Deck 6: Congress

Question 1

The model of representation most widely used today is the

A) trustee model.
B) conscience model.
C) politico model.
D) delegate model.
E) investiture model.

Answer 1

delegate model.

Question 2

During the impeachment trial of President Clinton, Senator Paul Wellstone argued that "In the case of presidential impeachment, it's especially important to consult public opinion, because one's being asked, in effect, to overturn a popular election." Wellstone's claim is an argument in favor of the

A) trustee model of representation.
B) conscience model of representation.
C) politico model of representation.
D) delegate model of representation.
E) investiture model of representation.

Answer 2

delegate model of representation.

Question 3

A constitutional amendment that required the Congress roughly mirror the population of the United States in terms of racial, ethnic, and gender composition would be supported by proponents of

A) symbolic representation.
B) sectional representation.
C) politico representation.
D) delegative style.
E) representational style.

Answer 3

symbolic representation.

Question 4

The founders expected the _____ to be the heart of the new government.

A) executive branch
B) judicial branch
C) legislative branch
D) public branch.
E) people

Question 5

The establishment of a bicameral legislature in the United States was the result of

A) the Pendleton Act.
B) an executive order of the president.
C) the Three-Fifths Compromise.
D) the Sectional Compromise.
E) the Great Compromise.

Question 6

The U.S. Supreme Court's 1995 decision in Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton

A) supported the implied powers of Congress.
B) found the legislative veto to be unconstitutional.
C) upheld 75 as the maximum age for U.S. senators.
D) overturned state laws that attempted to limit the number of terms that members of Congress could serve.
E) declared that states had the right to impose term limits on their congressional delegations.

Question 7

Senators in the United States have been directly elected since the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment in

A) 1896.
B) 1913.
C) 1919.
D) 1924.
E) 1960.

Question 8

The Help America Vote Act (2002)

A) requires states provide bilingual ballots to voters.
B) guarantee no citizen live more than 25 miles from a polling station.
C) prohibits discrimination in the voter registration process.
D) permits states to limit the right of ex-felons to vote.
E) mandates the updating of voting machines.

Question 9

If a president vetoes a bill, what is the congressional action necessary for override of the veto?

A) Both chambers must approve the override by a minimum two-thirds margin.
B) A majority vote of both chambers is required to override the veto.
C) A two-thirds vote of one chamber is sufficient to override the veto.
D) A majority vote of one chamber is sufficient to override the veto.
E) The President's veto cannot be overridden.

Question 10

The process of redrawing the boundaries of legislative districts is known as

A) redistricting.
B) gerrymandering.
C) cracking.
D) packing.
E) electoral division.

Question 11

When the boundaries of an electoral district are drawn to secure a partisan advantage, the process of redrawing the boundaries of legislative districts is known as

A) redistricting.
B) gerrymandering.
C) cracking.
D) packing.
E) electoral division.

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of the standing committee system used in Congress?

A) It allows members of that committee to become experts in a given policy area.
B) It expands the number of issue areas that can be considered simultaneously.
C) It enhances the representation function of Congress by allowing legislators to sit on committees dealing with issues of concern to their constituents.
D) If offers citizens many points of access into the legislative process.
E) It simplifies the process by not including a chance for lobbying by citizens.

Question 13

In any given session, the U.S. Congress handles roughly _____ bills and nearly _____ nominations.

A) 10 bills; 100 nominations
B) 100 bills; 1,000 nominations
C) 1,000 bills; 10,000 nominations
D) 10,000 bills; 100,000 nominations
E) 100,000 bills; 1,000,000 nominations

Question 14

Because it establishes the conditions under which proposed legislation is considered by the House of Representatives, the _____ Committee is considered one of the most powerful committees in Congress.

A) Standards of Official Conduct
B) Rules
C) Ways and Means
D) Resources
E) Government Reform

Question 15

Despite being a relatively powerful Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich was forced to resign in 1988 after

A) he was found guilty of House ethical violations.
B) he was found to have accepted illegal campaign contributions.
C) his party lost the seats in the election and came to resent his heavy-handed leadership style.
D) he was censored for inappropriate sexual relations with interns.
E) he switched parties from Republican to Democrat.

Question 16

Senator X of Alaska supports Senator A's initiative to have a tunnel built in New Jersey. Senator X expects that this support will end up with Senator A's repayment in kind one day. This is an example of

A) logrolling.
B) specialization.
C) pork-barrel dealing.
D) marking the ear.
E) apprenticeship norm.

Question 17

How many votes does it currently take to end a filibuster in the U.S. Senate?

