Political Science Test #2

Class notes, Articles, Kearns-Goodwin Book

What is the rule of law?

The rule of law is the political philosophy that all citizens and institutions within a country, state, or community are accountable to the same laws, including lawmakers and leaders.

when was the presidency established ?

1789

how many men have been president?

45

which president number is Biden?

46th

which president held office two times separated by a term in between?

Grover Cleveland

which presidency numbers did Grover Cleveland hold?

22nd and 24th

which years was Grover Cleveland President?

1885-1889 & 1893-1897

which president separated Grover Clevelands 2 terms?

Benjamin Harrison 1889-1893

Who was the youngest person to become president?

Theodore Roosevelt, age 42

Who did Theodore Roosevelt fill in the presidency for?

William Mikinly (25th)

Who was the youngest person to be elected president?

JFK, aged 43, ran as war hero served in WWII

Eldest person to be elected president?

Biden, 78

how many presidents did not serve full terms?

9: 8 died; 4 naturally, 4 assassinated, 1 resigned

who was the first person to die in office?

William Henry Harrison, the 9th president, 1841

what was William Henry Harrisons cause of death?

pneumonia, which was caught at his Inaugural address where he refused to wear an overcoat or carry an umbrella. After a month of suffering he died and his vp John Tyler assumed his position.

How did the first presidential death cause a mini constitutional crisis?

Considering a president had never died in office, the procedures to follow were unprecedented. Once William Henry Harrison deceased, it was known that his VP, John Tyler were to become president because Article II, section 1, paragraph 6 says that if the president is removed from office the powers and duties of the president devolve to the VP. What was not known, however, was to what capacity Tyler would become president. As in, would he simply act as president (merely executing presidential powers), or would he fully assume the powers and duties of a president.

Where does it say in the constitution that the VP shall devolved the presidency if the president shall cease (die, assassination, resign, impeached)

Article II, section 1, paragraph 6

what happens when the president dies?

the VP assumes all powers according to Article II, section 1, paragraph 6.

who established the precedent that the VP will assume the full powers of the presidency when it becomes vacant?

we owe this to John Tyler

who was the 2nd president to die in office ?

Zachary Taylor 1850, in Washington

who succeeded Zachary Taylor?

Millard Fillmore, who become the 13th president.

how did Zachary Taylor die?

When celebrating July 4t he ate too much ice cream. Typically ones stomach would be able to handle this amount of sugar and dairy, yet since Taylor was a decorated army general, he served a lot of time in the U.S armed forces. Due to this he ate a lot of suspicious and low in nutrition food which tarnished his stomach. Considering this and the amount of ice cream he consumed he developed gastric pains and died 5 days later.

Who was the 3rd president to die in office?

Abraham Lincoln, shot in Washington D.C 14 April (good friday), died in the early morning hours of the 15 1865.

what did Lincoln’s secretary of war, Stanton, say when he died?

“Now, he belongs to the ages.”

Lincoln died 4 days after the…

confederacy surrendered.

did Lincoln have security?

Lincoln was the only president to have security until 1901. This was due to intense Confederate sympathizers.

Who succeeded Lincoln as president?

Andrew Johnson, whom is viewed as a political mistake on Lincolns behalf.

What type of ticket were Lincoln and Johnson?

a unity ticket between the North and South. This is not what was wanted, yet it was viewed as better for the country.

Who was the 4th president who died in office?

James Garfield, shot Wash D.C only 4 months into presidency on 2 July 1881.

On which day did James Garfield die?

19 September 1881 at Long Branch NJ, aged 49. It has been said that he lingered on for 11 weeks after he had been shot, and was brought to the beach as it was believed that the air could aid in healing his wounds. He ended up getting an infection and dying.

Who succeeded James Garfield as the 21 President?

Chester Allan Arthur, a New Yorker!

who was the 5th president to die in office?

William McKinley, shot in Buffalo NY on 6 sept. 1901.

What were the circumstances which led to William McKinley’s death?

The president was at the pan-American exposition which was held in the Temple of Music, a venue which lacked security. Of the little security present, it was mainly allocated to control crowds. Due to this he was an easy target.

Who succeeded William McKinley?

Theodore Roosevelt, now the youngest person to become president. He was on a hunting trip and was called down from the woods to hear the news and take the presidential oath.

What precedent was set by William McKinley’s death?

The secret service, founded on 5 July 1865 to halt counterfeit money. It was now transformed into how it is known and used today-- to also protect the President, the presidents family, and former presidents.

After the Civil war what was happening to money?

It was being counterfeit-- which is to print fake money. Due to this inflation occurred and the Secret service, under the Secretary of the Treasury was charged by congress to halt the production of fake money.

what powers does the secret service have?

to change presidential plans for security reasons-- not for political reasons. An example of this was when 45th president Trump urged to go to the capitol on 6 January, yet it was seen that it was dangerous and his requests were denied.

who was the 6th president to die in office?

