Concept Application Practice

Concept Application Practice

Powers of Congress

Multiple Choice

Congress tries to control the bureaucracy through…

• rewriting laws, controlling budgets and holding hearings 
• the use of executive orders and appointments
• the creation of iron triangles
• dismissing members of the President’s cabinet 

Multiple Choice

The Constitution states that all revenue bills must originate in

• a White House budget resolution

• the Congressional Budget Office

• the United States Senate

• the United States House of Representatives

Multiple Choice

When a bill passes the House and the Senate in different versions, the bill is resolved by which of the following types of committee?

• Conference

• Select

• Reconciliation

• Rules

Multiple Choice

 Considered as a single group, the Small Business Administration, the Small Business committees in the House and Senate, and small business advocacy groups are an example of...

• an iron triangle
• a conference committee 
• a regulatory agency
• dual federalism

Multiple Choice

Congress tries to control the bureaucracy through…

• rewriting laws and budgets and holding hearings 
• the use of executive orders and appointments
• the creation of iron triangles
• dismissing members of the President’s cabinet 

Powers of the President

Multiple Choice

The fact that executive orders have been used at an increasing rate indicates which of the following?

• Executive orders speed up the process by which Congress passes legislation
• The power of the president is growing
• The president is using the power of persuasion to maintain party discipline
• Executive orders are a tactic used by the executive branch to challenge legislation the president opposes.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following accurately compares the formal and informal powers of the president?

• Formal Power: Vetoing legislation to prevent a bill from becoming law

  
  

  Informal Power: Using the power of the purse

• Formal Power: Using the bully pulpit to influence public opinion

  
  

  Informal Power: Appointing ambassadors and receiving diplomats from other nations

• Formal Power: Acting as commander in chief of the military

  
  

  Informal Power: Signing executive agreements with foreign nations

• Formal Power: Using the power of the purse to support government programs

  
  

  Informal Power: Using signing statements to shape legislation

Multiple Choice

Executive agreements have been cited as evidence that

• modern presidents often try to avoid legislative checks and balances on their authority

• the executive branch has become too large and bureaucratic

• presidents have less power in handling foreign policy than in handling domestic policy

• interest groups have too much power in the contemporary governmental system

Multiple Choice

Executive orders are issued by…

• independent regulatory agencies
• Congress 
• any federal agency or department
• The President 

Supreme Court Cases

Multiple Choice

Compelling Amish students to attend school past the 8th grade violates the Free Exercise Clause of the 1st Amendment

• Wisconsin v. Yoder

• Engel v. Vitale

• United States v. Lopez

• Baker v. Carr

Multiple Choice

School sponsorship of religious activities (teacher led / directed prayer) violates the establishment clause

• Tinker v. Des Moines

• Engel v. Vitale

• Wisconsin v. Yoder

• Schenck v. United States

Multiple Choice

According to Roe v. Wade, what could a state do if it wanted to limit a woman’s right to an abortion during her first trimester?

• The state could do very little to limit a woman’s right to an abortion.

• The state could ban it.

• The state could regulate it if the mother’s life were in danger.

• The state could ban the abortion unless the mother’s life was in danger.

Multiple Choice

On which constitutional principle did the Supreme Court base it’s ruling in Citizens United?

• freedom of speech

• freedom to remain silent

• freedom of expression

• equal protection

Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements identifies the Supreme Court’s decision in Tinker v. Des Moines?

• Schools can suspend students whose actions stimulate class discussions

• The First Amendment protects non-disruptive expression within schools

• Students can express their opinions in any way they choose in school

• Clothing cannot be categorized as a form of speech

Multiple Choice

Which of the following did the Supreme Court permit in New York Times v. United States?

• printing military strategies during the Vietnam War

• publishing papers regarding government decisions during the Vietnam War

• Nixon’s invocation of executive privilege

• investigations into presidential corruption

Multiple Choice

In Brown v Board of Education, the Supreme Court based its decision on which provision of the 14th Amendment?

• Automatic citizenship for persons born in the US

• Equal Protection under the law

• Due Process Clause

• Fellowship Clause of Rights

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a result of the Gideon v Wainwright decision?

• Evidence acquired without a warrant will be excluded from the defendant's trial.

• No state can prevent a woman from having an abortion

• Police must tell arrested suspects that they have a right against self-incrimination

• States must provide poor defendants with public defense attorneys

Multiple Choice

In what way do the decisions in Engel v Vitale and Wisconsin v Yoder differ?

• One suggests a public policy creates an establishment of religion, while the other suggests a public policy denies a free exercise of religion

• One was decided on free speech grounds and one was decided on free press grounds

• One preserved the governmental policy and the other struck down a governmental policy

• One was during wartime and one was during peacetime

Multiple Choice

What was the effect of the opinion in Schenck v United States?

• People can say or express anything as long as the nation is not at war

• During wartime, no person can criticize the US government

• Free speech was expanded in the US

• As long as speech does not present a clear and present danger, it is allowed