Chapter 13 The Presidency
Multiple-Choice Questions
1) The principal reason that presidents have trouble getting things done is that
A) most are weak and indecisive and do not try to do much.
B) they are often upstaged or undermined by their own vice presidents.
C) other policymakers with whom they deal have their own agendas, interests, and sources of power.
D) they are frequently overruled by the Supreme Court.
E) the presidency is mostly a ceremonial job and the president is not expected to do much.
Answer: C
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2) As Richard Neustadt has argued, presidential power is probably best understood as the power to
A) persuade.
B) command.
C) control.
D) harass.
E) veto.
Answer: A
Page Ref: 392
3) Richard Neustadt has argued that presidential power is the power to
A) instruct.
B) command.
C) educate.
D) control.
E) persuade.
Answer: E
Page Ref: 392
4) Americans want a strong president,
A) but do not like a concentration of power.
B) and do not care whether the strength is used for good or for ill.
C) and would like to abolish all checks on presidential power.
D) but do not expect much from any president.
E) but want an even stronger Congress.
Answer: A
Page Ref: 392
5) Americans tend to
A) have low expectations for the president.
B) prefer a concentration of power in the presidency.
C) have a high degree of trust in strong leadership and political authority.
D) look back longingly on the great, powerful presidents.
Answer: D
Page Ref: 392
6) According to the Constitution, a president must be at least ______years of age.
A) 35
B) 30
C) 40
D) 25
E) 21
Answer: A
Page Ref: 392
7) All presidents but one have been
A) Protestant.
B) Catholic.
C) Hare Krishna.
D) atheist.
E) Evangelical Christian.
Answer: A
Page Ref: 392
8) According to the original Constitution, the president must be
A) at least 35 years old.
B) a resident of the United States for at least five years.
C) a citizen of the United States for at least ten years.
D) a white man.
E) all of the above except D
Answer: A
Page Ref: 392
9) How many presidents were political scientists?
A) about half of them
B) one
C) all but one of them
D) two
E) all of them
Answer: B
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l
10) Which president was a political scientist?
A) Ronald Reagan
B) James Madison
C) Richard Nixon
D) Bill Clinton
E) Woodrow Wilson
Answer: E
Page Ref: 393
11) ______was widely regarded to be the worst and most ineffective president.
A) Warren Harding
B) Richard Nixon
C) Ronald Reagan
D) Bill Clinton
E) Andrew Johnson
Answer: A
Page Ref: 393
12) Since World War II, United States presidents have
A) except for Bill Clinton, first served as vice president.
B) had very similar career backgrounds.
C) all previously served as governors.
D) come from a diversity of career experiences.
E) all served as United States senators.
Answer: D
Page Ref: 392-393
13) The Twenty-second Amendment, passed in 1951,
A) provided for the presidential and vice presidential candidates to run as a team.
B) gave impeachment powers to Congress.
C) limited presidents to two terms of office.
D) provided for the direct election of the president by the people.
E) granted 18-year-olds the right to vote.
Answer: C
Page Ref: 393
14) The two-term limit was placed on the presidency by
A) an act of Congress passed after Franklin D. Roosevelt’s death.
B) the Twenty-second Amendment.
C) the Presidential Powers Act of 1951.
D) the Twenty-fifth Amendment.
E) Article II of the original Constitution.
Answer: B
Page Ref: 393
15) ______took over as president upon the death of Franklin Roosevelt in 1945, and eventually
ordered the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japanese cities.
A) Theodore Roosevelt
B) Dwight Eisenhower
C) Harry Truman
D) Lyndon Johnson
E) John F. Kennedy
Answer: C
Page Ref: 394
16) As president, ______launched the ʺGreat Societyʺ at home while escalating the VietnamWar abroad.
A) Lyndon Johnson
B) Harry Truman
C) Richard Nixon
D) Gerald Ford
E) Dwight Eisenhower
Answer: A
Page Ref: 394
17) Appointed to the vice presidency in 1973 due to a vacancy, he was the only one to becomepresident having run for neither the presidency or vice presidency in the preceding election.
