POSC 225 COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS SET A+
✔✔What role does the president play as Head of Government? - ✔✔The president
appoints officials (with Senate approval), proposes budgets, has veto power, and can
issue executive orders.
✔✔What is the president's role as Head of State? - ✔✔The president acts as Chief
Diplomat, negotiates treaties, and is the Commander in Chief of the military.
✔✔What are unilateral presidential powers? - ✔✔Powers exercised without
congressional approval, including recess appointments and creative executive orders.
✔✔What is the electoral college's impact on presidential power? - ✔✔It benefits
Republicans and reflects the president's selection process, which is not a national
election.
✔✔What is the first mover advantage in legislative power? - ✔✔The president's ability
to propose bills first, typically during the State of the Union Address.
✔✔What are signing statements? - ✔✔Statements issued by the president when
signing a bill, often indicating how the president intends to interpret the law.
✔✔What is the role of the president in foreign policy? - ✔✔The president negotiates
treaties and appoints ambassadors, acting as the Chief Diplomat.
✔✔What is the significance of the State of the Union Address? - ✔✔It is a platform for
the president to propose the budget and legislative agenda to Congress.
✔✔What are fast track executive agreements? - ✔✔Agreements made by the president
that can be expedited without lengthy congressional approval.
, ✔✔What examples illustrate unilateral presidential power? - ✔✔US/NATO engagement
in Ukraine and actions against Venezuelan 'drug boats'.
✔✔What is the rule of law? - ✔✔The principle that citizens are governed by publicly
announced laws, protecting against tyranny and ensuring fairness and justice.
✔✔What amendment established equal protection under the law in the US? - ✔✔The
14th Amendment.
✔✔What is required for the rule of law to function effectively? - ✔✔An independent
judiciary that is not beholden to any political party.
✔✔What constitutes a body of law? - ✔✔A set of rules established by government
officials that bind governments, individuals, and nongovernment organizations.
✔✔What are the primary sources of law in the US? - ✔✔Constitutions, legislation,
executive orders, administrative rules and regulations, and judicial decisions.
✔✔What is common law? - ✔✔A judge-made law grounded in tradition and previous
judicial decisions.
✔✔What is the doctrine of stare decisis? - ✔✔A legal principle that requires judges to
follow precedents established in previous cases.
✔✔Under what conditions can judges ignore a precedent? - ✔✔If there are
contradictory precedents or if they believe the earlier decision was wrong.
✔✔What is constitutional law? - ✔✔The body of law established in constitutions, with
the U.S. Constitution being the supreme law of the land.
✔✔How does common law compare to constitutional law in terms of change? -
✔✔Common law is easier to change than constitutional law.
✔✔What is the U.S. Code? - ✔✔A collection of all statutes passed by Congress and
signed into law.
✔✔What authority does the Constitution give the president regarding executive orders?
- ✔✔The authority to issue orders that create and guide the bureaucracy in
implementing policy.
✔✔What is a key characteristic of executive orders? - ✔✔They can be enacted without
input from other branches and can be reversed or replaced by subsequent
administrations.
ANSWERS SET A+
✔✔What role does the president play as Head of Government? - ✔✔The president
appoints officials (with Senate approval), proposes budgets, has veto power, and can
issue executive orders.
✔✔What is the president's role as Head of State? - ✔✔The president acts as Chief
Diplomat, negotiates treaties, and is the Commander in Chief of the military.
✔✔What are unilateral presidential powers? - ✔✔Powers exercised without
congressional approval, including recess appointments and creative executive orders.
✔✔What is the electoral college's impact on presidential power? - ✔✔It benefits
Republicans and reflects the president's selection process, which is not a national
election.
✔✔What is the first mover advantage in legislative power? - ✔✔The president's ability
to propose bills first, typically during the State of the Union Address.
✔✔What are signing statements? - ✔✔Statements issued by the president when
signing a bill, often indicating how the president intends to interpret the law.
✔✔What is the role of the president in foreign policy? - ✔✔The president negotiates
treaties and appoints ambassadors, acting as the Chief Diplomat.
✔✔What is the significance of the State of the Union Address? - ✔✔It is a platform for
the president to propose the budget and legislative agenda to Congress.
✔✔What are fast track executive agreements? - ✔✔Agreements made by the president
that can be expedited without lengthy congressional approval.
, ✔✔What examples illustrate unilateral presidential power? - ✔✔US/NATO engagement
in Ukraine and actions against Venezuelan 'drug boats'.
✔✔What is the rule of law? - ✔✔The principle that citizens are governed by publicly
announced laws, protecting against tyranny and ensuring fairness and justice.
✔✔What amendment established equal protection under the law in the US? - ✔✔The
14th Amendment.
✔✔What is required for the rule of law to function effectively? - ✔✔An independent
judiciary that is not beholden to any political party.
✔✔What constitutes a body of law? - ✔✔A set of rules established by government
officials that bind governments, individuals, and nongovernment organizations.
✔✔What are the primary sources of law in the US? - ✔✔Constitutions, legislation,
executive orders, administrative rules and regulations, and judicial decisions.
✔✔What is common law? - ✔✔A judge-made law grounded in tradition and previous
judicial decisions.
✔✔What is the doctrine of stare decisis? - ✔✔A legal principle that requires judges to
follow precedents established in previous cases.
✔✔Under what conditions can judges ignore a precedent? - ✔✔If there are
contradictory precedents or if they believe the earlier decision was wrong.
✔✔What is constitutional law? - ✔✔The body of law established in constitutions, with
the U.S. Constitution being the supreme law of the land.
✔✔How does common law compare to constitutional law in terms of change? -
✔✔Common law is easier to change than constitutional law.
✔✔What is the U.S. Code? - ✔✔A collection of all statutes passed by Congress and
signed into law.
✔✔What authority does the Constitution give the president regarding executive orders?
- ✔✔The authority to issue orders that create and guide the bureaucracy in
implementing policy.
✔✔What is a key characteristic of executive orders? - ✔✔They can be enacted without
input from other branches and can be reversed or replaced by subsequent
administrations.
