Unit 2 Presidents Test

Chief of State

Ceremonial head of the government. Living symbol of the nation.

Chief Executive

Head of Executive Branch

Chief Economic Leader (Manager of the Prosperity)

Works with Congress to write a federal budget and set tax policy; works to control money supply and and keep economy growing

Chief Diplomat

Main architect of American foreign policy and chief spokesperson to the rest of the world

Commander in Chief

In charge of armed forces; Controls military and has ultimate responsibility for military decisions; 2.7 million men and women in the armed forces and the nation's entire military arsenal are subject to the President's direct and immediate control

Chief Legislator

Main architect for domestic policy (public policy); initiates, suggests, requests, insists and demands that Congress enact legislation; sets overall shape of Congress agenda

Chief of Party

Leader of the political party that controls the executive branch

Chief Citizen (Voice of the People)

Works and represents all Americans

Protector of Peace

Preserves order in times of national emergency

President of the West (Leader of the Free World)

Acts as spokesperson for the free world

Electors

People chosen or appointed to vote in Presidential elections

Pardon

A declaration of forgiveness and freedom from punishment

Amnesty

A pardon for a group of people

Ambassador

An official representative of a country's government

Executive order

A rule or command the president gives out that has the force of law

Treaty

A formal agreement between the governments of two or more countries

National Security

The ability to keep the country safe from attack or harm

Foreign Policy

A nation's overall plan for dealing with other nations

Cabinet

A group of advisors to the President that includes the head of top-level executive departments

Domestic Policy

The nation's plan to deal with issues within its borders

Veto

The ability to reject a bill from becoming a law

12th Amendment

President and Vice President run together, with clear roles for who is running as President and who is running as Vice President. The losing opponent for President does not become Vice President

22nd Amendment

Limits a President to 2 terms

25th Amendment, Section 1

If the President dies, impeached, or resigns, Vice President moves into office.

25th Amendment, Section 2

Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.

Presidential Succession Act of 1947

Congress has created an order of succession past the VP:

1. Speaker of the House

2. President Pro Tempore

3. Cabinet members by order the department was created

4. Governors of the 50 states by order of admission (Delaware to Hawaii)

25th Amendment, Section 3

If the president will be out, they must notify the president pro tempore, senate, and speaker of the house of representatives so the Vice President can be acting president. After the president is back and tells Congress they are okay, the power is transferred from the Vice President back to the President.

25th Amendment, Section 4

If the President and President do not think the president can not do their job anymore, Congress votes and the vice president will be the acting president.

The Vice President will serve as acting president until the president writes he is able to carry out the duties of president.

What are the 3 basic types of Presidential power?

Enumerated/expressed, delegated, and implied/inherent

Formal powers the President has are granted in what article and what/which section(s)?

Article II, Section 2 & 3

Formal Powers of the President include which types of power?

Enumerated/expressed and delegated powers

Informal Powers of the President include which types of power?

Implied/Inherent Powers

What are some things the President can do according to Article II?

Be commander in chief; grant and retrieve pardon (except in cases of impeachment); make treaties, provided that two-thirds of Congress concur; Advice and consent with the Senate to appoint ambassadors, other public ministers, consuls, SCOTUS judges, and all other officers of the US; Fill up all vacancies that occur during Senate recess; Give Congress information regarding the "State of the Union"; If both houses disagree with each other, the president may intervene

What is a pocket veto?

If the president doesn't sign the bill, but the congress adjourns within 10 days.

Bully Pulpit

An important public position from which a person can let other people know his or her opinions on particular subjects

What is a signing statement and why is it important?

A signing statement is when a President informs the public and writes side notes about a law. This usually occurs in the situation where the President does not veto the law since they know their veto will get overridden. The signing statement tells the public that the President may not support the law fully.

Executive Order

A rule or command issued by the president that has the force of law

Executive Agreement

"An agreement between a president and another nation that does not have the same durability as a treaty but does not require Senate ratification."

Executive Privilege

"A right claimed by presidents to keep certain conversations, records, and transcripts confidential from outside scrutiny, especially that of Congress."

