Deck 11: The Congress

Question 1

The U.S. Constitution requires that senators be elected:

A) once in five years by popular vote.
B) every second year by popular vote.
C) every year by popular vote.
D) every six years by popular vote.
E) quarterly by popular vote.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following statements represents the view of the proponents of racial gerrymandering?

A) Minority-majority districts have played no role in increasing the number of African Americans holding political office.
B) Minority-majority districts are necessary to ensure equal representation of minority groups .
C) Race-based districting is unconstitutional.
D) Race-based districting violates the equal protection clause.
E) Congress has a right to determine who benefits from government spending.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following requirements must be met by a state in drawing congressional district boundaries?

A) A person's vote in the largest district of a state must have only half the value of a person's vote in the smallest district.
B) Districts in a given state must not be geographically compact.
C) Larger districts in a state must have more number of voters than smaller districts.
D) Districts in a given state must have contiguous boundaries.
E) The task of redistricting must always be handled by independent commissions instead of state legislatures.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

As a result of the rule limiting the size of the House of Representatives to _____ members, U.S. congressional districts on average now have very substantial populations.

A) 535
B) 100
C) 335
D) 435
E) 150

Question 5

By default, the lines of the congressional districts are drawn by the _____.

A) state legislatures
B) standing committees
C) judiciaries
D) independent regulatory committees
E) executive agencies

Question 6

Which of the following is a common requirement that must be met by a person to either become a member of the House of Representatives or be elected to the Senate?

A) In both cases, the person must have a master's degree in law.
B) In both cases, the person must be a legal resident of the state from which he or she is to be elected.
C) In both cases, the person must have been a citizen of the United States for at least five years before his or her election.
D) In both cases, the person must own property in the United States.
E) In both cases, the person must be at least twenty-five years of age.

Question 7

In 1842, Congress passed an act that required all states to send representatives to Congress from _____.

A) public districts
B) state-held districts
C) representative districts
D) anonymous-member districts
E) single-member districts

Question 8

In the context of the bicameral legislature of Congress, the framers of the U.S. Constitution:

A) created the House of Representatives to represent the people.
B) fixed the membership of the Senate at 435.
C) fixed the membership of the House of Representatives at 100.
D) created an independent committee to serve as a check on the powers of the House and the Senate.
E) assigned less number of senators to smaller states than the larger states.

Question 9

A senator from Sagenia is in favor of environmental regulations that forbid industries from disposing chemical wastes in rivers, despite the fact that many companies in Sagenia might come under scrutiny for the violation of such regulations. This scenario illustrates the _____ taken by Congress members.

A) trustee view of representation
B) instructed-delegate view of representation
C) special-interest view of representation
D) bipartisan view of representation
E) partisan view of representation

Question 10

Opponents of racial gerrymandering argue that race-based districting is unconstitutional because it violates the _____ clause.

A) equal protection
B) equal participation
C) equal appropriation
D) equal apportionment
E) equal representation

Question 11

Where a party's voters are scarce, the boundaries of a district can be drawn to include as many of the party's voters as possible. This is a characteristic of _____.

A) pigeonholing
B) gerrymandering
C) filibustering
D) logrolling
E) lobbying

Question 12

A _____ refers to a Congress consisting of two chambers.

A) bicameral judiciary
B) bicameral legislature
C) bicameral cabinet
D) bipartisan filibuster
E) bipartisan caucus

Question 13

The District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands all send _____ to the House of Representatives.

A) polling officers
B) election commissioners
C) heads of state
D) nonvoting delegates
E) voting resident commissioners

Question 14

Identify a true statement about the apportionment of House seats.

A) All states get the same number of House seats irrespective of their populations.
B) House seats are reapportioned every ten years.
C) Wyoming has fifty-three representatives in the House.
D) Puerto Rico has the maximum number of voting delegates in the House.
E) California has only one representative in the House.

Question 15

In the context of gerrymandering, _____ make congressional races less competitive.

A) packing and cracking
B) filibustering and cloture
C) pigeonholing and lobbying
D) pocket veto and line-item veto
E) authorization and appropriation

Question 16

Which of the following is a requirement that must be met by a person in order to be elected to the Senate ?

A) The person must have been a member of the House of Representatives for at least two years.
B) The person must have a master's degree in law.
C) The person must own property in the United States.
D) The person must be at least twenty-five years of age.
E) The person must have been a citizen of the United States for at least nine years.

