President Trump
In designing the presidency, the delegates tried to strike what kind of balance?
A. balance between monarchy, aristocracy, and anarchy
B. balance between militarism and economic stewardship
C. balance between assuring adequate executive power and minimizing risk of tyranny
D. balance between social policy and cultural leadership
C. Balance between assuring adequate executive power and minimizing risk of tyranny
A group of advisors to the president, consisting of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch who head the fifteen executive departments can be referred to as?
A Cabinet
Presidential campaigns are expensive. What do they spend most of their money on?
A. Debates
B. Advertising
C. Investments in candidates' personal retirement accounts
D. Traveling to rallys
B. Advertising
How many electors are there in the Electoral College?
A. 535
B. 536
C. 537
D. 538
D. 538
Who do presidents need approval from before they can remove a Senate-confirmed executive branch official?
A. Senate
B. House
C. Surpeme Court
D. All of the above
E. None of the above (presidents can remove executive branch officials unilaterally)
E. None of the above (presidents can remove executive branch officials unilaterally)
The Constitution establishes that the president is selected by what method?
A. Electoral College
B. Direct popular vote
C. Legislative appointment
A. Electoral College
Who do presidents need approval from before their appointees, e.g., Supreme Court Judges, can officially begin work?
A. Senate
B. House
C. Surpeme Court
D. All of the above
E. None of the above
A. Senate
Place the following in order of when they emerged as the most important method for selecting presidential nominees. That which was used first should be placed at the top. The most recent method should be placed at the bottom.
A. National party conventions
B. Primary elections and party caucuses
C. King caucus
C. King caucus
A. National party conventions
B. Primary elections and party caucuses
What term refers to an effort by a president to deliver a major television address in the hope that public pressure will result in legislators supporting the president on a major piece of legislation?
A. Going public
B. The nuclear option
C. Legislative hardball
D. Congressional diplomacy
A. Going public
How many cabinet departments are there?
A. 10
B. 11
C. 12
D. 15
D. 15
Which of the following statements most accurately describes the constitutional history of the president's tenure in office?
A. The original Constitution allowed presidents to serve only one seven-year term, but the Twenty-Second Amendment changed this to allow presidents to serve up to two four-year terms.
B. The original Constitution allowed presidents to serve an unlimited number of four-year terms, but the Twenty-Second Amendment changed this to allow presidents to serve no more than two four-year terms.
C. The original Constitution allowed presidents to serve no more than two four-year terms, but the Twenty-Second Amendment changed this to allow presidents to serve an unlimited number of four-year terms.
D. The original Constitution allowed presidents to serve an unlimited number of four-year terms, but the Twenty-Second Amendment changed this to allow presidents to serve only one seven-year term.
B. The original Constitution allowed presidents to serve an unlimited number of four-year terms, but the Twenty-Second Amendment changed this to allow presidents to serve no more than two four-year terms.
What was James Madison's plan or proposal for structuring the executive branch when the delegates convened at the Constitutional Convention of 1787?
A. Very weak executive committee with a single short term and removable by a majority of state governors
B. Unitary executive with a life term and broad powers
C. Short on specifics but aimed generally at empowering an executive to perform its necessary functions without becoming tyrannical
C. Short on specifics but aimed generally at empowering an executive to perform its necessary functions without becoming tyrannical
Which member of the White House Staff is the President's most important "right hand person"?
A. Press Secretary
B. Chief of Staff
C. Communications Director
D. Congressional Liaison
E. Domestic Policy Adviser
B. Chief of Staff
Who is next in line to become the President after impeachment?
A. Chief of Staff
B. Speaker of Congress
C. Vice President
D. Chief Justice
C. Vice President
Which method does nearly every state use for selecting the state's representatives in the Electoral College?
A. State legislatures decide without paying significant attention to the popular vote in the state
B. The state party chooses a slate of electors prior to the election, and the candidate who gets the most votes in the state gets to have their party's entire slate be the electors for the state.
C. Each party chooses a slate of electors prior to the election, and the electors are apportioned in proportion to the percent of the state popular vote the candidate received.
B. The state party chooses a slate of electors prior to the election, and the candidate who gets the most votes in the state gets to have their party's entire slate be the electors for the state.
Which of the following is NOT a presidential eligibility requirement established by the Constitution?
