PSC 1113 Final Exam, Weeks 12-16

True

Formal eligibility requirements for the presidency of the United States include qualifications based on age, citizenship, and residency status.

False

The U.S. Constitution requires those seeking the presidency to have prior experience in elective office.

False

Support for a female president has decreased over the past decade.

True

The Twenty-Second Amendment establishes presidential term limits

consult with Congress before sending U.S. armed forces into hostile territory

The War Powers Resolution of 1973, enacted as the result of a rare veto override by Congress, requires the president to

It is common for presidents to use their State of the Union message to encourage the public to pressure Congress to support the president's policies. and The U.S. Constitution grants the president the power to sign or veto legislation passed by Congress.

Which of the following statements are accurate regarding the role of the president in the legislative process?

The power to raise and support armies is a power delegated to Congress. and The Constitution grants the president the power to act as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

Which of the following statements accurately describes national security powers?

To protect freedom and democracy, it is important to be aware of the possibility of improper influence by private defense industries.

What was the main point of President Eisenhower's farewell address excerpted above?

President Johnson, 1964

Civil Rights Act

35

What is the minimum age required to attain the office of U.S. president?

Twelfth

Which amendment set the eligibility requirements for vice president?

the Constitution

What determines the presidential order of succession?

Franklin Roosevelt

The president's tenure was limited to two terms following what president's election to a fourth term?

lame duck

Because a president in his second term cannot seek reelection, he is commonly referred to as a

Commander in Chief

As _____ , the president directs all war efforts and military conflict.

pardon

The president has the power to _______, which is the ability to fully forgive an individual's federal prison sentence.

two-thirds

Congress can override a presidential veto with a ______ vote in each chamber.

The president nominates judges in the federal judicial system, including Supreme Court justices.

What authority or role does the president have regarding the judicial system?

Andrew Johnson

Who was the first president to have impeachment charges brought against him?

Watergate

Which scandal led to the resignation of Richard Nixon?

United States v. Nixon

Which case indicated that the president's power of executive privilege is not absolute?

presidential directives

Presidents use the executive power to issue ______ that give specific instructions on a federal policy and do not require congressional approval.

Signing statements

____ are written remarks that reflect the president's interpretation of the law that are not required or authorized by the Constitution.

What is the Federal Register?

the official record of government regulations

In which case did the Supreme Court rule that the president could not seize domestic property when the U.S. was at war abroad?

Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co. v. Sawyer

90

Pursuant to the War Powers Act, the president may send troops into military conflict for no more than _____ days without an official declaration of war or authorization from Congress.

Hamdi v. Rumsfeld

Which case blocked the Bush administration from denying habeas corpus privileges to an enemy combatant who was a U.S. citizen?

Bureau of Land Management

Which of the following organizations is NOT part of the Executive Office of the President?

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Which president appointed the first chief of staff?

Eleanor Roosevelt

Which first lady showed her support for civil rights by arranging for the first African American opera singer to perform on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial?

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Which president's program, known as the New Deal, was designed to address problems associated with the Great Depression?

Great Society

Lyndon Johnson's federal social welfare programs became known as the

the "Great Communicator

Ronald Reagan is referred to as _____ because he came across very well on television

the Iran-Contra scandal

Which major controversy marred the presidency of Ronald Reagan?

the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

In response to the problem of risky practices employed by big banks, the federal government has created_________________ to monitor banking practices

Problem identification (1)
Policy formulation (2)
Policy adoption (3)
Policy implementation (4)
Policy evaluation (5)

Order the following stages of the policymaking process by selecting the appropriate number for each stage.

one million, Asia, North America

more than ____ people obtain legal permanent residence in the United States each year. The largest percentage of these new residents are from _____ , followed by new residents from _____

The act focused on minor "aliens," who would be granted a fast track to citizenship and would no longer face deportation as a result and Under the DREAM Act, graduates of U.S. high schools who entered the country illegally as minors would be eligible for

Which of the following statements are true of the DREAM Act?

Capitalist

Consequences resulting from this economic policy are often blamed for the Great Stock Market Crash that occurred on October 29, 1929, triggering the Great Depression. and This economic policy is consistent with the founders' views regarding limited govern

Keynesian

Franklin Roosevelt put in place this form of economic policy as a means of recovering from the Great Depression. and Increased taxation and government spending are hallmarks of this economic policy.

Static scoring is currently used by the U.S. government to estimate tax revenue. and The U.S. Constitution requires tax bills to be introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Which of the following statements are accurate regarding taxes in the United States?

The system of static scoring currently used by the U.S. government provides an overly simplistic and thus inaccurate estimation of the impact of tax reforms.