State of the Union Address

"The annual speech from the president to Congress updating the branch on the state of national affairs"

1. Which was a fear that the framers of the Constitution had regarding the executive branch?

A. that the executive branch would not be powerful enough

B. that the executive branch would become tyrannical

C. that the executive branch would not represent the views of all Americans

D. that the executive branch would lead to the failure of the republic

B. that the executive branch would become tyrannical

2. Which statement BEST describes the system of electing a president?

A. The Senate votes on a qualified candidate nominated by each of the states.

B. Electors, chosen based on representation in Congress and by state legislatures, vote on candidates.

C. Eligible Americans cast votes for a president directly by popular election.

D. The president in office selects the president he wishes to take his place.

B. Electors, chosen based on representation in Congress and by state legislatures, vote on candidates.

3. President Smith is wrapping up his second term as president and has high approval ratings, the support of Congress, and is on good terms with allied countries. If President Smith decides to run for a third term, he would violate the:

A. First Amendment.

B. Twenty-Second Amendment.

C. Fifteenth Amendment.

D. Eighteenth Amendment.

B. Twenty-Second Amendment.

4. According to Alexander Hamilton, why was it necessary to have a single, energetic executive?

A. One executive was the key to protect against foreign attacks and to protect liberties.

B. More than one executive would risk making the government too large.

C. Having one executive was the key to prevent factions from forming.

D. Having more than one executive would give too much power to the executive branch.

A. One executive was the key to protect against foreign attacks and to protect liberties.

5. What did Alexander Hamilton think of having more than one executive?

A. He believed that having more than one executive was important to protect liberties.

B. He believed that having more than one executive would prevent anarchy.

C. He believed that having more than one executive would lessen the effectiveness of the president.

D. He believed that having more than one executive would check the office of the president better.

C. He believed that having more than one executive would lessen the effectiveness of the president.

6. Formal or enumerated powers are:

A. powers that are not expressly granted in the Constitution but are required for the president to carry out his or her responsibilities.

B. powers that are expressly granted in the Constitution so the president may carry out his or her responsibilities.

C. powers that are granted to the president to allow him or her to make formal treaties with foreign nations.

D. powers that allow the president to override any piece of legislation.

B. powers that are expressly granted in the Constitution so the president may carry out his or her responsibilities.

7. What is the main idea behind informal powers given to the president?

A. that the president may exercise the powers listed in the Constitution in an informal setting

B. that the president may exercise the powers listed in the Constitution to carry out the responsibilities as president

C. that the president may exercise additional powers to achieve policy goals

D. that the president may exercise additional powers not listed in the Constitution to carry out the responsibilities as president

D. that the president may exercise additional powers not listed in the Constitution to carry out the responsibilities as president

8. Which statement summarizes the responsibility of the president as chief executive?

A. to execute and enforce the laws of the nation

B. to pass laws

C. to determine the constitutionality of proposed laws

D. to make treaties with foreign nations

A. to execute and enforce the laws of the nation

9. What is the benefit of the president appointing a diverse cabinet?

A. The president will be seen as inclusive of all views.

B. The president may not be fully supported by his or her party.

C. The president will be seen as willing to represent all Americans.

D. The president will likely see an increase in his or her approval rating.

C. The president will be seen as willing to represent all Americans.

10. What is the main function of the various cabinet heads?

A. to carry out the various policies as directed by the president

B. to advise the president and act as a link between the president and the bureaucracy

C. to suggest policy to Congress and work with interest groups to influence senators

D. to interpret the laws passed by Congress for implementation at the state level

B. to advise the president and act as a link between the president and the bureaucracy

11. Which statement summarizes the role of the president as chief diplomat?

A. overseeing the heads of various bureaucracies within the executive branch

B. determining the constitutionality of laws

C. passing proposed bills into law

D. guiding U.S. foreign policy and meeting with the heads of nations

D. guiding U.S. foreign policy and meeting with the heads of nations

12. What is the main purpose of modern State of the Union Addresses?

A. to update Congress on the president's policy

B. to inform other members of the federal government of future policy plans

C. to address the entire nation, military personnel, and members of the government

D. to recap all the policies that have been implemented over the previous year

C. to address the entire nation, military personnel, and members of the government

13. How can the president use a veto to his or her advantage?

A. The president can override a veto in Congress.

B. The president can threaten to use a veto to shape policy.

C. The president can veto certain parts of a bill to shape policy.

D. The president can use a veto to deny a law that he or she determines unconstitutional.

B. The president can threaten to use a veto to shape policy.

14. The president is attending a meeting in which the details of the nuclear plans, codes, and communications equipment are discussed. This is an example of the president acting as:

