Deck 11: Congress

Question 1

A congressional representative tries to mirror perfectly the views of his or her constituents, according to the __________.

A) conscience model of representation
B) delegate model of representation
C) majority-minority model of representation
D) politico model of representation
E) trustee model of representation

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The Constitutional Convention resulted in what form of legislature?

A) bicameral
B) direct
C) trilateral
D) unicameral
E) unified

Answer 2

A

Question 3

What is the name of the provision in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, giving Congress implied powers not otherwise enumerated?

A) eminent domain
B) necessary and proper clause
C) pocket veto
D) reapportionment clause
E) referral provision

Answer 3

B

Question 4

What best explains the overwhelming advantage incumbents possess in seeking reelection over opposition candidates?

A) additional financial support from constituent taxes
B) additional financial support from the federal government campaign fund
C) demonstrated ability to lead and public record of votes
D) name recognition, access to media, and franking privilege
E) name recognition and access to district taxes

Question 5

"Pork" legislation may aid the district of a member of Congress by __________.

A) diverting unallocated funds to the service sector
B) increasing jobs and revenue with federally funded projects
C) increasing revenue through private market investment
D) taxing corporations less so they provide health insurance for employees
E) taxing waste producers more to pay for environmental cleanup

Question 6

Some scholars argue that the tendency of people in the same party to vote together is a reflection of the fact that lawmakers of each party tend to come from districts and states whose constituencies are __________.

A) close one another
B) different from one another
C) indifferent to one another
D) observant of one another
E) similar to one another

Question 7

Over the course of American history, __________ executives have been removed from office by the Senate, and __________ presidents have gone through the impeachment process in the House.

A) four; seven
B) seven; four
C) seven; three
D) seven; zero
E) six; three

Question 8

Women and racial minorities are __________ in Congress.

A) proportionately represented
B) significantly overrepresented
C) significantly underrepresented
D) slightly overrepresented
E) slightly underrepresented

Question 9

Each state has __________ senators elected every __________ years.

A) two, two
B) two, four
C) two, six
D) four, two
E) four, four

Question 10

__________ is a good example of Congressional casework.

A) Analysis of an incumbent's policy positions prior to a debate
B) Analysis of police force effectiveness
C) Analysis of water quality within a district
D) Assistance to a constituent in obtaining a Social Security check
E) Assistance to a federal agency operating within a member's district

Question 11

In congressional hearings, testimony taken from government agencies, like the Governmental Accountability Office (GAO), is often used for __________.

A) collecting information and sending messages to the executive branch
B) collecting information and sending messages to the bureaucracy
C) sending messages to the executive branch and bureaucracy
D) sending messages to the judiciary and executive branches
E) sending messages to the public and state bureaucracies

Question 12

In the House of Representatives, who is second in authority to the Speaker of the House?

A) majority leader
B) majority whip
C) minority leader
D) minority whip
E) president pro tempore (or pro tem)

Question 13

The House of Representatives decided that, beginning in 1910, its upper limit would be __________ members.

A) 100
B) 350
C) 435
D) 450
E) 535

Question 14

How might a bill become law if it has been pocket vetoed?

A) Congress may override the pocket veto with a three-fourths vote in each chamber.
B) Congress may override the pocket veto with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.
C) The bill can never become law.
D) The bill must be reintroduced in the next session of Congress.
E) The president may sign the bill at his or her discretion.

Question 15

Appropriations bills involve the __________.

A) corrections calendar
B) creation of new federal agencies
C) federal budget
D) federal courts
E) suspension calendar

Question 16

Members of Congress vote in a manner that is consistent with public opinion in their districts and states about __________ of the time.

A) one-half
B) one-quarter
C) one-third
D) three-quarters
E) two-thirds

Question 17

Since the 1970s, partisanship has steadily __________ in Congress, due in part to__________.

A) decreased; changing regional bases in the Republican and Democratic parties
B) decreased; Democrats becoming more liberal and Republicans becoming more conservative
C) increased; changing regional bases in the Republican and Democratic parties
D) increased; decreasing partisan conflict on the national level
E) remained constant; Democrats becoming more liberal and Republicans becoming more conservative

Question 18

__________ is the only formal method for ending a filibuster and requires the approval of __________ senators.

A) Abrogation, fifty-one
B) Abrogation, sixty
C) Censure, sixty
D) Cloture, fifty-one
E) Cloture, sixty

Question 19

__________ is the process of allotting congressional seats to each state according to its proportion of the population.

A) Apportionment
B) Appropriations
C) Delegation
D) Gerrymandering
E) Redistricting

Question 20

Congressional whips serve what main function?

