question

T/F Appropriations committee help determine the programs that will be funded. while authorizations committees determine the amount of monies to be distributed.

answer

False

question

T/F The Framers made Congress a bicameral body because they were concerned that too strong a legislative branch would lead to tyranny.

answer

True

question

T/F Legislators typically eschew casework, as it is burdensome to the staff and emphasized benefits for individuals over the good of the whole district.

answer

False

question

T/F A bill goes through markup in a full committee after a subcommittee votes in favor of it.

answer

True

question

T/F Studies show that legislators vote in conformity with the prevailing opinion of their district constituents about two-thirds of the time.

answer

True

question

T/F The House currently has 435 members, but this number increases every ten years with the taking of the census, as mandated by the Constitution.

answer

False.

question

T/F The CBO was created in 1974 to evaluate the economic effects of different spending programs, and to provide information on the cost of proposed policies. Refer to Table 6.7,

answer

True

question

T/F Especially since the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Congress has ceded to the president a major role in the legislative process.

answer

True

question

T/F Logrolling, or vote trading, was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court following the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

answer

False

question

T/F A conference committee is comprised of members from the House and Senate committee that originally considered the bill.

answer

True

question

T/F In the face of inaction by House membership, a discharge petition signed by a majority can force a bill out of a committee and to the floor.

answer

True

question

T/F The vast majority of bills receive a subcommittee hearing, but not full passage.

answer

False

question

T/F The increasing partisanship and unproductivity of Congress have contributed to lower approval ratings of congressional members in recent years.

answer

True

question

T/F Although the Constitution allows states to create their own legislative boundaries, gerrymandering in favor of any partisan or racial group is expressly forbidden by law.

answer

True

question

T/F The necessary and proper clause allows Congress to increase the scope of its authority.

answer

True

question

Which one of the powers listed below is a constitutional power that the president shares with the Senate?

answer

Making treaties

question

Which institutional resource is closest to the president?

answer

White House Staff

question

In which institutional resource are leaders both appointed by the president and approved by the Senate?

answer

The Cabinet

question

Which of these became an official presidential qualification in 1951?

answer

A maximum of two tersm

question

What is executive privilege?

answer

The right to keep communications confidential to the presidency.

question

Who has the role of breaking a tie in the Senate?

answer

Vice President

question

Historically, vice-presidential candidates are chosen to _______.

answer

Politically balance the ticket

question

What does the Twenty-Second Amendment do?

answer

Requires the presidents serve only two terms

question

Which first lady acted as a surrogate for her partially paralyzed husband?

answer

Edith Bolling Galt Wilson

question

Which presidential power is balanced by required approval of the Senate with a two-thirds vote?

answer

Negotiating treaties with other nations

question

Congress can remove a president through ________.

answer

Impeachment

question

Whom did the Framers expect to be the first president of the United States?

answer

George Washington

question

What has to happen in Congress before the president can be impeached?

answer

The House can impeach the president by a simple majority; the Senate needs a two-thirds majority.

question

Which of these presidents is arguably the first modern president?

answer

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

question

Throughout most of its history, which was considered an insignificant office?

answer

Vice President

question

Which presidential oversight includes the State of the Union address?

answer

The president must inform and convene Congress.

question

Which executive power was intended as a "qualified negative" by the Framers?

answer

The power to veto

question

According to the Constitution, how is the president supposed to be elected?

answer

Election through the Electoral College

question

Which of the following is an example of the rally-round-the-flag effect?

answer

George W. Bush's popularity was boosted following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

question

The use of ______ in foreign matters is an example of the president acting as a global leader.

answer

Executive agreements

question

What is the purpose of the Council of Economic Adviser?

answer

To advise the president on economic policy

question

What best describes the president's constitutional duty to Congress?

answer

The president must give Congress an occasional update on the state of the union.

question

Which is one of the reasons that power and responsibility of the presidency has grown?

answer

The President's role increased, so the role of government could decrease.

question

What role was Thomas Jefferson performing as president when he made the Louisiana Purchase?

answer

Chief executive

question

Which examines the cost implications of a proposed bill?

answer

Office of Management and Budget

question

Why is there the potential for conflict over virtually all aspects of government?

answer

All constitutional powers are shared.