Warren Harding, aged 57, died on 2 August 1921 of a heart attack in San Fransisco CA. It must have been a shame to see him go considering he was seen as the most beautiful president.

Who succeeded Warren Harding

Calvin Coolidge, of whom was at his family farm in Vermont. It was there where his father, a federal judge, gave him the presidential oath. However, it was largely agreed that Coolidge was not a natural political, as he was not natural in his ways of communicating-- and he did not like shaking hands.

Who was the 7th president to die in office?

FDR, aged 63, April 1945, whom died suddenly from a cerebral hemorrhage whilst in Georgia visiting the warm springs which gave his polio relief.

who succeeded FDR?

Harry S. Truman, 33rd president.

Why was Adolf Hitler excited that FDR had passed away?

Adolf Hitler was said to do a little jig when he received the news that FDR, the president of the USA, had died. This was because he did not understand that Americas constitution allowed for a peaceful transfer of power (Article II, section 1, Paragraph 6). If this had occurred in Deutschland a power struggle for leadership would occur. Since this is how Hitler was thinking, he thought that America would descend into a power struggle and have to withdraw from the war.

hindsight is always …

20/20

who was the 8th president to die in office?

JFK, 46, assassinated in Dallas TX in 1963

Why did JFK go to Dallas TX?

He was there to heal a battle within the democratic party between the progressives and the conservatives. He wanted to heal this rift bc it would possibly allow him to win electoral votes in Texas when he ran for his next term. If he did not gain these votes it may have threatened his re-election turnout.

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political reasons

who killed JKF?

Lee Harvey Oswald whom worked at the Texas school book depository. He was formerly in the army and was trained in fine tuned shooting. On his lunch break he traveled to the 6th floor where he shot and killed the president all by himself as the presidents vehicle was slowly rounding the corner. Leo Harvey Oswald knew the exact location and timing of the president bc the government has released an exact map of the presidents motorcade.

How did people respond to the shooting of JFK?

Many conspiracy theories were formed that this shooting was wide ranged.

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that the Russian gov’t was involved

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that the mafia which the gov’t was cracking down on was getting revenge.

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even LBJ, so he could get a chance at becoming president.

who succeeded JFK?

Lyndon B. Johnson, of whom first dealt with the assassination in ways which would comfort the American people and restore the credibility of the Gov’t

what was formed by LBJ on 29 Nov. 1963

the presidents commission to investigate the assassination-- now known as the Warren commission. established by executive order.

when was the first meeting of the Warren Commission and what was its purpose?

5 December, 1963 to investigate the circumstances of JFK’s death and reach conclusions as to who was responsible. people urged for gov’t transparency, and that was being attempted here when in Sept. 1964 the commission published its 888 page report.

Who were the 7 wise men of the Warren Commission?

Earl Warren served as the chair, whilst Sen. Russels, Sen. Cooper, Cong. Boggs, Cong. Gerald Ford, founding director of the CIA Dulles, and the advisor to the presidents secretary of war McCloy served as members.

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all 7 of these men were well respected.

What did the Warren Commission conclude in its 888 page report?

Lee Harvey Oswald acted as the lone assassin responsible for JFK’s death.

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It was also important to note, in hope to fend off conspiracy theories, that it had been proven that Oswald acted alone in association with nobody.

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This disproved any conspiracy theories. Yet in 2010 polls still showed that nearly 80% of Americans still think Oswald had help, or was part of a conspiracy theory.

how much support from legislation is needed to amend?

3/4’s

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38 out of 50 state legislators

when was the 25th amendment ratified?

23 Feb, 1967 after Nevada becomes the 38th state to ratify, making it law

what are the 3 purposes of the 25th amendment?

presidential succession

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vacancy in VP

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presidential disability

what does section I of the 25th amendment say?

in the case that a president is removed from office the VP becomes president.

what is a Lacuna?

it is latin for gap, hole or something missing

what is an example of a lacuna in the US constitution?

in the constitution as written, there was no process to name a new VP once the sitting VP became president.

What are some examples of a lacuna?

When FDR died on 12 April 1945, VP Truman became president. Due to this there was no VP from April 1945- January 1949.

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When JFK died on 22 Nov 1963 and LBJ became president, there was no VP from 1963- Jan 1965

Does the 25th amendment refer to both houses?

Yes.

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what is said in section II of the 25th amendment?

When there is a vacancy in the office of VP, the president shall nominate a VP who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both houses of congress.

where can the doctrine of advice and consent be found?

