Chapter 14: The Executive Branch
Study Guide
Mr. Faulhaber
MATCHING: Choose the term that best corresponds to the description provided.
1. a presidential rule that has the force of law
2. a formal agreement between the governments of countries
3. a release from legal punishment
a. executive privilege
b. mandate
c. treaty
d. executive order
e. pardon
4. the expressed will of the people
5. the right of a president to refuse to testify before Congress or a court
6. What has been the impact of the War Powers Act on American military actions?
a. Presidents have carefully followed the law and have asked Congress for permission before committing troops
b. Presidents have committed troops and then asked for Congress to continue the troop commitments beyond sixty days
c. Presidents have generally ignored the law because they believe it violates their powers as commander in chief
d. Congress has used the law to call troops home once they have been committed for more than sixty days
e. None. The Supreme Court ruled the War Powers Act unconstitutional under the political questions doctrine
7. Beginning in 1994, it was difficult for President Clinton to get his domestic program passed. What is the best
explanation for this?
a. his approval rating suffered a steady decline
b. the government was divided
c. the poor economy made it difficult for Congress to fund new programs
d. the impeachment process took up the last six years of his presidency
e. he concentrated on foreign affairs and did not put forth a domestic agenda
8. How does an executive order differ from legislation?
a. Executive orders are submitted by the president to Congress for approval; bills are submitted by the Congress to the
president for approval.
b. Executive orders have the force of law but do not have to be approved by Congress
c. Executive orders expire after five years
d. Executive orders require ratification by the Senate but not the House
e. the Supreme Court cannot rule on the constitutionality of an executive order
9. Which of the following groups voted most heavily in favor of Ronald Reagan?
a. moderate conservatives
b. pure conservatives
c. moderate liberals
d. pure liberals
e. independent voters
10. In studying government and politics, what does the term “political agenda” mean?
a. the scope of government regulation in a particular policy area
b. a set of issues that is important to the public and the government
c. the platform set forth by the president’s political party
d. the issues that are subject to legislation currently pending in Congress
e. the list of issues determined by the media as meriting public attention
11. Which statement best describes how presidential power has changed over time since ratification of the Constitution?
a. Presidential power over foreign affairs has increased, but power over the bureaucracy has decreased over time
b. Presidential power over foreign affairs has decreased because the War Powers Acts requires presidents to consult with
Congress
c. Presidential power over the legislation has decreased because of negative press coverage of presidential proposals
d. Presidential power over foreign affairs has increased, along with power over the bureaucracy
e. Presidential power has not changed significantly since the Constitution was ratified
12. The personality of which president began to alter the relationship between the president and Congress and the nature
of presidential leadership?
a. Richard Nixon
b. Andrew Jackson
c. Ulysses Grant
d. Jimmy Carter
e. William H. Harrison
13. Which of the following represent attempts by Congress to regain power in comparison to the president?
I. the Budget Reform Act (Impoundment and Control Act of 1974)
II. the Patriot Act
III. creation of the office of Independent Counsel
IV. the War Powers Act
a. I and II
b. I. II. and III
c. II and IV
d. II, III, and IV
e. I, III, and IV
14. When a president makes fire-and-brimstone speeches confirming a shared sense of purpose, he is appealing
principally to____.
a. partisan activists at the state and local levels
b. fellow politicians
c. the media
d. the general public
e. fellow leaders
15. 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. a commission of aids and party leaders
b. well-known experts in particular fields
c. top campaign aides
d. Congress
e. powerful interest groups
16. 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 the militia to overpower state governments
b. the fear of a president’s using his position to shape public opinion
c. the fear of a president’s being corrupted by, or corrupting, the Senate
d. the fear of a president’s using bribery or force to ensure his reelection
e. the fear that the president would be directed by “minions and favorites”
17. After the 25th Amendment, if the vice president succeeds to the presidency upon the removal of the president from
office or on this death or resignation, who fills the vacancy in the vice presidency?
a. The speaker of the House of Representatives
b. No one because the vice presidency remains vacant until the next election
c. Any constitutionally qualified person nominated by the president and confirmed by a majority vote of both houses of
Congress
d. The Secretary of State
18. The era from 1836 to 1932 is commonly viewed as one of___.
a. congressional dominance
b. presidential dominance
c. presidential and Supreme Court dominance
d. Supreme Court dominance
e. a true balance of powers
19. 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 judge
b. primarily an administrator
c. primarily a legislator
d. primarily a policy maker
e. head of the military
20. President Cleveland used federal troops to break up a labor strike, and President Eisenhower sent federal troops to
desegregate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Which clause in the Constitution gave them this power?