Question 17

To be a member of the House of Representatives, a person must :

A) have been a citizen of the United States for at least five years before his or her election.
B) have a master's degree in law.
C) own property in the United States.
D) be at least twenty-five years of age.
E) have been a member of the Senate for at least two years.

Question 18

Which of the following is a spending provision inserted into legislation that benefits only a small number of people?

A) A fringe benefit
B) A filibuster
C) An earmark
D) A v eto
E) A subpoena

Question 19

Which of the following is a difference between senators and representatives?

A) Senators mirror the views of their constituents, regardless of their opinions, whereas representatives follow their own ideals.
B) Senators are elected to represent all of the people in a state, whereas representatives are elected by the voters of a particular area.
C) Senators are elected every second year by popular vote, whereas representatives are elected every six years by popular vote.
D) Senators must be at least twenty-five years of age, whereas representatives must be at least thirty years of age.
E) Senators need not be residents of the state from which they are elected, whereas representatives must be legal residents of the state from which they are elected.

Question 20

_____, a self-governing possession of the United States, is represented by a nonvoting resident commissioner.

A) Puerto Rico
B) New Mexico
C) Delaware
D) Vermont
E) New Jersey

Question 21

Which of the following statements is true of a congressional committee?

A) It provides for specialization, or a division of the legislative labor.
B) It directs the legislative strategy of the minority party.
C) It commands the minority party's opposition to the policies of the majority party.
D) It works independently while creating or amending laws.
E) It regularly holds hearings to investigate the actions of the judicial branch.

Question 22

Identify a true statement about the Speaker of the House.

A) The Speaker cannot ignore a member who wishes to speak.
B) The Speaker can interpret the outcome of most of the votes taken.
C) The Speaker can choose to vote on all the bills.
D) The Speaker is the leader of the minority party.
E) The Speaker can choose to vote while presiding over the House.

Question 23

The Homeland Security Committee is an example of a _____ in Congress.

A) standing committee
B) joint committee
C) conference committee
D) special committee
E) select committee

Question 24

Leadershipand organization in both chambers of Congress are based on:

A) the provisions in Article II of the Constitution.
B) the "one person, one vote" rule.
C) membership in the two major political parties.
D) political gerrymandering.
E) the rules established by the federal judiciary.

Question 25

The _____ normally proposes time limits on debate for any bill.

A) House Rules Committee
B) House Ways and Means Committee
C) House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
D) House Appropriations Committee
E) House Budget Committee

Question 26

The _____ of the House of Representatives is elected by the majority-party caucus to act as spokesperson for the party and to keep the party together.

A) majority whip
B) majority leader
C) party trustee
D) president pro tempore
E) resident commissioner

Question 27

Identify a difference between House members and Senate members.

A) House members have a term of six years, whereas Senate members have a term of two years.
B) House members are elected by state legislatures, whereas Senate members are always elected by voters.
C) House members are chosen from local districts, whereas Senate members are chosen from the entire state.
D) House members can convict federal officials of impeachable offenses, whereas Senate members can indict federal officials.
E) House members have more prestige, whereas Senate members have less prestige.

Question 28

Today, under Senate Rule 22, _____ senators must sign a petition requesting cloture.

A) twenty
B) ten
C) fifteen
D) eighteen
E) sixteen

Question 29

Which of the following statements is true of the House of Representatives?

A) The House convicts federal officials of impeachable offenses.
B) The House originates bills for raising revenues.
C) The House has fewer rules and restrictions than the Senate.
D) House members are chosen from the entire state for six-year terms.
E) House members have more prestige and media attention than Senate members.

Question 30

Which of the following is a true statement about the House of Representatives and the Senate?

A) House members are chosen from the entire state, whereas the Senate members are chosen from local districts.
B) The House has only 100 members, whereas the Senate has 435 voting members.
C) The House has fewer rules and restrictions, whereas the Senate has more formal rules.
D) The House permits limited debate, whereas the Senate permits extended debate.
E) The House is characterized by national leadership, whereas the Senate is characterized by local leadership.

Question 31

The _____ serves as the presiding officer of the Senate in the absence of the vice president.

A) resident commissioner
B) minority leader
C) president pro tempore
D) Speaker of the House
E) majority leader

Question 32

If, by choosing to vote, the Speaker of the House creates a tie, _____.

