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ISS Unit 4 Review - Branches of Government

Total questions: 21

Worksheet time: 21mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which of the following is a check that Congress has over the president?

a)

They have to approve his appointees

b)

They can override his veto

c)

They have the power to impeach him

d)

All of the above

2.

Which of the following is NOT a requirement for being president of the United States?

a)

You must be at least 35 years old

b)

You must be a United States’ citizen from birth

c)

You have to have lived in the United States for 14 years

d)

Prior experience in the U.S. Government

3.

What is Judicial Review?

a)

The Supreme Court's power to declare laws unconstitutional.

b)

The Supreme Court avoids taking the initiative on social and political questions.

c)

A clause stating that no state may deprive a person of life, liberty, or property.

d)

The Supreme Court shaping polices by addressing social and political issues.

4.

The president is most likely to use an executive order to make important policy when

a)

Congress is dominated by the president’s party

b)

A compromise cannot be reached with Congress

c)

The Supreme Court is divided along ideological lines

d)

A negotiation with foreign heads of state reaches an impasse

5.

Bureaucratic rule-making is best defined as

a)

legally binding decisions made by Congress to constrain regulatory agencies

b)

guidelines issued by government agencies, which provide specific details about how a policy will be implemented

c)

directions given by the president to the bureaucracy regarding how a specific policy will be applied

d)

review and supervision of departments and agencies conducted by congressional committees

6.

Appointments to the federal judiciary are often contentious for which of the following reasons?

a)

The House of Representatives can undermine presidential authority by overriding judicial appointments.

b)

The president selects nominees based on political orientation, while the Senate focuses on the academic credentials of nominees.

c)

Federal judges are given a platform to legislate from the bench, and the Senate is hesitant about relinquishing power to the judiciary.

d)

Life terms for federal judges mean that presidential appointments will continue to have influence long after the president’s term is over.

7.

Which of the following actions by public school students would most likely be protected symbolic speech based on the precedent established by Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969)?

a)

Leading prayers over the school’s public address system

b)

Publishing an editorial in the school newspaper

c)

Wearing t-shirts objecting to a school board decision

d)

Protesting a school board decision by disrupting a school assembly

8.

The legislative process at the national level of government reflects the intent of the framers of the Constitution to create a legislature that would be

a)

less powerful than the executive

b)

able to involve as many citizens as possible in the law making process

c)

slow and deliberate in the law-making process

d)

able to ensure that all citizens are equally represented

9.

The map shows the outline of a congressional district. Which of the following statements best explains the motivation behind the way in which it is drawn?

a)

It shows the natural boundaries of each district

b)

It allows both political parties to equally represented in those districts

c)

It is drawn to favor one party over another

d)

It is drawn to ensure a competitive and fair race

10.

According to the pie chart, where do most bureaucrats works?

a)

Homeland Security

b)

Postal Service

c)

Veterans Affairs

d)

Education

11.

According to the process shown in the image, which step is where bills typically "die"?

a)

Reported out of committee

b)

Debated by the full House

c)

During the vote

d)

Referred to committee

12.

According to this sequence chart, where should the bill go once it reaches the end?

a)

Introduced in the senate

b)

The full senate

c)

The full house

d)

The president

13.

What is depicted in this image?

a)

Card stacking

b)

Gerrymandering

c)

Franking

d)

Logrolling

14.

The judicial vacancies must be filled by the president and confirmed by

a)

A simple majority of the Senate

b)

a 60% majority of the Senate

c)

A two-thirds majority of the Senate

d)

A simple majority of each house of Congress

15.

Which of the following positions do NOT require Senate confirmation?

a)

Ambassadors

b)

Cabinet Secretaries

c)

Federal Judges

d)

White House Chief of Staff

16.

The Supreme Court’s power of judicial review was established by

a)

the Bill of Rights

b)

the Constitution

c)

the Court’s decision in Griswold v. Connecticut

d)

the Court’s decision in Marbury v. Madison

17.

Which of the following actions of the president has no basis in the Constitution?

a)

issuing executive orders

b)

serving as leader of his political party

c)

stationing U.S. troops at bases abroad

d)

negotiating free trade agreements with other countries

18.

The main function of the president’s cabinet is

a)

to put together the federal budget and submit it to Congress

b)

to write federal regulations

c)

to provide advice to the president

d)

to provide leadership in the event the president is unable to perform his duties

19.

Which of the following is NOT a check on the power of the president that the Constitution gives Congress?

a)

Congress can pass a law the president has vetoed.

b)

Congress can reject the president’s selections of people to fill key positions in the Executive Office of the President.

c)

Congress can reject a treaty the president has negotiated.

d)

Congress can reject the president’s nominees for federal judges.

20.

Which of the following is NOT a factor the president generally takes into account in nominating a person for Supreme Court justice?

a)

whether or not the person can be confirmed in the Senate

b)

the political party the person belongs to

c)

whether public opinion will be favorable towards the person nominated

d)

whether the person has held elective office before

21.

Which one of the following statements best describes the prevailing view of the power of the president today?

a)

The president is primarily an administrator carrying out the will of Congress

b)

The president can take whatever action he feels appropriate to advance his policy goals as long as he doesn’t break the law or violate the Constitution.

c)

The president is the voice of the nation but cannot take any important actions on his own without the approval of Congress.

d)

The president is above the law and can pursue the policies he believes in even if that means he must break a law.