Presidency and Congress

Congressional legislative powers include all of the following EXCEPT

• legislating federal appropriations

• approval of treaties

• establishing a lower-court system

• passing federal laws

• pardoning felons

A "cloture motion" passed in the Senate does which of the following?

• Returns a bill to committee.

• stops debate on a bill/ends filibuster

• Criticizes a senator guilty of improprieties.

• Brings a bill directly to a vote without formal committee approval.

Which of the following best reflects the holding in the case Baker v. Carr (1962) ?

• Declared that racial gerrymandering was a violation of the due process clause.

• Stated that the Tenth Amendment exclusively reserves the power to review congressional districts to the states.

• Created a one-person, one-vote standard for reviewing congressional districts.

• Stated that the Seventeenth Amendment requires regular review of the constitutionality of congressional districts.

All of the following powers are granted to the President by the Constitution EXCEPT

• commissioning officers in the armed forces

• addressing the Congress on the state of the union

• receiving ambassadors

• granting pardons for federal offenses

• CREATING new cabinet-level departments

Generally, when is a president more likely to get congressional approval of proposed policies?

• After midterm congressional elections

• When public opinion is sharply divided over policies

• In foreign affairs rather than in domestic affairs

A newly elected president faces a Senate controlled by the opposition party. Which of the following presidential appointments is the most likely to encounter difficulty with confirmation by the Senate?

• Secretary of defense

• Supreme Court Justice

• Ambassador to Germany

The primary function of the White House staff is to

• initiate policy

• advise the president

• provide information to the Office of Management and Budget

• represent the bureaucratic agencies

A President attempting to influence Congress to pass a legislative program might employ all of the following strategies EXCEPT

• using the media to draw attention to the legislative program

• denying campaign reelection funds to legislators who oppose the President's policy stand

• reminding legislators of high popularity ratings for the President in public opinion polls

In The Federalist 70, Alexander Hamilton states that “energy in the executive is a leading character in the definition of good government.” In this statement, Hamilton is arguing in favor of the need for

• a single executive who can respond quickly to crises

• a president who has a good understanding of public policy

• a president who is youthful and assertive

• a president who has a good understanding of public policy

Which of the following is an example of how the innovation of social media can influence presidential behavior?

• The president holds a press conference to discuss midterm election results.

• The president outlines the administration's legislative agenda in the State of the Union Address.

• The president announces the nomination of a cabinet secretary on the Internet.