What phrase may the president use to request action by general consent?

The phrase "Shall we (state action desired) by general consent?" is precisely how a presiding officer, such as the president in a meeting, requests action from the assembly without going through a formal vote. This method is efficient and encourages collaboration by assessing whether there are any objections to the proposed action.

Using general consent allows the president to move the meeting along smoothly and avoids unnecessary delays that can occur from more formal voting procedures. If there are no objections raised, the action is considered agreed upon. This approach is particularly practical for non-controversial matters where the group tends to be in consensus.

The other options, while they may seem similar in prompting group discussion, do not convey the same formal request for general consent. For example, asking if there is any objection directly addresses potential dissent but does not explicitly check for agreement in the way that general consent does. Thus, the chosen phrase reflects an appropriate and established procedure for facilitating group decision-making.