POSC TEST 3 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
What criteria do the justices on the Supreme Court use to decide whether they will hear
a case? - Answer- - The Rule of Four: Four of the nine justices on the Supreme Court
must agree to hear the case on appeal.
Be familiar with the Courts of Appeal. - Answer- - Courts of appeal: They do not hold
trials or accept new evidence, but consider only the records of the trial courts and oral
or written arguments submitted by attorneys.
What kinds of trials to the district courts conduct? - Answer- - Districts Courts: the
federal trial courts. These conduct civil and criminal trials.
What is the litmus test? - Answer- - A Litmus Test refers to recruitment based on a
nominee's stance on a single issue.
Which congressional committee holds hearings to discover information about a federal
judicial nominee during the confirmation process? - Answer- - The Senate Judiciary
Committee holds hearings, votes on the nomination, and then reports to the full Senate
where a final confirmation is taken
What is the most important factor influencing how a Supreme Court justice will decide a
case? - Answer- - It decides to take cases present a "substantial federal question" or
where the federal courts of appeal are deciding a similar issue differently.
Who argues the case in favor of the U.S. Government when it is a party in a lawsuit in
the Supreme Court? - Answer- - The U.S. Solicitor General presents the government's,
the president's, case when it is a party to a lawsuit.
What does the nation's monetary policy involve? - Answer- - Monetary policy: Economic
policies involving the money supply, interest rates, and banking activity.
What does fiscal policy involve? - Answer- - Economic policies involving taxing,
spending and deficit levels of the national government.
What may the Federal Reserve Board do to prevent inflation? - Answer- - The Federal
Reserve Board (the fed) is the independent agency in the executive branch of the
federal government charged with overseeing the nation's monetary policy.
, What is the Gross Domestic Product? - Answer- - Gross Domestic Products (GDP): is
the measure of economic performance in terms of the nation's total production of goods
and service for a year, valued in terms of market price
What is the definition of entitlement programs? - Answer- - Entitlement Programs: social
welfare programs that provide classes of people with legally enforceable rights to
benefits.
Which article of the Constitution does the president get his power from? - Answer-
Article 2 of the U.S. Constitution is the source of presidential power
What is the narrow interpretation of executive power? - Answer- - "The president can
exercise no power which cannot be fairly and reasonably traced to some specific grant
of power or justly implied..."
What is the broad interpretation of executive power? - Answer- It is the president's right
and his duty to do anything that the needs of the nation demanded, unless such action
was forbidden by the constitution or by the laws.
When the president exercises his powers to be the Chief Executive, what general
powers does it give him? - Answer- The constitution gives the president the power to
oversee operations of the executive departments and instructs the president to faithfully
execute the laws
Executive Orders: formal regulations governing executive branch operations issued by
the president.
Appointments: presidential power over the executive branch comes in part from the
president's authority to appoint and remove top officials
What are the political resources of power the president has? - Answer- -The Power To
Persuade: Presidents must be able to persuade the Washingtonians: people the
president needs support from to be successful, but has no formal power over.
-The Reputation for Power: this is a source of power itself. Presidents must maintain the
image of power in order to be effective.
-Presidential Popularity: Popularity with the American People is a source of political
power.
-Access to the media: presidents regularly use their access to the media to advance
their programs and priorities.
Are federal bureaucrats obedient and loyal to the president, or does he have to rely on
his power to persuade, negotiate, and compromise to get unwilling bureaucrats to do
ANSWERS
What criteria do the justices on the Supreme Court use to decide whether they will hear
a case? - Answer- - The Rule of Four: Four of the nine justices on the Supreme Court
must agree to hear the case on appeal.
Be familiar with the Courts of Appeal. - Answer- - Courts of appeal: They do not hold
trials or accept new evidence, but consider only the records of the trial courts and oral
or written arguments submitted by attorneys.
What kinds of trials to the district courts conduct? - Answer- - Districts Courts: the
federal trial courts. These conduct civil and criminal trials.
What is the litmus test? - Answer- - A Litmus Test refers to recruitment based on a
nominee's stance on a single issue.
Which congressional committee holds hearings to discover information about a federal
judicial nominee during the confirmation process? - Answer- - The Senate Judiciary
Committee holds hearings, votes on the nomination, and then reports to the full Senate
where a final confirmation is taken
What is the most important factor influencing how a Supreme Court justice will decide a
case? - Answer- - It decides to take cases present a "substantial federal question" or
where the federal courts of appeal are deciding a similar issue differently.
Who argues the case in favor of the U.S. Government when it is a party in a lawsuit in
the Supreme Court? - Answer- - The U.S. Solicitor General presents the government's,
the president's, case when it is a party to a lawsuit.
What does the nation's monetary policy involve? - Answer- - Monetary policy: Economic
policies involving the money supply, interest rates, and banking activity.
What does fiscal policy involve? - Answer- - Economic policies involving taxing,
spending and deficit levels of the national government.
What may the Federal Reserve Board do to prevent inflation? - Answer- - The Federal
Reserve Board (the fed) is the independent agency in the executive branch of the
federal government charged with overseeing the nation's monetary policy.
, What is the Gross Domestic Product? - Answer- - Gross Domestic Products (GDP): is
the measure of economic performance in terms of the nation's total production of goods
and service for a year, valued in terms of market price
What is the definition of entitlement programs? - Answer- - Entitlement Programs: social
welfare programs that provide classes of people with legally enforceable rights to
benefits.
Which article of the Constitution does the president get his power from? - Answer-
Article 2 of the U.S. Constitution is the source of presidential power
What is the narrow interpretation of executive power? - Answer- - "The president can
exercise no power which cannot be fairly and reasonably traced to some specific grant
of power or justly implied..."
What is the broad interpretation of executive power? - Answer- It is the president's right
and his duty to do anything that the needs of the nation demanded, unless such action
was forbidden by the constitution or by the laws.
When the president exercises his powers to be the Chief Executive, what general
powers does it give him? - Answer- The constitution gives the president the power to
oversee operations of the executive departments and instructs the president to faithfully
execute the laws
Executive Orders: formal regulations governing executive branch operations issued by
the president.
Appointments: presidential power over the executive branch comes in part from the
president's authority to appoint and remove top officials
What are the political resources of power the president has? - Answer- -The Power To
Persuade: Presidents must be able to persuade the Washingtonians: people the
president needs support from to be successful, but has no formal power over.
-The Reputation for Power: this is a source of power itself. Presidents must maintain the
image of power in order to be effective.
-Presidential Popularity: Popularity with the American People is a source of political
power.
-Access to the media: presidents regularly use their access to the media to advance
their programs and priorities.
Are federal bureaucrats obedient and loyal to the president, or does he have to rely on
his power to persuade, negotiate, and compromise to get unwilling bureaucrats to do