Of the following arguments, which most closely aligns with the views of the Tax Foundation

Instituted in 1936, Social Security provides an income safety net for the elderly and disabled. and As an entitlement program, Social Security cannot be denied to eligible recipients.

Which of the following statements are true regarding Social Security?

ideological

President Bill Clinton argued that it was a "moral imperative" for the United States to become involved in ending the "ethnic cleansing" that occurred in former Yugoslavia., In the first State of the Union message after the terrorist attacks of September

pragmatic

In 1972, President Nixon looked beyond his anticommunist beliefs and traveled to China to meet with Mao Zedung, leading to improved relations between the two nations.

public policy

What is the term for a set of laws that regulate political and social life in order to meet a need or accomplish a goal?

maximizes benefits and minimizes costs.

Government seeks public policy that:

the Federal Register

Where are the official records of all executive branch rules, regulations, and orders found?

policy diffusion

The process by which policy ideas and programs initiated by one state spread to other states is known as

Problem Identification

The first step in the policy process, where there is recognition that something might warrant government action, is known as

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

What program provides low-income individuals with a subsidy for food that is funded through general taxation?

the amount of time they worked while paying into the program

What determines the amount of Social Security retired workers receive?

Medicare

__________ provides health insurance for people over the age of 65 and the disabled.

Medicaid

_______ was created to provide health care coverage for low-income

extend health insurance coverage to uninsured Americans.

The primary purpose of the Affordable Care Act was to

Department of Health and Human Services.

All of the following departments share jurisdiction over immigration policy EXCEPT the

the DREAM Act

What program was meant to help children who entered the country illegally with their parents gain citizenship if they met certain requirements?

Arizona

In 2010, which state passed a law allowing police officers to inquire about immigration status when individuals were stopped for another police inquiry?

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

What was created to implement the 1970 Clean Air Act?

fiscal policy

What term is used to describe government use of taxing and spending as a method of intervening in the economy?

the president

Who nominates the board of governors that lead the Federal Reserve System?

fair trade

What type of policy encourages trade between countries with the requirement of working conditions and wages that are comparable between the two countries?

Canada, Mexico and the United States

Which countries are active participants in the North American Free Trade Agreement?

the World War I

The League of Nations was a provision of a treaty that ended

the Cold War

During ________, nations were forced to align themselves either with democracy or communis

Commander in Chief

As _________, the president makes the decision to engage in military action.

the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

In 1970, what was created to discourage the development of nuclear weapons technology?

the Department of State

Who is responsible for formulating foreign policy using nonmilitary methods?

United States

What nation is the largest shareholder in the World Bank?

the Peace Corps

Which U.S.-government funded organization, established in 1961, sends individuals to foreign nations for peacekeeping, educational and cultural purposes?

Cabinet

Set of executive departments responsible for carrying out federal policy in specific issue areas.

Cabinet Secretaries

Heads of Cabinet departments and chief advisers to the president on the issues under their jurisdiction.

Bureaucracy

Executive branch departments, agencies, boards, and commissions that carry out the responsibilities of the federal government.

regulations

Guidelines issued by federal agencies for administering federal programs and implementing federal law.

oversight

Powers of Congress to monitor how the executive branch implements the laws.

federal regulatory commission

Federal agency typically run by a small number of officials, known as commissioners, who are appointed by the president for fixed terms and oversee economic or political issues.

Federal Register

Official published record of all executive branch rules, regulations, and orders.

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Federal agency that oversees the federal budget and all federal regulations.

independent agency

Federal organization that has independent authority and does not operate within a cabinet department.

Pendleton Act

1883 act that established a merit- and performance-based system for federal employment.

career civil servants

Federal employees who are hired through a merit-based system to implement federal programs and who are expected to be neutral in their political affiliations.

political appointees

Federal employees appointed by the president with the explicit task of carrying out his political and partisan agenda.

merit system

System of employment under which employees are chosen and promoted based on merit.

civil service

The nonpartisan federal workforce employed to carry out government programs and policies.

Civil Service Commission

Created by the Pendleton Act to administer entrance exams for the federal civil service and set standards for promotion based on merit.

Schedule C appointees

Federal employees appointed by the president to oversee civil service employees.

whistleblowers

Employees who report mismanagement, corruption, or illegal activity within their agencies.