A) Lyndon Johnson
B) Nelson Rockefeller
C) Ronald Reagan
D) Gerald Ford
E) Jimmy Carter
Answer: D
Page Ref: 394
18) Which of the following presidents was a Republican?
A) Harry Truman
B) John Kennedy
C) Lyndon Johnson
D) Jimmy Carter
E) Richard Nixon
Answer: E
Page Ref: 394
19) The only president to resign his office was
A) Warren Harding.
B) Jimmy Carter.
C) Lyndon Johnson.
D) Spiro Agnew.
E) Richard Nixon.
Answer: E
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20) Which of the following statements is FALSE?
A) For over 10 percent of American history, the presidency has been occupied by anindividual not elected to the office.
B) In the twentieth century, almost one-third of our presidents were accidentalPresidents.
C) About one in five presidents got the job because they were vice president when theincumbent president died or resigned.
D) Most presidents have served two or more full terms.
E) Most presidential elections are decided by Congress.
Answer: D
Page Ref: 395
21) Prior to his election as president, ______had been a well-known actor and served for twoterms as governor of California.
A) George Bush
B) Ronald Reagan
C) Jimmy Carter
D) Richard Nixon
E) Earl Warren
Answer: B
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22) Impeachment is roughly the political equivalent of a(n)
A) exoneration.
B) admission of guilt.
C) indictment in criminal law.
D) guilty verdict.
E) firing.
Answer: C
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23) In order to impeach a president, it takes
A) a unanimous vote of the Supreme Court.
B) a two-thirds vote in the Senate.
C) a majority vote in the House of Representatives.
D) a two-thirds vote in the House of Representatives.
E) a majority vote in the Senate.
Answer: C
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24) Impeachment of a president means that the president is
A) convicted of a crime.
B) indicted by the House.
C) removed from office.
D) tried by the Senate.
E) all of the above
Answer: B
Page Ref: 395
25) In order to convict and remove an impeached president, it takes
A) a two-thirds vote in the Senate.
B) a majority vote in the Senate.
C) a majority vote in the House of Representatives.
D) a two-thirds vote in the House of Representatives.
E) both B and D
Answer: A
Page Ref: 395
26) Once the House votes for impeachment, the president
A) must leave office.
B) is fined or sentenced to prison.
C) is tried by the Supreme Court.
D) is tried by the Senate.
E) must be indicted by a Grand Jury before being removed from office.
Answer: D
Page Ref: 395
27) The scandal surrounding Richard Nixon’s administration that led to impeachment hearingswas known as
A) Iran-Contra.
B) the Camp David Affair.
C) Watergate.
D) Checkers.
E) Teapot Dome.
Answer: C
Page Ref: 395
28) The order of succession to the presidency, should the president be unable to fulfill his or herduties is
A) Vice President, President Pro Tem of the Senate, Speaker of the House, cabinet membersin order that their department was created.
B) Vice President, Speaker of the House, President Pro Tem of the Senate, Chief Justice ofthe Supreme Court, Cabinet members in order that their department was created.
C) Vice President, Speaker of the House, President Pro Tem of the Senate, Cabinet membersin the order that their department was created.
D) Vice President, Chief Justice of Supreme Court, President Pro tem of the Senate, Speakerof the House.
E) Vice President, Speaker of the House, President Pro Tem, Cabinet members in the orderthat their department was created.
Answer: C
Page Ref: 395; 397
29) The Twenty-fifth Amendment, ratified in 1967,
A) created a means for selecting a new vice president when the office became vacant.
B) granted 18-year-olds the right to vote.
C) limited the president to two terms in office.
D) specifically forced Richard Nixon from office.
E) provided for the direct election of the president by the people.
Answer: A
Page Ref: 397
30) Under the terms of the Twenty-fifth Amendment, while the vice president is serving as actingpresident,
A) a new election must be held within six months.
B) the electoral college determines when the incapacitated president can reclaim thepresidency.
C) the recuperated president can not reclaim his former job.
D) the recuperated president can reclaim the Oval Office through a set procedure.
E) the Senate and the House must vote in a secret ballot on whether or not to reinstate therecuperated president.
Answer: D
Page Ref: 397
31) According to the Twenty-fifth Amendment, in the event of a vacancy in the vice presidency,
A) the electoral college elects a new vice president.