A. commander in chief.

B. chief legislator.

C. chief diplomat.

D. chief executive.

A. commander in chief.

15. The president has the power to release individuals convicted of a crime from legal consequences and set aside punishment of that crime by means of:

A. executive order.

B. presidential pardon.

C. executive privilege.

D. veto.

B. presidential pardon.

16. Executive privilege can be defined as the right of the president to:

A. excuse someone from punishment of a crime they have committed.

B. override Congress in passing a law.

C. keep certain conversations and records confidential.

D. expand his or her power to carry out responsibilities.

C. keep certain conversations and records confidential.

17. Assume Congress has adjourned, but the president is on the verge of making an important agreement with North Korea. The president has the ability to make an agreement without Senate ratification through:

A. executive privilege.

B. executive order.

C. executive agreement.

D. presidential pardon.

C. executive agreement.

18. The president is signing a bill into law and is adding comments about how the law is to be interpreted or implemented. This is an example of:

A. a presidential comment.

B. a signing statement.

C. a presidential pardon.

D. a pocket veto.

B. a signing statement.

19. What is the function of an executive order?

A. to pass a law without the approval of Congress

B. to expedite the process of passing a law through Congress

C. to allow the president to dictate policy without the approval of Congress

D. to describe how a law should be interpreted

C. to allow the president to dictate policy without the approval of Congress

20. Which president issued the most executive orders?

A. George W. Bush

B. Barack Obama

C. Franklin Delano Roosevelt

D. Donald Trump

C. Franklin Delano Roosevelt

What are some formal limitations of Presidential power?

"Congress may override his vetoes by a two-thirds vote; Congress may also exercise considerable authority over the president by approving or withholding funds for his projects; House of Representatives may vote impeachment charges against the president, and the Senate may convict and remove him from office; Supreme Court may declare an action of the president unconstitutional"

What are some informal limitations of Presidential power?

"President must work with his own political party during this election campaign and with both parties during the legislative process; The voters can turn an incumbent president out of office or defeat his party at the next election; The media, through their powers of investigation, reporting and editorializing, can affect the president's public support and political strength in Congress; Foreign countries and organizations abroad at times influence the president's foreign policies; The precedents of previous administrations act as a powerful guide to the president"

What are two activities Chief of State can do?

Serves as the ceremonial head of the US at events; Oversees the duties of the federal government

What are two activities Chief Executive can do?

Prepare an executive budget; Appoint/remove federal officials

What are two activities Commander in Chief can do?

Deploying troops 48 hours before notifying Congress; Ordering invasions

What are two activities Chief Diplomat can do?

Can make executive agreements with other nations without Congressional approval; Can appoint ambassadors

What are two activities Chief Legislator can do?

Can veto or pocket veto; Executive order

What are two activities Chief of Party can do?

Recommend a party nominee; Rallying for a party nominee

What are two activities Voice of the People/Chief Citizen can do?

Represent the United States abroad as the people of the US; Educates the country on what the government is doing (press conferences)

What are two activities President of the West/Leader of the free world can do?

National Guard and militia to protect rights of other;

Stabilizing countries, making sure they develop properly

What are two activities Protector of Peace can do?

Send militia to control areas of chaos and/or destruction; National Guard in times of inclement weather

What are two activities Chief Economic Leader/Manager of Prosperity can do?

Promote jobs and economic growth; Set executive budget

Could one or more of the roles of the president be shifted to the vice president or others without weakening the effectiveness of the office?

Short answer: No

Long answer: One or more of the roles could not be shifted to the vice president or others since it would weaken the effectiveness of the office. One could argue that too much power could be vested in one person, however, this promotes efficiency. The president is a socially high regarded title as well, and many of these subjects are very important for running the country. With more than one person or anybody other than the person in the highest position, there is bound to be conflict and inefficiency. As a result, this will make the process less effective.

What were Hamilton's 5 main ideas in Federalist 70?

"A single executive person in charge is the most effective."

"The president must be accountable, energetic, and compensated"

"There needs to be a president to blame so there aren't fingers pointed in multiple directions"

"A single executive is necessary to maintain a stable government"

"Power won't be abused if one person is held accountable"