True/False
Indicate whether the
statement is true or false.
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1.
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The movie correctly shows that most bills originate in the Executive
Branch.
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2.
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The only options available to the President, once he receives a
bill from Congress, are to either sign it or veto it.
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3.
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The bill that is passed by the two houses of Congress must be identical.
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4.
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Although most bills have a short and long title, they are generally referred to
by their number, such as S245 or HR1003.
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5.
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At the end of the movie, the President sends the Crime Bill and the
Environmental Bill to Congress.
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Multiple Choice
Identify the
choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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6.
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The title of this movie specifically concerns which branch of the American
Government?
a. | Legislative | c. | Judicial | b. | Executive | d. | Bureaucracy |
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7.
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What is the significance of the term “bill” in this movie?
a. | A peice of paper you get in a restaurant so you know how much to
pay | b. | The part of all birds & some mammals that extends from the front of their
face | c. | A proposed law that has not completed the legislative process | d. | William was the
first name of the President, but his friends called him Bill |
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8.
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At the start of the movie, the President is concerned with the passage of two
bills. What were they?
a. | “The Crime Bill” & an environmental bill called
“455” | b. | “The Crime Bill” & a bill to
protect the state of the union | c. | An environmental bill called “455”
& a bill to reduce farm waste | d. | A Crime Bill & a bill to increase the size
of halibuts |
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9.
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The President & his staff refer to a bill they are considering as
“455”. What is the significance of these numbers?
a. | Most bills are known by their number rather than their title. This bill would
be either HR455 or S455 | b. | This is the short name for a bill that requires
a reduction of airborne pollutants down to 455 parts per million | c. | This is a code
indicating how much it will cost to implement the bill. In this case, $455
million | d. | This is a date code indicating when the bill was first introduced in Congress.
It stands for the 4th month, 5th day, of 2005 |
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10.
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One scene in the movie is in the War Room. What is the War Room?
a. | An underground bunker where the President meets with his military
advisors | b. | A room in the White House where the staff tracks the passage of important
bills | c. | A quiet room in the White House where the President & his staff can go to
argue | d. | A very famous room in the White House where FDR planned World War
2 |
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11.
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A lot of this movie revolves around the interest of the GDC (Global Defense
Council) in a proposed White House bill. What is the GDC?
a. | A special interest group that lobbies for the environment | b. | A part of the
Department of the Interior that monitors emissions in the air | c. | A part of Congress
that monitors the progress of bills that the President has introduced | d. | A part of the
Department of Defense that used smog as a biological weapon |
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12.
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The President meets with his military advisors and discusses something called
CSTAD. What is CSTAD?
a. | Californians Standing Tall Against Diapers:
A lobby group that wants to ban disposable diapers | b. | Capricorn Surface to
Air Defense: An American surface-to-air missile system being given to the
Israelis | c. | Cable Service Technicians and Developers: A
labor union that serves the interests of the cable television industry | d. | Colorado
State Toad Awareness Division: An arm of the Colorado State
Government that tries to protect an endangered species, the Colorado banded great leaping
frog |
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13.
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The President wants to go out on a date. His chief-of-staff tells him that
“the President can’t date.” The President replies that Woodrow Wilson dated
& still managed to set up the League of Nations. The chief-of-staff then points out that
there is a difference between modern presidents & Wilson. What was it?
a. | The current President is married, so it would look bad to date someone
else | b. | There is a law that says that if Presidents are unmarried when they take office, they
cannot date until they are out of office. This prevents scandal while in
office. | c. | Wilson dated before the widespread use of television. The current President on
a date would be front page news that would be instantly seen worldwide. | d. | Wilson was dating
someone from his own party. That wouldn’t be true of the President in this
movie. |
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14.
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In the movie, we see a lobbyist at work. What seems to be the main tool(s)
of the lobbyist?
a. | Direct discussion & negotiation | b. | Use of polls & scientific data to support
their position | c. | The use of political networking (Support of one key congressman gains the support of
other congressmen) | d. | All of the above are
used |
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15.
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In the movie, we hear the phrase “politics is perception.”
What is meant by this phrase?
a. | If you can’t imagine something, you can’t make it
happen. | b. | A lot of imagination is required to be a good legislator. | c. | In politics, the
truth is what we belieive it to be, not necessarily what it really is. | d. | The word
“perception” come from the same root word as “perceive”, which sounds a lot
like the word “receive”. In politics you must be able to give as good as you
get. |
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16.