A. Must be at least thirty-five years of age
B. Inhabitant of the U.S. for at least fourteen years
C. Natural-born citizen of the United States
D. Passed a civic literacy test
D. Passed a civic literacy test
If Washington, D.C. was NOT allowed to cast Electoral College votes for president, how many electors would there be in the Electoral College?
A. 535
B. 536
C. 537
D. 538
A. 535
Sort the outcomes below based on how frequently they have occurred. The outcome that has occurred most often should be at the top. The outcome that has occurred the least frequently should be at the bottom.
A. A candidate fails to get a majority of the Electoral College votes and is declared the winner by the House of Representatives.
B. The candidate with the most popular votes gets a majority of the Electoral College votes and is declared the winner.
C. A candidate wins a majority of the Electoral College votes without winning a majority of the popular votes and is declared the winner.
B. The candidate with the most popular votes gets a majority of the Electoral College votes and is declared the winner. (Most frequent - most current is 2024)
C. A candidate wins a majority of the Electoral College votes without winning a majority of the popular votes and is declared the winner. (Five times - 1824, 1876, 1888, 2000, and 2016)
A. A candidate fails to get a majority of the Electoral College votes and is declared the winner by the House of Representatives. (Twice, 1800 & 1824)
According to the Constitution, if no candidate wins a majority of the Electoral College votes, which institution decides the winner and how?
A. The Senate decides by majority vote with each Senator voting individually.
B. The Senate decides by majority vote with each state getting one vote.
C. The House decides by majority vote with each representative voting individually.
D. The House decides by majority vote with each state getting one vote.
D. The House decides by majority vote with each state getting one vote.
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Which of the following is NOT a power or responsibility of the president established by the U.S. Constitution?
A. Commander-in-chief of the armed forces
B. Veto legislation (but subject to override by Congress)
C. Oversee the economy
D. Negotiate treaties (with the advice and consent of the Senate)
E. Power to pardon those convicted of federal offenses
F. Receive representatives of foreign nations
G. Nominate federal judges, including Supreme Court justices, as well as other federal officials
H. Make appointments to fill military and diplomatic posts
I. Call Congress into session when needed
J. All of the above are powers or responsibilities of the president established by the U.S. Constitution
C. Oversee the economy
Which of the following is NOT a factor that has contributed to the growth of presidential power?
A. The growth in the size and role of the American national government (in general)
B. Major events and crises, such as the Great Depression, two world wars, the Cold War, and the war on terrorism
C. The rising profile of the United States on the international stage
D. An increased yearning for monarchy in the American psyche
E. The rise of electronic mass media
D. An increased yearning for monarchy in the American psyche
Which of the following statements are true about faithless electors? (IDENTIFY ALL THAT APPLY)
A. A faithless elector is an elector who does not vote for the candidate for president and/or vice president for whom the elector had pledged to vote (as a member of their party).
B. It is illegal to perform as a faithless elector in Georgia
C. Faithless electors have never impacted the result of a presidential election
D. The U.S. Constitution strictly forbids faithless electors
E. A faithless elector is an ordinary citizen who abstains from voting on Election Day because they lose all faith in the democratic process
A. A faithless elector is an elector who does not vote for the candidate for president and/or vice president for whom the elector had pledged to vote (as a member of their party).
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C. Faithless electors have never impacted the result of a presidential election
Sort these stages of the presidential selection process into the order they occur. The stage that occurs first should be placed at the top. The stage that occurs last should be placed at the bottom.
A. The people vote in general election
B. Primaries and caucuses
C. National party conventions
D. The electoral college convenes to cast ballots
E. Senate certifies results and the president is inaugurated
B. Primaries and caucuses
C. National party conventions
A. The people vote in general election
D. The electoral college convenes to cast ballots
E. Senate certifies results and the president is inaugurated
Which two of these statements most accurately describe the president's reliance on Congress on matters of foreign affairs in the present era? (IDENTIFY THOSE THAT APPLY)
A. Presidents normally engage in military hostilities without waiting for Congress to formally declare war first.
B. Before engaging in military hostilities with foreign powers, presidents almost always wait for Congress to formally declare war first.
C. Before entering into commitments with other countries, presidents almost always work with the Senate to formalize the commitment as a treaty.
D. When entering into commitments with other countries, presidents today normally bypass the Senate by formalizing the commitment as an executive agreement instead of a treaty.
A. Presidents normally engage in military hostilities without waiting for Congress to formally declare war first.
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D. When entering into commitments with other countries, presidents today normally bypass the Senate by formalizing the commitment as an executive agreement instead of a treaty.