APG Unit III ReviewFall 2013

Which branch was expected to execute acts of Congress and

protect against mass movements to redistribute

wealth?

The Executive branch

What are three specific powers given to the

President?

Commander in Chief, appoints cabinet members, grant pardons, make treaties

appoints judges and ambassadors, etc.

Why was Washington so careful about the discharge

of his duties?

Fearful of setting precedents, which is how most presidential powers

have been established

Who must the Supreme Court count on to make sure that its

decisions are adequately enforced?

Executive Branch

Who served as the first President and Vice President of

the United States?

George Washington and John Adams

Who appoints Justices & Ambassadors? Who

approves them?

President, Senate

Who has the power to negotiate treaties and

enforce the laws?

President

Who is commander in Chief of the armed forces and also in

charge of federal departments (Defense, Treasury, State, etc.)

the President

What branch has used many precedents over time to add

to its powers? When did many of these take place?

executive branch; during times of national crisis (war, Great Depression,

etc.)

What are two formal ways the President can try to

influence Congress? Informal?

veto, call special session, make State of the Union

Address; use bully pulpit, trade political favors/offer

campaign support

What are two powers Congress has over the

President?

approve treaties, cabinet officials, & judges, veto

override, control the budget process

What is a plurality election?

An election involving more than two candidates in which the person who

receives the most votes is the winner

Who has the power to enforce laws?

President (Executive Branch)

Which branch of government must approve the

President’s decision to deploy troops?

None (trick question)Although the 1973 War

Powers Act places limits on the President’s ability to do

this

What is the chief difference between a President and a

Prime Minister?

The President is an independent executive power (potential

divided government), the PM always comes from the

majority party in the legislature (no divided gov’t)

Identify three key types of federal officials that are

appointed by the President.

SC Justices, ambassadors, cabinet members, cabinet

level posts (OMB, SBA, CEA, etc.)

How long is a President’s term in office? How many terms can one president

serve?

4 years, 2 terms (22nd Amendment established

this in 1951)

What are three of the Constitutional requirements

for being President?

35 years of age, natural born citizen of the U.S.,

resident for 14 years

What two types of government offices are most

often held by people who later become President?

senator & governor

What typically happens to Presidential candidates who

are either very liberal or very conservative? Give an

example.

they are defeated, Goldwater or McGovern

What religious background have all but one of our

Presidents come from? Who was the exception?

Protestant (non-Catholic Christian), JFK

When you have more popular votes than your competition, but

not a majority, you have a _____ of the votes. Name two presidents

who won this way.

Plurality; Truman in ’48, Nixon in ‘68, Clinton in ‘92

Identify 5 constitutionally designated roles of the

President.

Commander in Chief, Head of State, Present State of

the Union, Negotiate treaties, Chief Executive (oversee Cabinet & Bur)

What are the primary roles of the White House staff?

Advise President on policy, handle relations with Congress and

bureaucracy (cabinet), public & press relations (speech writing,

etc.)

What government entity is charged with determining

voter eligibility requirements? Why is this

significant?

individual state governments get to decide the requirements for their respective states; voting conditions and practices really

vary from state to state

Name three activities PACs engage in to gain access to

legislature.

make campaign contributions, run issue

ads, lobby, research

Which cabinet member is effectively the CEO of the

Department of Justice?

Attorney General

How is the president chosen if no candidate wins a

majority of the electoral vote?

the House chooses based on a majority vote of its state delegations (each

state gets one vote)

What is political efficacy?What demographics define

voters who have it?

A citizen’s belief that they understand politics, and that their political participation

matters; efficacy increases with age and education

What are “inherent powers” of the president? Give an

example.

Powers exercised based on the authority granted be Article II, not

specifically listed; Louisiana Purchase, internment of Nisei, half

of the New Deal…

Name three traditional reasons for low voter

turnout.

registration requirements, weak party affiliation,

weekday elections, frequent local and state

elections

What are 4-5 factors that play a role in how likely

someone is to vote?

Their age, gender, education level, race,

marital status, and whether or not they belong

to a union

What is the “mandate theory of elections”? Do political

scientists support this theory?

It’s the idea that voters “send a message” when they vote – so that those elected (especially by large

margins) have their mandate to make change; pol scientists do not support

mandate theory

Since 1972, voters in presidential elections have

been less tied to party loyalties and more interested in what?

the characteristics and positions of individual

candidates

What are the three biggest influences on how someone

decides to vote?

Party identification, their evaluations of the

candidates, their views on specific policies

What are “motor voter” laws? What is their intent?

Laws that allow you to register to vote at the

same time you apply for a drivers license; designed

to increase voter registration

What religious group has enjoyed increasingly greater influence in the

Republican Party since the early 1980s? How did they get there?

Evangelical Christians; Reagan’s bundling of conservative views on

social issues

What types of party members attend their

party’s presidential nominating convention?

