Describe the development of the national security directive as a tool of policy change for presidents, and assess its effects on presidential power. Provide specific examples
What will be an ideal response?
The ideal answer should:
a. Discuss the historical development of the national security directive beginning with its emergence in the immediate aftermath of World War II as part of a larger process by Truman to centralize and expand the scope of military and intelligence-gathering agencies.
b.Describe how the passage of the National Security Act created the NSC and the CIA, including the clause that permitted the NSC to make recommendations to the president from time to time, which paved the way for use of the national security directive.
c.Evaluate the reasons why secrecy was chosen over transparency, even though members of Congress worried about oversight.
d. Assess the effects of the NSD on presidential powers, noting the unintended consequences of the National Security Act, which allowed Truman to turn NSC policy reports into official policy statements, and how Truman's successors formalized this process, including Kennedy's use of the NSD to suit his own purposes and Reagan's use of the NSD to violate the will of Congress and fund the Contras.
e.Note that the NSD, in part because of its secrecy, has greatly expanded presidential power at the expense of congressional oversight.
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How does the Lemon test examine the constitutionality of religious establishment issues?
a. determines whether the law has a nonreligious purpose b. assesses whether prayer is required— c. mandates public display of the Ten Commandments d. establishes a creation science/evolutionary theory curriculum
Which of the following supports the argument that the president is free to exercise command and authority over the executive branch in all respects?
a. the take care clause b. the vesting clause c. the theory executive privilege d. the theory of unitary executive
After World War II, American foreign policy was dominated by its relations with which nation?
a. the Soviet Union b. Japan c. West Germany d. Mexico e. China
Rational choice theory is a perspective that
a. assumes, short of a crisis, that government officials will make small changes to existing policy rather than start from scratch when making policy decisions. b. assumes that individuals make calculated decisions to maximize their perceived interests. c. political leaders learn from previous successes and failures and adjust their behavior accordingly to maximize the likelihood of future successes. d. people do not like to hold obviously contradictory positions, leading them to reject evidence that may run counter to their initial beliefs about a particular topic. e. highlights the extent to which initial contact or experiences are filtered through past contacts or relationships with similar individuals or settings.