Government Legislative Branch Final Test

what does the pres do when he is considered the Chief of State

also known as head of state

he is the living symbol of the nation

ceremonial duties (cutting ribbons, kissing babies, celebrate national holidays)

what does the pres do when he is considered the Chief Execuative

boss mode

decides how laws are enforced

selects officials and advisors

what does the pres do when he is considered the Chief Diplomat

leads foreign affairs

dictates US foreign policies

receives foreign dignitaries

represents US while overseas

negotiates treaties

tells diplomats what to say

what does the pres do when he is considered the Commander in Chief

in charge of US armed forces

decides where troops are stationed and ships are sent

all generals/admirals take orders from him

what does the pres do when he is considered the Chief Legislator

issues Executive Orders

also called legislative leader

vetos or passes bills

constitution gives pres the ability to influence congress

what does the pres do when he is considered the Party Chief

also called Party leader

head of party they represent

gets party members elected and campaigns for those who supported his policies

what does the pres do when he is considered the Chief Guardian of the Economy

Also called Economic Leader

concerned with things like unemployment, high prices, taxes

does not control economy but helps run it

has a staff dedicated to watching the economy

Three requirements to be a Presdient

35 years old

natural born citizen

resident for 14 years

What is the Ordinance Power

power to issue Executive Orders (have the force of a law)

What is the Appointment Power?

appoint cabinet members, ambassadors, diplomats, etc

Who confirms or rejects the Presidents appointed members?

The Senate

when making treaties, how must vote does he need approved from the Senate

2/3

What are Executive Agreements?

a pact between the President and a foreign head of state without the senates approval

what kind of power is recognition

inherrant

What did the War Powers Resolution Act do?

• must report to Congress within 48 hours if forces are committed to combat

• combat must be done within 60 days if no congressional declaration has been made

• 30 days to pull troops out

What is the State of Union Address, Budget Message, and Economic Report

president recommends legislation to Congress

What happens if a President does nothing with a bill?

After 10 days it will go into law

What is a pocket veto

bill dies if Congress is not in session within 10 days

T of F: The pres can call special meetings of congress

True

what is a Pardon?

legal forgiveness of any federal crime that is not treason

What is Amnesty?

blanket Pardon for a group of people

Who has the power of impeachment?

House of Reps

Who has trials of impeachment?

Senate

What is the FEC?

What does it stand for?

What are they typically?

The Federal Elections Commission

an independent agency in charge of administering all laws dealing with Federal Elections

typically under-funded and under-staffed

What are three election money laws?

1. must disclose the source of your money

2. limits on campaign contributions and expenditures

3. provide public funding for several parts of the presidential election process

What is Hard Money?

regulated for by the FEC

given directly to candidate for campaign to use in election

What is Soft Money?

not regulated by the FEC
given to state and local party organizations for voting related activities

What are individuals limited to donating per election?

$3,000

What are interest groups and PAC’s limited to spend per election?

$5,000

What is a PAC?

a Political Action Committee

raises and spends money to elect of defeat candidates

restricted on how much they can spend

What are Super PAC’s?

have unlimited funds for supporting candidates, however; they may not donate that money directly to a candidate

What is a National Deficit?

when the government spends more money than what they are taking in

What is National Debt?

a cumulative amount outstanding that the government has borrowed to finance deficits

How much debt are we in right now?

$38.9 Trillion

Three facts about government shutdowns

1. US is the only country to do this

2. the due date for the budget is October first

3. longest shutdown in history was 43 days

What is Mandatory Spending?

You must spend “x” amount of money on these programs. You can spend more-but not less

What is Discretionary Spending?

you can decide how much money to spend in these areas

Three facts about Entitlement Programs. Give examples. Which is the largest. What type of spending?

1. Social Security is the larger program

2. are mandatory spending

3. things like Medicare, Medicaid, Snap, and Unemployment Comp.

Who was the last President to have the Federal Budget not in a Deficit?

Bill Clinton

Who was the last President to have the government not in debt?

Andrew Jackson

Who are the two presidents who added the most to the national debt?

Woodrow Wilson and FDR

Before the income tax, where did the bulk of our income come from?

taxes on alcohol and tariffs

What is a Progressive Tax?

a tax where the more money you make, the more taxes they take from you

What do Progressive Rates change from?

10-35%

What amendment brought about the Income Tax?

