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40 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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A federal system is one in which... A) the states retain full sovereignty. B) authority is divided between national an state government. C) the president is elected by an Electoral College. D) power is shared among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the government. E) all government officials are elected by the people. |
D) power is shared among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the government. |
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Which of the amendments to the Constitution indicates that powers not delegated to the national government nor prohibited to the states are reserved to the states or the people? A) First B) Third C) Fifth D) Eighth E) Tenth |
E) Tenth |
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According to the text (pg 185), today considerable power has gravitated to the federal government, but for much of US history, the bulk of government power... A) was also exercised by the national government. B) was exercised by local governments such as those of cities and towns. C) was exercised by state governments. D) was exercised by the Supreme Court. E) was exercised by small business. |
C) was exercised by state government. |
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According to the text (pg 186), the US Constitution divides political power... A) vertically but not horizontally. B) horizontally but not vertically. C) neither horizontally nor vertically. D) both horizontally and vertically. E) horizontally, vertically, and circularly. |
D) both horizontally and vertically. |
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In the realm of foreign policy, the Constitution sets up a structure of government in which... A) the Congress and the president share power. B) the Congress, the president, and the US's twenty largest cities share power. C) only the Congress has power. D) only the president has power. E) only ambassadors and the military's top generals have power. |
A) the Congress and the president share power. |
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According to the text (pg 186), A) the balance of power among the three branches of the national government has remained constant throughout US history. B) the Congress, led by the Speaker of the House and Senate majority leader, is now the preeminent branch. C) the executive, directed by the president, is now the preeminent branch. D) the Supreme Court, directed by the chief justice, is now the preeminent branch. E) the federal bureaucracy is now the preeminent institution. |
C) the executive, directed by the president, is now the preeminent branch. |
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The text says the US system of political power incorporates all of the following elements except... A) a system of separation of powers. B) a system of shared powers. C) a system of checks and balances. D) a system where the executive and legislative branches are fused. E) a system of federalism. |
D) a system where the executive and legislative branches are fused. |
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According to the text (pg 187), the Constitution sets up a governmental structure that... A) makes it very difficult for government to bring about major changes in policy. B) has no effect one way or the other on how easy it is for government to make major policy changes. C) makes it very easy for government to bring about major changes in policy. D) makes it very easy for the government to respond the slightest changes in policy. E) was the very opposite of what the Founders hoped it would be. |
A) makes it very difficult for government to bring about major changes in policy. |
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According to the text (pg 188), the Founders... A) all secretly wanted the US to be a monarchy. B) wanted to make it easy for government to respond to the wishes of the majority of citizens. C) were not concerned with protecting property rights. D) feared that democracy could endanger the right of property owners. E) were following the examples of dozens of other countries in trying to establish government in which political authority would be in the hands of the people, not the king. |
D) feared that democracy could endanger the right of property owners. |
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According to the Constitution, in order for a candidate to be elected president, the candidate... A) must receive a majority of the popular vote. B) must receive a majority of the popular vote and a majority of votes in the Electoral College. C) must receive a majority of votes in the Electoral College and a majority of votes in the Senate. D) must receive two-thirds of the votes in the Electoral College. E) must receive a majority of votes in the Electoral College. |
E) must receive a majority of votes in the Electoral College. |
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According to the text (pg 190)... A) the Electoral College tends to over-represent large states. B) the Electoral College tends to over-represent medium-size states. C) the Electoral College tends to over-represent small states. D) the size of the states that are better represented in the Electoral College depends on whether the president is a Republican or Democrat. E) the Electoral College represents all states equally. |
C) the Electoral College tends to over-represent small states. |
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According to the Constitution, the number of Electoral College votes assigned to each state is determined by... A) the state's population. B) the number of members that state has in the House of Representatives. C) the number of counties in the state. D) by adding together the number of members the state has in the House of Representatives plus its two senators. E) the number of active political parties in the state. |
D) by adding together the number of members the state has in the House of Representatives plus its two senators. |
