AP U.S. Government and Politics: Chapter 13: the Presidency

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CHAPTER THIRTEEN ASSIGNMENT

AP U.S. Government and Politics: Chapter 13: The Presidency

Directions:

· Answer the following questions in short-answer essay format – complete sentences, concise but articulate answers, check your spelling before you finish, and as always, DO YOUR OWN WORK IN YOUR OWN WORDS.

· Your answers must be indented, typed in bold, blue-color, Times New Roman, 12-point font, single-spaced. Leave one blank line between your answer and the next question. Please use this format in this assignment and all similar assignments in this course.

· Be sure to be specific, using terms and vocabulary from this chapter in the Government in America textbook. Through your answers, prove to your instructor and yourself that you’ve done the reading and that you understand the concepts.

· When it is appropriate, use specific examples that are relevant to the question (using examples from contemporary news reports is most helpful, here).

Chapter 13 Questions for Review

By the end of this chapter on The Presidency, the folks who create the AP U.S. Government and Politics Exam that (hopefully) you will be taking in May hope you will be able to describe the American presidents – who they are, how they got there, and what they do.

1. What are the two contradictory expectations that Americans have about the presidency?

2. In the table below, make a list of the ten “best presidents” from American history, and briefly explain why each one deserves that accolade. Feel free to utilize the rankings of historians and political scientists.

Name of President / Why Ranked So High?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.

3. Use the bulleted list below to outline the steps in the procedure for removing a president, vice president, member of the Cabinet, or federal judge from office. (Continue the list on your own, after “b” below.)

Students who are enrolled in the APGovPol course and/or take the Exam in May will need to be able to list the constitutional powers of the president and explain how these powers have expanded.

6. Look at Table 13.3 on page 399 in Government in America and choose one constitutional power from each category that you believe is the most important. Briefly explain why you made each of those choices.

Which Constitutional Power Is Most Important? / Why?
a.
b.
c.
d.

7. Describe two ways in which the power of the president has expanded from its constitutional basis.

Students who take the APGovPol Exam and/or enroll in the course will need to explain how the office of the presidency is organized to make and enforce public policy.

8. What is the president’s Cabinet, and what does it do?

9. In the table below, list and explain the function of three major policymaking bodies of the Executive Office of the President.

Name of Policymaking Body in Executive Office / What It Does to Make Public Policy
a.
b.
c.

10. What is the difference between a hierarchical organization and a wheel-and-spokes system of White House management?

A hierarchical organization

A wheel-and-spokes system

11. In the table below, make a list of four First Ladies and how they have influenced the presidency.

Name of First Lady / How First Lady Influenced Presidency
a.
b.
c.
d.

Students in APGovPol and who take the Exam in May need to be able to explain the relationship between the president and the Congress and the ways in which the president is able to lead Congress.

12. List the three options the president has once Congress has passed a bill.

13. What is the difference between a veto, a pocket veto, and a line-item veto?

A veto

A pocket veto

A line-item veto

14. Explain what is meant by the term “presidential coattails” and, according to the experts, just how effective these are for people running for elective office.

15. What are the two indicators of public support for the president?

16. What is meant by the president’s “honeymoon” period?

To do well on this course and on the APGovPol Exam in May, students will need to be able to explain the role of the president in developing national security policy.

17. What is an “executive agreement” and how does it differ from a treaty?

18. What are the main provisions of the War Powers Resolution?

19. Why is the president better-equipped to handle a crisis than Congress?

20. What are the “two presidencies”?

Students enrolled in APGovPol must be able to explain the importance of public opinion to the president and his or her ability to obtain the support of the public.

21. Presidents play several “roles” during the time they are in office. Two of them are below. Briefly explain each presidential role.

Head of government:

Head of state:

22. Beginning with Bill Clinton, rank the past five presidents in terms of their ability to garner public support. (Reminder: this is not asking whether a president was liked personally, nor was it based on whether a president’s policy agenda was something you agree with, but only the degree to which a president could gather support from the public.)

Best at garnering public support:

Next best at garnering public support:

Third best at garnering public support:

Fourth best at garnering public support:

Fifth best at garnering public support:

Students in APGovPol must be able to explain the relationship between the president and the media.

23. What is the major role of the president’s press secretary?

24. In what ways are the press/mass media biased against the president?

Finally, students must understand the place of the presidency in American democracy and the effect the presidency has had on the scope of government.

25. In what ways is the institution of the presidency undemocratic?

26. How does the presidency today increase and decrease the scope of government in our democracy?

The presidency increases the scope of government by

The presidency decreases the scope of government by