“strong” party voters, very ideological in their

approach and dedicated to the party

What is a “pocket veto”? What effect does it have?

President takes no action on a bill for 10 days while

Congress is not in session; it effectively kills the bill

How did the framers handle their fears regarding the

abuse of executive power?

Put many legislative & judicial checks on the

executive in place

How did historians feel about the use of Presidential power in the two decades following WWII? How and why did that change in the 1960s &

1970s?

They favored a powerful Presidency, but LBJ, the Vietnam War, Nixon, and

Watergate made the public more fearful of Presidential

power

Who are the first two people in line to succeed the

President?

the VP and then the Speaker of the House

Identify two ways the role of the VP has expanded since

Eisenhower.

represent U.S. to foreign countries, serve on the

National Security Council, play a larger policy

shaping role

Since Lady Bird Johnson, how have most First Ladies chosen to define their role?

By focusing on one issue (beautification, literacy, healthier diet & exercise,

etc.)

Who officially elects the President? How do you earn

votes in this system?

the electoral college, if you win the popular vote in a state you win all of the

electoral votes

What is the group of the President’s advisors called?

Cabinet (14 advisors plus the Attorney General

Identify four Cabinet Departments.

Justice, State, HUD, Health and Human Services, Defense, Treasury, Interior, Labor,

Commerce, Transportation, Education, VA, Homeland

Security

Who approves cabinet appointees, do they

generally accept or reject them?

the Senate, accept

What are the two key factors that limit the role of the

cabinet?

conflicting loyalties with the President and maintaining secrecy with a large group

(14 of them)

What committee is comprised of the President’s

key foreign and military policy advisors? What is

their primary role?

The National Security Council (NSC); advise

President on all national security issues and help make critical decisions

What is a power many governors have that the President would love to

have? Why?

Line Item veto; gives executive power to veto

individual parts of laws or budget items

What law, passed under the Johnson administration, set

out to guarantee the provisions of the 15th

Amendment?

Voting Rights Act of 1965, which solidified the right to

vote regardless of race

What Office has responsibility for developing

and administering the federal budget? How is it

most impactful?The Office of Management

and Budget (OMB); develops cost analyses for various proposals that help

Pres create proposed budget

Who is the highest ranking White House staff member? Identify two things Presidents count on receiving from their

top level staffers.

Chief of Staff; Information, analysis, policy options,

and … loyalty!

Why is party support so important to a sitting President? How much

consistent support can a President actually count on within his own

party?

Needs full backing of party to pursue legislative

agenda; two-thirds at any given time

What causes this gap in party loyalty to the

President?

The views of the various constituencies represented by members of Congress (think of

current range in Republican Party from moderate to Tea Party)

What typically happens to the number of seats the

President’s party holds in Congress as the result of a

midterm election?

The Party of the President typically loses seats in Congress during the

midterms

What is the primary reason the Electoral College has not

been reformed?

Would require constitutional amendment, needing support of ¾ of state

legislatures – many states don’t want to give up their

power

What are two proposals for reforming the Electoral

College?

Straight popular vote, by congressional district (+2),

percentage allocation based on popular vote in

each state

Identify two types of legislative skills important to the success of the President.

Bargaining, exploiting the honeymoon period,

building Congressional coalitions & structuring

votes

Describe the correlation between Presidential

approval ratings and the President’s ability to influence Congress.

Strong approval ratings (and electoral mandates) make

it much easier for the President to influence

Congress

Identify two ways the President directs national

security policy.

Treaties and executive agreements, Commander in Chief, War Powers (use of

troops without Congressional approval), International Crisis

management

Why is the presidency is referred to as the “Bully

Pulpit?”

Presidents can use the spotlight of the office to try

and influence or sway public opinion

What is the fundamental reason there is ongoing

tension between the President and the Press?

President wants to control flow of information to his advantage,

Press wants all info immediately (plus greater emphasis on investigative journalism)

Is press coverage of the President usually negative or

positive? Why?

Negative; easier for the press to generate negative

stories + tension over information

Who can bring charges of impeachment? For what

reasons?

House of Reps, “Treason, bribery, or other high

crimes and misdemeanors”

Who acts as the jury in an impeachment trial? What is

the required vote for a “conviction”?

The Senate, two-thirds

Which two Presidents have been impeached? Were

either of them found guilty?

Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, no

What are the two chief provisions of the 25th

Amendment?

Allows the VP to step in temporarily for the President if the President is disabled, and establishes a procedure for

replacing the VP

What was the spoils system?

the idea that the President could appoint all of his

supporters to government posts after he was elected

Roughly how many government posts are

appointed by the President? Out of how many total

federal employees?

3,000; over 4 million

What did the Pendleton Act do?

it started the Civil Service system (employment &

promotion based on exams and merit) & therefore put an

end to the spoils system

What did the Hatch Act (1939) do?

Prohibited almost all federal employees (workers in the

bureaucracy) from participating in open political

activity

Give two examples of government corporations.

