AP US Government : Presidential Procedures

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP US Government

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Example Questions

Example Question #193 : National Government Institutions

Which one of the powers listed below is a constitutional power that the president shares with the Senate?

Possible Answers:

receiving ambassadors

commissioning officers

taking executive action

granting pardons

making treaties

Correct answer:

making treaties

Explanation:

The making of treaties with foreign powers is shared between the Senate and the President. Any treaty made, must be approved by the Senate before it takes effect. Pardons and receiving ambassadors are powers reserved to the Executive. 

Example Question #194 : National Government Institutions

Which of these became an official presidential qualification in 1951?

Possible Answers:

resident of the United States for two years

religious qualification

at least 35 years old

natural born citizen

a maximum of two terms

Correct answer:

a maximum of two terms

Explanation:

The 22nd Amendment restricted the presidency to just two terms, when before there was no restriction. 35 years of age, natural born citizen, and resident for 2 years were all originally in the constitution. Religious qualification for president is prohibited by the constitution.

Example Question #94 : Presidency

Which of the following statements concerning impeachment is false?

Possible Answers:

The Constitution very strictly details and defines impeachable offenses, holding the President to a high standard of both professional and personal conduct

It is very difficult to impeach, let alone convict, a President, as per the ever-cautious Framers’ intentions

The House has only impeached two presidents – Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Richard Nixon in the aftermath of the 1974 Watergate scandal

The procedure of impeachment is divided between the House and Senate: the House must initiate and then pass impeachment proceedings, while the Senate is responsible for conducting the trial

Correct answer:

The Constitution very strictly details and defines impeachable offenses, holding the President to a high standard of both professional and personal conduct

Explanation:

Surprisingly, the Constitution is not in fact very clear when it comes to detailing which actions constitute impeachable offenses. The official wording states that any President who commits “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors” may be subject to impeachment, but the document fails to define these crimes any further. Consequently, much debate exists as to the precise definitions of these “high crimes and misdemeanors,” because while treason and bribery are self-explanatory charges, no other activities are expressly prohibited. This state of confusion persists, as full impeachment standards have historically been left up to the House and Senate to decide as each body goes along. As of yet, the Legislative branch has failed to reach any sort of clear agreement, as is showcased by the House and Senate’s chaotic fumblings in 1999 over whether or not to impeach then President Bill Clinton for allegedly lying to the American people about his affair with a White House intern.

Example Question #95 : Presidency

Perhaps the most well-known Presidential power is the veto. Which of the following statements about vetoing practice is TRUE?

Possible Answers:

The vast majority of Congressional attempts to override vetoes have succeeded

The President is able to reject a bill passively through the process of a pocket veto

The Constitution only grants a President a set number of vetoes to use per year

The President is able to reject one part of a bill while also approving another section of that same bill, a practice known as a line-item veto

Correct answer:

The President is able to reject a bill passively through the process of a pocket veto

Explanation:

In cases in which Congress has adjourned within ten days of sending a bill to the White House, the President is indeed allowed to use a pocket veto to passively reject the bill – he simply declines to act on the bill, letting it die through inactivity. However, the President does not have the power of the line-item veto; s/he must either pass or decline a bill in its entirety, even if the President both approves and disapproves of some of its provisions. The Constitution places no limitations at all upon the number of vetoes which a President may use, but most Presidents tend to hold their veto power in reserve anyway, saving it up for use on bills whose passage they particularly do not wish to see. Historically, it has proven very difficult for Congress to successfully gather up the three-fourths majority vote (in both the House and Senate) needed to override a Presidential veto. Consequentially, the vast majority of bills which the President vetoes never return to Congress, whose members seldom ever even attempt to re-pass a vetoed bill.

Example Question #96 : Presidency

When it comes to diplomacy and national security, the President is entrusted with many crucial responsibilities, many of which only he is authorized to fulfill. Which of the following national security powers is the President NOT permitted to wield?

Possible Answers:

The power to negotiate and enter into treaties with foreign heads of state

The power to assemble, arm, and deploy the nation’s military

The power to confer diplomatic recognition upon another nation

The power to terminate relations with any other country

Correct answer:

The power to assemble, arm, and deploy the nation’s military

Explanation:

Although the Constitution appoints the President as the one and only Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, the President does not actually have the power to unilaterally deploy the military. Any assembly and/or arming of the military for international deployment requires prior Congressional authorization, which usually comes in the form of a formal declaration of war. The President is permitted to request that Congress declare war, as FDR did in the aftermath of Japan’s 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, but the ultimate decision is intended to be left up to Congress. However, the President is solely entrusted with many national security and/or diplomatic responsibilities: only the President may enter into treaties, confer diplomatic relations, and end relations with any foreign country. In addition, the President is also allowed to enter into executive agreements with foreign heads of state. Executive agreements resemble treaties, but unlike treaties, these do not require Senate approval (merely notification) before they can go into effect. Most executive agreements concern low-key activities between the US and other nations, such as the delivery of mail or import/export custom rules.

Example Question #195 : National Government Institutions

Which official can grant pardons to people?

Possible Answers:

The U.S. Secretary of Corrections

The President

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

The U.S. Attorney General

Correct answer:

The President

Explanation:

Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution grants the President the ability to pardon people, as well as the power to commute sentences. This only applies to those who violate federal law, as governors still retain the authority to pardon people for violations of state law.

Example Question #196 : National Government Institutions

Who can veto legislation that has been passed by Congress?

Possible Answers:

A two thirds majority of state governors

A two thirds majority of Cabinet-level officials

The President

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

Correct answer:

The President

Explanation:

The U.S. Constitution gives the president the sole authority to veto legislation. If the president does not sign it and does not veto it within ten days of its passage then the bill becomes law. The exception is if Congress adjourns before the end of those ten days, in which case the president can refuse to sign it and it will not become law.

Example Question #99 : Presidency

Who nominates federal judges?

Possible Answers:

Congress

The President

The U.S. Attorney General

The Supreme Court of the United States

Correct answer:

The President

Explanation:

Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution gives the authority to appoint judges as well as other government officials. The Senate must approve these appointments.

Example Question #99 : Presidency

Who appoints ambassadors?

Possible Answers:

The President

The Secretary of Defense

The Council on Foreign Relations

The Secretary of State

Correct answer:

The President

Explanation:

Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution gives the authority to appoint ambassadors as well as other government officials. The Senate must approve these appointments.

Example Question #201 : National Government Institutions

Which President has been impeached (aka thrown out of office)?

Possible Answers:

None of those listed

Andrew Johnson

Bill Clinton

Richard Nixon

Correct answer:

None of those listed

Explanation:

This question is a bit tricky at first – technically, no US President has ever been FULLY impeached. According to the Constitution, the process of impeachment occurs in two stages: first, the House must vote to charge the sitting President with crimes and must then initiate impeachment proceedings. If these proceedings are passed by the House, then the issue is sent to the Senate, which holds a trial to determine the President’s innocence or guilt (with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court as acting judge). Two Presidents – Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton – have undergone the first stage of the impeachment process: the House charged each man with committing crimes and filed impeachment papers against them; however, the Senate exonerated both men, although Johnson escaped conviction by only a single vote. As for Richard Nixon, he most likely would indeed have been fully impeached – both charged and convicted – if he had not resigned from office (the only President to ever do so) before Congress could act.

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