16th Amendment

What are Payroll Taxes?

money withheld from your paycheck to pay for things like Medicare and Social Security

True of False: Income Tax is a Payroll Tax.

False

What is the percent that the Income Tax contributes to the Federal Reserve?

47%

What is the percent that the Payroll Tax contributes to the Federal Reserve?

34%

What is a Regressive Tax?

a tax where you pay more taxes if you have a lower income

What are two taxes that are Regressive Taxes?

Social Security

Federal Sales Tax

What is Proportional Tax and what is an example?

when the you have the same tax rate over your whole income

Medicare

What is an Excise (Sin) Tax?

a tax on manufacture and not sale on a good

usually on goods we should consume less of (alcohol, oil)

What are tariffs?

taxes on imported goods

What is an Estate Tax?

a tax on money or property you inherit from the death of a relative

What do people use to try to avoid paying an Estate Tax?

gift money to a relative before they die

What is a Gift Tax?

a tax on property given from one person to another

you only have to pay this tax if you exceed $19,000 per person per year

What is an example of a Non-tax Revenue?

entrance fees at a National Park

What is the Federal Reserve System?

the banks bank

earns money for the government by lending money to the banks and charging interest

How does the government borrow money?

by selling bonds

Fiscal and Monetary policies help the Federal Government work toward a 4-part economic goal. What are the four parts?

1. economic growth

2. low unemployment

3. stable prices for good/services

4. balanced budget

If you decrease taxes, which way will the economy shift?

right (outward)

What are Fiscal Policies?

policies that affect economic growth

How are Fiscal Policies put forth?

by government spending and Congress passing taxes

Who runs the Fiscal Policies and what does that make it?

elected official

more political

What is Monetary Spending?

actions taken by the Federal Reserve to manage interest rates and the nations money supply

encourage and discourage borrowing and helps control inflation

Who runs Monetary Policies and what does that make them?

Appointed Governors

less political

What is Keynesian Economics?

if the economy is struggling, simply spend more money to boost it

short-term

What did Friedrich Hayek believe?

You should make smart economic decisions instead of just spending a ton of money

ride out the lows of the economy

What does too much government spending cause?

inflation

Federal Reserve System: Who started it, how many people are nominated and by who, and after being confirmed what happens?

1. started by Woodrow Wilson

2. 7 person nominated by President and confirmed by Senate

3. after being confirmed, they have basically free will and don’t have presidential checks

What are leaders in the Federal Reserve System called and who was the most famous>

Fed Chairperson

Jerome Powell

Who becomes President after the Speaker of the House?

President Pro. Tempore

What is the title of a cabinet department head?

Secretary

Which of the following was among the first three execuative departments to be created?

Department of Treasury

Who is currently the chair of the Federal Reserve?

Jerome Powell

Who was the head of the Department of Treasury during George Washingtons presidency?

Hamilton

A maximum time a president can hold office?

Ten years

Number of electoral votes each state receives is based on what two things?

The number of senators and house of representatives they have

Protects and maintains public lands and parks.

Dept. of the Interior

The president is serving as the host to the Queen of England. What role is he playing?

Head of State

This is the procedure if the president becomes disabled.

the 25th amendment

Which of the following is an executive power of the president?

Appointing an ambassador of France

What can a president to to bypass needing to get the Senates approval that is required for a treaty?

Executive Agreement

Under the War Powers Act, what is the maximum length of time a president can commit troops to military action without Congresses approval?

60 Days

Who is the Executive Branch official in charge of opening and counting the electoral votes for a president every four years?

Vice President

Which of the following would be most likely to have responsibility to respond to a major terrorist incident?

National Security Council

The Gift Tax is designed to avoid payment to what other tax?

Estate Tax

Which of the following is a government corporation?

National Railroad Passenger Corporation (MTRAC)

Not a judicial power of the president?

impeaching supreme court justices

What is another name for direct funding?

Hard money

Who was the Attorney General under George Washington?

Edmund Randolph

Scenario: What role is the president acting in?

Pres. Harry S. Truman signs the North Atlantic Treaty Proclamation.

Chief Diplomat

Department that does this:

Supervising trade and promoting business

Department of Commerce

All of the following are powers of the president except…

Declare war

Power of the presidency has…

increased significantly over time

Which of the following is an important informal power of the president?

using the media to persuade the public

In order to win an election, the candidate must receive how many electoral votes?

270

This is the source of power for the president.

Article Two

This department handles foreign affairs and relationships with other nations

Department of the State