Presidency Test
1. The constitutional qualifications for the person elected president of the United States include all of the following except
[A] lived in the United States for 14 years.
[B] is a United States born citizen.
[C] has served as a senator, governor or vice president.
[D] is at least 35 years old.
2. When designing the presidency, delegates to the Constitutional Convention were torn between
[A] concern for equality and concern for freedom.
[B] fear of a powerful presidency and a desire for strong leadership for the new government.
[C] commitment to democracy and fear of the people.
[D] a hereditary and an elected executive.
3. Compared to Congress, the powers of the president as outlined in the Constitution are
[A] more elaborately described than are those of Congress.
[B] extensively and specifically described.
[C] briefly stated and comparatively vague.
[D] specific enough to avoid disagreement over their extent.
4. The phrase “he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed” is to the President as ______is to Congress
[A] the Constitution.
[B] the necessary and proper clause.
[C] the enumerated powers.
[D] Article II.
5. The Constitution does not give the president power to
[A] serve as administrative head of the nation.
[B] veto legislation.
[C] declare war.
[D] serve as commander-in-chief of the military.
6. A presidential action based on inherent power usually becomes a precedent for future chief executives unless the action is
[A] quickly challenged and repudiated by another branch of government.
[B] not based on an explicit constitutional grant of power.
[C] based on a congressional delegation of power.
[D] taken during a national emergency.
7. Which of the following is not a way in which presidents have expanded their power?
[A] Presidents have been granted additional powers by Congress.
[B] Presidents have claimed that certain powers are inherently granted them by the Constitution.
[C] The Constitution has been amended many times to grant presidents additional powers.
[D] Presidents’ political skills and sometimes high approval rating have allowed them to increase their power.
8. How does the presidency today compare with the framers’ conception of it?
[A] The presidency is weaker than the framers’ conception.
[B] The presidency is far stronger than the framers’ conception.
[C] There is no basis for comparison, because the framers had no vision of presidential power.
[D] The presidency is about as strong as the framers’ conception.
9. When President Lincoln suspended the writ of Habeas Corpus during the Civil War, he did so
[A] under his constitutional power as commander-in-chief.
[B] under his constitutional power to tax and spend for the general welfare.
[C] by claiming inherent powers to preserve the Union.
[D] under emergency powers granted by the Constitution.
10. One could argue that many of the steps taken by President Franklin Roosevelt to address the economic problems of the Great Depression were
[A] justified on the basis of his need to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed.”
[B] taken under congressional delegation of power to the president during a time of crisis.
[C] in direct violation of congressional intent.
[D] actions required of the president by the Constitution.
11. The War Powers Resolution of 1973 is an example of
[A] Congress seeking to reassert eroded their eroded war making authority.
[B] presidential delegation of authority to the president’s staff.
[C] delegation of powers by Congress to the president.
[D] presidential prerogative power.
12. Which of the following best describes the “honeymoon period”?
[A] Initially follows the first term inauguration of a President, and is a good opportunity to use public support to get his proposals through Congress.
[B] It rarely exists any more because the media place new presidents under such close scrutiny from the moment they take office.
[C] Most presidents make no major policy efforts during this period.
[D] It is always a period of unquestioned success, both legislatively and in terms of public popularity.
13. Which of the following best describes the immediate effect of a national crisis (such as 9/11) on presidential popularity?
[A] It permanently weakens a president’s popularity.
[B] It gives the president a permanent boost in popularity.
[C] It gives the president a short-term boost in popularity, but will most likely decrease again.
[D] It weakens popularity in the short term, but most presidents recover.
14. A consistent pattern over the years is that as a president’s administration gets older, the president’s approval rating tends to
[A] fluctuate at random.
[B] increase.
[C] decrease.
[D] remain relatively stable.
15. Based on the definition of divided government, after the Obama is inaugurated as President, we will have a
[A] Unified Government
[B] Divided Government
16. The organization of the White House staff is
[A] constitutionally mandated.
[B] determined by the party leadership in Congress.
[C] subject to Senate approval.
[D] determined and selected by each President according to his personal needs.
17. The president’s two top advisors are usually
[A] his social services advisor and the chair of the Council of Economic Advisors.
[B] the secretary of the interior and the director of the OMB.
[C] the leaders of his party in both houses of Congress.
[D] his chief of staff and his national security advisor.
18. Which of the following is an incorrect match
[A] CEA- advises the president on economic trends
[B] OMB- creates the president’s budget
[C] CIA- advises the president on intelligence reports
[D] NSC- advises the president on the status of nuclear power plants
19. Which of the following generally has the most access to the President?
[A] Cabinet
[B] White House staff
[C] National Security Council
[D] Vice president
20. The contemporary role of the president in the legislative process is best described as one in which the president
[A] distances himself from the process because of the separation of powers.
[B] proposes and Congress disposes.
[C] may serve as chief lobbyist, active in all stages of the legislative process.
[D] is active only if his party controls both houses of Congress.
21. Which of the following best describes the relationship between a president’s public approval rating and his political power?
