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1 AP Government EXAM: Presidency Mr. Messinger 1. When selecting a vice-presidential candidate, a presidential nominee is usually concerned primarily with choosing a running mate who a) has significant personal wealth b) adds balance and appeal to the national ticket c) comes from the same ideological wing of the party as the president d) can serve as the most important domestic policy adviser to the president e) can effectively preside over the Senate 2. The Department of Homeland Security became a cabinet position in the wake of 9/11 mainly to a) hunt down and eradicate potential terrorist threats, such as Al-Qaeda b) coordinate cooperation and communication between various federal intelligence agencies c) enforce the Patriot Act and promote patriotism d) train airport personnel to ensure greater airline security e) investigate why the 9/11 attacks had been able to occur on American soil 3. Congressional standing committees are best described as a) specially appointed investigative bodies b) joint committees of the two houses of Congress c) committees created for each session d) permanent subject-matter committees e) advisory staff agencies 4. To say that the American people tend to be ideologically conservative but operationally liberal means that a) Americans favor conservative moral values but also favor the latest in management techniques to supervise government bureaucracy b) Americans are both conservative and liberal c) Americans are likely to support limited government in theory but support social programs in practice d) Americans are likely to talk about the need for social welfare programs but to vote for legislators who will restrain government spending e) ideology has little impact on American politics 5. Which of the following procedures results in the removal of the President from office? a) The House and Senate vote for impeachment and the Supreme Court reaches a guilty verdict. b) The House votes for impeachment, and the Senate conducts a trial and reaches a guilty verdict. c) The House and the Senate both vote for a bill of impeachment. d) Only the House votes for a bill of impeachment. e) A criminal court finds the President guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors.

2 6. Which of the following statements about Congress is true? a) Members of Congress only occasionally are interested in and pay attention to constituents. b) The legislative process is frequently lengthy, decentralized, and characterized by compromise and bargaining. c) Lobbyists and political action committees (PACs) successfully induce most members of Congress to trade their votes for campaign contributions. d) The growth in the size of Congress as an organization is the principal cause of growth in the federal budget deficit. e) Debate in both houses is structured by elaborate rules enacted by leaders of the majority party. 7. Which of the following is articulated in the War Powers Resolution? a) The President may declare war. b) The President must finance any war efforts from a special contingency fund. c) The President must bring troops home from hostilities within 60 to 90 days unless Congress extends the time. d) The President may not nationalize state militias without congressional consent. e) The President may not send troops into hostilities without a declaration of war from Congress or a resolution from the United Nations. 8. The request of recent Presidents for the line-item veto is a challenge to which of the following principles? a) Separation of powers b) Senatorial courtesy c) Eminent domain d) Executive privilege e) Congressional oversight 9. The chief initiator of foreign policy is the a) Senate Foreign Relations Committee b) Secretary of State c) Joint Chiefs of Staff d) President e) President in concert with the Secretary of State and the National Security Advisor 10. All of the following have contributed to an increase in presidential power in the post-1945 era EXCEPT a) tensions between the United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War period b) an increase in public expectations for services from the federal government c) economic and domestic problems such as inflation, unemployment, and civil rights issues d) increasing United States involvement in international affairs e) legislation granting the President the power to impound funds appropriated by Congress 11. Cabinet members often do not have a dominant influence on presidential decision-making because a) cabinet members generally maintain close independent ties to Congress b) cabinet members generally view their position only as a steppingstone to further their own political ambitions c) cabinet members are not permitted to disagree publicly with the President d) presidential goals often conflict with the institutional goals of individual cabinet-level agencies e) only half of all cabinet members can be members of the President s party

