12.9: Review Questions

1. Many at the Continental Congress were skeptical of allowing presidents to be directly elected by the legislature because ________.
   1. they were worried about giving the legislature too much power
   2. they feared the opportunities created for corruption
   3. they knew the weaknesses of an electoral college
   4. they worried about subjecting the commander-in-chief to public scrutiny

Answer

B

2. Which of the following is a way George Washington expanded the power of the presidency?
   1. He refused to run again after serving two terms.
   2. He appointed the heads of various federal departments as his own advisors.
   3. He worked with the Senate to draft treaties with foreign countries.
   4. He submitted his neutrality proclamation to the Senate for approval.
3. How did presidents who served in the decades directly after Washington expand the powers of the presidency?

Answer

John Adams expanded the war powers by waging undeclared war, Thomas Jefferson negotiated the purchase of Louisiana from France, and James Monroe took direct control of foreign policymaking when he issued the Monroe Doctrine.

4. What factors contributed to the growth of presidential power in the twentieth century?
5. How did the election of 1824 change the way presidents were selected?
   1. Following this election, presidents were directly elected.
   2. Jackson’s supporters decided to create a device for challenging the Electoral College.
   3. The election convinced many that the parties must adopt the king caucus as the primary method for selecting presidents.
   4. The selection of the candidate with fewer electoral votes triggered the rise of party control over nominations.

Answer

D

6. Which of the following is an unintended consequence of the rise of the primary and caucus system?
   1. Sometimes candidates unpopular with the party leadership reach the top.
   2. Campaigns have become shorter and more expensive.
   3. The conventions have become more powerful than the voters.
   4. Often incumbent presidents will fail to be renominated by the party.
7. What problems exist with the Electoral College?

Answer

There are many problems with the Electoral College. First, small states are over-represented in the Electoral College. Second, the state by state set-up of the college, in the modern era, leads to states that are safe wins for one party, leaving a handful of states that get all the attention. Finally, its outcomes can differ from the outcome of actual citizen voting (also known as the national popular vote.

8. The people who make up the modern president’s cabinet are the heads of the major federal departments and ________.
   1. must be confirmed by the Senate
   2. once in office are subject to dismissal by the Senate
   3. serve two-year terms
   4. are selected base on the rules of patronage
9. A very challenging job for new presidents is to ______.
   1. move into the White House
   2. prepare and deliver their first State of the Union address
   3. nominate and gain confirmation for their cabinet and hundreds of other officials
   4. prepare their first executive budget

Answer

C

10. How do presidents work to fulfill their campaign promises once in office?
11. President Theodore Roosevelt’s concept of the bully pulpit was the office’s ________.
    1. authority to use force, especially military force
    2. constitutional power to veto legislation
    3. premier position to pressure through public appeal
    4. ability to use technology to enhance the voice of the president

Answer

C

12. In what ways have first ladies expanded the role of their office over the twentieth century?
13. How were presidents in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries likely to reach the public? Were these methods effective?

Answer

Presidents of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries might make speeches or publish letters in newspapers across the country. These methods may have been effective in their day, but not in comparison to the ability of modern presidents with television, radio, and the Internet at their disposal.

14. The passage of the Tenure of Office Act of 1867 was just one instance in a long line of ________.
    1. struggles for power between the president and the Congress
    2. unconstitutional presidential power grabbing
    3. impeachment trials
    4. arguments over presidential policy
15. Which of the following is an example of an executive agreement?
    1. The president negotiates an agreement with China and submits it to the Senate for ratification.
    2. The president changes a regulation on undocumented immigrant status without congressional approval.
    3. The president signs legally binding nuclear arms terms with Iran without seeking congressional approval.
    4. The president issues recommendations to the Department of Justice on what the meaning of a new criminal statute is.

Answer

C

16. How have the methods presidents use to negotiate with their party and the opposition changed over time?
17. What strategies can presidents employ to win people over to their way of thinking?

Answer

Presidents can use road trips across the country, major speeches, and rewards to people in their camp. Historically, however, these techniques have only rarely been successful. What works best is for a president find a popular position to get out in front of.