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WorksheetsThe Living Constitution
Total questions: 26
Worksheet time: 19mins
Why did the Framers of the Constitution set the minimum age requirement for the president at 35 years?
They believed it ensured maturity and good judgment.
B They respected those who had lived through colonial times.
They preferred adults who had a university education.
They thought presidents’ sons could learn from them and be candidates.
What has to happen for a treaty to become law?
Both houses of Congress must approve a treaty negotiated and signed by the president.
The House and the Senate must approve a treaty by supermajority before the president can sign.
The president has sole power to negotiate and sign a treaty, but the Senate must approve treaties by a two-thirds vote
Either the Senate or the president can negotiate and sign a treaty.
What is the president’s central role in lawmaking?
introducing laws in Congress
signing or vetoing legislation
forcing Congress to act
using presidential war powers
Which of the following describes the president’s role as commander in chief?
declares war
recruits and maintains the armed forces
decides where, when, and how to use the armed forces
appoints the heads of congressional armed forces committees
What are executive orders?
orders Congress issues to the president
orders the Supreme Court issues to the president
orders the president issues to carry out policies
orders the president issues to Congress
Who is in the president’s Cabinet?
officials from executive departments who formally advise the president
senators who informally advise the president
state governors who formally advise the president
business leaders who offer informal advice
How have presidents been able to take military action against terrorism since September 11, 2001, without a declaration of war?
The Supreme Court ruled that it was constitutional for the president to take such action.
The president has the power as commander in chief to take military action against terrorism.
Congress passed a joint resolution authorizing the president to use force against terrorist entities
The president has requested the approval of Congress within 60 days of taking military action.
What is one of the constitutional requirements to be president?
The president must be at least 30 years of age
The president must be a U.S. resident for 14 years.
The president must have previously held an elected office.
The president must have graduated from college
3. What power does the president have in the role of commander in chief?
the power to declare war
the power to enforce treaties rejected by the Senate
the power to block press coverage of military actions
the power to determine where, when, and how to deploy troops
What can the president do if Congress passes a bill the president doesn’t like?
override the bill
veto the bill
call Congress into special session
submit the bill for Supreme Court review
Which of the following is part of the president’s role as chief executive?
expand the powers of the executive agencies
decorate war heroes
manage the agencies in the executive branch
campaign for candidates from the president’s party
Why did Congress pass the War Powers Resolution of 1973?
to provide the president with options for declaring a limited war
to indicate disapproval for the nuclear arms race
to place limits on the president’s power to deploy troops without a declaration of war
to express U.S. willingness to go to war against more powerful nations
Who is first in the line of succession if the president is unable to perform presidential duties?
Chief Justice of the United States
Speaker of the House
Secretary of State
vice president
Which of the following describes the Supreme Court?
It is primarily a trial court.
It is primarily an appellate court
It hears several hundred cases each year
It mainly hears cases involving federal officials.
Why has the number of cases heard by the Supreme Court each year declined since the 1980s?
Fewer cases are filed with the Court each year
The Court has requested that its caseload be reduced.
The Court has raised its standards for accepting cases.
The Court has declined to hear cases related to First Amendment protections.
What is an important purpose of a majority opinion?
to outline reasons for the Court’s decision
to summarize the attorneys’ oral arguments
to demonstrate the power of judicial review
to explain why the Court decided to hear the case
How has the Senate’s review of Supreme Court nominations changed since 1987?
Nominations take longer when televised.
Confirmation is not subject to the nuclear option.
Nominations proceed through the process smoothly.
Confirmation is not certain due to political debate.
What is the opposite of judicial activism?
textualism
originalism
judicial review
judicial restraint
What judicial philosophy expresses the idea that only the plain meaning of the words in a law should be used to interpret that law?
originalism
textualism
broad construction
loose construction
How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
eight
nine
twelve
fifteen
What kinds of cases does the Supreme Court hear out of the thousands that are sent to it each year?
those that raise important policy issues
those that receive nationwide publicity
those that catch the interest of the justices
those that are debated by Congress
What is the name of a written statement that explains why one or more justices do not agree with the Court’s judgment in a case?
minority opinion
rejecting opinion
dissenting opinion
concurring opinion
How long do Supreme Court justices serve?
four years
six years
eight years
lifetime
Who must either confirm or reject a nominee to the Supreme Court?
the House of Representatives
the Senate
the current Court justices
the president
What term is used to describe the idea that courts should be limited to striking down laws that are unmistakably unconstitutional?
judicial activism
judicial restraint
originalism
textualism
What is the opposite of broad construction?
strict construction
loose construction
originalism
textualism