a. serve as commander in chief of the armed forces
b. convene Congress in special sessions
c. commission officers in the armed forces
d. take care that the laws be faithfully executed
e. wield the “executive power”
21. The presidential character of Richard Nixon was characterized by
a. deep suspicion of the media
b. the use of talented amateurs
c. professional competence and experience
d. careful and complete staff work
e. persuasion in face-to-face encounters
22. Presidents need to rely on their powers of persuasion because of their___.
a. sketchy constitutional powers and lack of ensured legislative majorities
b. opponents within the party
c. limited staffs and sketch constitutional powers
d. lack of ensured legislative majorities and opponents within the party
e. limited staffs
23. President Reagan’s approach to his program was to____.
a. rely heavily on his predecessor’s program
b. have a policy on almost everything
c. rely on his cabinet
d. concentrate on only a few issues at a time
e. rely on congressional leaders
24. The president can influence legislation in all of the following ways EXCEPT____.
a. by having his staff write a legislative program that is then introduced by a member of his party in Congress
b. by asking the public to call Congress and express support for his legislative agenda
c. by threatening to veto a bill when there is not enough likely support in Congress to override the veto
d. by personally contacting members of Congress and asking for their support
e. by rewriting a portion of a bill and then signing the amended bill into law
25. One of the criticisms of President Carter was that he was so involved with the minor details of policies that he couldn’t
see the forest for the trees. How did President Carter structure his White House staff?
a. ad hoc
b. circular
c. bureaucratic
d. pyramid
e. business model
MATCHING: Choose the term/agency that best corresponds to the description provided.
26. largest agency of the Executive office of the President
27. chosen by the president for their experience in selected areas
28. created after the attacks of 9/11
29. advises the president in American military and foreign policy
a. National Security Council
b. Cabinet
c. Bureaucrats
d. Office of Management & Budget
e. Homeland Security
30. government employees who work for a department or agency
31. Which of the following had a negative impact on presidential approval ratings?
I. the poor economy during George H. W. Bush’s administration
II. the impeachment proceedings against Clinton
III. the Vietnam War during the Johnson administration
IV. the Watergate investigation during the Nixon administration
a. I and II
b. I, II, and III
c. II, III, and IV
d. I, III, and IV
e. I and IV
32. The presidency in the United States differs from the executive in a parliamentary system in all of the following ways
EXCEPT____
a. in a parliamentary system, the prime minister’s party (or coalition) is guaranteed a majority in the legislature, while the
U.S. president often faces a Congress led by the opposing party
b. United States presidents are political outsiders, while prime ministers are members of parliament
c. United States presidents choose cabinet members from outside of Congress, while cabinet members are chosen from
within parliament
d. the prime minister is chosen by parliament and not through a separate election
e. the United States president is the chief executive while the prime minister is not
33. Under the Constitution, the president can_____.
I. grant reprieves and pardons in federal offenses
II. call a special session of Congress
III. declare war.
IV. serve as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
a. I and II
b. I, II, and III
c. I, II, and IV
d. III and IV
e. II, III, and IV
34. When candidates run for office, they often promise to present certain legislative programs once elected. Why is it
difficult for presidents to get these promised programs passed?
I. Unexpected crisis may divert attention from previous plans.
II. Controversial aspects of a program may face adverse and well-publicized reactions.
III. The presidency is characterized by long hours and hundreds of activities, which make it difficult to concentrate on
specific programs.
IV. The public rarely expects politicians to deliver on their promises, so they are frequently abandoned.
a. I and II
b. II and III
c. II, III, and IV
d. I, II, and IV
e. I, II, and III
35. What is the impact of the line-item veto on the federal government of the United States?
a. It allows the president to eliminate parts of budget bills before signing them.
b. It allows the president to eliminate parts of a bill, as long as he does not change the bill’s basic intent, before signing it.
c. It allows the president to make significant changes to a bill before signing it into law.
d. It allows the president to makes changes to a bill, sign the bill, and resubmit it to Congress for final approval.
e. It has no impact in the United States, because the Supreme Court has held that the line-item veto violates separation of
powers.