Article II, section 2, paragraph 2

what does the doctrine of advice and consent say?

the senate shall vote on all presidential appointments.

when was the 25th amendment used?

twice:

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VP Spiro Agnew faced criminal charges, and resigned from his position. Due to the empty spot left, President Nixon was left to fill it. This opportunity allowed him to use 222 of the 25th amendment. In all, Nixon appointed Gerald Ford, of whom was approved by both houses and was officially sworn in as VP.

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Ford used Article II of the 25th amendment to nominate Nelson Rockefeller.

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at this point neither president nor VP was elected to their position. this probed the system worked.

difference btwn the 25th amendment and the doctrine of advice and consent?

the 25th Amendment (Both houses) deals with presidential succession and disability, while the doctrine of advice and consent deals with the Senate's (only one house) role in approving presidential appointments and treaties.

Who is the most trusted man in America?

Walter Cromheit !

Where is the presidential oath of office found in the constitution?

Article II, section 1, part 8

how is the presidential oath of office received/given?

call and response

who must give presidential oath?

federal judge

when did the tradition of “so help me god” begin?

Lincolns inauguration in 1861, where it is debated

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yet it is definitely not debated on that he said it at his second inauguration.

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Every president since has followed suite.

which is the only office in America that is voted for by the whole country?

the presidency

since 1789 the constitution has…

rarely changed in light of the powers of the president. However, the modern presidency is vastly different that it had been in the 18th century.

the balance of power has…

shifted back and forth btwn congress and the president since 1789

during times of national emergency there are…

periods of presidential domination (goal to save the union)\]

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usually followed by attempts to limit presidential powers by both houses.

which is favored to be the dominant force(legislative branch or executive)

executive

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people look to the white house for solutions, thus the leader must be prominent.

how many roles of the president are there?\`

5

what is the 1st role of the president?

Chief of state, the ceremonial head of govt

what does it mean to be chief of state

attending commemoration events, 9/11, D-day

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in other countries the president is the ceremonial head, while the prime minister really runs the government. EX: Germany, Italy

what is the 2nd role of the president?

chief executive

what does it mean to be the chief executive?

must see that laws are faithfully executed

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head of federal bureaucracy which includes about 3 million workers

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enables president to carry out his duties

how does the president being the chief executive help him carry out his duties?

allows him the powers to appoint, nominate, grant pardons,

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yet none of these powers are absolute due to Americas system of checks and balances.

what is the 3rd role of the president?

chief diplomat

what does it mean to be chief diplomat?

the president can conclude treaties with other nations or international bodies -- with the approval of the senate

what is the role of the senate in the doctrine of advice and consent (article II, section 2, paragraph 2)

the senate will vote, and a simple majority will approve.

how much of the senates vote does a treaty need to be passed and why?

2/3

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a treaty creates legal obligations for the US, which will endure beyond the administration which administers it

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the treaty should be seen as in the best interest of the country, and thus should command bi-partisan support-- needs more appeal than just the presidential parties support.

the president can extend diplomatic relations to another country…

without the approval of congress

what is the 4th role of the President?

Commander in Chief

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what is the commander in chief?

the commander in chief is the supreme commander of all American military forces.

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many presidents have used this power to make war

Who did the founding fathers want to be the commander in chief?

a civilian

who has the power to declare war constitutionally and where is it found?

Congress, Article I, section 8, paragraph 11.

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the president must ask congress for a declaration of war, which was last approved in WWII

what was the second to last declaration of war?

pearl harbor, 7 dec 1941.

What sparked Japanese feelings of attack on US?

Japan felt strangled by America as we were with holding resources from them due to their allegiance with the Axis powers. One of the more prominent resources was rubber.

how long did the Pearl Harbor attack last?

2 hours

how many Americans were killed at Pearl Harbor?

2,403, 1,178 wounded

how many ships were destroyed at Pearl Harbor?

19 (battle and carrier)

how many planes were destroyed at pearl harbor?

over 300

Was the attack of Pearl Harbor a success?

Yes, Japan found great successes in their attack. So much so that their Admiral Yamamoto was heavily congratulated.

who was the admiral responsible for the attacks at Pearl Harbor and what was his opinion on the attack?

Admiral Yomamotot feared that in his successful attack of America at Pearl Harbor he has also “awoken a sleeping giant”

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in saying this he was accurate, considering FDR asked congress for a declaration of war following the attack.

who is Jeannette Rankin and what is her significance?

Jeannette Rankin was a former US representative for Montana. She held committed views as a pacifist \[that war and violence are unjustifiable\]. Her views were widely unpopular because others had felt American had been wronged. Due to her beliefs, when congress was asked to vote for the DOW against Japan, she was the only outstanding vote which said no.

What happened on 11 Dec, 1941?

Hitler declared war on the US