Deck 12: Congress

Question 1

Lawmakers who closely follow the majority opinion in their electorate are sometimes called

A) constituents.
B) delegates.
C) justices.
D) senators.
E) trustees.

Answer 1

delegates.

Question 2

Members of Congress who exercise their judgment independent of the majority opinion in their electorate are known as

A) constituents.
B) delegates.
C) justices
D) senators.
E) trustees.

Answer 2

trustees.

Question 3

The shorter terms and direct popular elections of House members tends to cause them to function more as

A) constituents.
B) delegates.
C) justices
D) senators.
E) trustees.

Answer 3

delegates.

Question 4

The Constitution established senators who would serve longer terms and be chosen by state legislatures in order to create lawmakers who would function more as

A) constituents.
B) delegates.
C) justices.
D) executives.
E) trustees.

Question 5

The framers endorsed bicameralism to promote

A) a less active judiciary.
B) a more powerful executive.
C) greater representation through more elected officials.
D) more legislation.
E) safer and more deliberative lawmaking.

Question 6

Each state is represented by how many senators?

A) One
B) Two
C) Three
D) It varies depending on the physical size of the state.
E) It varies depending on the population of the state.

Question 7

Which state currently has the most representatives?

A) Alaska
B) California
C) Florida
D) New York
E) Texas

Question 8

The number of representatives for each state is reevaluated every _______ years.

A) two
B) four
C) six
D) ten
E) twelve

Question 9

What does the Constitution say about the size of the House of Representatives?

A) Each state shall have at least one seat in the House.
B) Membership in the House should not fall below 100 members.
C) The Constitution does not address the issue of House membership.
D) The House may not exceed 500 members.
E) There should be at least one representative for each 10,000 residents.

Question 10

Under the original Constitution, House members were selected by

A) state legislatures.
B) Supreme Court justices.
C) the president.
D) the Senate.
E) the voters.

Question 11

How many House seats come up for reelection in every even-numbered year?

A) None
B) One-third
C) One-half
D) Three-quarters
E) All

Question 12

How many Senate seats come up for reelection in every even-numbered year?

A) None
B) One-third
C) One-half
D) Three-quarters
E) All

Question 13

What effect does the difference in term length have on House members?

A) House members can act more deliberatively.
B) It enables them to consider a more long-term view of issues.
C) House members face greater pressure to act quickly.
D) House members enjoy greater prestige than senators.
E) It reduces campaign pressures on House members.

Question 14

__________ is not one of the enumerated powers of Congress.

A) Borrowing money
B) Commanding the military
C) Raising armies
D) Raising revenues
E) Regulating interstate commerce

Question 15

The establishment of a national bank is an example of Congress's

A) constitutional duties.
B) enumerated powers.
C) implied powers.
D) oversight of the executive branch.
E) supremacy act.

Question 16

What authority does the House of Representatives have over treaties?

A) Approves meetings with foreign ministers in order to negotiate treaties
B) Authorizes the president to negotiate a treaty.
C) Negotiates treaties on behalf of the president
D) Is responsible for approving treaties
E) Votes on legislation necessary to carry treaties into effect

Question 17

Congress can propose amendments to the Constitution with a

A) measure placed on the ballot in a federal election.
B) simple majority in each chamber.
C) two-thirds vote of each chamber.
D) two-thirds vote of the House alone.
E) two-thirds vote of the Senate alone.

Question 18

Chairmanships of all committees and subcommittees are given to

A) members of both major parties equally.
B) members of Congress on a rotating basis.
C) members of the majority party.
D) members of the minority party.
E) the most senior members of Congress, regardless of their party.

Question 19

"Divided government" occurs when

A) at least one house of Congress does not have a majority from the president's party.
B) Congress cannot gather enough votes to override a veto.
C) the House and Senate are unable to reach an agreement.
D) the House is evenly split on an important vote.
E) the Senate is deadlocked on a vote.

Question 20

Over the years, Congress has tended to become

A) less polarized.
B) less productive.
C) more argumentative.
D) more moderate.
E) more polarized.

Question 21

A new Speaker of the House is selected

A) every January.
B) if there is a change in the majority party.
C) immediately preceding each presidential election.
D) when a motion of cloture is filed by three-fifths of the Senate.
E) when each new Congress convenes.

Question 22

Joseph Cannon is regarded as the most powerful

A) whip.
B) minority leader.
C) majority leader.
D) Speaker of the House.
E) chief justice.