A) act as official spokespersons for their chambers
B) help the Speaker schedule proposed legislation for debate
C) meet with members of the executive cabinet
D) persuade party members to toe the party line
E) serve as personal assistants to the majority and minority leaders

Question 21

In the House of Representatives, a bill travels which of the following paths?

A) bill is introduced; referred for floor action; referred to committee; referred to subcommittee for markup; referred for committee action; sent to the Rules Committee; debated on the floor
B) bill is introduced; referred to committee; referred to subcommittee for markup; referred for committee action; sent to the Rules Committee; referred for floor action
C) bill is introduced; referred to committee; referred to subcommittee for markup; referred for committee action; referred for floor action
D) bill is introduced; referred to committee; referred to subcommittee for markup; referred for committee action; sent to the Rules Committee; referred for floor action; sent to the President
E) bill is introduced; referred to the Rules Committee; referred to subcommittee for markup; referred for committee action; sent to the Rules Committee; referred for floor action

Question 22

Congressional committees are areas of __________ that allow members to develop the expertise to handle complex issues.

A) activity
B) employment
C) general interest
D) research
E) specialization

Question 23

United States v. Lopez (1995) demonstrated the federalist tension between __________.

A) Republicans and Democrats
B) states and the national government
C) the judicial and legislative branches
D) the Second Amendment and free enterprise
E) the Second Amendment and Homeland Security

Question 24

Define reciprocity, as practiced in Congress.

A) deferral by members of Congress to the executive branch
B) deferral by members of Congress to party leaders
C) deferral by members of Congress to subject-matter specialists
D) mutual support for bills by members of the same party
E) supporting an opposing party's bill in exchange for future support

Question 25

A special joint committee created to reconcile differences in bills passed by the House and Senate is called a(n) __________ committee.

A) arbitration
B) conference
C) joint
D) select/special
E) standing

Question 26

In the House of Representatives, the __________ decides who will speak on the floor, and rules on points of order.

A) majority leader
B) majority whip
C) minority leader
D) president pro tempore
E) Speaker

Question 27

To insulate one house of Congress from popular pressures and make it a seat of deliberation and reflection, the framers of the Constitution set the terms of the members of the Senate at __________.

A) four years, with one-third of the seats up for election in each two-year election cycle
B) four years, with two-thirds of the seats up for election in each two-year election cycle
C) six years, with one-third of the seats up for election in each two-year election cycle
D) six years, with two-thirds of the seats up for election in each two-year election cycle
E) two years, with all seats up for election in each two-year election cycle

Question 28

In which event was there congressional oversight?

A) the approval of President Obama's 2008 budget
B) the financial audit of Ohio in 2010
C) the Line Item Veto Act of 1996
D) the Supreme Court nomination of Clarence Thomas
E) the Watergate scandal

Question 29

Packing and cracking both draw district lines to the favor of the majority party, and thus, are two types of __________.

A) gerrymandering
B) lawmaking
C) oversight
D) reapportionment
E) redistricting

Question 30

Bicameralism conformed to the framers' belief that the legislative branch-the center of policymaking for government-ought to be a place where the public's business is deliberated __________.

A) aggressively and unyieldingly
B) carefully and slowly
C) impassively and impartially
D) quickly and conscientiously
E) quickly and efficiently

Question 31

__________ committees are usually temporary committees are created by congressional leaders to conduct special studies or investigations.

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

Question 32

Bills are scheduled for floor debate in the Senate not by a powerful committee but by __________, meaning that business can be blocked by a single dissenter.

A) discharge petition
B) open rule
C) restricted rule
D) unanimous consent
E) unrestricted rule

Question 33

The __________ is where congressional Democrats gather to select their leadership at the beginning of each term.

A) conference committee
B) electoral college
C) leadership conference
D) party caucus
E) party conference

Question 34

The president pro tempore __________.

A) has the power to nullify legislation with a pocket veto
B) has the power to select the majority leader
C) is an honorific office awarded to the senior senator of the majority party
D) is a role bequeathed to the vice president by the Constitution
E) personally presides over the Senate floor when it is in session

Question 35

In the House, before major bills are scheduled for floor debate, they must first go to the __________, which decides where bills will appear on the legislative calendar and the terms under which bills will be debated by the House.

A) Conference Committee
B) Markup Committee
C) Political Action Committee
D) Rules Committee
E) Ways and Means Committee

Question 36

What is the purpose of a discharge petition?

A) to force a vote on a House bill within an opposing committee
B) to force a vote on a Senate bill within an opposing committee
C) to force a vote on a Senate or House bill within an opposing committee
D) to force the end of a filibuster in the House
E) to force the end of a filibuster in the Senate

Question 37

The true leader of the Senate is the __________, elected by the majority party.