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Throughout the movie we hear references to the “numbers” and what
affect various decisions and events will have on the “numbers”. Which of the
following is true concerning the numbers?
a. | “Numbers” refers to the results of political polls following a decision
or event | b. | The movie gives you the impression that polls and their results (the numbers, or
approval percent) are very important in politics | c. | Many decisions in Washington are made in
response to public opinion polls. | d. | All of the above are
true. |
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17.
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What event in the movie causes the President to cut his dinner short with Sydney
and to meet with his military advisors in the “Sit Room” (Situtation Room)?
a. | Bob Rumson has gone on national TV and told lies about the
President | b. | The Libyans bombed CSTAD and its American personnel after they arrived in
Israel | c. | The President’s daughter needed music lessons, so the President wanted to send
her to be a part of a military band to get needed training & experience | d. | The support for the
President’s Crime Bill has dried up, so the staff was developing a plan to use Marines to
patrol the streets of the United States |
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18.
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Why did the poll numbers drop after the President started dating Sydney?
a. | It is illegal for the President to date, so the approval rating dropped after this
illegal act | b. | People perceive that more is going on than just dating, so the approval rating drop
is due to the perception that the President has poor moral values | c. | The ratings dropped
due to mood swings in the American public | d. | Poll numbers always drop around
Christmas |
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19.
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Based on what you saw in the movie, which of the following is true concerning
political parties?
a. | Bob Rumson is a Republican because he is constantly talking about traditional
values | b. | Andrew Shepherd is probably a Democrat because he favors environmentalism & gun
control | c. | Neither of the above is true | d. | Both a & b are
true |
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20.
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What is the significance of the “Motown Three”?
a. | They are three senators from Michigan & California who are initially opposed to
the environmental bill supported by Sydney | b. | They are three types of American automobiles
that burn only hydrogen | c. | This is a famous blues group that sings
background in much of the movie | d. | They are three inmates in Motown Prison who
play a key role in a crisis being handled by the President |
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21.
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Which of the following quotes from the movie best illustrates the two sides in
the difference of opinion between the President & his Chief of Staff (AJ McInerny)?
a. | “You fight the fights you can win.” | b. | “Hakuna
Matata” | c. | “You fights the fights that need fighting.” | d. | a and c fully
illustrate the two sides of the disagreement |
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22.
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What is the role of the White House Chief of Staff?
a. | He is the senior military officer on the Joint Chiefs of Staff | b. | He directs the
operation of the White House staff & is a major advisor to the President | c. | He is the member on
the staff who prepares all of the meals that the President eats | d. | This is a slang term
for the First Lady, implying that she is in charge of the White House |
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23.
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What is Camp David?
a. | An Army Base near the White House | b. | A Presidential retreat in the Catoctin
Mountains of Maryland | c. | The name of the Israeli base that was bombed in
the movie | d. | This is a makeshift collection of homeless squatters that live on the White House
lawn in cardboard boxes |
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24.
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At a Christmas party at the White House, Sydney tells the President & AJ
that she had met with the Motown Three. They told her that they were more committed to
defeating the Environmental Bill than they were to defeating the Crime Bill. What did this
imply to the President & AJ?
a. | If the President promised the Motown Three that he would drop the Environmental Bill,
they would be willing to vote for this Crime Bill | b. | If the President promised the Motown Three that
he would drop the Crime Bill, they would be willing to vote for this Environmental
Bill | c. | This implies that the Motown Three are basically uncool people and would probably
disagree with just about anything | d. | None of the
above |
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25.
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In the press conference at the end of the movie, what does the President do with
the two bills that have been such a big part of the story?
a. | He calls for the passage of the Environmental Bill known as “455” with a
call for a 20% reduction in emissions | b. | He calls the Congress an “Axis of
Evil” for not passing either of his bills | c. | He drops the Crime Bill so that he can
“write a bill that makes sense”. | d. | Both a and c are
correct |
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26.
