apg unit iii review
DESCRIPTION
APG Unit III Review. Fall 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?. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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 $$$