A) majority leader
B) president pro tempore
C) Senate Chair
D) Speaker
E) vice president

Question 38

The role of House minority leader acts as the chief spokesperson for the opposition in negotiations with the majority leader. He or she also

A) seeks out members of the majority party who might be willing to vote against the House leadership on key issues
B) seeks out members of the minority party who might be willing to vote against the House leadership on key issues
C) serves as the chief assistant to the majority leader
D) serves as the national spokesperson for the House
E) works to reinforce divisions between members of the majority and minority parties

Question 39

In the trustee style of representation, the representative __________.

A) acts independently, trusting his or her own judgment of how to best serve the public interest
B) follows a strict interpretation of the Constitution
C) is trusted because he or she is a native of his or her home district
D) is trusted to consult the proper committees in deciding how to vote on an issue
E) presents the views of his or her most trusted constituents

Question 40

The path by which a bill becomes a law faces so many obstacles that few bills survive; only about __________ percent of all bills that are introduced are enacted.

A) 6
B) 10
C) 12
D) 20
E) 30

Question 41

A bill can be introduced by a member of Congress, a member of the executive branch, or a member of a special interest group.

Question 42

Traditionally, members of the House have been expected to become specialists in some area or areas of policy and to defer to the judgment of other specialists on most bills. This mutual deference is known as __________.

A) appointee preeminence
B) committee referral
C) reciprocity
D) reconciliation
E) senatorial courtesy

Question 43

Which response best reflects the dilemma of pork in legislation?

A) Programmatic requests are beneficial to taxpayers but detrimental to reelection.
B) Programmatic requests favor federal employees at the expense of state employees.
C) Programmatic requests favor one district at the expense of all American taxpayers.
D) Programmatic requests are always wasteful expenditures but are useful to politicians.
E) Programmatic requests are typically beneficial to districts but allow the federal government to collect an undue share of tax revenue.

Question 44

This individual keeps close contact with all members of his or her party, counts votes for key legislation, prepares summaries of bills, and acts as a communications link within the party.

A) committee chairperson
B) majority/minority leader
C) majority/minority whip
D) president pro tempore
E) Speaker of the House

Question 45

Which of the following is true of majority-minority districts?

A) Creation of majority-minority districts has been beneficial to Democrats.
B) Creation of majority-minority districts has not increased racial minorities in Congress.
C) Creation of majority-minority districts was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
D) Race is a significant factor in drawing the lines of majority-minority districts.
E) Race is being replaced by culture as the main factor in drawing district lines.

Question 46

Which kind of committee can be convened to conduct a special investigation in the event of a major scandal, such as the Watergate scandal and the Iran-Contra affair?

A) conference
B) investigative
C) joint
D) select
E) standing

Question 47

What best represents the trend of party polarization over the last three decades?

A) Both Republicans and Democrats have become more conservative.
B) Both Republicans and Democrats have become more liberal.
C) Both Republicans and Democrats have become more moderate.
D) Party polarization has decreased as bipartisanship has increased.
E) Party polarization has increased as bipartisanship has decreased.

Question 48

A __________ is one tactic to signal the leadership that a Senate member may have objections to a bill.

A) cloture
B) hold
C) markup
D) pocket veto
E) referral

Question 49

How are committee chairs selected in the House?

A) a subject knowledge test
B) interviews to determine party loyalty
C) joint decision of the majority and minority leaders
D) seniority within the committee
E) seniority within the party

Question 50

One example of the Framers' intent to insulate the Senate from the tyranny of the majority was to __________.

A) give members lifetime appointments
B) give the Senate authority to overturn a presidential veto without House ratification
C) give the Senate authority to overturn a Supreme Court decision
D) have members appointed by incumbent senators
E) have members appointed by their respective state legislatures

Question 51

Which of the following occurs at a party conference (or party caucus)?

A) All the members of a political party in the House or Senate meet to select its leaders and approve committee assignments.
B) Party members debate ways to close the bipartisan divide between Republicans and Democrats in Congress.
C) Party members react against the legislative objectives for the upcoming session of Congress.
D) The members of the minority party in the Senate select the president pro tempore.
E) The members of the minority party select the Speaker of the House.

Question 52

Which example best demonstrates a legislator acting as a trustee of his or her constituency?

A) A legislator considers public opinion, refining it with information and careful thought.
B) A legislator does whatever is best for his or her reelection.
C) A legislator follows the public opinion of his or her constituency.
D) A legislator heeds public opinion in every case, except in matters of personal conscience.
E) A legislator may follow his or her conscience unless public opinion is clear.

Question 53

Charged with the responsibility to __________, the __________ is almost certainly the most powerful committee in either chamber of Congress.

