Presidency Test Flashcards
List the line of Presidential succession (in order). REMEMBER S.T.D
president vice president the speaker of the hor senate pro tempore Secretary of state Secretary of treasury Secretary of defence
Who sets the president’s compensation?
Congress
What is the President’s term of office?
4 years
What are the 3 formal qualifications to be President?
natural born citizen
at least 35 years of age
residency for at least 14 years
What is the maximum # of allowed elected terms for a President?
2 terms
What does the 25th Amendment relate to?
if the president is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office Vice President takes over
Which constitutional amendment only allows the President to be elected twice?
amendment 22
What is the President’s current annual salary?
400,000
What is the procedure if the President becomes disabled and is still able to communicate?
the president informs the congress of disability and the vp becomes acting president
What is the procedure if the President becomes disabled and is unable to communicate (e.g., in coma)?
the vp and majority of cabinet secretaries can go to the congress and receive approval for the vp to become acting president
How does the President regain power after a disability?
the president regains power by informing the congress of his intent to return
Head of armed forces
Commander in chief
Sets overall foreign policy
Chief diplomat
Enforces laws, treatises, and court decisions
Chief legislature
Proposes legislation
Chief legislature
Issues pardons and amnesty
Chief jurist
Ceremonial head of our nation
Chief of state
Negotiates both treaties and executive agreements
Chief diplomat
Appoints federal jurists
Chief jurist
Makes a state of the Union address to Congress
Chief legislature
Does the President have the power to do a line item veto? If no, why?
no; violation of separation of powers
List one way the powers of the President as the Chief Diplomat are checked?
senate can reject ambassador and treaties
List one way the powers of the President as the Commander in Chief are checked?
congress appropriates funds for military
List two ways the powers of the President as the Chief Legislator are checked?
Congress can override veto with ⅔ majority in both houses
congress need to pass suggestion legislation
List two ways the powers of the President as the Chief Executive are checked?
senate can reject appointments and treaties
Congress passes the laws and has the “power of the purse”
List one way the powers of the President as the Chief Jurist are checked?
senate can reject judicial appointments
What are the 2 constitutional duties of the Vice President?
- becomes president or acting president if the office of president is vacant
- presides over the senate, voting in case of ties
What are the 4 divided loyalties of the Cabinet Secretaries?
president
congress
client groups
employees within the departments
List 4 factors which the President considers when selecting a Cabinet Secretary.
party affiliation
race
sex
“confirmability “
What does the Rule of Propinquity say?
power is wielded by people who are in the room where decisions are made
List 3 examples of “balancing the ticket”.
Experience, foreign relations experience, catholic
What do the following acronyms stand for? OMB, NSC & CEA
omb- office of management and budget
nsc- national security counsil
cea- counsil of economic advisors
What percentage of employees can the president appoint in Cabinet Department, such as the Dept. of Education?
> 90%
What are civil service employees? How do they get their jobs?
- performed the administrative works of government
- hired based on party merit principle
What does the OMB do?
prepares the annual budget and reviews federal program
What is the # 1 factor the President takes into account when hiring his White House staff?
People who will be loyal
Do the President’s appointments to the White House staff have to be approved by the Senate? Why?
No, fewer divided loyalties as compared to cabinet positions
Where is the President’s personal White House staff located in the White House?
office space in the west wing of the White House
What does the NSC do?
coordinates foreign/military policy
Why is it that Cabinet members cannot be members of Congress?
cabinet members are constitutionally banned from also being members of congress
Can the President fire members of the Cabinet?
Yes
List 3 sources of Presidential influence.
use of media
mandate from people
presence of a national emergency
What percentage of the bills that the President vetoes are overridden?
93% of vetoes are not overriten/ 7 %
How can the President’s veto overridden?
Congress can override a veto with ⅔ majority in both houses
What does it mean to be “imperial”?
excessive power growth EX:king like
What are the President’s powers related to war? What can he do, what can Congress do?
commander in chief head of the armed forces congress appropriates funds for the military
What is executive privilege? (describe it)
the right of a president to not divulge conversations between himself and his advisors
What are the 2 things that the Supreme Court decided in U.S. v. Nixon?
presidents are in fact entitled to executive privilage most of the time but not in criminal cases
What is an executive agreement? What is the difference between an executive agreement and a treaty?
the executive agreement does not require Senate ratification as does the treaties. executive agreements are deals between the president and the head of another nation.
What is a Presidential impoundment?
the refusal of the president to spend money that has been appropriated by congress
List 3 of the 4 provisions of the War Powers Act of 1973.
president must notify congress within 48 hours
- combat commitment must end within 60 days, unless congress agrees to a longer period
- congress may end combat commitment at any time by passing a concurrent resolution by senate and house
List one criticism of the War Powers Act of 1973.
ties the hands of the president– too flexible
What is senatorial courtesy?
before president makes an appointment within a state he will consult with the two senators of that state to get their approval
What does “mandate” mean?
To order
What is the maximum # of years a person can be President?
8 years