3 12. In which of the following scenarios would a presidential veto most likely be upheld? a) The President has the support of the Supreme Court. b) The President is in a second term, removed from partisan politics. c) The proposed legislation enjoys widespread bipartisan support. d) The proposed legislation was originally adopted by a large majority in both houses of Congress. e) Two-thirds of the representatives and senators are members of the same party as the President. 13. Which of the following committees of the House of Representatives sets the conditions for debate and amendment of most legislation? a) Ways and Means b) Appropriations c) Judiciary d) Rules e) Government Operations 14. Which of the following governmental agencies is not a cabinet-level department? a) Homeland Security b) Housing and Urban Development c) U.S. Postal Service d) Defense e) Education 15. Which of the following is NOT a presidential role authorized by the Constitution? a) To be commander in chief of the armed forces b) To lead the political party of the President c) To negotiate treaties with foreign nations d) To be chief executive e) To present the State of the Union address 16. Which of the following is true under the systems of checks and balances? a) The Supreme Court can overrule the President s policy proposals. b) The Senate must ratify treaties negotiated by the President before they become law. c) A bill becomes law when the House and the Senate pass it, and the Supreme Court declares it constitutional. d) The Supreme Court can remove members of the Congress, and Congress can impeach the President. e) The House of Representatives appoints justices to the Supreme Court and the Senate approves the appointments. 17. The President can do which of the following without seeking the consent of either the House or Senate? a) Ratify a treaty b) Appoint ambassadors c) Appoint district court judges d) deploy troops e) declare war 18. Senate confirmation is required for which of the following presidential appointments? I. Secretary of State II. White House chief of staff III. Director of the FBI IV. Attorney General a) I only b) II and III only c) II and IV only d) I, III, and IV only e) I, II, III, and IV

4 19. Since the 1970s, Presidents have made use of executive orders at an increasing rate because executive orders a) are noncontroversial measures that can be easily implemented b) are rarely defeated in Congress c) do not need to passed by Congress d) avoid judicial review e) must be ratified by the Senate rather than by the House 20. The concept of critical elections is most closely associated with a) the electoral college process b) elections during wartime c) the nomination process d) economic recession e) party realignment Questions are based on the table below. Electoral Support for Democratic Candidates, (Percentage of Vote for Democratic Candidates) PRESIDENT (1988) U.S. HOUSE (1990) Strong Democrats Weak Democrats Independent-leaning Democrats Pure Independents Independent-leaning Republicans Weak Republicans Strong Republicans 2 17 Source: The National Election Studies, Center for Political Studies, University of Michigan 21. The table supports which of the following statements about party identification about party identification and voting behavior? a) There is no consistent relationship between party identification and voting behavior. b) People with weak party identification tend to vote for opposing political candidates. c) Independent-leaning Democrats are unreliable voters for the Democratic party. d) People who most resist party identification tend to vote for Republican candidates. e) People with strong Democratic party identification tend to vote for the Democratic party. 22. The table best supports which of the following statements about the two elections for which data are provided? a) The 1988 and 1990 elections were clear victories for the democratic party. b) Republican voters exhibited greater party discipline in 1990 than they did in c) Independent-leaning Republicans were the Republicans least likely to cross party lines. d) Pure Independents were less likely to vote for the Democratic presidential candidate in 1988 than for Democratic House candidates in e) Weak Democrats were the group most likely to vote for Republican candidates.

5 23. House of Representatives are found in Article I of the Constitution. They include all of the following, EXCEPT a) must be 25 years of age b) must be an American citizens for seven years c) must be a resident from the state represented d) can be a naturalized citizens e) cannot serve for more than two consecutive terms 24. Most of the power in Congress is found in the a) committees b) specialized caucuses c) state delegations d) party leaders e) caucuses 25. Among the many powers of the House Speaker is that he or she a) appoints members of special and select committees b) takes the minutes c) keeps party leaders informed about the opinions of their party members d) schedules legislation e) presides over the Senate 26. A bill that has many nongermane amendments tacked on is called a a) Christmas-tree bill b) pork-barrel bill c) Dirkson Special bill d) Full-House rider e) golden shovel bill HOW PEOPLE IDENTIFY THEMSELVES POLITICALLY, DEMOCRAT 47% 46% 45% 40% 40% 33% REPUBLICAN 27% 30% 24% 23% 29% 34% INDEPENDENT 22% 23% 30% 36% 29% 31% APOLITICAL 4% 4% 1% 1% 2% 2% Source: The National Election Center for Political Studies, University of Michigan 27. The table above supports which of the following conclusions? I. A plurality of the people has consistently supported the Democrats. II. Support for the two major parties increased slightly between 1952 and III. The largest percentage increase in political identification between 1952 and 1994 occurred among independents. a) I only b) II only c) III only d) I and II only e) I, II, and III

