The Tenure of Office Act was designed to restrict presidential removal of cabinet officers; Johnson's firing of Edwin Stanton led to his impeachment.

• A. The Tenure of Office Act forbade the president from removing cabinet officers without Senate approval; Johnson violated it by firing Edwin Stanton.
• B. The Tenure of Office Act forbade the president from appointing cabinet officers without Senate approval.
• C. The Tenure of Office Act allowed the president to remove cabinet officers freely.
• D. The Tenure of Office Act was a constitutional amendment on cabinet appointments.

Answer: (A)

The question tests how Congress limited presidential power over cabinet officers. The Tenure of Office Act was designed to require Senate approval before removing certain officials, preserving their positions despite a president’s wishes. When Andrew Johnson fired Edwin Stanton, the Secretary of War, he bypassed that requirement, which is what triggered the impeachment proceedings. The Act did not deal with appointing cabinet officers, nor did it authorize free removal or function as a constitutional amendment; it was a statute aimed at restricting removal without Senate consent.