Question 23

The agenda for the House of Representatives is planned by the

A) majority leader.
B) majority whip.
C) president.
D) speaker of the House.
E) vice president.

Question 24

Under the Constitution, the _________ presides over the Senate.

A) majority leader
B) majority whip
C) president pro tempore
D) secretary of State
E) vice president

Question 25

The honorary position of president pro tempore is customarily assigned to the

A) president.
B) vice president.
C) Speaker of the House.
D) longest serving member of the minority party.
E) longest serving member of the majority party.

Question 26

How is the Senate majority leader weaker than the Speaker of the House?

A) The Senate majority leader does not get to vote in roll call votes as the speaker does.
B) The Senate majority leader cannot override members who may wish to create procedural delays, whereas the Speaker of the House can prevent members from blocking action.
C) Unlike the Senate majority leader, the Speaker of the House can veto any bill the chamber passes.
D) The Speaker of the House has weekly meetings with the president, whereas the Senate majority leader has more restricted access to the president and other government officials.
E) The Senate majority leader retains his position only as long as he is in favor with his fellow members, whereas the Speaker of the House is chosen by the chair of his party.

Question 27

Any attempt to block Senate action on a bill by debating it at length is called a

A) filibuster.
B) senatorial courtesy.
C) constituency.
D) debate veto.
E) concurrent resolution.

Question 28

The member of each party who counts likely votes for upcoming measures is called the

A) cloture.
B) filibuster.
C) president pro tempore.
D) vote master.
E) whip.

Question 29

___________ committees are a permanent body designed to evaluate legislative proposals, choose certain bills for consideration, and revise and report those bills to the full chamber.

A) Conference
B) Joint
C) Special
D) Standing
E) Sub

Question 30

Committees that are established to investigate an issue not addressed by standing committees are called ______________ committees.

A) conference
B) joint
C) select
D) nonpartisan
E) legislative

Question 31

Which type of committee is typically a permanent panel that carries out studies or administrative tasks?

A) Conference
B) Joint
C) Select
D) Standing
E) Business

Question 32

Why are members of the House able to develop greater expertise than senators?

A) House members are less focused on reelection.
B) House members spend more time debating bills on the floor.
C) The House addresses fewer issues.
D) The House deals with more complex issues.
E) They serve on fewer committees.

Question 33

Which of the following is not one of the basic steps for passing a bill?

A) Drafting of the bill
B) Consideration and modification by a committee
C) Debate and decision by the full House or Senate
D) Review by the judicial branch
E) Fashioning of a compromise measure

Question 34

Since the passage of the Twentieth Amendment, lame duck sessions have become

A) shorter.
B) longer.
C) more useful.
D) more controversial.
E) nonexistent.

Question 35

The purpose of cosponsors for a bill is to

A) have help in drafting a bill.
B) show how much support a measure enjoys.
C) force a bill through committee when it might otherwise have died.
D) coerce the president to sign it.
E) distribute the blame when it does not pass.

Question 36

A measure in one house that is similar or identical to a bill in the other is called a

A) joint resolution.
B) concurrent resolution.
C) companion bill.
D) rider.
E) referral.

Question 37

A concurrent resolution is subject to approval by

A) both chambers.
B) either chamber.
C) the House only.
D) the president.
E) the Senate only.

Question 38

In a multiple referral, a bill goes to

A) a joint committee.
B) both houses simultaneously.
C) committee attached with one or more other bills similar in nature.
D) committee more than one time.
E) more than one committee.

Question 39

If a committee chair wishes to move a bill, he or she usually seeks comments from

A) executive agencies.
B) his party leader.
C) other committee chairs.
D) the president.
E) the speaker of the House.

Question 40

Subcommittees go through bills line by line and propose amendments in

A) agenda meetings.
B) cloture sessions.
C) legislative hearings.
D) markup sessions.
E) strategy sessions.

Question 41

Before opening the floor of the House to debate on a bill, the House Rules Committee may draft a rule that bars all amendments to the bill. This is called a(n)

A) absolute passage.
B) closed rule.
C) cloture.
D) open rule.
E) prohibition.

Question 42

Why are "old fashioned" filibusters rare occurrences in today's Senate?

A) Few senators are willing to endure the physical challenges of mounting a traditional filibuster.
B) Leaders tend to seek unanimous consent to freeze a filibustered bill and move on with other business.
C) Most senators will seek alternate methods of stopping a bill before resorting to a filibuster.
D) Party leaders strongly discourage filibusters.
E) Senators usually do not feel strongly enough about a bill to filibuster.

