Cram Session 2.

2
Institutions of Government: Executive Branch
Beginning in 1994, it was difficult for President Clinton to get his
domestic program passed. What is the best explanation for this?
A. His approval ratings suffered a steady decline.
B. The government was divided.
C. The poor economy made it difficult for Congress to fund new
programs.
D. The impeachment process took up the last six years of his
presidency.
E. He concentrated on foreign affairs and did not put forth a
domestic agenda.

Beginning in 1994, Clinton faced divided government, in which the
party opposing the president holds one or both houses of
Congress. Although this does not cause gridlock, it does make it
more difficult for a president to get programs passed

Why is the threat of a veto a powerful presidential tool?
A. because Congress does not want the negative media attention
associated with a presidential veto
B. because a presidential veto kills a bill until the next session of
Congress
C. because it is difficult for Congress to obtain the two-thirds vote
necessary to override a presidential veto
D. because the president can use the line-item veto to cut out pet projects
favored by certain members of Congress
E. because the public usually supports the president more than it
supports Congress

(C) is correct because it is difficult for Congress to obtain the two-thirds
vote necessary to override a presidential veto and the threat of veto would
mean Congress would be less likely to put effort into a bill that would
never see fruition. (A) Media coverage of vetoes is scant and unlikely to
affect Congressional deliberations; (B) a veto doesnt automatically kill a
bill (it can be overridden) and a bill would have to be re-introduced next
session. (E) doesnt really answer the question thats asked.

What is the typical method for becoming a member of the White
House staff?
A. be a longtime associate of the president
B. be a longtime member of Congress with substantial
experience in policymaking
C. serve on the staff of the presidents predecessor if the former
president was a member of the presidents political party
D. have experience in business and industry and apply for the
job based upon qualifications
E. have experience in academia, preferably as a professor at an
Ivy League college

When does a president have the best chance of getting his program enacted?
A. During a period at the beginning of his term, when he can claim a
mandate
B. Halfway through his first term, after he has established himself
C. During his second term, after he has had time to develop relationships
with members of Congress
D. After he holds a press conference and asks the public to support a
program during wartime
E. When his approval ratings have increased because of a prolonged war
or economic recession

Explanation: A presidents popularity tends to be highest right after he is
elected, when he can claim a mandate from the voters in support of his
program

Why has the custom of senatorial courtesy been criticized?
A. Because senators block the nomination of judges on the basis of
party politics
B. Because presidents find it difficult to find judicial candidates
who would be accepted by their state senators
C. Because senators from the opposing party use it to block the
presidents nominations for partisan purposes
D. Because it results in unqualified candidates being confirmed
E. Because it forces presidents to share the nomination power with
the members of the Senate.

Senatorial courtesy allows a senior senator from the presidents
party to block the nomination of a federal district judge from his or
her home state.

How does an executive order differ from legislation?
A. Executive orders are submitted by the president to
Congress for approval; bills are submitted by the Congress
to the president for approval.
B. Executive orders have the force of law but do not have to
be approved by Congress.
C. Executive orders expire after five years.
D. Executive orders require ratification by the Senate but not
the House.
E. The Supreme Court cannot rule on the constitutionality of
an executive order.

Executive orders are presidential directives that have the force of law but
do not need to be approved by Congress. They do not ordinarily expire.
The Supreme Court can rule executive orders unconstitutional.


Which of the following is a check on the presidents powers over
foreign affairs?
A. Congress must approve of troop commitments before the
military can be deployed
B. The Senate may refuse to ratify a treaty.
C. Congress may impeach the president for an unjust war.
D. Congress may cut funding for a cabinet-level department.
E. Two-thirds of both houses of Congress may overturn a
presidential veto.

The Senate may refuse to ratify a treaty approved by the president.
This occurred with the Treaty of Versailles following World War I
The president has all of the following expressed powers under
the Constitution EXCEPT
A. to grant reprieves and pardons for federal offenses
B. to convene Congress in special sessions
C. to declare war
D. to appoint ambassadors, subject to Senate confirmation
E. to veto bills passed by Congress

Explanation: Although the president is the commander in
chief Congress has the power to declare war

The president can influence legislation in all of the
following ways EXCEPT
A. by having his staff write a legislative program that is
then introduced by a member of his party in Congress
B. by asking the public to call Congress and express
support for his legislative agenda
C. by threatening to Veto a bill when there is not enough
likely support in Congress to override the veto
D. by personally contacting members of Congress and
asking for their support
E. by issuing an executive order overturning an act of
Congress

How can the executive branch check the judicial branch?
A. by approving the nomination of federal judges
B. by nominating federal judges, subject to senate approval
C. by issuing an executive order overturning a courts
decision
D. by firing a federal judge for cause
E. by reducing the number of federal courts
Which of the following accurately describes the outcome of
impeachment in United States history?
A. President Nixon was impeached, but he resigned before he
was removed from office.
B. Nixon and Clinton are the only presidents who have faced
impeachment.
C. Articles of impeachment were approved against President
Clinton, but he was not impeached.
D. Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson were impeached but not
convicted or removed from office.
E. Andrew Johnson is the only president to have been
impeached and removed from office.
All of the following choices are accurate statements about the
nature of bureaucracies EXCEPT:
A. There are built-in review processes for appeal of agency
decisions.
B. There are bureaucratic agencies that oversee other agencies.
C. The size and scope of the federal bureaucracy increased in the
1990s.
D. There are political checks on agencies.
E. Legislative power can restrict agency appropriations.