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During a conversation in the Billiard Room in the White House, the AJ said that
a President in a wheel-chair doesn’t get elected to the White House. What does this
comment imply during the conversation?
a. | The President can’t go out on a date and take the chance of ending up in a
wheel chair, which might hamper his re-election bid | b. | Widespread media, such as television, would
accentuate a perceived weakness in a President, such as FDR’s use of a wheelchair or a
President who is dating | c. | The White House is not wheel-chair accessible,
so AJ is using this as a way of saying that the President can’t do anything that might
“cripple” his re-election bid | d. | “President in a wheel chair” is a
Secret Service code phrase that means that the President has a
girlfriend |
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27.
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At the start of the movie, the President tells Sydney that he is sending the
Environmental Bill to Congress with a call for a 10% reduction in greenhouses gases. He says
that the bill is a longshot at 10% and impossible at 20%. What does this indicate?
a. | Americans don’t care about clean air. | b. | Before the President
and his staff send a bill to Congress, they know exactly how much support they will have in the
legislature | c. | Americans know that greenhouse gases are actually good for the earth, reducing them
by 20% would be out of the question | d. | Green is not a popular color, so the passage of
a bill requiring 20% of all houses built to be colored green would be
impossible |
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28.
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 Identify this person: a. | George Washington | c. | King George III | b. | Andrew Shepherd | d. | George Blair |
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29.
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Which of the following are political tactics used by Bob Rumson?
a. | Rumson attacks the President’s morality by implying that something more is
going on than dating | b. | Rumson attacks the President’s character
by implying that he is a member of an ultra-liberal group (the ACLU) that is somehow bad for the
US | c. | Rumson successfully lies about Sydney’s past by saying that he heard
information from several state leaders in Virginia | d. | The evil Rumson (boo, hiss) uses all of the
above against the President |
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30.
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Rumson implies that the ACLU is some form of ultra-liberal evil-doer and anyone
who would belong to such a group lacks character. What is the ACLU?
a. | It was defined by George Bush (the younger) in 2004 as one of the axis of
evil | b. | It is a special interest group whose sole purpose is to protect the Bill of
Rights | c. | It is the American Carpenter’s and Lumberman’s Union, which caused a
major strike in 1998 | d. | It is the American Collegiate Leadership Union,
a conservative group of university professors who joined in 1988 to promote conservative goals in
America |
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31.
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Much of the movie revolved around two bills. What was the final outcome of
these bills?
a. | “455”, or the environmental bill was killed in the Motown Three deal and
the Crime Control Bill went to the Congress without handgun control included. | b. | “455”,
or the environmental bill went to Congress with a call for a 10% decrease in emissions and the Crime
Control Bill went to Congress with a call for handgun control. | c. | “455”,
or the environmental bill went to Congress with a call for a 20% decrease in emissions and the Crime
Control Bill was to be rewritten into something that made sense. | d. | “455”,
or the Crime Control Bill was rewritten and the Environmental Bill was sent to
Congress. |
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32.
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Which of the following best explains the deal made with the Motown Three?
a. | The Motown Three would meet with Manny, Moe, and Jack to insure that the automobile
industry is taken care of. | b. | The President would officially change the name
of Detroit to “Motown” in return for their 3 votes on the Crime Bill. | c. | The President would
kill the Sydney’s environmental bill in return for their 3 votes on the Crime
Bill. | d. | AJ would give the Motown Three a million dollars of hush money so they would stay
quiet about the President’s affair with Sydney. |
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33.
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At a staff meeting at the beginning of the movie, the President tells his staff
that getting the environmental bill through Congress with a 20% reduction in emissions is impossible
because “McSorley, McClusky, and Shane hold too many markers.” What does this
mean?
a. | These three Senators collect permanent markers and will use them to mark important
parts of the bill out in committee | b. | These three people are waiters in the
Congressional dining room. If the bill is passed they will protest by using “Table
Reserved” markers to prevent the Senate from getting lunch. | c. | Many Congressmen owe
favors to these three Senators. The Senators will call in these favors to insure the bill is
defeated. | d. | These three people are the heads of the three major car manufacturers in the
U.S. Many Senators owe them favors (“Markers”). |
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34.
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 What is the significance of this person in
the movie? a. | This is Richard McSorley, one of the Motown Three, making a deal to defeat the Crime
Control Bill. | b. | This is Bob Rumson, the conservative Senator who is running against Andrew Shepherd
for President. | c. | This is Phil Jones, the maitre d’ at Del Wampo, a popular restaurant near the
Capitol in Washington D.C. | d. | This is Andrew Shepherd, the President of the
United States. |
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35.