Question 43

Why do lawmakers make speeches on the Senate floor even if few of their colleagues are present?

A) The speeches lawmakers deliver have a direct effect on their committee assignments.
B) The sponsors of a bill are required to speak on its behalf regardless of attendance in the chamber.
C) Their statements are placed on the record, which allows the public to see the rationale behind congressional decisions.
D) They hope to appear on C-SPAN, which shows only the member who is speaking, not those in attendance in the chamber.
E) They want speeches to which they can refer to during reelection campaigns.

Question 44

Riders are

A) lawmakers who agree to cosponsor a bill for the prestige, despite not having contributed to the drafting of the measure.
B) items added to a bill in the markup.
C) provisions a lawmaker adds to a bill after pressure from lobbyists.
D) money set aside in a spending bill for projects in a representative's home district.
E) legislative measures that lawmakers add to popular bills because they might not pass on their own.

Question 45

The president is required to send his objections to Congress with any veto because it

A) discourages vetoes.
B) makes it harder for Congress to override the president's veto.
C) places the executive branch in a better position to maintain his veto.
D) promotes deliberation between the branches.
E) solidifies the supremacy of the legislative branch.

Question 46

A pocket veto differs from a regular veto because it

A) is not binding.
B) is not subject to override by Congress.
C) is subject to judicial review.
D) must be approved by the voters.
E) requires only a simple majority to override it.

Question 47

The recorded votes on major amendments and final passage of bills are called _____ votes.

A) cloture
B) committee
C) concurrent
D) roll call
E) trustee

Question 48

Members of the Senate and the House feel political pressure to make recorded votes because

A) a high absentee rate can be damaging in reelection campaigns.
B) committee assignments depend on these votes.
C) it is important for logrolling purposes.
D) such votes are usually very close.
E) these votes usually involve major issues.

Question 49

Congress educates the public by

A) conducting most formal business in the open.
B) creating federal programs to promote its legislation.
C) operating its own news channel.
D) publishing informational pamphlets.
E) releasing daily summary statements to the press.

Question 50

In 1790, some southern members of the House agreed to the federal government's assumption of state debts from the Revolutionary War in exchange for northern endorsement of moving the nation's capital to Washington, D.C. This is an example of

A) cloture.
B) constituency service.
C) filibustering.
D) logrolling.
E) the franking privilege.

Question 51

A provision of a spending bill that sets aside funds for a specific purpose in a district or state is called a(n)

A) cloture.
B) constituency service.
C) earmark.
D) franking privilege.
E) logroll.

Question 52

Lawmakers are able to send mail to their constituents without paying postage because of the

A) bicameral nature of Congress.
B) concurrency of resolutions.
C) franking privilege.
D) lame duck session.
E) logrolling incentive.

Question 53

Which agency supplies non-partisan analysis on legislative issues?

A) Central Legislative Analysis Agency
B) Library of Congress
C) Congressional Research Service
D) Department of State
E) Government Accountability Office

Question 54

Which agency evaluates federal programs, audits federal expenditures, and issues legal opinions?

A) Central Legislative Analysis Agency
B) Congressional Budget Office
C) Congressional Research Service
D) Department of State
E) Government Accountability Office

Question 55

The framers of the Constitution intended Congress to be a(n)

A) deliberative institution.
B) elite group with little concern for their constituency.
C) greater power than the other branches of government.
D) mirror image of the citizenry.
E) obstacle to presidential success.

Question 56

In what ways do lawmakers function as delegates? In what ways do they function as trustees?

Question 57

What differences exist between the House and Senate? How do these differences affect how each chamber functions? What tensions arise between them?

Question 58

What powers does the Constitution assign to Congress? How does the Congress use its powers in checking the executive and judiciary branches?

Question 59

How are congressional committees organized? What role do they play in policy deliberation?

Question 60

How does debate on bills differ in the House of Representatives and the Senate? How do House and Senate procedures both encourage and discourage deliberation?

Question 61

How do lawmakers serve their constituents? How does this constituency service both help and hinder its deliberative function?

Question 62

What was the debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalists over whether Congress should resemble the citizenry?

Question 63

How well is Congress able to contribute to deliberation? How can increased scrutiny and accountability of Congress lead to decreased deliberation?