A) voting will take place again
B) the president pro tempore will be asked to cast a vote
C) the Speaker's vote will be considered invalid
D) whips will decide how to break the tie
E) the proposal will be defeated

Question 33

If the leadership in either chamber of Congress believes that an acceptable compromise with the other chamber is impossible, then:

A) it can block legislation simply by refusing to appoint members to a conference committee.
B) it can directly send a bill to the White house to be signed into law.
C) it can block legislation only in the case of bills associated with the federal budget resolution.
D) it can approach relevant interest groups and administrative agencies for their views.
E) the president can interfere and make a decision on behalf of both the chambers.

Question 34

The presiding officer in the House of Representatives is the:

A) vice president.
B) Speaker of the House.
C) resident commissioner.
D) president pro tempore.
E) House delegate

Question 35

In both the House of Representatives and the Senate, which of the following typically plays a role in determining congressional committee chairpersons?

A) The number of legislations drafted by a particular committee
B) The number of issues dealt with by a particular committee
C) The procedure followed to bring the matter under consideration to a vote
D) The length of continuous service on a particular committee
E) The duration of a debate held for the purpose of preventing action on a bill

Question 36

Identify a true statement about the Senate.

A) The Senate has the power of "advice and consent" on presidential appointments and treaties.
B) Senate members are chosen from local districts for two-year terms by popular vote.
C) The Senate originates bills for raising revenues.
D) Senate members have less prestige and media attention than House members.
E) The Senate has local or narrow leadership.

Question 37

Which of the following is a downside of incumbency advantages?

A) Limited access to media
B) Suppression of voter turnout
C) Withdrawal of powers related to the formulation of law
D) Lack of professional staffs
E) Less recognition

Question 38

A "new" Congress convenes:

A) every five years.
B) in January of every odd-numbered year.
C) in November of every odd-numbered year.
D) every six years.
E) in March of every even-numbered year.

Question 39

In the context of congressional elections, which of the following is true of term limits?

A) There is no limit on the number of terms a senator or representative can serve.
B) The president can serve only one term in office.
C) A senator or representative can serve for no more than two terms in office.
D) The Supreme Court has ruled that state-level attempts to impose term limits on members of the U.S. House or Senate are constitutional.
E) A senator can serve a two-year term, whereas a representative can serve a six-year term.

Question 40

Under the House rules, the only time the Speaker of the House must vote is when:

A) a filibuster occurs.
B) the president pro tempore is absent.
C) there is a tie.
D) the president vetoes a bill.
E) a cloture is invoked.

Question 41

One of the most important functions of _____ is its oversight of the executive branch and its many federal departments and agencies.

A) an appellate court
B) Congress
C) the Supreme Court
D) the legislature
E) the judiciary

Question 42

Congress exercises jurisdiction over the impeachment of _____.

A) an opinion leader
B) a governor
C) the president
D) the members of interest groups
E) party supporters

Question 43

Under which of the following programs are Social Security benefits provided to people?

A) Apportionment programs
B) Entitlement programs
C) Beneficial grant programs
D) Filibustering programs
E) Debt ceiling programs

Question 44

Appropriation is the first part of the budgeting process .

Question 45

The House of Representatives has twice exercised its impeachment power against a president.

Question 46

When Congress is unable to pass a complete budget by the beginning of the fiscal year, it usually passes _____, which enable the executive agencies to keep on doing whatever they were doing the previous year with the same amount of funding.

A) continuing resolutions
B) referendums
C) t ax increase bills
D) nuclear option resolutions
E) outlays and obligations bills

Question 47

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Defense convenes to expand a clause in its proposed bill on military assistance for counter-terrorism operations in the United States. In this case, the Senate Appropriations Committee on Defense is _____.

A) making a floor vote
B) holding an authorization debate
C) holding a markup session
D) filibustering
E) invoking a cloture

Question 48

Which of the following is an oversight body for the U.S. Congress?

A) The Office of Management and Budget
B) The Congressional Committee on Rules and Administration
C) The Congressional Judiciary
D) The Joint Congressional Committee on Standards and Conduct
E) The Congressional Budget Office

Question 49

Which of the following statements is true of the advice and consent powers of the Senate?

A) The vice president appoints ambassadors of the United States with the advice and consent of the Senate.
B) The Senate is obliged to confirm the president's nominees for the post of ambassadors.
C) Nominees for the secretary of state first appear before the Judiciary Committee.
D) The Senate has a somewhat freer hand with judicial appointments, because federal judges are expected to be loyal to the president.
E) Senate confirmation is required when the president appoints justices of the Supreme Court.

