The executive departments and independent agencies

Grade 12 Social Studies Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Card A. Constitution (1787), Article II (National Archives transcript). Exact words: “The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.” and “he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed”. Card B. Constitution (1787), Article II, Section 2 (National Archives transcript), part. Exact words: “he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.” Card C. Constitution (1787), Article I, Section 9 (National Archives transcript), part. Exact words: “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law”.

2. 1.

   Congress passes a made-up law that says the Department of Roads must repair a bridge. Ari reads Cards A, B and C. Which words give the President a duty about that law?

   • “he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed”
   • “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law”, since a repair costs money
   • “the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers”, since the repair needs workers hired
   • “The executive Power shall be vested in a President”, since each executive task is the President's own work

3. Use this

   Card B. Constitution (1787), Article II, Section 2 (National Archives transcript), part. Exact words: “he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.”

4. 2.

   The head of a made-up Department of Water resigns. Bo reads Card B. Who nominates a replacement, and whose consent does the Constitution require?

   • The President alone, since Card B lets the President alone appoint inferior officers
   • The Congress as a whole nominates and consents, since it creates the department by law
   • The Senate nominates, and the President gives advice and consent, since the Senate confirms officers
   • The President nominates, and the Senate gives advice and consent

5. Use this

   Card C. Constitution (1787), Article I, Section 9 (National Archives transcript), part. Exact words: “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law”.

6. 3.

   Congress creates a made-up Department of Parks by law but passes no money for it. Kira reads Card C. What follows?

   • The department can collect its own fees and spend them, since a department is outside Congress
   • Nothing, since Card C says how money is drawn but not who decides to spend it
   • The department cannot draw money from the Treasury until Congress appropriates it by law
   • The President can draw the money, since the President runs the executive branch and its departments

7. Use this

   Card B. Constitution (1787), Article II, Section 2 (National Archives transcript), part. Exact words: “he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.” Card D (summary in our words, not a quotation). The 15 executive departments are each led by a secretary (the Department of Justice by the Attorney General). Congress creates a department by passing a law. Independent agencies, such as NASA and the Environmental Protection Agency, are part of the executive branch but are not inside a department.

8. 4.

   A made-up law creates a Department of Rivers led by a secretary. Luz reads Cards B and D. Who creates the department, and who appoints the secretary?

   • The President creates it by order; the Senate appoints the secretary after the President proposes one
   • Congress creates it by law, and Congress also appoints the secretary since Congress made the department
   • The President creates it by law and appoints the secretary alone, since the executive Power is the President's
   • Congress creates it by law; the President nominates the secretary and the Senate consents

9. Use this

   Card D (summary in our words, not a quotation). The 15 executive departments are each led by a secretary (the Department of Justice by the Attorney General). Congress creates a department by passing a law. Independent agencies, such as NASA and the Environmental Protection Agency, are part of the executive branch but are not inside a department.

10. 5.

    Congress creates a made-up Space Weather Agency, led by an administrator and not placed inside any department. Tala reads Card D. How should it be described?

    • A part of Congress, since a body created by a law of Congress belongs to Congress
    • A Cabinet department, since its leader is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate
    • An independent agency, since it is in the executive branch but outside the departments
    • A department, since Congress created it by law and departments are created by law
11. 6.

    A made-up law renames the head of the Department of Justice the “Secretary of Law.” Jun reads Card D. Does that change whether it is a department?

    • No, since the President can rename a department's head by order and the department stays
    • Yes, since a department is defined by its head's title, and the old title was the Attorney General
    • Yes, since just the Attorney General can lead a department that is called Justice
    • No, since Congress created it as a department by law, whatever its head is called

12. Use this

    Card H (made up). The Department of Lakes was created by a law in 1950. This year it asked Congress for $2 billion and Congress appropriated $1.5 billion.

13. 7.

    Congress appropriated $1.5 billion of the $2 billion the Department of Lakes asked for. Pia reads Card H. What does the gap show?

    • The department must lay off a quarter of its workers, since the grant is one fourth lower
    • Congress dislikes the department, since it approved less than the department asked for
    • Congress sets how much a department may spend; the card does not say why it chose that amount
    • The President cut the request, since the executive branch decides the final amount

14. Use this

    Card E (summary in our words, not a quotation). Before 1883 many federal jobs were given as rewards for political support, called the spoils system. The Pendleton Act of 1883 began to fill many jobs by merit, through tests. At first it covered about one federal job in ten.

15. 8.

    “After 1883 the spoils system ended,” says Zee. What does Card E show?

    • That merit hiring covered about one job in ten at first, so the change came slowly
    • Nothing, since a law that covers a small share of jobs does not change how hiring works
    • That the spoils system ended, since the Act began merit hiring through tests
    • That a President could not again reward political support, since the Act was passed

16. Use this

    Card F. Constitution (1787), Article I, Section 8, last clause (National Archives transcript). Exact words: “To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.”

17. 9.

    Milo wonders where Congress gets power to create a made-up Department of Parks. Which words of Card F help?

    • “necessary and proper for carrying into Execution … any Department or Officer thereof”
    • “foregoing Powers”, since the powers listed earlier are the limit of what Congress may use
    • The opening words “To make … Laws”, since they let Congress create anything by law
    • “other Powers vested by this Constitution”, since that phrase gives Congress any power it wants

18. Use this

    Card G. Constitution (1787), Article II, Section 2 (National Archives transcript), part. Exact words: “he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices”.

19. 10.

    The President wants advice from the head of a made-up Department of Water about a river law. Ren reads Card G. What does it allow?

    • The President may require a written opinion on any subject, including one outside the department's duties
    • Congress may require a written opinion from the head, since Card G speaks of executive Departments
    • The President may require a written opinion on a subject within the department's duties
    • The department head may write an opinion if the head chooses, since Card G lets officers offer advice