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According to the text (pg 191), at the Constitutional Convention, the Founders rejected a suggestion that the president be directly elected by the people because... A) most wanted the presidency to be weaker than it was under the Articles of Confederation. B) doing so would make the president responsive to the democratic spirit they wanted to tame. C) like James Wilson, most wanted the president to serve a life term. D) like Alexander Hamilton, most wanted the president to serve a life term. E) most wanted the president to be chosen by the Supreme Court. |
B) doing so would make the president responsive to the democratic spirit they wanted to tame. |
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In presidential elections, the unit rule most commonly refers to the fact that... A) the unit of government that chooses the president is the Electoral College. B) each member of the Electoral College has only one vote. C) each member of the House of Representatives has only one vote. D) the House of representatives is the unit of government that elects the president if no majority is reached in the Electoral College. E) the candidate who gets more popular votes in a state than any other candidate gets all of the state's Electoral College votes. |
E) the candidate who gets more popular votes in a state than any other candidate gets all of the state's Electoral College votes. |
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Currently, the unit rule in presidential elections is used... A) in all states because even though the Constitution doesn't require that it be used. B) in all states even though the Constitution doesn't require that it be used. C) in the cast majority of states. D) in about half the states. E) in only few states. |
C) in the cast of majority of states. |
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The power of the president to reject a bill passed by Congress is called a(n)... A) pardon. B) veto. C) presidential privilege. D) discretionary power. E) executive order. |
B) veto. |
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According to the text (pg 192), all of the following have contributed to the growth of presidential power in the twentieth century except that... A) corporations outgrew the narrow boundaries of the states. B) the federal government became responsible for managing the economy. C) the federal government took on new social responsibilities. D) the US became a global power. E) the Twenty-second Amendment to the Constitution was ratified. |
E) the Twenty-second Amendment to the Constitution was ratified. |
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According to the text (pg 193), all of the following are key presidential roles except... A) conducting foreign policy. B) supervising the federal bureaucracy. C) directing the economy. D) managing conflict. E) voting in the US Congress. |
E) voting in the US congress. |
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Of the following, which is an independent regulatory commission? A) the Office of Management and Budget. B) the National Security Council. C) the Federal Reserve Board. D) the Department of State. E) the Bureau of the Census. |
C) the Federal Reserve Board. |
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In discussing the consequences of the president being the commander in chief of the armed forces, the text says all of the following except... A) the Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the power to declare war. B) the Founders intended the president's power as commander in chief to be confined to the limited occasions when hostilities begin. C) President Reagan ordered the invasion of Grenada without seeking Congressional authorization. D) President Lincoln was unique among US presidents in that he will never undertook military action without first obtaining Congressional approval. E) President Polk provoked war with Mexico in 1846 by sending US troops into disputed land between Texas and Mexico. |
D)President Lincoln was unique among US presidents in that he will never undertook military action without first obtaining Congressional approval. |
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The US Constitution makes the ______ commander in chief of the military. A) highest-ranking US Army General. B) Secretary of Defense. C) President. D) Joint Chiefs of Staff. E) highest-ranking US Navy Officier. |
C) President. |
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The US Constitution grants the power to declare war to... A) the people. B) Congress. C) the Secretary of Defense. D) the House of Representatives. E) the President. |
B) Congress. |
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According to the Constitution, the president has all of the following powers except... A) she or he is commander in chief of the armed forces. B) she or he can veto legislation. C) she or he can appoint government officials. D) she or he can make treaties. E) she or he can declare war. |
E) she or he can declare war. |
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According to the text (pg 192), contemporary presidents exercise power for all of the following purposes except... A) making capitalism work at home. B) maintaining political stability. C) defending the US at home. D) defending the US abroad. E) promoting moral values. |
E) promoting moral values. |
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Which presidential role is illustrated by the presidential authority to negotiate treaties, appoint ambassadors, and receive ambassadors from foreign countries? A) commander in chief B) chief diplomat C) manager of the bureaucracy D) head of government E) party leader |
B) chief diplomat |
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The set of key executive institutions that are close advisers to the president on major policy areas, including the budget, social and economic issues, intelligence, and security is the _____. A) Executive Office of the President B) Cabinet C) Independent Regulatory Commission D) military-industrial complex E) Conference Committee |
