Multiple Choice
Identify the
choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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The
President
As the head of
the executive branch of the U.S. government, the president holds one of the most powerful and
important elective offices in the world. Yet when the founders created the presidency in 1787, the
United States was a new nation of only four million people . The past two centuries have seen the
office formed and expanded by the personalities and policies of the various occupants, as well as by
custom and tradition. Over the years, the office has evolved to meet changing needs and circumstances
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1.
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The President is the
a. | chief legislative officer of the
U.S. | c. | Chief Justice of the
U.S. | b. | chief executive of the U.S. | d. | all of these |
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2.
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Which statement is
true?
a. | The presidency has not changed since
it was established in Article 3 of the Constitution | c. | The presidency has changed over the years to meet the changing conditions in
the world and U.S. | b. | The presidency has not changed since it was established in Article 2 of the
Constitution | d. | All of these statements are
true |
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Creating the
Presidency
Creating the
executive branch of the national government was one of the most important tasks faced by the
delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 . Given their previous experience with kings and
royal governors, most delegates did not want a monarchy- not even an elected monarchy, which
Alexander Hamilton once argued for in a two-hour-long speech . The delegates wanted the ultimate
source of power to rest with the people . They also recognized, from watching the Articles of
Confederation in action, the need for an executive branch . In order to determine how the executive
branch would be formed, the founders analyzed the British monarchy and the roles of governors in
American colonial and state governments. They also studied the writings of European thinkers, such as
Locke and Montesquieu
For weeks, delegates quarreled over how much power the
executive branch should have and what the relationship of the executive to the legislative branch
should be . Some delegates, such as James Madison and Governor Morris, argued for a strong,
independent executive that would be a "check" on an overly ambitious legislature . Others
wanted a weak executive appointed by Congress and subject to its will. Everyone was seeking a proper
balance of power. Morris summed up the problem as follows:
Make him too weak: the
legislature will usurp [take for itself] his power. Make him too strong: he will usurp on
the legislature.
Some liked the idea of a committee executive-a group of several persons,
each holding executive power in a particular area. In the end, they rejected the committee
arrangement. A single official, according to one political scientist, James Q. Wilson, could act with
"energy, dispatch, and responsibility."
The source of the president's authority
is Article II of the Constitution, which says that "the executive power shall be vested in the
president of the United States of America." This makes the president of the United States the
nation's chief executive, or head of the executive branch . The Constitution then sets out the
president's relatively limited constitutional responsibilities .
Because the Constitution
defined presidential powers in broad general statements, the founders were uncertain as to just how
the president would perform the various roles. Only experience would tell.
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3.
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The Founding Fathers learned
from the Articles of Confederation that they needed a strong executive to make government work well.
They also did not want an executive to be so strong that he would become a king of the
country.
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4.
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The Founding Fathers
a. | just followed the model of the
English monarchy in writing Article 2 of the constitution | c. | studied, researched and compromised in creating the
executive branch of government | b. | found it easy to create the executive branch of
government | d. | ignored the ideas of Locke in
writing Article II of the constitution |
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5.
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The Founding Fathers wanted
to
a. | establish a weak president because
they were afraid of legislative power | c. | make the Supreme Court superior to the executive
branch | b. | establish a strong president because they were afraid of too much executive
power | d. | balance the power of the presidency so it would not userp
the power of the other branches |
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6.
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What is the source of
presidential power?
a. | Article I of the
Constitution | d. | The Articles of
Confederation | b. | Article II of the Constitution | e. | Supreme Court decisions | c. | Article III of the
Constitution | f. | Laws passed by
Congress |
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Qualifications
The Constitution lists only three formal qualifications for becoming president. Other,
informal qualifications are personal qualities that Americans, over time, have come to expect their
presidents to have.
Formal Qualifications
The Constitution says that the
president must (1) be a "natural-born citizen," (2) be at least thirty-five years old, and
(3) be a resident of the United States at least fourteen years before taking office
One
element of the American dream is the idea that anybody can be president. Indeed, millions of
Americans meet the three constitutional requirements. Like members of Congress, however, most
presidents thus far in history have not been typical of the population as a whole. Rather, they have
shared certain characteristics. In reality, then, there seem to be important informal requirements
for becoming president of the United States
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7.
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Which of the following is
not a formal requirement for
becoming president
a. | be at least thirty-five years
old | c. | be a "natural-born
citizen, | b. | receive a majority of the popular vote the
office | d. | be a resident of the United States at least fourteen years
before taking office |
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8.