Question 50

When a committee chairperson sets a bill aside to ignore it rather than to send it to a subcommittee, the bill has been _____.

A) pigeonholed
B) vetoed
C) marked up
D) reported
E) referred

Question 51

_____ is the second part of the budgeting process in which Congress determines how many dollars will actually be spent in a given year on a particular government activity.

A) Entitlement
B) Authorization
C) Appropriation
D) Adjudication
E) Apportionment

Question 52

Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution states that the president may appoint certain officers of the United States " with the Advice and Consent of the Senate. " The Constitution leaves the precise nature of how the Senate will give this " advice and consent " up to the lawmakers .

Question 53

In the past, members of Congress often took advantage of the vote to raise the debt ceiling to _____, to show off their opposition to federal spending.

A) cloture
B) filibuster
C) caucus
D) grandstand
E) apportion

Question 54

In any year in which the federal government spends more than it takes in, _____.

A) the resulting deficit adds to the national debt
B) Congress raises taxes and issues zero-interest government bonds
C) U.S. law removes the ceiling on the size of the national debt
D) executives are allowed to exceed the debt ceiling
E) the debt ceiling is modified at a later date to match the excess expenditure

Question 55

Which of the following statements is true of impeachment?

A) After a vote to impeach in the full House, an accused official is tried in the Senate.
B) The president has the power to impeach and remove from office the members of Congress.
C) Impeachment involves holding a debate for the purpose of preventing action on a bill.
D) Only civil officers, such as federal judges, can be removed by impeachment.
E) An accused official is removed from office only if he or she is convicted by a one-third majority vote of the Senate.

Question 56

If the president decides to veto a bill, Congress cannot get the bill enacted into law.

Question 57

The Senate brings a bill to the floor by:

A) the nuclear option.
B) unanimous consent.
C) invoking a cloture.
D) filibustering.
E) exercising a pocket veto.

Question 58

The constitutional option is also known as the _____.

A) apportionment option
B) earmark option
C) nuclear option
D) veto option
E) bicameral option

Question 59

Which of the following is an example of an entitlement program?

A) The Civil Rights Act
B) The Patriot Act
C) TexCare
D) Obamacare
E) PeachCare

Question 60

Which of the following is true of the senatorial holds?

A) They are not anonymous.
B) They are used to end filibusters.
C) They are announced publicly.
D) They are used to delay legislation .
E) They cannot be lifted by cloture.

Question 61

The Supreme Court has ruled that state-level attempts to impose _________ on members of the U.S. House or Senate are unconstitutional.

A) age limits
B) term limits
C) cloture limits
D) participation limits

Question 62

In the context of the budgeting process, explain authorization and appropriation.

Question 63

Under Article I, Section 4, of the Constitution, _________ control the "Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives."

A) appellate courts
B) town mayors
C) state legislatures
D) state governors

Question 64

Discuss the tasks undertaken by the majority leader and the minority leader of the House of Representatives.

Question 65

Appropriations must never exceed the authorized amounts, but they can be less.

Question 66

Explain the trustee and instructed-delegate views of representation. Give an example of each.

Question 67

Describe how the power of incumbency works. Also, explain the advantages that incumbents have that can aid their reelection.

Question 68

The use of unlimited debate in the Senate to obstruct legislation is called _________.

A) gerrymandering
B) overriding
C) filibustering
D) impeaching

Question 69

The Constitution provides for the _________ of House seats among the states on the basis of their respective populations.

A) appropriation
B) apportionment
C) filibustering
D) cloture

Question 70

Once cloture is invoked, each senator may speak on a bill for no more than one hour before a vote is taken and a final vote must take place within _________ hours.

A) seventy-five
B) one hundred
C) two hundred
D) fifty

Question 71

Since on legislative issues, there are times when members of Congress are very attentive to the wishes of the party leadership. This is an example of the _________ of representation.

A) social-mirror view
B) trustee view
C) instructed-delegate view
D) partisan view

Question 72

Under the _________ view, a legislator should act according to her or his conscience and perception of national needs.

A) trustee
B) instructed-delegate
C) opinion leader
D) whip

Question 73

A(n) _________ is defined as someone who is already in office.

A) nominee
B) partisan
C) incumbent
D) sophomore

Question 74

In the context of the legislative process, discuss how a bill is referred to committees.

Question 75

To ensure equal representation in the House of Representatives, each congressional district must have contiguous boundaries and must be _________.

A) geographically compact
B) politically unified
C) politically monolithic
D) malapportioned