What is the difference between discretionary and mandatory spending?
What will be an ideal response?
Discretionary spending describes programs that Congress can finance as it chooses through appropriations. For example, military spending and the funding of federal agencies falls in this category, because Congress authorizes a specific funding amount with each budget cycle. In contrast, mandatory spending is spending on entitlements; that is, programs whose eligibility requirements are written into law. Anyone who meets the requirements is entitled to the money rather than Congress setting a specific budgetary amount. Examples include unemployment benefits and Social Security.
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What type of appointments have presidents made to get around gridlock in Congress when trying to fill key leadership posts in government?
A. retroactive B. lame duck C. midterm D. recess
Which of the following makes Americans American, according to the textbook?
a. a long shared history b. a shared ethnic heritage c. a shared religion d. a shared set of beliefs e. a shared set of symbols and traditions
Which of the following statements is true about criminals being sentenced to death in Texas?
a. Criminals who commit property crimes in Texas are given capital punishment. b. Criminals are mostly given the death penalty, as the sentence of life without parole has been abolished. c. Criminals who were below the age of 17 when the crime was committed cannot be executed in Texas. d. Repeat offenders cannot be sentenced to death if they have already served 40 years in prison.
What does the example of the Pentagon Papers illustrates about the doctrine of prior restraint?
A. The government can easily make a case that the press should not be allowed to publish national security documents while the nation is at war. B. The courts have been skeptical of the claims of the press, and the government can operate under a presumption of secrecy. C. Exercising prior restraint requires the government to demonstrate that the publication of documents would damage national security. D. The Supreme Court prefers to avoid these issues so the legislative and executive branches can resolve the problems.