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 Which of the following is true concerning
this character in the movie? a. | This is Andrew Shepherd, the President of the United States. | b. | This character is
played by Michael Douglas, who is married to Catherine Zeta Jones. | c. | This character has a
girlfriend in the movie named Sydney Ellen Wade. | d. | All of the above are
true. |
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36.
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 Early in the movie, the President talks to
Sydney Ellen Wade in this room about the emissions bill. When the President asks Janie to take
Sydney to this room, what did he call it? a. | The Oval Office | c. | My Private Office | b. | The Rec Room | d. | The Round Room |
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37.
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 What is the best interpretation for this
cartoon? a. | Donkeys like hats. | b. | Thanks to the off-year elections in 2006, the
Democrats are now the “kings & queens” of Congress | c. | This cartoon points
out that Democrats have no fashion sense and choose awful hats to wear. | d. | This cartoon makes
fun of Dennis Hastert, the Speaker of the House, who made an “ass” of
himself |
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38.
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Given your knowledge of government, which of the following is an inaccuracy in
the movie?
a. | The President refers to the Environmental Bill as “455”, yet the bill has
not yet been submitted to Congress. | b. | The State of the Union Message in the movie is
delivered in January, yet the Constitution clearly calls for the Message to be given to Congress in
the summer. | c. | The Constitution prohibits unmarried Presidents from dating, since it would
immediately cause a scandal if they were seen on a date. | d. | The President is
supposed to be a Democrat, yet the political issues he favors are clearly conservative in
nature. |
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39.
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During the movie, we learn that the President is a Democrat. Are his
actions consistant with what you know about each party?
a. | Yes, the President is a member of the ACLU, which is a liberal special interest
group. | b. | Yes, The President favors gun control & environmental legislation, both of which
are liberal in nature. | c. | No, the President invites a character debate,
and character is a Republican attribute. | d. | No, the President discusses family values at
the end of the movie, and these are Republican ideals. | e. | There is no way in the movie to confirm the
President’s party. | f. | a & b are both
correct |
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40.
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  Identify this
Presidential retreat located in the Catoctin Mts of Maryland. a. | Camp Eisenhower | c. | Camp David | b. | Camp Lucerne | d. | Camp USA |
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Matching
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a. | Bob Rumson | e. | Andrew Shepherd | b. | AJ McInerney | f. | Leon Kodak | c. | Robin
McCall | g. | Agent
Cooper | d. | Lewis Rothschild | h. | Mrs. Chapil |
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41.
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White House Press Secretary
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42.
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President of the United States
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43.
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Republic Senator & candidate for President
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44.
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Senior Domestic Policy Advisor
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45.
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White House Chief of Staff
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a. | Bob Rumson | e. | Lucy Shepherd | b. | Leon Kodak | f. | Mrs. Chapil | c. | Agent
Cooper | g. | Robin
McCall | d. | Sydney Ellen Wade | h. | Andrew Shepherd |
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46.
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Presidential Political Advisor, conducts polls
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47.
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Lobbyist for the GDC, called a “closer”
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48.
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The Secret Service Agent who guards the President
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49.
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The President’s daughter
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50.
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President’s secretary, sits outside the Oval Office
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Match these quotes to the person who said
them. a. | “Let’s take this 63% out for a
spin.” | b. | “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.” | c. | “Sir, there is
no hopping.” | d. | “The private life of the President is not
the business of the American people.” | e. | “Compliment her
shoes.” |
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51.
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Lewis Rothschild doesn’t want the President to stop the motorcade &
buy flowers
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52.
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Bob Rumson believes that pictures of Sydney burning a flag will really help his
campaign
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53.
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The President tells AJ his opinion concerning public perception concerning his
dating
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54.
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Dating advice from the Lucy
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55.
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Lewis Rothschild wants to use the very high approval rating to get some bills
passed
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a. | lobbyist | e. | Motown Three | b. | flag burning | f. | Cabinet | c. | Presidential
dating | g. | labor
union | d. | ACLU | h. | public
education |
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56.
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Special interest group dedicated to the preservation of civil liberties
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57.
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Worker’s organization that seeks to benefit its members
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58.
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Representative of special interest groups who seek to influence
legislation
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59.
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Group of traditional advisors to the President
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60.
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A form of symbolic speech protected by the Constitution
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