[A] Presidents have no means of measuring public support.
[B] Public popularity is important to the president only at election time.
[C] There is no relationship between the two.
[D] High public support can be translated into influence in congress.
For the following photos or headlines, identify the correct role of the President.
22.
a. Chief of State.
b. Commander in Chief.
c. Chief Citizen.
d. Chief of Party.
23. Bush to Name HUD Deputy to Head Agency
a. Chief Diplomat.
b. Chief Executive.
c. Chief of Party.
d. Chief Citizen.
24.
a. Chief Legislator.
b. Commander in Chief.
c. Chief Diplomat.
d. Chief of Party.
25.
a. Chief of Party.
b. Chief Diplomat.
c. Chief Executive.
d. Chief Citizen
26. The Constitutional duty of the vice president is to
a. preside over the cabinet.
b. coordinate foreign policy.
c. preside over the Senate and vote in the case of a tie.
d. supervise the White House staff
27. Who would currently succeed George W. Bush in the event of the death of the President, Vice President, and the Speaker of the House?
a. President Pro Temp Robert Byrd
b. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice
c. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
d. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
e. Former President Bill Clinton (because I could)
28. Which of the following best describes the organization of the White House Office of former President Bill Clinton.
a. Circular Structure.
b. Pyramid Structure.
c. Ad Hoc structure.
29. Which of the following programs or concepts is incorrectly matched to the President?
[A] Teddy Roosevelt – The Bully Pulpit
[B] FDR- The New Deal
[C] John Kennedy- The New Frontier.
[D] Richard Nixon- New Federalism
[E] Bill Clinton- Change In Which You Can Believe.
30. According to the Article concerning Presidential Character and classification, the two spectrums that are considered are
a) accomplishments and popularity
b) ability to work with congress and public approval
c) energy brought to the job, how much the person enjoys being President
d) foreign policy initiatives, domestic policy successes
31. According to the Presidential Paradoxes Article,
[A] Presidents will ultimately succeed because the public has clear expectations
[B] The President knows exactly what the public wants because of public opinion polls.
[C] Congress consistently works against the desire of the President.
[D] Unified government works best.
[E] The job of being President is especially difficult because of the extremes of public expectations.
32. The same article suggest that most successful Presidents are ones that
[A] Are pragmatic.
[B] Are idealistic.
[C] Run a pyramid structure in their White House Staff
[D] Have a keen sense of timing, knowing when to be what to the American People.
[E] Trust their instincts, ignoring the advice of their advisors.
33. In her song to Mr. President, Pink expressed an interest in doing all of the following except
[A] Telling W that he knows nothing bout no hard work.
[B] Taking a walk with W.
[C] Asking W how he can sleep at night.
[D] Donating campaign money to W’s 2004 re-election bid.
[E] Asking W if he was a lonely boy.
34. All of the following are selected by the President to serve without approval by the Senate except for
A. National Security Advisor
B. Chief of Staff
C. Chief of Stuff
D. Secretary of State
E. Press Secretary
35. Which of the following concerning impeachment is false
A. Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton are the only two Presidents who have been impeached.
B. Impeached means that a President has been found guilty of a high crime or misdemeanor.
C. The Houses impeaches (accuses), and the Senate holds the trial.
D. The Senate needs a 2/3 vote to find a President guilty.
36. All of the following have contributed to an increase in presidential power in the post 1945 era EXCEPT
a. / Tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold war.b. / An increase in public expectations for services from the federal government
c. / Economic and domestic problems such as inflation, unemployment, and civil rights issues
d. / Increasing United States involvement in international affairs
e. / Legislation granting the President the power to impound funds appropriated by Congress
37. In selecting members of the White House staff, Presidents primarily seeks people who
a. / give the White House ideological balanceb. / are personally loyal to the President
c. / have extensive governmental experience
d. / will help the President develop a good working relationship with Congress
e. / can bring a nonpartisan perspective to policy deliberations
38. Which of the following is true of an executive agreement made between the United States President and another head of state?
a. / It does not require Senate approval, but may require congressional allocation of funds for implementationb. / It does not require Congressional funding because the President can use the power of the purse to raise implementation funds.
c. / It has more legal force than a treaty.
d. / It is binding on all succeeding Presidents and Congresses.
e. / It has been used extensively to end armed conflicts.
39. Which of the following is true about divided party control of the presidency and Congress?
a. / It is a natural occurrence due to the constitutional system of checks and balances.b. / It rarely occurs in US elections because of straight-ticket voting.
c. / It promotes quick action by the President and Congress on such issues as the federal budget.
d. / It reflects a frequent election pattern over the past three decades.
e. / It results from the reapportionment of House seats after the decennial census.
40. Since the 1970's, presidents have made use of executive orders at an increasing rate because executive orders
a. / Are non controversial measures that can be easily implementedb. / Are rarely defeated in Congress
c. / Do not need to be passed by Congress
d. / Avoid judicial review
e. / Must be ratified by the Senate rather than by the House