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Any U.S. citizen can become
president.
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Informal Qualifications
Political
experience has become an unwritten but important qualification for the presidency . One of only
two presidents in this century without such experience was Dwight D. Eisenhower, whose success as a
general in the U.S. Army during World War II led to his election as president. Presidential
candidates have commonly been U.S . senators or state governors . Experience in government and
politics allows these individuals not only to form the political alliances necessary to obtain the
nomination but also to become known to the public . Those who currently hold public office have the
resources to build a political following and to campaign.
Another informal qualification is
political acceptability. Candidates with a moderate position reflect the views of the majority
of Americans and are more likely to be nominated and elected. Usually, candidates with extremely
liberal or extremely conservative political views have little chance of winning a nomination, much
less an election . There are exceptions, however, such as the election of conservative Republican
Ronald Reagan over the moderate incumbent President Jimmy Carter in 1980.
Presidents have also
shared several common characteristics . All have been white and male. Most have been descendants of
immigrants from northern Europe . Most have been lawyers, members of Congress, or state governors.
Traditionally, presidents have been married, Protestant, and financially successful. A few, such as
Harry S Truman, have come from poor families; others, such as Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt and
John E Kennedy, have come from wealthy families. Most, however, have come from more modest
circumstances and have been self-made men. All modern presidents except Harry Truman have had college
educations.
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9.
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Why is it important to have
political experience to run for president
a. | candidates need to be known by the
public | c. | need to have political
alliances | b. | need to know how to win primary elections | d. | all of these are important informal
qualifications |
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10.
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To win the presidency
experience has shown that it is important to
a. | have more moderate
views | c. | be far right or far left to appeal
to the party base | b. | have extreme ideological views | d. | none of these are important |
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11.
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Who is the only modern
president that did not have a college education
a. | Dwight
Eisenhower | c. | Franklin
Roosevelt | b. | Theodore Roosevelt | d. | Harry Truman |
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Term
The Constitution states that a president "shall hold his office during the term of
four years." The framers of the Constitution agreed that four years was long enough for a
president to gain experience, demonstrate abilities, and establish stable policies .
The
Constitution placed no limit on the number of terms a president might serve. George Washington served
two terms as president but declined to seek a third. He established a tradition followed by all
presidents well into the twentieth century. Franklin D. Roosevelt, however, broke with this tradition
in 1940, when he ran for a third term and won. In 1944 he ran for a fourth term and won again. In
1951 the Twenty second Amendment was added to the Constitution. Section 1 of that amendment begins as
follows :
No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice,
and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of
a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of President
more than once.
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12.
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George Washington said that a
person should not serve as president for more than two terms. All presidents followed that informal
standard until _____ took office and broke the tradition.
a. | Harry
Truman | c. | Theodore
Roosevelt | b. | Dwight Eisenhower | d. | Franklin Roosevelt |
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13.
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Which amendment to the
Constitution fixed to term of office for the president to two terms
a. | 17th | c. | 21st | b. | 18th | d. | 22nd |
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14.
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The original constitution
said
a. | set term limits to two
terms | c. | set the term of office to 6
years | b. | did not say how many times a person can run for
president | d. | set the term of office to the same
number of years as the senate |
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Compensation
A president receives a salary, determined by Congress, which cannot be increased or
decreased during a given term of office. Currently, the president receives $200,000 a year in salary
and $50,000 a year for travel, entertainment, and other official expenses.
Of course, the
president receives many other special benefits . One is the right to live in the White House, a
luxurious 132-room mansion on 18.3 acres of land in the heart of the nation's capital . The
White House is equipped with a staff of more than eighty persons, including chefs, gardeners, maids,
butlers, and a personal tailor. It has a tennis court, a swimming pool, bowling lanes, and a private
movie theater. The president is also provided with a special fleet of automobiles, jetliners, and
helicopters, including the presidential jet, Air Force One. In addition, the president has the use of
Camp David, a resort hideaway in the Catoctin Mountains of Maryland; medical and dental care; a large
suite of offices, including the Oval Office ; a large staff; and Secret Service protection for his
family. The president does, of course, pay taxes, just like other citizens of the United States
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15.
