PSCI 1040 Exam 2 Workbook – Flashcards

Which of the following statements is true? People blame the president for the problems in Congress. People tend to hold their individual representative in higher regard than Congress as a whole. People tend to hold Congress in higher regard than their individual representatives. People hold the Supreme Court in lower regard than Congress.

Which British political theorist is most associated with the notion of the trustee style of representation? (You will need to do a search online to find the answer to this question.) Edmund Burke John Locke Monty Python Bertrand Russell

Which form of representation is closest to direct democracy? the presidential model the trustee model the proportional model the delegate model

Which form of representation would probably be most effective at ensuring that the long-term best interests of the whole country are reflected in government policy? parliamentary representation delegate representation proportional representation trustee representation

In a fast-moving international crisis where there is little time to act, which of these would probably be the best model of representation? the trustee model the laissez-faire model the delegate model the proportional representation model

When does the Texas Legislature meet? every other year from January to December every other year for 140 days every year every year from January to September

Who is arguably the most powerful official in the Texas Legislature? the majority leader of the Texas House the lieutenant governor the speaker of the Texas House the budget comptroller

Because the Texas legislature has an unusual meeting schedule, what must happen for bills to have any chance of passage? They must have the governor's full support. They must be introduced late in the session after other business has been taken care of. They must be approved in principal by the Texas Supreme Court. They must be introduced early in the legislative session.

What type of committee is charged with reconciling the differences between two versions of the same bill? bipartisan committees legislative committees standing committees conference committees

Who is elected by all the voters of Texas? the lieutenant governor your state senator the speaker of the house your high school football coach

What sort of powers do you have to block the bill? You can attempt to delay the bill and hope the clock "runs out" on the legislative session. You can filibuster the bill (if you oppose it) when it hits the senate floor. All of these options are correct. You can attempt to amend the bill in committee to make it less favorable to supporters.

What sort of powers do you have to advance the bill? All of these options are correct. You can engage in pre-legislative session bargaining to build support even before the session begins. You can attempt to schedule a vote on the bill as soon as possible. You can attempt to amend the bill in committee to make it more favorable to opponents.

For the sake of argument, let's say that your constituents oppose tax increases on the rich. Nevertheless, you support these tax increases because you think it is in the best interests of the nation. From which model of representation does this reasoning follow? both trustee delegate neither

What does the author of this critical thinking essay assume about the president? Presidents have one primary goal: pursuing good public policy. Presidents have one primary goal: achieving historical relevance Presidents have one primary goal: winning reelection. Presidents desire good policy, reelection, and historical relevance and seek to bolster achievement of these goals through the legislative process.

Which of the following factors is most important to the president's success in Congress? whether or not it is a reelection year party makeup of Congress the president's job approval ratings the president's leadership skills

Why did a lack of public support not undermine the president's health care legislation? The president was able to sign the legislation during his lengthy honeymoon period. The president had enough Democratic support in both houses of Congress. The public was largely uninterested in the issue of health care reform. The president received additional legislative support after the special election in Massachusetts.

How does the president's and Congress's actions on health care reform illustrate the concept of the trustee model of representation? The president and Congress acted in their own self-interest, regardless of the wishes of their constituents. The president and Congress acted in what they saw was the public's best interest, even without clear public support for the health care reform law. The president and Congress acted in the interest of health care reform advocacy groups, despite public opposition to the bill. The president and Congress acted in direct response to public support for the health care reform law

Based on the information provided in this case study, how many House Democrats voted against the Affordable Care Act? 36 26 16 6

Why do you think Democrats were not united in support of the Affordable Care Act? Democratic leadership did not try very hard to marshal support for the bill. Some liberal Democrats tended to resist following the president's leadership. Some conservative Democrats faced opposition from conservative voters at home. Some moderate Democrats tended to oppose health care reform on principle.

What does the lack of unified Democratic Party support for the president's health care reform bill say about the role of parties in the president's legislative success? Party is an important predictor of the president's legislative success, but it matters much less than the importance of congressional rules and procedures. Party is an important predictor of the president's legislative success, but not all members of the president's party are guaranteed to vote with the president. Party is an important predictor of the president's legislative success, but leading the public is a better governing strategy. Party is an important predictor of the president's legislative success, but presidents must work with the opposition party to pass legislation.

Based on this case study, which of the following statements accurately characterizes the legislative process? High job approval ratings might not help the president achieve legislative success if the public does not also support the president's policy proposal. There are no sure victories in Congress, and so presidents must work hard to ensure passage of their top priorities. All of these options are correct. Major policy change takes time and persistence, even when the president's party controls Congress.

Where in the U.S. Constitution can we find a description of most powers related to the presidency? Article VI Article II Article I Article IV

Based on the foregoing discussion as well as the text of the U.S. Constitution, who has the power to declare war? Congress the commander in chief the president the secretary of defense

Which of the following is an example of presidential persuasion? The president prioritizes a major policy proposal because his party controls Congress. The president acts as a trustee in supporting legislation without public support. The president commits troops to an international conflict to protect U.S. national security. The president meets with House and Senate leaders to convince them to pursue his policy agenda.

Which of the following is an example of presidential strategy? The president signs an executive order to create the Environmental Protection Agency. The president orders preemptive missile strikes on a terrorist compound. The president meets with opposition leaders in Congress to discuss compromise legislation. The president pursues an ambitious legislative agenda because he has high approval ratings.

Presidents have become the center of U.S. government due to which of the following? formal amendments to the U.S. Constitution their success persuading others that they have the power to act their success in using the State of the Union to outline a legislative policy agenda an increase in the use of executive orders

What is the problem of the plural executive in the modern White House? Multiple advisers can enhance the power and stature of the president. Multiple advisers, especially at high levels, may make it difficult to hold anyone accountable when the White House makes mistakes. Multiple advisers contribute to an isolated president, which undermines presidential authority. Multiple advisers can allow presidents to accomplish more than they could with a smaller staff.

Which of the following tasks would be handled by an advisor located in the White House Office (WHO)? providing evidence for why the president should commit drones to Yemen providing evidence for why the president should make speeches related to immigration reform in El Paso, TX; Tucson, AZ; and San Diego, CA providing evidence for why the president should cut spending in his fiscal budget proposal providing evidence for why the president should raise taxes as part of his economic plan

Why are White House advisors so important to the presidency? White House advisors primarily provide policy advice to the president so that he can best achieve his policy goals. White House advisors primarily provide electoral advice to the president so that he can best achieve his electoral goals. White House advisors primarily allow the president to handle more tasks and responsibilities than he could without them. White House advisors primarily provide historical advice to the president so that he can best his achieve his historical relevance goals.

As implied by this essay, what is likely to happen if the White House organization is functioning properly? White House staff members represent the president's views accurately and thus serve as a direct extension of the president's own views. White House staff members represent the views of the chief of staff, not the president. White House staff members represent the views of the Executive Office of the President, which gives the president more time to concentrate on other responsibilities. White House staff members represent their own views, which gives the president more time to concentrate on other responsibilities.