Senior Executive Service (SES)

Senior management personnel in the federal government appointed by the president.

interest groups

Groups of citizens who share a common interest�a political opinion, a religious or ideological belief, a social goal, or an economic characteristic�and try to influence public policy to benefit themselves.

factions

Defined by Madison as any group that places its own interests above the aggregate interests of society.

right of association

Right to freely associate with others and form groups, as protected by the First Amendment.

unions

Interest groups of individuals who share a common type of employment and seek better wages and working conditions through collective bargaining with employers

grassroots movements

Group that forms in response to an economic or political event but does not focus on only one issue.

economic interest groups

Group formed to advance the economic status of its members.

lobbying

Act of trying to persuade elected officials to adopt a specific policy change or maintain the status quo.

right of petition

Right to ask the government for assistance with a problem or to express opposition to a government policy, as protected by the First Amendment.

single-issue groups

Groups that form to present one view on a highly salient issue that is intensely important to members, such as gun control or abortion.

ideological interest groups

Groups that form among citizens with the same beliefs about a specific issue.

nongovernmental organization

Organizations independent of governments that monitor and improve political, economic, and social conditions throughout the world.

inside strategy

A strategy employed by interest groups to pursue a narrow policy change and influence legislators directly rather than using a wider grassroots approach.

citizens' groups

Groups that form to draw attention to purely public issues that affect all citizens equally.

501(c)(4) organization

Tax-exempt groups that exist to promote social welfare and can advocate for specific policy issues.

iron triangle

Insular and closed relationship among interest groups, members of Congress, and federal agencies.

special interests

Set of groups seeking a particular benefit for themselves in the policy process.

Political Action Committees (PACs)

Groups formed to raise and contribute funds to support electoral candidates and that are subject to campaign finance laws.

pluralists

View of democratic society in which interest groups compete over policy goals, and elected officials are mediators of group conflict.

selective benefits

Benefits offered exclusively to members of an interest group.

Issue networks

View of the relationship among interest groups, members of Congress, and federal agencies as more fluid, open, and transparent than that described by the term iron triangle.

iron law of oligarchy

Theory that leaders in any organization eventually behave in their own self-interest, even at the expense of rank-and-file members; the larger the organization, the greater the likelihood that the leader will behave this way.

public goods

Goods or benefits provided by government from which everyone benefits and from which no one can be excluded.

Revolving door

Movement of members of Congress, lobbyists, and executive branch employees into paid positions in each other's organizations.

free rider problem

Problem faced by interest groups when a collective benefit they provide is so widespread and diffuse that members and nonmembers alike receive it, reducing the incentive for joining the group.

appeals

Legal proceeding whereby the decision of a lower court on a question of law can be challenged and reviewed by a higher court.

Affirmative Action

Policies that support greater equality, often by granting racial or gender preferences in hiring, education, or contracting.

courts of appeals

Intermediate federal courts that are above the district courts and below the Supreme Court.

adversary process

Confrontational legal process under which each party presents its version of events.

common law

Judge-made law in England and the United States that results from gaps in statutory law.

Judicial Review

Authority of courts to declare laws passed by Congress and acts of the executive branch to be unconstitutional.

Jurisdiction

Lawful authority of a court to hear a case.

district (trial) courts

Federal trial courts at the bottom of the federal judicial hierarchy.

precedents

Practice of reaching decisions based on the previous decisions of other judges.

criminal case

Government prosecution of an individual for breaking the law.

civil suit

Lawsuit by a person, organization, or government against another person, organization, or government.

amicus curiae

Latin term meaning "friend of the court" that is used to describe individuals or interest groups who have an interest in a lawsuit but are not themselves direct parties to the suit.

Marbury v. Madison

An 1803 Supreme Court decision that established the Supreme Court's power of judicial review.

en banc

Decision by an entire Court of Appeals circuit, typically following an original judgment by a three-judge panel of the circuit.

Solicitor General

Official in the Justice Department who represents the president in federal court.

petition for a writ of certiorari

Request to the Supreme Court that it review a lower court case.

class action lawsuits

Lawsuit filed by one person on behalf of that person plus all similarly situated people.

dissenting opinion

Opinion that disagrees with the majority opinion as to which party wins

plea bargains

Agreement by a criminal defendant to plead guilty in return for a reduced sentence.

majority opinion

Opinion of a court laying out the official position of the court in the case.

countermajoritarian difficulty

Alexander Bickel's phrase for the tension that exists for representative government when unelected judges have the power to strike laws passed by elected representatives

rule of four

Supreme Court rule that grants review to a case if as few as four of the justices support review.

concurring opinion

Opinion that agrees with the results of the majority opinion (that is, which party wins) but sets out a separate rationale.

judicial restraint

Decisions by judges respecting the decisions of other branches or, through the concept of precedent, the decisions of earlier judges.

judicial activism

Decisions that go beyond what the law requires made by judges who seek to impose their own policy preferences on society through their judicial decisions.

judicial independence

Ability of judges to reach decisions without fear of political retribution.