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Which statement is
true
a. | The president receives a high salary
but very few additional benefits | c. | The president has to pay for his residence in the White House
| b. | The president has to pay for his own
health and dental benefits | d. | none of these statements are
true |
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Presidential
Succession
Eight
presidents have died in office . Four died of natural causes, and another four died from
assassins' bullets. One president, Richard Nixon, was forced to resign (Nixon resigned on August
9, 1974) . Because of the possibility that a president will not be able to serve a full term, it is
very important that an order of succession to the office of president be established . An order of
succession is a legal procedure by which government leaders will succeed to the presidency should the
president die, become disabled, or be removed from office .
Order of Succession
The Constitution originally said only that if the president died or could no longer serve
in office, the "powers and duties" of the office were to be carried out by the vice
president. It did not indicate that the vice president would actually become president. In 1841,
however, after the death of President William Henry Harrison, Vice President John Tyler not only took
over Harrison's duties but also became president. Thus began a tradition of vice
presidents' assuming the presidency.
In 1967, a few years after the assassination of
President John E Kennedy, the Twenty-fifth Amendment was passed to officially settle the question of
presidential succession . The amendment says that the vice president does indeed become president
when the office is vacant . Because the vice presidency is then vacant, the new president chooses a
new vice president, subject to a majority vote of both chambers of Congress.
The Twenty-fifth
Amendment was used for the first time in 1973 when Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned from office.
President Richard Nixon named Gerald Ford as his new vice president, and Ford's nomination was
approved by Congress. A year later, when President Nixon resigned from office, Vice President Ford
became president, and Ford nominated Nelson Rockefeller to be vice president. Congress again approved
the nomination. Gerald Ford thereby became the first person in the history of the republic to become
president without having been elected as either vice president or president.
The order
of succession following the vice president was fixed by Congress in the Presidential Succession Act
of 1947 .
Not everyone agrees with the current order of succession after the vice president.
The next in line is the Speaker of the House, whose political party could be different from that of
the president . A change in parties would weaken continuity in the office. For this reason, some
argue that the heads of the cabinet departments, who were appointed by the president, should follow
the vice president in the order of succession.
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16.
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Formally established the rule
that the Vice President should take office if the President dies.
a. | original
Constitution | c. | 25th
Amendment | b. | Presidential Succession Act of 1947 . | d. | 21st Amendment |
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17.
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Who becomes President if the
President and Vice President are both unable to serve?
a. | Secretary of
State | c. | Senior Senator in the same party as
the President | b. | Speaker of the House | d. | Senior House member in the same party as the
President |
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18.
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Why do some people object to
the Speaker of the House being third in line to take office if the President and Vice President are
unable to serve?
a. | The Speaker usually does not have
enough political experience | c. | The Speaker usually does not have enough administrative
experience | b. | The Speaker might be from the same party as the former president and establish
too much power in the executive branch | d. | The Speaker might be from a different party and change the policies of the
former president too much |
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Presidential Disability
The Twenty-fifth Amendment
also describes the steps to be followed should a president become disabled while in office . The
amendment provides that the vice president shall become acting president under one of two conditions:
(1) if the president informs Congress of an inability to perform in office or (2) if the vice
president and a majority of the cabinet inform Congress, in writing, that the president is disabled .
In either situation, the president may resume the powers and duties of the office by informing
Congress that no disability exists . If, however, the vice president and a majority of the cabinet
contend that the president has not recovered, Congress has twenty one days to decide the issue by a
two-thirds vote in the House and Senate.
Presidents have become disabled in office on a few
occasions. James Garfield lingered for eighty days before he died from an assassin's bullet in
1881 . Woodrow Wilson suffered a paralytic stroke in 1919 and was an invalid for the rest of his
second term. Dwight Eisenhower had several temporary but serious illnesses while in office, including
a heart attack in 1955 and a mild stroke in 1957.
When President Ronald Reagan underwent
surgery for removal of a cancerous growth on July 13, 1985, he informally followed the provisions of
the Twenty-fifth Amendment when he temporarily transferred power to Vice President George Bush. Just
before the operation began, Reagan signed letters to the Speaker of the House and the president pro
tem of the Senate indicating that the vice president "shall discharge those powers and duties in
my stead commencing with the administration of anesthesia to me." When he recovered from surgery
later in the day, Reagan transmitted another letter to both officials announcing that he was again in
charge. Most legal experts saw Reagan's acts as the first official use of this provision of the
Twenty-fifth Amendment.
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19.
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If the President becomes
disabled, who needs to be informed of the intention to remove him from office during the
disability?
a. | The Vice
President | c. | The
Congress | b. | The Cabinet | d. | The Supreme Court |
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The Office of Vice
President
During most of
American history, the office of vice president has been seen as a fairly insignificant position.