A) 51
B) 60
C) 67
D) 85
E) 100

Question 18

Congress introduces approximately 10,000 bills each year. Approximately how many bills are passed into law every year?

A) 10
B) 50
C) 100
D) 250
E) 400

Question 19

How many women served in the U.S. Senate during the 112th Congress?

A) 0
B) 2
C) 17
D) 33
E) 124

Question 20

The delegate model of representation argues that the representatives should "enlarge and refine the public's will."

Question 21

The founders believed that representatives should generally follow the delegate model of representation, except in times of great crisis, when the politico model should be used.

Question 22

The minimum age for service in the U.S. House of Representatives is 30 years.

Question 23

In its 1995 decision in Shaw v. Reno, the U.S. Supreme Court supported race as the principal criterion for drawing legislative districts.

Question 24

In general, states in the northeast have seen an increase in the number of representatives in the House while the south and west have seen sharp declines.

Question 25

Before a bill can be sent to the president for approval, differences between competing House and Senate bills on the same topic must be ironed out in a conference committee.

Question 26

Generally speaking, U.S. House committees consist of about 20 members.

Question 27

Orientation function refers to the job of legislators familiarizing the new members with congressional procedures, norms, and customs.

Question 28

Minority whips are responsible for eliciting support for legislation and for keeping count of how members plan to vote.

Question 29

In the absence of the Vice President of the United States, the presiding officer in the Senate is the minority leader.

Question 30

A presidential veto can be overridden by a simple majority vote in both chambers of Congress.

Question 31

Under the conscience model of representation, legislators should

A) strictly adhere to the will of their constituents.
B) consider the will of the people but act in what they believe to be the long-term interests of the country.
C) follow their own judgment until the public becomes vocal about a specific issue, at which time they should do what their constituents demand.
D) follow the will of the people unless they believe that it is in the best interest of the country to do otherwise.
E) do what they want irrespective of public opinion.

Question 32

Under the delegate model of representation, legislators should

A) adhere to the will of their constituents.
B) consider the will of the people but act in what they believe to be the long-term interests of the country.
C) follow their own judgment until the public becomes vocal about a specific issue, at which time they should do what their constituents demand.
D) follow the will of the people unless they believe that it is in the best interest of the country to do otherwise.
E) do what they want irrespective of the public opinion.

Question 33

An elected representative who strictly adheres to the will of their constituents is said to act according to the

A) trustee model.
B) conscience model.
C) politico model.
D) delegate model.
E) investiture model.

Question 34

Russ Feingold and Edward Kennedy were vocal opponents of the Iraq War and voted against the war in 2002, despite widespread popular support for the authorization of war against Iraq. Their vote can best be understood through the

A) trustee model.
B) reflexive model.
C) politico model.
D) delegate model.
E) investiture model.

Question 35

During the impeachment trial of President Clinton, Representative Henry Hyde argued "We're not delegates who are sent here to weigh our mail every day and then to vote accordingly. We are elected to bring our judgment, our experience, and our consciences with us here." Hyde's claim is an argument in favor of the

A) trustee model of representation.
B) conscience model of representation.
C) politico model of representation.
D) delegate model of representation.
E) investiture model of representation.

Question 36

Representative Sherwood Boehlert's argument that legislators should use the "pillow test"-that legislators should follow the will of their constituents until doing so keeps the legislator awake at night-is an argument in favor of the

A) trustee model of representation.
B) conscience model of representation.
C) politico model of representation.
D) delegate model of representation.
E) investiture model of representation.

Question 37

Senator J. William Fulbright's warning that "The average legislator early in his career discovers that there are certain interests or prejudices of his constituents which are dangerous to trifle with" is an argument in favor of the

A) trustee model of representation.
B) conscience model of representation.
C) politico model of representation.
D) delegate model of representation.
E) investiture model of representation.

Question 38

The most important responsibility of a member of Congress is to

A) interpret the Constitution.
B) formulate new policies.
C) uphold federal law.
D) establish national policy priorities.
E) speak and act on behalf of the people.

Question 39

The assumption that a legislator will represent or favor only his or her own ethnic group or gender (as opposed to the entire population) is generally referred to as

A) critical representation.
B) symbolic representation.
C) sectional representation.
D) politico representation.
E) delegative style.

Question 40

A legislative system in which there are two houses or chambers is usually described as

A) unicameral.
B) bicameral.
C) bimodal.
D) distributive.
E) split.

Question 41

When the legislature is described as "bicameral," it means that the legislature

A) is controlled by two parties.
B) has two chambers.
C) is responsible to two stakeholders.
D) has two official responsibilities.
E) meets twice per year.

