Executive and Bureaucracy Quiz
Quiz by Dalynn Robinson
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- Q1
In February 2016, President Barack Obama unveiled his budget proposal for the 2017 fiscal year, and it was met with opposition from a Republican-controlled Congress. The budget included a request for $582.7 billion in discretionary defense spending, which many Republicans felt was insufficient. Which of the following statements best describes the dynamic between the president and Congress concerning the defense budget?
Congress passes a comprehensive federal budget, encompassing defense, but it must take the president's proposal into account since the president can veto the legislation.
While Congress holds the authority to generate revenue, it must collaborate with the president as the president holds the power to allocate funding to various government departments in the upcoming fiscal year.
The president can draft a defense budget, but Congress wields the authority to enact laws and manage the government, influencing the actual amount of money spent.
The president introduces a dedicated budget bill for defense spending, but Congress exercises its legislative oversight authority to establish a negotiation process with the president.
30s - Q2
Which of the following is the initial stage in the policy-making process?
Agenda setting
Legitimation
Implementation
Program evaluation
30s - Q3
In 2012, after negotiations on a bill in Congress failed, President Obama issued an executive order that protected from deportation individuals illegally brought to the United States as children by their parents. The president took this action because
the president was reacting to a Supreme Court decision that required him to do something to protect these individuals
the Constitution clearly gives the president control over the legal status of immigrants in the United States
disagreement between congressional leaders and the president on the issue meant that a compromise on a bill was not likely
the executive order would require Congress to bring a bill regarding illegal immigration to the floor for a vote
30s - Q4
On September 29, 2020, after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, President Donald Trump, a Republican, nominated Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Many Democrats in the Senate feared that the appointment of Barrett would swing the Court in a more ideologically conservative direction and attempted to block her nomination. After a heated Senate confirmation hearing, Barrett was eventually confirmed by a 52 to 48 vote in the Senate. The scenario best highlights which of the following statements about court appointees?
The confirmation process for Supreme Court nominees is intensified due to the combination of life tenure for appointed justices and the power of judicial review.
The process for vetting Supreme Court nominations aligns with the merit system applied in selecting members of the bureaucracy.
Presidents typically urge the Senate to exercise caution and thoroughness in handling judicial appointments to maintain a balance of power within the judiciary.
Supreme Court nominees often use their confirmation hearings to make contentious statements on crucial policy matters in order to secure confirmation.
30s - Q5
Shortly after the 2008 election, President Obama appointed outspoken and controversial House member Rahm Emanuel to lead his White House as chief of staff, the head of the Executive Office of the President. The selection drew criticism from Republican leaders, including House minority leader John Boehner, who remarked that the selection “is an ironic choice for a president-elect who has promised to change Washington, make politics more civil, and govern from the center.” Which of the following explains how Congress could legitimately respond to the appointment?
The Rules Committee could refuse to release the bill that made the appointment.
The House of Representatives could filibuster the nomination.
The Senate could refuse to confirm the appointment.
Members of Congress could issue statements opposing the appointment but have no formal power to block it.
30s - Q6
A newly inaugurated president finds themselves in a situation where the Senate is under the control of the opposing political party. Which of the following presidential appointments is expected to encounter the most confirmation challenges in the Senate?
Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors
Secretary of defense
Ambassador to Germany
Supreme Court justice
30s - Q7
What's the main role of the President in the budget process?
Submit a budget proposal to Congress
Negotiate budget with foreign nations
Appropriating funds for the budget
Finalize and enact the budget without congressional input
30s - Q8
What is the primary role of Congress in the US Budget Process?
Write the entire budget
Vote on the budget and appropriate funds
Propose the budget to the President
Monitor expenditures of federal agencies only
30s - Q9
What happens once the budget is passed by Congress?
It's sent to state governments for final approval
President signs it into law
It becomes law immediately
The Judiciary reviews it
30s - Q10
What term refers to the President’s power to reject a bill?
Override
Nullification
Repeal
Veto
30s - Q11
What mechanism enables the president to execute policy unilaterally?
Declaring a national emergency
Negotiating international treaties
Issuing executive orders
Utilizing veto power
30s - Q12
How can a president influence the legislative agenda?
By declaring a state of emergency
By vetoing all unwanted bills
By proposing bills to Congress
By dissolving Congress
30s - Q13
Which presidential power allows for negotiating foreign policies?
Executive privilege
Treaty making power
War making power
Power of Recognition
30s - Q14
How can a president implement policies through the federal bureaucracy?
Through impeachment proceedings
By appointing key officials
By issuing pardons
Via constitutional amendments
30s - Q15
What principle does a U.S. president demonstrate when vetoing a bill?
Checks and Balances
Limited Government
Popular Sovereignty
Federalism
30s