Indeed, it has been avoided by some ambitious politicians . In 1848, Daniel Webster declined the Whig
Party's nomination as vice presidential candidate by saying, "I do not propose to be buried
until I am dead."
Despite the slighting of the vice presidency, the office is important .
As John Adams also said, "I am vice president . In this I am nothing, but I may be
everything." If the president should die, become disabled, or be removed from office, the vice
president becomes our new national leader.
Duties
The vice president is given
only two duties by the Constitution . The first duty is to preside over the Senate. Aside from
casting a tie-breaking vote, however, this responsibility is mainly ceremonial. Recent vice
presidents have usually turned much of this job over to the president pro tem of the
Senate.
As you have learned, another vice-presidential duty under the Twenty-fifth Amendment
is to help decide whether the president is disabled and to assume the duties of the presidency if
necessary.
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20.
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Which is a duty of the Vice
President?
a. | Assume office if the President
cannot serve | c. | both of these are
formal duties | b. | Vote in case of a tie in Senate Vote | d. | both are informal duties |
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21.
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The Vice President has no part
in determining if the President is disabled because that would be a conflict of
interest
a. | true only the President and Congress
can determine if he is disabled | b. | false - |
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Qualifications and
Compensation
The official
qualifications for vice president are the same as those for president . A vice president must be a
natural-born citizen, at least thirty-five years of age, and a resident of the United States for at
least fourteen years. The vice president receives a salary of $175,400 a year, plus a yearly expense
allowance . The official residence of the vice president is a mansion on the grounds of the
Washington Naval Observatory. The vice president has an office in the White House and in the Capitol,
each with a large staff; special transportation , including the official vice-presidential
plane, Air Force Two; and protection by the Secret Service.
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22.
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The President has to be a
natural born citizen of the U.S. but the Vice President can be foreign born.
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23.
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The formal qualifications for
the Vice President are the same as those for the President
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Selection of the Vice
President
The selection
process normally begins at the party's national conventions when the presidential nominees name
their running mates. Often, the choice of a running mate is influenced by the need to balance the
ticket in order to improve the presidential candidate's prospects of winning. Thus, the
vice-presidential candidate often comes from a region of the country or a wing of the party that is
different from that of the presidential candidate . If the presidential nominee is from the South,
the vice-presidential nominee may be from the North or West. If the presidential nominee comes from
an urban background, the vice-presidential nominee may come from a rural background
Like the
president, the vice president is officially elected by the electoral college and serves a four-year
term . Unlike the president, however, the vice president has no limits on the number of terms he or
she may serve . The vice president is not subject to removal from office by the
president.
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24.
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The Vice President is selected
to run for office
a. | at the national
conventions | c. | in the general
election | b. | in the primary elections | d. | after the president is elected |
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25.
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Who elects the Vice
President?
a. | the
Senate | c. | the popular
vote | b. | the Electoral College | d. | the Congress |
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26.
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If the President decides he
does not like the Vice President he can remove him from office.
a. | true | c. | true if the House agrees | b. | false |
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More
Involvement?
The
assassination of President John E Kennedy in 1963 and attempts on the lives of President Gerald Ford
and President Ronald Reagan have focused more public attention on the office of vice president. Since
the time of President Eisenhower, presidents have begun to take their vice presidents more seriously,
involving them in some activities to represent the president overseas, take part in cabinet
meetings, and serve on the National Security Council and on various commissions. By becoming more
involved, the vice president assumes a slightly more influential role in the administration and is
more qualified to take over the presidency if necessary.
Vice presidents become much more
visible to the public during a president's second term. The reason is obvious. The president
usually wants the vice president to become the next president and so starts giving the vice president
more responsibilities. During the next presidential campaign, the vice president can point to this
experience as a qualification for election
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27.
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In the past people ignored the
Vice President. Today people are more focused on the Vice President and the office has been given an
expanded role by the President. Why?
a. | The modern threats to the
President | c. | the
media | b. | The increase in U.S. population | d. | party politics |
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28.
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Why do people pay more
attention to the Vice President during the second term of the President?
a. | the VP may be a potential
Presidential candidate | c. | he is better known
by the people and the media | b. | the VP has more experience in the job | d. | the Constitution expands the role of the VP during his second
term |
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29.
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Who is the current Vice
President of the United States?
a. | Richard
Cheney | d. | John
Ashcroft | b. | Joe Biden | e. | Russ Fiengold | c. | Mike Pence | f. | Albert Gore |
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