B) the Speaker of the House is automatically the new vice president.
C) the office remains vacant until a subsequent national election takes place.
D) the Congress picks a new vice president from a list of five names submitted by thepresident.
E) the president nominates a replacement, who must be confirmed by both houses ofCongress.
Answer: E
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32) The Constitution framers
A) were unanimous in wanting a single president to lead the country.
B) were united in wanting a strong chief executive.
C) were united in wanting a chief executive similar to the prime minister of Great Britain.
D) generally wanted a president with limited authority and responsibilities.
E) hoped to create a monarchy in the United States.
Answer: D
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33) The president’s power can best be understood as
A) very limited and largely ceremonial.
B) always the dominant figure in the American political system.
C) shared with other branches of government as part of the Madisonian system of checksand balances.
D) unlimited and absolute.
E) originally intended to be unlimited and absolute, but gradually weakened over time.
Answer: C
Page Ref: 398
34) The Constitution
A) provides a list of specific powers and implied powers reserved for the president.
B) places the power of the presidency above the other branches of government.
C) requires Congress to delegate specific areas of presidential power.
D) says remarkably little about presidential power.
E) B, C, and D are all correct.
Answer: D
Page Ref: 397
35) In order to preserve the balance of power in government without jeopardizing theindependence of the presidency, the framers
A) refused to give the president powers in the area of national security.
B) created a weak executive.
C) checked those powers that they believed to be most dangerous.
D) limited the president to administrative powers.
E) limited presidents to two terms of office so they could not become elected monarchs.
Answer: C
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36) Which of the following is NOT a constitutional power of the president?
A) serve as Commander in Chief of the armed forces
B) sign or veto legislation passed by Congress
C) appoint federal judges with the advice and consent of a majority of the Senate
D) enact legislation by issuing decrees
E) All of these are the president’s constitutional powers.
Answer: D
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37) The president has the constitutional authority to make treaties with other nations, subject tothe agreement of
A) a majority of both the House and the Senate.
B) a majority of the Senate.
C) two-thirds of the Senate.
D) two-thirds of the House.
E) a majority of the House.
Answer: C
Page Ref: 398
38) The founding fathers envisioned a presidency that would
A) be better organized than today’s presidency.
B) have fewer responsibilities than today’s presidency.
C) have greater control over the Congress than today’s presidency.
D) have greater powers than today’s presidency.
E) clearly be the dominant branch of government.
Answer: B
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39) Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson
A) were the first presidents to exercise power beyond the specific powers granted to thepresident in the Constitution.
B) developed the role of the president as manager of the economy.
C) set a precedent for presidents to serve as world leaders.
D) were the only two presidents to ever have their actions declared unconstitutional by theSupreme Court.
E) were among the least effective presidents.
Answer: C
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40) A primary resource available to presidents for controlling the bureaucracy is
A) control of the federal budget.
B) their unlimited power to offer patronage positions in the bureaucracy.
C) the power to appoint top-level administrators.
D) their ability to dismiss or fire most members of the bureaucracy.
E) all of the above
Answer: C
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41) In recent years,
A) presidents have been less concerned about their appointment power.
B) presidents have paid closer attention to appointing officials who will be responsive to thepresident’s policies.
C) presidents have paid less attention to agency rules and regulations.
D) there has been a trend toward decentralized decision making in the White House.
E) there has been a trend toward centralized decision making in the White House.
Answer: B
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42) A constitutional duty of the vice president is to
A) preside over the Senate and cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie.
B) attend the funerals of foreign leaders on behalf of the president.
C) preside over the House and cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie.
D) raise funds for party candidates.
E) all of the above
Answer: A
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43) Traditionally, a vice president
A) has no formal constitutional powers.
B) later becomes president.
C) is an important advisor to the president.
D) has little responsibility.
E) both C and D
Answer: D
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44) The president’s cabinet
A) was provided for and elaborated upon by the Constitution.
B) has changed very little since 1960.
C) tends to serve as a collective board of directors.
D) consists of executive branch leaders who advise the president on policy and administergovernment departments.
