The Presidency examples

Question 1

What is an example of a quote used by the President to show their lack of power?

Answer 1

President Johnson: ‘The only power I’ve got is nuclear, and I’m not allowed to use that’

Question 2

Examples of the President acting as head of state, which is especially seen in times of national mourning?

Answer 2

-George W Bush after 9/11
-Trump played this role less successfully as the US was devastated by Covid and the death of George Floyd

Question 3

When did a President us their State of the Union address to propose legislation?

Answer 3

Trump in 2018 promised to crackdown on immigration, keeping Guantanamo Bay open and bolstering the USA’s nuclear arsenal

Question 4

How many vetoes did Trump make?

Answer 4

Ten and one was overturned

Question 5

How may vetoes did Obama make and which was overturned

Answer 5

He made 12 vetoes- one was overturned - the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, allowing victims of 9/11 to sue Saudi Arabia for any role they played

Question 6

What are some of the examples of appointments for head of the executive departments made by Biden?

Answer 6

Janet Yellen- Secretary of the Treasury
Antony Blinken- Secretary of State

Question 7

Example of Supreme Court Justices appointed by Trump?

Answer 7

Neil Gorsuch
Brett Kavanaugh
Amy Coney Barret

Question 8

Which president tried to refrain the USA’s role in foreign policy?

Answer 8

Trump increasingly complained about the price of being the ‘world policeman’ and criticised countries in NATO for not paying enough on defence. In 2019, he withdrew troops from Syria and Afghanistan

Question 9

What is an example of Presidents carrying out wars without Congress actually declaring war?

Answer 9

Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution in 1964, which allowed Johnson to take ‘all necessary measures’ in Vietnam

Question 10

What’s an example of the use of the power to pardon?

Answer 10

In 1974, Ford pardoned Nixon over all Watergate related matters

Question 11

What is an example of treaties made by the president?

Answer 11

Chemical Weapons Ban -Bush
Nuclear Arms Treaty With Russia - Obama

Question 12

How many times in the 20th century was a treaty rejected and what’s an example of one?

Answer 12

Seven treaties were rejected including the Treaty of Versailles was initially rejected

Question 13

What’s an example of a VP becoming president?

Answer 13

Johnson became president after JFK’s assassination
Ford after the resignation of Nixon

Question 14

How many VPs have become president?

Answer 14

14: 4 elected and 8 because of death

Question 15

What’s an example of the VP presiding over the Senate?

Answer 15

Kamala Harris has the record for making the greatest number of tie-breaking votes: 32, including the motion to proceed on the American Rescue Plan 2021

Question 16

When did the ceremonial role of the VP counting the electoral college votes change?

Answer 16

In 2020, when Trump tried to persuade Pence to change the election outcome; Pence abided the constitution

Question 17

What was Trump’s cabinet like?

Answer 17

‘older, white and richer’ than that of his predecessors
Lacking in experience- Heads of executive departments had no experience, including Treasury Secretary and Secretary of State

Question 18

What is Biden’s cabinet like?

Answer 18

it’s being described as the most diverse ever, with the first openly gay cabinet secretary
It had 5 women and 4 black men when he first appointed it

Question 19

What’s an example of a President who had lots of cabinet meetings compared to a President who had few?

Answer 19

Ronald Reagan held 36 cabinet meetings in his first year, while over 8 years, Obama had only 28

Question 20

Who’s cabinet is seen as the most unstable?

Answer 20

Trump’s- during his 4 years, there were 20 personnel changes. This caused a lack of policy continuity. By the end of his term, there had been 9 different heads of the department for Homeland Security

Question 21

What was Trump’s relationship like with EXOP?

Answer 21

There was a turnover of 86% of Trump’s top officials during his tenure, with a culture of sackings and resignations

Question 22

Examples of White House Chief of Staffs who become too powerful?

Answer 22

Don Reagan under Reagan, Sherman Adams under Eisenhower

Question 23

Example of recent chief of staffs

Answer 23

Andrew Card who was Bush’s chief of staff whispered in his ear on the morning of 9/11 to tell Bush America was under attack

Question 24

What was some of Trump’s earliest executive orders?

Answer 24

The setting out of procedures to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the building of the wall between Mexico and the US, declaring sanctuary cities that didn’t comply with immigration enforcement measures would not be eligible to receive Federal grants (later ruled unconstitutional) and a travel ban for Muslims

Question 25

What’s an example of Biden overturning Trump’s executive orders?

Answer 25

Reversed the construction of the US-Mexico wall, the ban on transgender people serving in the military

Question 26

Example of an executive order being ruled unconstitutional because congress mobilised against the president?

Answer 26

Obama’ executive order failed to close Guantanamo bay. They refused to fund the effort with an overwhelming 90-6 congress vote

Question 27

What’s an example of an executive agreement?

Answer 27

Barak Obama on the Paris Agreement, which Trump withdrew from and Biden then re-entered

Question 28

What’s an example of a signing statement issued by Obama?

Answer 28

He used a signing statement to highlight his concerns over the ‘detention, interrogation and prosecution of suspected terrorists’ when signing the national defence authorisation act in 2011

Question 29

Why have recent presidents struggled with electoral mandates?

Answer 29

Since Reagan, no president has achieved more than 55% of the vote, especially Trump who was well short of 50% and had 3 million less votes than Hilary

Question 30

What was a great success of Biden’s in the first 100 days of office?

Answer 30

He passed the American Rescue Plan, a 1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill to help those left weak after the covid-19 pandemic

Question 31

Example of national crises leaving presidents in a positive position

Answer 31

Bush and 9/11 and Obama and Hurricane Sandy in 2012