FDIC, TVA, and the Postal Service

Give two examples of government agencies.

CIA, NASA, EPA

What President oversaw the largest expansion in the

federal bureaucracy? Why?

FDR, New Deal (Great Depression), & response to

WWII

What name is given to the extremely tight relationship

between Gov’t agencies, their client/interest groups, and

Congress? Why?

The Iron Triangle; because it is difficult for those outside

the triangle to influence policy

New gov’t agencies are often started in response to changing

needs, how quickly are these agencies eliminated when no longer

needed?

Not very quickly, often continue to exist for own

sake

Describe the role the bureaucracy plays in the

legislative process.

Very active, new laws often originate in the

bureaucracy, bureaucrats often consult with

Congress

Identify two major factors that have led to the growth of the federal bureaucracy.

International crises, economic problems, demands of citizens, national growth and changing technology

What is deregulation? What is the most recent example of deregulation gone bad?

lessening the amount of power a regulatory

commission has over an industry; Enron and the

energy industry, subprime mortgage crisis

Identify three roles of political parties.

Pick candidates, run campaigns, provide cues

to voters, articulate policies, coordinate policy

making

Over the history of American politics, how far do

successful parties usually stray from the political

center?

Not far at all – most of our political combat happens

in the political middle (moderates & undecided

voters)

Is the control and leadership of American political parties

highly centralized?

No; more fragmented and decentralized – history of party machines running

local politics

What is the difference between a closed and an

open primary?

Closed primaries require voters to register ahead of time for the party’s primary they wish to vote in, open primaries allow voters to

make that choice on election day

What is a blanket primary?

A primary where voters get to pick from all of the prospective

candidates for a position (usually top 2 vote getters regardless of party go on to general election)

When an election reshapes a party coalition in a new way, it is known as a ______. An election that shifts from the current trend (before returning)

is a ______.

Critical Election

Deviating Election

Which party represented the true entrance of the

common man into American politics? Who was its

leader?

The Democrats, Andrew Jackson

What issue brought about the rise of the Republican Party? What year did they

first capture the White House?

Slavery, 1860 (Abraham Lincoln)

Which party controlled most of American politics for the ~60 years

following the Civil War? What brought that control to an end?

Republicans, FDRs New Deal Coalition of Democrats in

1932

Provide two examples of instances where 3rd parties had a major influence on a

Presidential Election.

Bull Moose in 1912 (TR), American Independent in 1968 (Wallace), Reform in

1992 (Perot), Green in 2000 (Nader)

What are two reasons third parties are significant?

They allow for non-revolutionary expression of discontent (a vent), they

impact elections by drawing votes away from major party candidates, they allow for discussion outside the mainstream

discourse

How are the two major political parties organized?

They have separate, independent organizations at the national, state, and

local levels

What proportion of registered voters usually

votes in national elections?

Less than half

What role do PACs play in campaigns?

They work outside the official campaign structure

to try and influence the result by running ads, staging events, etc.

What two SC decisions greatly increased role of

PACs?

Buckley v Valeo essentially gave PACs free speech rights,

Citizens United removed limits on donations to PACS and led to creation of “super PACs”

What are three of the main provisions of the Federal Election Campaign Act?

Established the FEC to regulate campaign finance, established hard limits on the amount of $$ donated

to candidates, established Presidential Election Campaign Fund

What does education level help us predict about voting

behavior in the U.S.?

College graduates are more likely to vote than those without a college degree

What type of programs represent the largest portion of

mandatory government spending?

Entitlement programs (e.g. Social Security, Medicare,

etc.)

Who did the 26th Amendment add to the

voting rolls? What happened as a result?

18-21 year olds, they actually voted in lower percentages than any

other age group

What is the single most important factor in the political socialization of

children?

Their parents and family

Is Senate confirmation required for members of the

White House staff?

No, the President is able to choose his own staff

without interference from Congress

Why do Presidents make extensive use of executive

orders (EOs)?

EOs allow Presidents to direct actions of the federal gov’t without approval of Congress

What amendment guaranteed the vote for women? When was it

passed?

19th, 1920 (after WWI)

When the press focuses more on poll results than on the actual issues

in an election this is known as ______. Why can this be

problematic?

Horserace Journalism – problematic because it favors leader and keeps public from becoming educated on issues

What are some of the reasons politicians use

leaks?

Float trial balloons, draw public attention to a problem, discredit

opponent, try to force action on an issue

What is the basic role that the media has in terms of

the national policy agenda?

Media has tremendous power to draw attention to certain issues and ignore

others, people most often assume that what’s most important is what’s in the

news, editorial approach can shift public opinion

What are two of the primary provisions of the Federal Elections Campaign Act?

Set firm limits on donations to candidates, made donations public,

established Federal Election Commission to regulate elections, set

up Presidential Election Campaign fund to provide public $$$