6 28. Responsibility for reconciling the House and Senate versions of a bill falls to a a) conference committee b) standing committee c) select committee d) oversight committee e) joint committee 29. Which of the following factors is the most important for predicting the outcome of congressional elections? a) The amount of money spent by the candidate b) The size of the voter turnout c) The success of the parties presidential candidate within the particular congressional district d) Whether or not the candidate is an incumbent e) Whether or not there are some hot button issues during the campaign 30. Cloture is invoked in the Senate to a) impeach a federal judge b) censure a senator for wrongdoing c) remove a federal judge who has been impeached d) end debate or a filibuster of a bill by a three-fifths vote of the Senate e) return a bill to committee 31. The term horse-race journalism refers to the tendency of the media to a) cover Congress by focusing on committee chairs rather than on the work of the committees b) cover campaigns by emphasizing the relative standings of the candidates in the polls rather than the issues they discuss c) cover politics by concentrating on scandal and corruption d) compete for access to sources rather than to cooperate in gathering news e) compete to be first with major breaking stories rather than trying of to present full, accurate accounts such stories 32. The role of a conference committee in Congress is to a) hold hearings on proposed legislation b) oversee the actions of the executive branch of the government c) decide which bill should be considered by the Senate d) conduct hearings that make information available to the public e) reconcile differences in bill passed by the House and Senate 33. Which of the following statements is NOT true about the United States Senate? a) There is no rules committee to limit debate in the Senate. b) The vice president presides over the Senate and only votes in the event of a tie. c) Until the 17 th Amendment, senators were elected by state legislatures. d) The membership of the Senate has always been made up of more common individuals rather than the rich elite. e) It shares the ability to declare war with the House. 34. The term critical election can best be described as a a) term used for elections where serious economic differences exist between the candidates. b) term used to describe elections when the nation is in a state of war. c) term used for elections where party realignment takes place. d) term for an election where Supreme Court vacancies are anticipated. e) term for any election where one party has won the previous three elections and this election is critical to the minority party.

7 35. Candidates for president have been LEAST likely to come from which of the following sources? a) the vice presidency b) state governorships c) the cabinet d) the House of Representatives e) the Senate 36. Which of the following was viewed by the framers of the Constitution as the center of policy making in the U.S.? a) President s cabinet b) Secretary of State c) President d) Congress e) Supreme Court COMPETITION IN CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS, MEMBERS REELECTED AVERAGE VOTE WON BY MEMBER MEMBERS REELECTED BY 60% OR MORE YEAR HOUSE SENATE HOUSE SENATE HOUSE SENATE % 64% 61.2% 57.5% 63.1% 71.3% % 97% 60.6% 54.5% 58.9% 71.8% % 83% 62.1% 54.8% 63.6% 40.0% % 85% 61.7% 60.3% 58.5% 63.0% % 88% 62.7% 52.6% 67.7% 59.3% % 71% 64.2% 52.9% 72.2% 58.9% % 77% 65.4% 56.3% 77.3% 45.8% % 74% 65.6% 60.5% 77.8% 55.0% % 85% 64.0% 52.5% 66.4% 47.8% % 64% 65.8% 50.8% 71.9% 68.7% % 60% 65.8% 52.5% 78.0% 53.3% % 55% 66.1% 50.1% 72.9% 56.2% % 93% 65.0% 58.6% 68.9% 50.0% % 90% 65.6% 61.9% 75.1% 73.0% % 75% 69.5% 59.1% 81.2% 71.4% mean percentage 93% 77% 64.4% 55.7% 70.2% 59.4% 37. The data displayed in the table above best support which of the following statements? a) The reelection rate is higher in the Senate than in the House. b) The average vote won by Senate surpasses that won by House members. c) House seats are safer from election turnover than are Senate seats. d) House members serve more terms than do Senators. e) More members of the Senate win reelection by 60% or more of the vote than do members of the House.

