1. 1. The president of the United States must fulfill four roles.
Define and explain each of the roles/duties of the presidency.
2. The presidency has changed over time from expressing the
Whig theory to expressing the stewardship theory. Describe
these two theories, and describe the office of the presidency
today.
3. When people who wish to become the president of the
United States publicly declare their candidacy, up to two years
might pass before a person is ultimately chosen. Beginning with
what some call the “invisible primary” and following through to
the general election, trace the path an individual usually takes
from first announcement of candidacy to taking the oath of
office.
4. What is the electoral college, and what is its relevance in
presidential elections? How are the number of electors arrived
at? What is the unit rule, and what effect does it have on
election strategy?
5. Each president must staff the cabinet, currently consisting
of 15 departments. Each cabinet head commands a large
organization charged with carrying out executive directives and
implementing laws. As a whole, this represents the
governmental bureaucracy. Provide a description of the types of
employees who make up the bureaucracy and give examples of
what they do.
6. Discuss some of the factors that have an impact on
presidential leadership, such as surrounding circumstances, the
stage of the term, types of issues, relationship with Congress,
and public support.
7. Visit the www.whitehouse.gov website. Take some time to
examine current issues as well as suggestions for how citizens
can participate in government. Have you ever participated in

2. any of these ways? If so, what was the result? Discuss other
ways citizens can make their voices known to or can interact
with the executive branch of government. What does becoming
informed have to do with the duties of a citizen?
8. Contrast the merit system and the patronage system
regarding government employment.
9. The federal budget is an actual law. As with any law, there
must be an initiation and congressional approval. Trace the
federal budget from initiation to approval. How often must the
budget be approved?
10. Often called the fourth branch of government, the
bureaucracy has tremendous power in its ability to implement
policy. Discuss this power.
11. The Congress can hold the president accountable for all
actions. Who holds the bureaucracy accountable for its actions
or lack thereof? What are some of the methods used for
bureaucratic accountability?
12. Define and explain the traditional and new media roles
represented by the terms signaling, common-carrier, watchdog,
and partisan. Might carrying out one of these roles (for
example, the role of watchdog) work against carrying out
another (such as the role of commoncarrier)? Consider our high-
choice media system, including the availability of political
blogs. Does this system contribute to a moreinformed or less-
informed public? Explain your answer.
14. Do you think there is a natural tension between the
media’s role of informing the public and their need to attract an
audience (so that they can make a profit in order to survive
financially)? How might this tension influence the choices a
media group makes about what to report on?
15. Most members of the electorate gain information about
government and politics through one or more of a variety of
media outlets. The more involved an individual is in the
political process, the less reliant that person is on the media for
information. Is there a danger to American democracy if too
much of the electorate allows the media to interpret political

3. events for them? That is, has the media begun to set the agenda
due to general disinterest on the part of the public? The public
has the ability to obtain information from many sources that
include print, television, radio, political activities, and the
Internet. What can the average citizen do to be sure that the
information he or
she gathers is as close to true and unbiased as possible? Why is
this important in a democracy?