Question 42

The Motor Voter Law is more formally known as the

A) Help America Vote Act.
B) Young Voters Act.
C) Federal Voting Compliance Act.
D) National Voter Registration Act.
E) Voter Assistance Act.

Question 43

Article I, Section 2, of the Constitution specifies that U.S. senators must be how old to take office?

A) 21
B) 25
C) 30
D) 35
E) 45

Question 44

Before adoption of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, U.S. senators were generally

A) appointed by the president.
B) appointed by state governors.
C) appointed by the state legislatures.
D) appointed by the House of Representatives.
E) elected by free white males over the age of 21.

Question 45

U.S. senators have been directly elected by the people since the ratification of the

A) Eleventh Amendment.
B) Twelfth Amendment.
C) Sixteenth Amendment.
D) Seventeenth Amendment.
E) Nineteenth Amendment.

Question 46

Which of the following statements most accurately describes the selection of senators?

A) All 100 seats in the Senate are elected every two years.
B) All 100 seats in the Senate are elected every four years.
C) All 100 seats in the Senate are elected every six years.
D) Half of the seats in the Senate are elected every two years.
E) One-third of the seats in the Senate are elected every two years.

Question 47

Which of the following is NOT a power granted to Congress by Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution?

A) The right to borrow money on credit
B) The power to declare war
C) The right to make rules for the use of the armed forces
D) The right to coin money
E) The right to interpret legislation passed by the Congress

Question 48

In the case of McCulloch v. Maryland, Alexander Hamilton's argument that, "Let the end be legitimate, let it be within the scope of the constitution, and all means which are appropriate, which are plainly adapted to that end, which are not prohibited, but consistent with the letter and spirit of the constitution, are constitutional." Hamilton here is arguing in favor of an expansive reading of the

A) judicial review clause.
B) legislative supremacy clause.
C) effective governance clause.
D) necessary and proper clause.
E) commerce clause.

Question 49

The use of congressional power to charter a national bank is an example of Congress's use of the

A) legislative supremacy clause.
B) Article I, Section 4 protections.
C) effective governance clause.
D) necessary and proper clause.
E) commerce clause.

Question 50

Elbridge Gerry, the father of gerrymandering procedures, served in what position in 1800 in Massachusetts?

A) mayor
B) state legislator
C) governor
D) U.S. House member
E) U.S. Senator

Question 51

Cracking refers to the

A) use of executive privilege to bypass congressional oversight.
B) division of opposition voters into a wide number of electoral districts.
C) consolidation of opposition voters into a handful of electoral districts.
D) use of the bully pulpit to pressure Congress to concede to presidential demands.
E) process whereby the courts can review any action of the Congress or the president.

Question 52

Packing refers to the

A) use of executive privilege to bypass congressional oversight.
B) division of opposition voters into a wide number of electoral districts.
C) consolidation of opposition voters into fewer electoral districts.
D) use of the bully pulpit to pressure Congress to concede to presidential demands.
E) process whereby the courts can review any action of the Congress or the president.

Question 53

States that simply elected their allotted representatives from the whole state, as opposed to establishing defined districts, were said to use

A) ghost districts.
B) ersatz districts.
C) super districts.
D) at-large districts.
E) general election districts.

Question 54

When the boundaries of an electoral district are drawn to secure a partisan advantage by spreading out opposition voters across a wide number of electoral districts, _____ is said to have occurred.

A) redistricting
B) icing
C) cracking
D) packing
E) electoral division

Question 55

When the boundaries of an electoral district are drawn to secure a partisan advantage by lumping as many opposition voters as possible into one district, _____ is said to have occurred.

A) redistricting.
B) icing.
C) cracking.
D) packing.
E) electoral division.

Question 56

In response to problems with the politicization of redistricting, Iowa has taken the unusual step of giving control over redistricting to

A) a private company.
B) a nonpartisan commission.
C) the state governor.
D) a three-judge panel.
E) the federal government.

Question 57

When faced with cases involving debates over redistricting, the courts have generally

A) refused to get involved, arguing that the issue is a political question.
B) come down in favor of the closest possible expression of voter intent.
C) deferred to the decisions of the state legislatures.
D) declared all efforts at redistricting unconstitutional.
E) asserted the power of judicial review to take direct control over legislative redistricting.

Question 58

Voting districts in which members of a minority group make up a majority of the population are referred to as

A) unconstitutional.
B) majority-minority districts.
C) at-large districts.
D) gerrymandered districts.
E) plurality districts.

Question 59

The main purpose of majority-minority districts is to

A) ensure the election of minority legislators.
B) guarantee representation of diverse ideological perspectives.
C) prevent minorities from obtaining a majority in the federal legislature.
D) exclude minorities from political participation.
E) protect the voting rights of minorities.

