5.2 Presidency

Which of the following BEST illustrates how the vice presidency has changed in recent years?

• Presidents are no longer required to get congressional approval to fill vice presidential vacancies.

• Recent Presidents have chosen Vice Presidents as a way to "balance the ticket."

• Recent Vice Presidents have attended strategy meetings and taken on greater responsibilities.

• Vice Presidents today are no longer "Presidents-in-waiting" but instead are key presidential advisors.

Which of the following BEST describes the role of First Ladies today?

• ceremonial figures

• policy makers

• managers of communications to the President

• advocates of particular policies and positions

In 1980, presidential candidate Ronald Reagan, a conservative Republican, chose George H.W. Bush, a moderate Republican, to be his running mate. This is an example of balancing a ticket based on

• geography

• religion

• age and experience

• ideology

In 1960, presidential candidate John F. Kennedy, a U.S. senator from Massachusetts, chose Lyndon B. Johnson, a southerner from Texas, as his running mate. This is an example of balancing the ticket based on

• geography.

• religion.

• age and experience.

• ideology.

The role and influence of the First Lady has evolved over time. What is MOST true of the current influence of the First Lady?

• The First Lady is expected to keep her opinions private and focus on being White House hostess.

• The First Lady is expected to express her opinions and advocate particular social causes.

• The First Lady is expected to serve as an advisor to her husband.

• The First Lady can do as she pleases, with few expectations from the public.

Which of the following are listed as formal duties of the Vice President in the Constitution?

• attend Cabinet meetings and execute national security policy

• be aware of military developments and strengthen relationships with allies

• \support presidential policies and assist in the administration of the executive branch

• preside over the Senate and help decide presidential disability

Which of the following BEST supports the practice of "balancing the ticket"?

• The practice helps ensure that the best qualified candidate is included on the ticket.

• The practice helps guarantee that the two major parties will have equal chances to win.

• The practice helps select the vice presidential candidates who are best equipped to become President.

• The practice helps broaden a campaign's appeal by attracting voters from a particular region.

Which of the following BEST describes how the role of the Vice President has changed over time?

• Following the cold war, the Vice President began to take a lesser role in the administration.

• Following World War II, the Vice President began to take a more active role in the administration.

• After the passage of the 25th Amendment, the Vice President was used mostly as a way to balance the presidential ticket.

• Since George Washington's presidency, the Vice President's role has remained largely unchanged.

In the 1950s, President Eisenhower said this about his Vice President: "Even if [Vice President] Nixon and I were not good friends, I would still have him in every important conference of government, so that if the Grim Reaper [death] would find it time to remove me from the scene, he is ready to slip in without any interruption." President Eisenhower's attitude toward his Vice President was MOST similar to which of the following President's?

• Franklin D. Roosevelt

• George W. Bush

• George Washington

• Woodrow Wilson

How did Abigail Adams' interpretation of her role as First Lady differ from that of recent First Ladies?

• Unlike Abigail Adams, the First Ladies of today have become involved in key policy decisions.

• Unlike Abigail Adams, the First Ladies of today have limited their role to that of informal advisor.

• Unlike Abigail Adams, the First Ladies of today continue their high-profile professional lives.

• Unlike Abigail Adams, the First Ladies of today often promote particular social causes.