8 38. Which of the following are cabinet departments of the president? I. Veterans Affairs II. Agriculture III. White House Counsel IV. Transportation a) I and IV only b) I, II, and III c) I, II, and IV d) II, III, and IV e) III and IV only 39. The cabinet officers consist of the heads of a) the major executive departments b) the major governmental agencies c) the major governmental commissions d) independent agencies e) minor governmental agencies 40. The president of the United States possesses the power to negotiate treaties with other nations but the treaty is not considered final until which of the following additional steps are taken? a) Congress votes to accept it by simply majority. b) Congress votes to accept it by a super-majority. c) The House of Representatives votes to accept it by a two-thirds majority. d) The Senate votes to accept it by a two-thirds majority. e) Congress votes to accept it by a simple majority and the Supreme Court declares it Constitutional. Questions 41 and 42 are based on table below. NEWS MEDIA VIEWED MORE FAVORABLY THAN POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS FAVORABLE OPINION OF: CHANGE Daily Newspaper 82% 80% -2% Local TV News 83% 79% -4% Cable TV News* 88% 79% -9% Network TV News 76% 75% -1% Major National Papers 74% 61% -13% Supreme Court 78% 66% -12% Democratic Party 63% 57% -6% Congress 65% 54% -11% George W. Bush** 64% 55% -9% Republican Party 54% 52% -2% SOURCE: Pew Research, Center for People and Press *In 2001, the cable news question listed only CNN and MSNBC. In 2005, Fox News Channel was added to the question. **Bush 2005 figure from March. Percentages based on those who could rate each. 41. Which type of media was viewed most favorably in 2001? a) Major national newspapers b) Daily newspapers c) Cable TV news d) Local TV news e) Network TV news 42. Which of the following political institutions experienced the largest decline in the public s favorable opinion from 2001 to 2005? a) Congress b) Republican Party c) Democratic Party d) George W. Bush e) Supreme Court

9 43. Which of the following statements is NOT true concerning the White House staff? a) The press secretary is a member of the White House staff. b) The national security advisor is a member of the White House staff. c) The president relies on the White House staff for information, policy options, and analysis. d) The White House staff size and responsibilities grew enormously in the latter half of the 1900s. e) Appointments to the White House staff are confirmed by the Senate. 44. The War Powers Resolution, which requires the president to consult with Congress whenever possible prior to using military forces, was passed as a reaction to what historic actions? a) The sinking of the Lusitania b) The bombing of Pearl Harbor c) American fighting in Vietnam and Cambodia d) The Korean War e) Operation Desert Storm 45. Which of the following statements concerning the position of the vice president is NOT true? a) In case of presidential disability, he assumes the position of president. b) He presides over the Senate c) Since 1980, the role and activities of the vice president have been increased informally by presidents. d) His Constitutional duties include serving as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. e) He only votes in the Senate to break tie votes. 46. The party member in Congress most responsible for making certain that party members are present for a vote and that they vote the way the party wishes is the a) President pro tempore b) Chairman of the Caucus c) Minority Leader d) Party Whip e) Speaker of the House 47. If by December 30 th the president does not sign a bill that was sent to him by Congress on December 24 th, he has probably a) used his pocket veto. b) vetoed it. c) let it become law without his signature d) tabled it. e) amended it. 48. Who is the head of the Justice Department? a) Chief of Staff Rahm Emamual b) DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano c) OTISMP Chief Tom Daschle d) Attorney General Eric Holder e) LOLJK Master Alberto Gonzalez 49. Which of the following people is a member of Obama s current Cabinet? a) Janet Napolitano b) Arne Duncan c) John Boehner d) Hillary Clinton e) Joe Biden 50. Who is most qualified to be Secretary of Education? a) Patrick Frino b) Arne Duncan c) Alessandro Vanni d) Brian Messinger e) You STOP END OF EXAM

AP U.S. Government and Politics: 1999 Exam

AP U.S. Government and Politics: 1999 Exam 1. Which of the following is an example of checks and balances, as established by the Constitution? A) A requirement that states lower their legal drinking age