Question 60

The U.S. Supreme Court established the "one person, one vote" principle in its decision in the 1961 case of

A) Baker v. Carr.
B) U.S. v. Tennessee.
C) North Carolina v. Owen.
D) Shaw v. Reno.
E) Shaw v. Virginia.

Question 61

In its decision in Baker v. Carr, the U.S. Supreme Court formally established the principle of

A) majority rule with minority rights.
B) one person, one vote.
C) equality of opportunity.
D) separate but equal.
E) political rights.

Question 62

The process of reallocating the number of seats assigned to each state in the U.S. House of Representatives based on changes in the population of the states is known as

A) redistricting.
B) reapportionment.
C) reallocation.
D) redistribution
E) reconciliation.

Question 63

After the 2000 census, which two states each lost two seats in the U.S. House of Representatives?

A) New York and Pennsylvania
B) Indiana and Ohio
C) Michigan and West Virginia
D) Ohio and Michigan
E) South Carolina and Mississippi

Question 64

The legislative committee system used in the U.S. Congress today was initially established in

A) 1789 by the U.S. Constitution.
B) 1810 by the Congress itself.
C) 1830 by judicial order.
D) 1840 by presidential directive.
E) 1860 by the U.S. Senate.

Question 65

The main legislative committees, which handle the vast majority of the day-to-day process of legislating in the U.S. Congress, are

A) select committees and their subcommittees.
B) special committees and their subcommittees.
C) conference committees and their subcommittees.
D) general committees and their subcommittees.
E) standing committees and their subcommittees.

Question 66

In general, congressional committees

A) are where most important decisions in the Congress are made.
B) have little power to influence congressional processes.
C) are unnecessarily bureaucratic.
D) are becoming increasingly obsolete.
E) have been bypassed by strong party leadership.

Question 67

The smallest committees in both the House and the Senate are the committees that deal with

A) ethics.
B) science and technology.
C) education.
D) transportation.
E) defense.

Question 68

In the Congress, joint committees are comprised of members of both House and Senate and are

A) empowered to conduct oversight or investigation of agencies related to Congress.
B) temporary committees created to deal with a specific issue.
C) responsible for handling the majority of the day-to-day business of legislating.
D) comprised of members of both the House and the Senate to iron out differences between similar bills that have passed both houses.
E) called for the specific purpose of overseeing the impeachment trial of the president.

Question 69

Temporary committees created to deal with a particular problem or issue are known as

A) select committees.
B) money committees.
C) conference committees.
D) joint committees.
E) standing committees.

Question 70

In general, the committees of the Senate tend to have around _____ members.

A) 5
B) 10
C) 20
D) 30
E) 50

Question 71

The requirement that all bills be referred to a committee before being considered by the body of the whole was established by

A) Presidential Directive 47.
B) the 1946 Legislative Reorganization Act.
C) judicial order.
D) the U.S. Constitution.
E) common law tradition.

Question 72

Committees that draw membership from both the House and the Senate in order to perform specific investigation, research, or oversight of agencies closely related to Congress are known as

A) select committees.
B) special committees.
C) conference committees.
D) joint committees.
E) standing committees.

Question 73

Approximately what percent of legislative measures get tabled, or stalled, in committee?

A) 25
B) 50
C) 75
D) 90
E) 99

Question 74

Most congressional hearings take place at the

A) subcommittee level.
B) committee level.
C) House or Senate floor.
D) joint-committee level.
E) select committee level.

Question 75

Utilizing the _____ referrals process allows a bill to be sent to several committees at the same time.

A) auxiliary
B) multiple
C) concurrent
D) hierarchical
E) joint

Question 76

The process of reviewing and revising a proposed piece of legislation by a committee is generally referred to as

A) editorializing.
B) legislative prerogative.
C) judicial review.
D) markup.
E) open process.

Question 77

The House Committee responsible for establishing the terms and conditions of debate on a bill is the

A) Procedure Committee.
B) Appropriations Committee.
C) Administration Committee.
D) Legislative Affairs Committee.
E) Rules Committee.

Question 78

The responsibility of the Congress to review the federal bureaucracy's implementation of federal law is generally referred to as

A) legislative prerogative.
B) oversight.
C) legislative review.
D) markup.
E) judicial review.

Question 79

Responsibility for referring bills to specific committees in the U.S House of Representatives generally falls to the

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

Question 80

Between 1967 and 1994, the number of congressional staffers had

A) increased from 300 to more than 30,000.
B) increased from 600 to more than 3,000.
C) increased from 6,000 to more than 60,000.
D) decreased from 6,000 to 3,000.
E) remained about the same.