E) all of the above
Answer: D
Page Ref: 401-402
45) The presidential cabinet
A) is the electronically locked vault where the president keeps his top secret papers.
B) is given tremendous power under the Constitution.
C) includes, by law, a minimum of two sitting members of Congress at all times.
D) consists of the head of each executive department, plus any additional governmentofficials the president designates.
E) can veto actions by the president.
Answer: D
Page Ref: 401-402
46) Which of the following is a member of the cabinet?
A) director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
B) Speaker of the House
C) secretary of the navy
D) White House Chief of Staff
E) none of the above
Answer: E
Page Ref: 402
47) Cabinet-level executive departments are created by
A) Congress.
B) the Constitution.
C) the president.
D) rarely held national referendums.
E) all of the above
Answer: A
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48) The head of each cabinet-level executive department is appointed by the president and
A) must be confirmed by a majority of the House.
B) is not subject to House or Senate approval.
C) must be confirmed by a majority of the Senate.
D) must be confirmed by a majority of both the House and the Senate.
E) must be confirmed by two-thirds of the Senate.
Answer: C
Page Ref: 398; 402
49) The cabinet department responsible for making foreign policy and handling treatynegotiations is
A) interior.
B) justice.
C) foreign affairs.
D) defense.
E) state.
Answer: E
Page Ref: 403
50) The two oldest cabinet departments are
A) state and defense.
B) interior and justice.
C) treasury and justice.
D) state and treasury.
E) education and state.
Answer: D
Page Ref: 403
51) The newest cabinet department is
A) commerce.
B) agriculture.
C) interior.
D) homeland security.
E) transportation.
Answer: D
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52) The National Security Council
A) links the president’s key foreign and military policy advisors.
B) is composed of the heads of the three branches of the armed services and makesrecommendations to the president on combat strategy.
C) was established by President Roosevelt to manage foreign and domestic intelligenceoperations.
D) was created by legislation to keep the president informed on foreign affairs.
E) helps the president make policy on such matters as inflation and unemployment.
Answer: A
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53) The Office of Management and Budget is comprised of
A) political appointees and career officials.
B) political appointees, career officials, and congressional staffers.
C) all political appointees.
D) all career officials.
E) economists.
Answer: A
Page Ref: 404
54) The Office of Management and Budget, the National Security Council, and the Council ofEconomic Advisors are
A) members of the White House staff.
B) advisory bodies of the Department of State.
C) policymaking bodies of the Executive Office of the President.
D) part of the president’s cabinet.
E) the key liaison agencies between the president and Congress.
Answer: C
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55) The budgetary implications of the president’s budget are provided to the president by
A) Executive Budget Office.
B) Department of the Treasury.
C) Council of Economic Advisors.
D) Internal Revenue Service.
E) Office of Management and Budget.
Answer: E
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56) The agency that reviews legislative proposals for the president is the
A) Council of Economic Advisors.
B) National Security Council.
C) Office of Management and Budget.
D) Legislative Executive Agency.
E) Executive Legislative Agency.
Answer: C
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57) The part of the executive branch of government that the president sees daily and relies heavilyon for information, policy options, and analysis is the
A) vice president.
B) president’s cabinet.
C) White House staff.
D) Executive Office of the President.
E) Council of Economic Advisors.
Answer: C
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58) The system of White House management employed by President John Kennedy was
A) to disperse his authority to numerous aides, each of who had powerful decision-makingpower.
B) unusually closed, with only the president and his two closest aides involved in mostmajor decisions.
C) to personally take charge of even the minor details of decision making.
D) a chain of command with a chief of staff who controlled almost all access to thepresident.
E) such that many aides equally participated in the decision-making process.
Answer: E
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59) John F. Kennedy’s wheel-and-spokes system of management was characterized by
A) a hierarchical organization with a chief of staff at the top.
B) many aides with equal status balanced against one another in the decision-makingprocess.
C) thepresidentʹs involvement in every administrative detail.
D) a closed, small network of computers that directly linked the president to his closestadvisors through e-mail messages.
E) a streamlined, fast-paced, and efficient decision-making style.
Answer: B
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60) The organization and importance of the White House staff depend on
A) the president’s Chief of Staff.
B) agenda schedules and formal rules of debate.