Choice C, the correct answer, is not true because of President
Clintons efforts to downsize the federal government through his
REGO (reinventing government) programs. The other choices are
all correct.
The Federal Reserve Board has grown in importance because it
A. influences the trade policy of the United States
B. has printed more money in order to reduce the deficit
C. attempts to control inflation by raising or lowering interest
rates
D. can shut down trading on the stock market when the market
drops below a certain point
E. can create new branches of the National Bank

Choice C, the correct answer, is a major function of the Federal
Reserve Board and was used frequently in the 1 990s in an attempt
to head off a period of inflation. Choices A, B, D, and E are
factually incorrect.
All of the following are ways that Congress oversees the
bureaucracy EXCEPT
A. it can fire agency heads
B. the Senate confirms the appointment of cabinet heads
C. Congress can submit legislation to the president that
cuts an agencys budget
D. congressional committees can hold oversight hearings
E. Congress can write legislation to clarify agency
regulations and procedures
All of the following are true about the relationship between
regulatory agencies and the industries they regulate EXCEPT:
A. Agency employees are often recruited from the regulated
industry.
B. Agencies often rely on support from regulated industries in
making budget requests before Congress.
C. An agencys relationship with a regulated industry may
change when a new president takes office.
D. Agencies usually make decisions without consulting the
regulated industry.
E. Agency employees often are employed by the regulated
industry once they leave the agency.
Which of the following is true of a presidential veto of a
piece of legislation?
A. It is rarely overridden by Congress.
B. It is not binding unless supported by the cabinet.
C. It can only be sustained on revenue bills.
D. It is automatically reviewed by the United States
Supreme Court.
E. It is subject to approval by a congressional committee.
Which statement best describes how presidential power has
changed over time since ratification of the Constitution?
A. Presidential power over foreign affairs has increased, but
power over the bureaucracy has decreased over time.
B. Presidential power over foreign affairs has decreased because
the war Powers Resolution requires presidents to consult
with Congress.
C. Presidential power over legislation has decreased because of
negative press coverage of presidential proposals.
D. Presidential power over foreign affairs has increased
E. Presidential power has not changed significantly since the
Constitution was ratified.
As a former general, President Eisenhower organized his
White House staff in a top-down manner with clear lines of
command. Which of the following best describes this
method of organizing a White House staff?
A. competitive management model
B. a combined model
C. hierarchical model
D. ad hoc model
E. wheel and spokes model
In attempting to gain public support for his agenda, the
president uses all the following techniques EXCEPT
A. using the bully pulpit
B. giving the media a photo op
C. providing sound bites
D. holding a press conference
E. holding a private meeting with the joint chiefs of staff

Choice E is the only incorrect choice because a meeting of
the joint chiefs of staff, the heads of the military, is usually
behind closed doors and would have a negligible impact on
influencing public support compared to the other choices.
Which of the following is a characteristic of the electoral college?
A. It mandates presidential electors to vote for the candidate they are
pledged to.
B. It establishes a power base for third-party candidates.
C. It has resulted in frequent occasions when a president wins the
electoral vote but not the popular vote.
D. It became part of the Constitution to give more power to the voters.
E. It gives the House of Representatives the power to determine who
will be president if no candidate gets a majority of the electoral votes.

Choice E, the correct answer, gives the circumstances when the House of
Representatives is mandated by the Constitution to select a president if a
majority is not reached in the electoral college. Choice A is incorrect
because presidential electors are only morally obligated to vote for the
candidate the elector supported. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect
statements about the nature of the electoral college.
In choosing members of the cabinet, the president usually seeks
out people who
A. exclusively come from his own political party
B. are primarily from the business community
C. will remain loyal to the president
D. are current government officials
E. are former government officials

Choice C, the correct answer, has become the main criterion
related to how and why cabinet appointments are made. Choice A
is incorrect because of the use of the word exclusively. Choices B
and E are incorrect because, although the statements have a
degree of factual accuracy, they do not reflect the main criterion.
Choice D is factually incorrect because most cabinet members
come from the upper levels of the socioeconomic life.
All the following are considered delegated constitutional jobs
of the president EXCEPT
A. commander in chief of the armed forces
B. chief of state
C. making appointments of ambassadors
D. head of their political party
E. signing treaties with foreign countries

Choice D is the incorrect answer because it is an assumed
duty that is not part of the written Constitution. Choices A, B,
C, and E are all constitutionally delegated powers or jobs of
the president.
In vetoing a bill, the president does which of the following?
A. Rejects only a part of the bill without rejecting it entirely.
B. Prevents any further action on the bill.
C. Sends the bill back to conference committee.
D. Rejects all sections of the bill.
E. Decides the bills constitutionality.
Which statement best describes the importance of the vice president?
A. The vice president checks on the health of the president daily and
attends the funerals of Third World dictators.
B. The vice president has an important role as the president of the
Senate.
C. The importance of the vice president depends on his or her
relationship with the president and the duties the president asks him
or her to assume.
D. The vice president is a lightning rod for criticism that would be
otherwise directed at the president.
E. The vice president does not have an important role; his or her
function is largely ceremonial.
The largest source of federal revenue is the
A. capital gains tax
B. Social Security tax
C. property tax
D. income tax
E. sales tax