidency has become more powerful.
d) Only Congress has become more powerful.
134)
Congress and the president both complain that they are too weak to control political
events. Another way of looking at this issue is to note that
a) The federal government as a whole has become more constrained.
b) The power of both branches is the same as it was at the time of the Framers.
c) The judicial branch has assumed the dominant role in legislative decision making.
d) National issues are less complex than they once were.
135)
Which of the following would not be a good rule of thumb for a newly elected
president?
a) Move to implement programs quickly
b) Avoid dealing with interest groups
c) Avoid getting involved in too many details
d) Rely on capable aides, not on the cabinet
ANSWERS
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
16)
17)
18)
19)
20)
21)
22)
23)
24)
25)
26)
27)
28)
29)
30)
31)
32)
33)
34)
35)
36)
37)
38)
D
C
B
C
D
B
C
B
A
C
D
B
D
C
B
B
A
A
D
A
C
A
B
B
D
C
C
B
B
A
A
C
D
B
C
B
B
A
39)
40)
41)
42)
43)
44)
45)
46)
47)
48)
49)
50)
51)
52)
53)
54)
55)
56)
57)
58)
59)
60)
61)
62)
63)
64)
65)
66)
67)
68)
69)
70)
71)
72)
73)
74)
75)
76)
77)
78)
79)
80)
B
B
A
B
D
D
C
D
A
A
B
B
D
B
D
B
B
C
A
C
C
D
A
C
A
D
C
C
B
A
D
B
C
D
A
C
D
A
C
D
B
D
81) B
82) D
83) B
84) A
85) B
86) B
87) D
88) A
89) C
90) D
91) A
92) A
93) C
94) C
95) B
96) D
97) B
98) A
99) C
100)
101)
102)
103)
104)
105)
106)
107)
108)
109)
110)
111)
112)
113)
114)
115)
116)
117)
118)
119)
120)
121)
122)
D
B
D
D
D
D
C
C
A
C
D
A
C
B
A
D
C
C
D
C
A
A
C
123)
124)
125)
126)
127)
128)
129)
130)
131)
132)
133)
134)
135)
D
C
A
A
B
A
C
B
D
B
B
A
B