unit 2 questions Flashcards
The boundary lines of congressional districts are drawn by
State Legislatures
Which power is used by the president for enforcing federal law?
general executive power
Who are the representatives in each party that form the communication network that bring each party together?
Whips
Which of the following best describes a nonlegislative power of Congress?
impeachment power
Congressional committees and subcommittees exist
to acquire the information needed to pass meaningful and comprehensive legislation
If Congress adjourns during the ten days the president has to consider a bill passed by both houses of Congress, but which the president has not yet signed, what is the result?
Pocket veto
A legislative veto is
an instance of Congress overriding an executive policy
The creation on the federal bureaucracy is due to the constitutional management of
the president delegating executive authority
Who was the first president to appoint an African American to the Supreme Court?
Johnson
Those who believe that the Supreme Court in its rulings should defer to the elective institutions of government are advocating
“judicial restraint”
The president decides to send American troops into Syria to help in the fight against ISIS. This is an example of which of the president’s powers?
power as commander-in-chief
The difference between an appellate court and a district court is that an appellate court
reviews previous court decisions
If legislation passes in both the House of Representatives and the Senate but each version is slightly different, the conflicting bills are sent to
a conference committee for review and compromise
Which committee in the House of Representatives is an instrument of the majority party?
Rules Committee
One explicit constitutional responsibility given to the president that has enabled modern presidents to mobilize public opinion is
the State of the Union Address
After a national census has been taken, changes in population distribution cause the changing of congressional seats among the states. This effect is commonly called
reapportionment
Which of the following is true of nominees for federal judgeships?
They are appointed for life by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.
Federal courts created by Congress under Article III of the Constitution include the Supreme Court, district courts, the Courts of Appeals, Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the US Court of International Trade. These courts can best be described as
constitutional courts
Congress adopted the War Powers Resolution to
limit the president’s authority to commit troops overseas
Iron triangles control policy in their domains
with no oversight in operations
Which of the following amendments provides for presidential succession and disability?
25th
Constitutional courts, whether Supreme Court or lower-level courts, derive their authority from ________ of the Constitution
Article III
Which of the following best reflects a function of the Supreme Court in Article III of the Constitution?
To serve as the highest court of appeals
Which of the following is true of the seniority system of Congress in relation to committee leadership and committee staffing?
The chairs of congressional committees tend to be senior members of the body’s majority party.
q
Which legislative tactic is most effectively used only in the Senate?
filibustering
The primary level of federal bureaucracy that helps the president and Congress administer policy is
the Cabinet
States are authorized to redraw congressional districts following each US Census and often create districts favorable to the party in power in a process called
gerrymandering
The partisan power of the president is most recognizable in the fact that the president
is the head of a political party
Regulatory commissions are bureaucratic agencies that
maintain their independence from the president and executive departments
Under the guidelines of the Constitution, which of the following is NOT within the jurisdiction of the federal courts?
treaties
Which of the following scenarios illustrates how social media has changed the way presidents relate to the public?
A president announcing a major policy initiative via the Internet rather than calling a press conference
Which of the following best defines the term “judicial activism”?
The tendency of judges to interpret the Constitution according to their own views
The majority opinion, issued by the Supreme Court as the final decision of a case, becomes the standard or guide that will be followed in deciding similar cases in the future. The standard or guide is known as a
precedent
Temporary committees appointed for the specific purpose of investigating a particular issue are called
select committees
The president’s right to withhold information from Congress is
Executive privilege
Executive orders are
formal instructions issued by the president
A United States Supreme Court justice has announced his retirement at the end of the current Supreme Court term. What is the most likely presidential action in response to this announcement?
Nominate a federal judge who shares the president’s ideology