question

In order to prevent tyranny, what did Benjamin Franklin think had to be included in the Constitution?

answer

A process of impeachment

question

Which presidential power gives the president the ability to control what happens inside departments and agencies during their terms and to shape the federal judiciary (including the Supreme Court) far into the future?

answer

Appointment

question

Bill Clinton launching his health care reform proposals on Nightline is an example of what type of strategy?

answer

Going public

question

Presidents with high levels of ____ have an easier time influencing Congress, while those with low levels find influencing Congress more difficult.

answer

Public Approval

question

Which group's major function is to help presidents execute laws and make decisions?

answer

The Cabinet

question

Which is a group of presidential advisers? This group is too large and too diverse to serve as a collective board.

answer

the White House staff

question

What is the role of the National Security Council?

answer

To advise the president on national security

question

Which president set the precedent of the chief executive's prominent role in foreign affairs?

answer

George Washington

question

How did Lincoln defend his decision to order a blockade of southern ports without the approval of Congress?

answer

He claimed that the inherent powers of his office allowed him to circumvent the Constitution in a time of war or national crisis.

question

In which way do modern presidents differ from the original intentions of the Framers of the Constitution?

answer

Modern presidents are much more influential in the legislative process than the Framers originally intended.

question

How might presidents use their powers of persuasion in the legislative process?

answer

In leading the public opinion to support their policy agendas.

question

Why does the perception of a mandate matter in presidential politics?

answer

Because modern presidents are more dependent on the people for election and more involved in policy making than early presidents, they are prone to claim the mandate of the people when governing.

question

How is the vice president vacancy filled?

answer

The president appoints a new vice president, to be approved by Congress.

question

Which of the following statement best characterizes the nature of the conflict between Presidents and Congress?

answer

The conflict is a by-product of the weakening of American political parties.

question

Which of the following statements best describes contemporary relationships between President and Congress?

answer

They are generally antagonistic.

question

How was the office of vice president changed over the years?

answer

The vice president has been more involved in the policy-making process in recent years than in the past.

question

Which of the following leadership abilities is critical to presidential success?

answer

The ability to persuade members of Congress and the American public

question

How might rallying events affect presidential politics?

answer

Rallying events tend to temporarily increase presidential approval ratings, providing windows of opportunity to press for action on their agendas.

question

When might citizens be particularly concerned about an expansion of presidential power?

answer

When they oppose the president's agenda

question

What would be different, with respect to the institution of the presidency, if Franklin D. Roosevelt had not won the 1932 election?

answer

The institution of the presidency would be less connected to the people.

question

Refer to Table 7.3. Which statement best describes Bill Clinton's veto history?

answer

Clinton had fewer vetoes overturned than Theodore Roosevelt.

question

Based on what you know about election history, what is the most likely reason Senator John McCain chose Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate in 2008?

answer

Palin was more conservative than McCain.

question

What distinguishes the modern presidency from the institution originally envisioned by the Framers of the Constitution?

answer

The modern presidency has become the central focus of American politics since the 1930s. supplanting Congress as the "first branch" of government.

question

Which word best describes the language used by the Framers to describe the office of the president?

answer

vague

question

What was the turning point that gave rise to the modern institutional presidency?

answer

The economic and social turmoil of the Great Depression

question

Why was it significant that George Washington was the first person elected to the presidency?

answer

His early actions served to establish important precedents that greatly increased the political legitimacy of the office.

question

What distinguishes modern presidents from early presidents?

answer

Modern presidents are much more active in the formation of policy than early presidents.

question

How does the White House staff differ from the president's Cabinet?

answer

The White House staff has greater access to and more influence on the president than the Cabinet.

question

Which of the following statements provides the best characterization of the members of the White House staff?

answer

The White House staff is composed of individuals personally and politically close to the president chosen specifically to serve the president's needs.

question

Why was the 25th Amendment to the Constitution adopted?

answer

To clear up ambiguities over the constitutional provisions surroundin the role of the vice president should the president die or become incapacitated.

question

The number of presidential vetoes _______.

answer

Has risen with increased bipartisanship in Congress

question

Why was the War Powers Resolution (1973) adopted by Congress?

answer

To empower the president to act unilaterally when American troops are in harm's way

question

What did the presidencies of Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln have in common?

answer

They were both examples of activist presidencies.

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