36. What was the Supreme Court’s ruling the United States v. Nixon?
a. There is not an absolute, unqualified, claim of executive privilege in criminal investigations.
b. There is not an absolute, unqualified, claim of executive privilege unless national security is involved.
c. Confidential communications between a president and his staff are privileged.
d. Written communications are privileged, but taped conversations are not protected from judicial subpoenas.
e. There is an absolute, unqualified, executive privilege for all written and oral communication in the White House
between the president and his staff.
37. What is the process for impeachment and removal of the president?
a. The House must vote to impeach a president by a two-thirds vote, and the president is tried in the Senate, which must
vote to convict by a three-fourths vote.
b. The House must vote to impeach a president by a majority vote, and the president is tried in the Senate, which must
vote to convict by a two-thirds vote.
c. Both houses of Congress must vote on impeachment charges, and the Supreme Court has original jurisdiction to hear
the case.
d. The House votes on articles of impeachment, a trial is held in the Senate, and then the case is sent back to the House for
a final vote on conviction.
e. The House and Senate appoint members to a joint committee on impeachment, which then holds hearings and makes a
final recommendation to the Congress as a whole.
38. The text cities Jimmy Carter’s strategic arms limitation treaty and Bill Clinton’s policy on gays to illustrate that___.
a. divided governments can enable a president to introduce important legislation
b. whether the government is divided or unified is basically immaterial
c. unified governments can be counted on to carry out presidential legislative initiatives
d. unified governments do not guarantee that presidential legislative initiatives will be carried out
e. divided governments have routinely been more efficient than unified governments
39. When we say that a powerful presidency has been institutionalized, we mean that its power is no longer dependent
on____.
a. the United States Constitution
b. legitimacy
c. Executive Orders
d. Congress
e. personality
40. In the 1960’s President Lyndon B. Johnson proposed a series of government programs that became known as____.
a. the Great Society
b. the Square Deal
c. the New Deal
d. the new Frontier
e. supply-side economics
MATCHING: Choose the president that best corresponds to description provided.
41. used wartime powers to suspend the writ of habeas corpus
42. used inherent powers to purchase the Louisiana Territory
43. used inherent powers to expand the government’s role in the economy
a. Thomas Jefferson
b. Franklin Roosevelt
c. Andrew Jackson
d. Abraham Lincoln
e. Lyndon Johnson
44. used wartime powers to cope with the situation in Vietnam
45. used the use of the presidential veto for political purposes
46. National party conventions were developed as a reform of
a. direct elections
b. party caucuses
c. recall elections
d. primary elections
e. the electoral college
47. Compared to primary voters, members of caucuses are more likely to
a. support the candidate who appears to be the “underdog”
b. support the least ideological candidate
c. show little ideological difference from rank-and-file voters
d. support the most ideological candidate
e. support the candidate most likely to win the election
48. If no presidential candidate as a majority of votes in the Electoral College, the Constitution provides that____.
a. there shall be a popular runoff election between the two candidates having the highest number of electoral votes
b. the candidate with the highest number of electoral votes shall be president
c. the Senate shall determine which of the top two candidates shall be president by two-thirds vote of the entire body
d. the House of Representatives shall choose the president from the top three candidates by majority vote, but each state
shall have only one vote
e. the Supreme Court shall interpret the will of the people through evaluating the margin of victory within individual
states and pass their recommendation on to the Congress who can either accept or reject their decision
49. To win the presidential nomination, as opposed to the general election, candidates generally present themselves
as____.
a. more liberal if Republican, more conservative if Democratic
b. more liberal
c. more liberal if Democratic, more conservative if Republican
d. more conservative
e. moderate
50. All of the following are feature of the Electoral College EXCEPT
a. small states are underrepresented as a percentage of their population
b. there is a winner-take-all system in forty-eighty states
c. candidates have a strong incentive to campaign in large states they have a chance of winning
e. if there is no majority winner in the electoral college, the election is decided by the House of Representatives, with one
vote per state.
ESSAY:
In the United States, there are several different kinds of elections, and the candidates use different strategies
depending on the kind of election. Using 2016 as the baseline for your response answer the following:
a. describe the two phases of an election cycle
b. differentiate between a primary and a caucus
c. Explain how candidates campaign in a general election as opposed to a primary or caucus. Be sure to include a
definition of a general election in your response and indicate who constitutionally elects the president.