A) grant and set procedural rules, House Rules Committee
B) investigate the performance of government, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
C) make decisions about money for authorized programs, the Senate Appropriations Committee
D) set targets for spending and taxes, the House Budget Committee
E) oversee nominations and the Department of Justice, Senate Judiciary Committee

Question 54

Representatives and senators who are concerned about retaining their seats in Congress would be most likely to spend significant time on which of the following activities in the months leading to up to an election?

A) considering the issues that interest them, with the idea that their constituents trust them to know what is most important to their districts
B) making time for committee work, by putting aside correspondence from their constituents
C) meeting with well known lobbyists in Washington, rather than visiting with people in their home districts, so their constituents can see that they work hard
D) paying attention to public opinion polls
E) responding to public concerns in their districts, rather than trying to shape public opinion there

Question 55

Which statement about incumbency is most accurate?

A) Incumbents have a huge advantage in reelection.
B) Incumbents have a small advantage in reelection.
C) Incumbents have no advantage in reelection.
D) Incumbents only leave office when pressured by party leadership.
E) Incumbents only leave office when they choose.

Question 56

The House minority leader __________.

A) has authority over the selection of the president pro tempore
B) has joint authority over which legislation goes to the floor
C) is elected by the minority party
D) is selected by the majority leader
E) is selected by the Speaker of the House

Question 57

The Framers made Congress a bicameral body because they were concerned that too strong a legislative branch would lead to tyranny.

Question 58

What might one conclude about the Motor Voter Act in the feature, Can Government Do Anything Well?

A) Voter ID laws have been pushed by Republicans in part to stymie the registration of potential Democratic voters.
B) Voter ID laws have been pushed by Democrats in order to stymie the registration of potential Republican voters.
C) Tax increases on gas have been pushed by Democrats in Congress to stimulate the economy.
D) Tax increases on luxury vehicle purchases have been pushed by Democrats in Congress to stimulate the economy.
E) Driving restrictions have been pushed by Republicans in part to stymie the registration of potential Democratic voters.

Question 59

What can be inferred from the current demographic composition of the Senate?

A) It is more descriptively representative of African Americans than the House.
B) It is more descriptively representative of women than the House.
C) Senators are better educated than their House counterparts.
D) Senate members tend to be poorer than their House counterparts.
E) Senate members tend to be wealthier than their House counterparts.

Question 60

A senator on the Ways and Means Committee wants to markup a proposed bill. What is the primary goal of this step?

A) to gain majority support in the committee first, then with the house, senate and president
B) to gain 100 percent support from the committee, house and senate
C) to have the bill dismissed
D) to bypass the house and senate and propose the bill directly to the president
E) to provide instructions for lawmakers about setting rules to debate the bill

Question 61

Legislators typically eschew casework, as it is burdensome to the staff and emphasizes benefits for individuals over the good of the whole district.

Question 62

Studies show that legislators vote in conformity with the prevailing opinion of their district constituents about two-thirds of the time.

Question 63

Members of Congress tend to rank among the top 1% of income earners in the United States.

Question 64

For most bills, hearings, negotiations, and markup take place in subcommittees.

Question 65

Senators with six-year terms face the electorate less often than members of the House, so they are generally freer than representatives to assume the delegate style of representation.

Question 66

To make law is exceedingly difficult; to block bills from becoming laws is relatively easy

Question 67

The opposite of packing a district is __________, in which a homogenous voting block is split apart.

Question 68

__________ committees are standing committees that include members from both houses of Congress, and are set up to conduct investigations or special studies.

Question 69

The majority party in the __________ selects the president pro tempore (usually its most senior member).

Question 70

The House currently has 435 members, but this number increases every ten years with the taking of the census, as mandated by the Constitution.

Question 71

Though the Constitution allows states to create their own legislative boundaries, gerrymandering in favor of any partisan or racial group is expressly forbidden by law.

Question 72

In the Senate, a member introduces a bill to the body after being recognized by the presiding officer. In the House, a member introduces a bill by putting it into the __________.

Question 73

Congress may override a presidential veto with a(n) __________ vote in each chamber.

Question 74

Each member of the House of Representatives is elected from a multimember geographical district.

Question 75

Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution enumerates the powers of Congress: powers are specific and limited rather than implied.

Question 76

__________ is a House action bringing formal charges against a member of the executive branch or the federal judiciary that may or may not lead to removal from office by the Senate.

Question 77

Floor debate in the House is much more freewheeling than in the Senate.

Question 78

In the face of inaction by House membership, a discharge petition signed by a majority can force a bill out of a committee and to the floor.

Question 79

__________ is the counterpart to the majority leader in the House opposition party.

Question 80

A conference committee is comprised of members from the House and Senate committees that originally considered the bill.