A) Executive Office of the President. |
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According to the text (pg 196), the executive branch of government consists of a series of concentric circles surrounding president. The circle which is closest to the president is... A) the president's cabinet. B) the Executive Office of the President. C) the independent agencies. D) the Office of Presidential Appointees. E) the White House Office of Presidential Advisors. |
B) the Executive Office of the President. |
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The National Labor Relations Board, the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Reserves Board are all examples of... A) the Cabinet. B) Congressional Committees. C) Special Presidential Committees. D) Independent Regulatory Commissions. E) Executive Departments. |
D) Independent Regulatory Commissions. |
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The _____ is a group of key administrative officials appointed by the president to direct major departments of government. A) Executive Office of the President. B) Cabinet. C) Independent Regulatory commission. D) Conference Committee. E) Chiefs of Staff. |
B) Cabinet. |
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According to the text (pg 198), the most powerful vice president ever is/was... A) Joseph Biden B) Richard Cheney C) AI Gore D) Dan Quayle E) George H.W Bush |
B) Richard Cheney |
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In discussing what it terms "the Imperial Presidency," the text identifies all of the following as source of presidential power except... A) the president's unlimited access to the media. B) the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. C) the president's power to manage the federal bureaucracy. D) the president's ability to raise money and make appearances for other candidates for public office. E) Article II of the Constitution. |
B) the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. |
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The president's power are enumerated in _____ of the US Constitution. A) the Bill of Rights. B) Article I. C) Article II. D) the Preamble. E) the Amendments. |
B) Article I. |
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Unlike the situation in parliamentary regimes, the president is... A) head of state and head of government. B) neither the head of state nor the head of government. C) the head of state but not the head of government. D) the head of government but not the head of state. E) there is no difference between being the head of state and being the head of government in a parliamentary regime. |
A) head of state and head of government. |
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The officials who directs the day-to-day work of government is called... A) the head of state. B) the head of government. C) a US Senator. D) a member of the US House of representatives. E) Supreme Court Justice |
B) the head of government. |
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In the US, the president serves as... A) the head of state only B) the head of government only C) both the head of state and the head of government D) head of state, while the vice president serves as the head of government. E) head of government, while the vice president as the head of state. |
C) both the head of state and the head of government |
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The text points out that for years after the 9/11 attacks, seven out of ten US citizens believed that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was linked to the attacks despite there being no credible evidence of this connection. The book makes this point primarily to support its claim that... A) US citizens know less about foreign affairs than do citizens in other countries. B) the media is filled with lies, half-truths, and meaningless propaganda. C) the George W. Bush administration lied to the public more than any other administration. D) the president has an unparalleled advantage in defining political reality for most US citizens. E) Hussein's US supporters failed to make effective arguments on his behalf. |
D) the president has an unparalleled advantage in defining political reality for most US citizens. |
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In discussing the source of presidential power, the text says presidents can make skillful use of patronage. Of the following, which is the best example of patronage? A) modifying proposed legislation in ways that benefit particular members of Congress. B) nominating federal judges. C) delivering speeches in carefully selected locations. D) refusing to meet with particular members of Congress. E) raising to meet with particular members of Congress |
B) nominating federal judges. |
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A(n) ______ is a binding directive issued by the president, within areas in which the president has constitutional authority, to members of the executive branch and private citizens or groups. A) veto B) makeup C) discharge petition D) pardon E) executive order |
E) executive order |
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According to the text (pg 208), which president has claimed the right of the president to order-without judicial review-targeted killings not only of foreigners but of American citizens regarded as security threats? A) Ronald Reagan B) George H.W. Bush C) Bill Clinton D) George W. Bush E) Barack Obama |
E) Barack Obama |
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According to the text (pg 210), all of the following have served to weaken presidential power in the past half-century except... A) the decrease in the number of interest groups. B) President Johnson's lying about the progress of the Vietnam War. C) President Nixon's attempted cover-up of the Watergate burglary. D) The end of the golden age of capitalism. E) the increase in divided government. |
A) the decrease in the number of interest groups. |
