Deck 5: Congress: The First Branch

Question 1

In the American political system,the power to ratify treaties is held by the:

A)Council on Foreign Relations
B)president
C)Supreme Court
D)House of Representatives
E)Senate

Answer 1

E

Question 2

The Senate has the power to approve treaties with a ________ vote.

A)plurality
B)majority
C)two-thirds
D)three-fourths
E)unanimous

Answer 2

C

Question 3

How long is the term of office for a U.S.senator?

A)two years
B)four years
C)six years
D)eight years
E)twenty years

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Who do members of Congress owe their primary responsibility to?

A)president
B)constituency
C)political party
D)congressional leadership
E)campaign donors

Question 5

The only national representative assembly in the world that can actually be said to govern is the:

A)National Diet of Japan
B)United States Congress
C)British House of Lords
D)British House of Commons
E)Russian Duma

Question 6

Representatives who believe that they have been selected by their fellow citizens in order to do what the legislator thinks is "right" act as:

A)masters
B)politicos
C)delegates
D)guardians
E)trustees

Question 7

When a senator voted against a gun-control bill that he agreed with but that his constituency did not support,he exemplified a ________ style of representation.

A)trustee
B)delegate
C)plebiscitary
D)runaway agent
E)platonic

Question 8

Which political institution in the American system of government did the framers intend to be the closest to the people?

A)Senate
B)president
C)Supreme Court
D)House of Representatives
E)Electoral College

Question 9

How many members are in the U.S.Senate?

A)100
B)102
C)350
D)435
E)535

Question 10

How many members are in the U.S.House of Representatives?

A)100
B)350
C)390
D)435
E)535

Question 11

Representatives who believe that they have been elected in order to do the bidding of those who sent them to the legislature are considered to be serving as:

A)trustees
B)politicos
C)delegates
D)"fingers in the wind"
E)bosses

Question 12

How often do voters elect members to the House of Representatives?

A)every year
B)every two years
C)every four years
D)every six years
E)members serve life terms

Question 13

The agency conception of representation works because of the ambition of politicians (as agents)and the capacity of constituents (as principals)to:

A)contribute significantly to campaign funds
B)be aware of specific deals made by politicians on their behalf
C)reward and punish on the basis of the legislator's performance and reputation
D)acquiesce to legislative initiative that may counter citizens' immediate interests
E)become fully informed about policy debates before Congress

Question 14

What is one way in which the founders made the Senate more distant from the will of the majority than the House?

A)Senators have to be U.S.citizens longer than House members.
B)Senators have longer terms than House members.
C)There are more senators than members of the House.
D)Senators have shorter terms than members of the House.
E)Senators have higher salaries than members of the House.

Question 15

The type of representation according to which representatives are held accountable to their constituents if they fail to represent them properly is known as ________ representation.

A)constrictive
B)bicameral
C)agency
D)runaway
E)ex ante

Question 16

Which term best describes a legislative assembly,such as the Congress,that is divided into two chambers or houses?

A)bipolar
B)bilateral
C)bipartisan
D)bicameral
E)bipartite

Question 17

According to the text,the idea of agency representation is similar to the relationship between:

A)seller and buyer
B)parent and child
C)master and pet
D)landlord and tenant
E)lawyer and client

Question 18

A representative who voted to limit greenhouse gas emissions because she thought it was in the best interest of the country even though her constituency did not support that action exemplifies a ________ style of representation.

A)trustee
B)delegate
C)plebiscitary
D)runaway agent
E)jurisprudential

Question 19

In the American political system,wherein does power to approve the appointment of ambassadors lie?

A)Senate
B)president
C)Supreme Court
D)House of Representatives
E)Office of Management and Budget

Question 20

The district making up the area from which an official is elected is known as his or her:

A)home turf
B)geographic center
C)reelection base
D)terra firma
E)constituency

Question 21

The franking privilege is an example of a tool that leads to:

A)the incumbency advantage
B)a professional legislature
C)frequent ethics violations
D)pork-barrel legislation
E)patronage

Question 22

In recent years,the rate of reelection for representatives seeking to return to service in the U.S.House of Representatives has been about ________ percent.

A)35
B)55
C)75
D)90
E)100

Question 23

One well-known advantage of congressional incumbency is the:

A)campaign
B)political ad
C)voting record
D)franking privilege
E)ballot rank priority

Question 24

Compared to the House of Representatives,the Senate is much more:

A)organized
B)centralized
C)specialized
D)deliberative
E)partisan

Question 25

The practice by congressional representatives of including language providing special benefits for their constituents in otherwise unrelated bills is called the:

A)perq
B)earmark
C)hold
D)prerogative
E)itemized request

Question 26

What is the minimum age required to serve as a U.S.senator?

A)21
B)25
C)30
D)35
E)40

Question 27

The tendency for candidates to win a higher percentage of the vote when running for a second term in office is called the:

A)senior zoom
B)freshman bulge
C)junior advantage
D)sophomore surge
E)second step

Question 28

Legislation that captures federal projects and funds for a congressional representative's own district is legislation described as ________ legislation.

A)monkey-barrel
B)pickle-barrel
C)cracker-barrel
D)whiskey-barrel
E)pork-barrel

Question 29

Compared to the House of Representatives,the Senate serves constituencies that are:

A)larger and more diverse
B)smaller and more diverse
C)larger and more homogeneous
D)smaller and more homogeneous
E)older and wealthier

Question 30

Which term describes the direct services and benefits that congressional representatives provide for their districts such as appointing supporters to government offices or conferring grants and licenses to constituents?

A)patronage
B)incumbency
C)sponsorships
D)franking privileges
E)position taking

Question 31

Holding a political office for which one is running is called:

A)rank
B)tenure
C)seniority
D)incumbency
E)ladder clinging

Question 32

Why does the Senate tend to be a more deliberative body than the House?

A)because the Senate has more rules governing the lawmaking process
B)because the Senate is more centralized and organized
C)because the Senate has a strong commitment to the principle of unlimited debate
D)because the Senate has smaller constituencies
E)because the Senate has more members and thus a more diverse set of views

Question 33

Which of the following is NOT a way in which incumbency helps win elections?

A)using the tools of office,such as the franking privilege
B)developing name recognition among constituents
C)being able to secure pork-barrel legislation
D)performing casework for constituents
E)frequently inviting tough challengers to run campaigns

Question 34

Well over a quarter of a congressional representative's time and nearly two-thirds of the time of his or her staff members are devoted to:

A)floor debate and discussion
B)constituency service (casework)
C)legislative research (policy analysis)
D)giving public speeches and making television appearances
E)travel between Washington,D.C.,and the representative's district

Question 35

Compared to the Senate,the House of Representatives has exhibited considerably more:

A)ideological unity
B)intense partisanship
C)deliberation of issues
D)willingness to compromise
E)indifference to public opinion

Question 36

What is the minimum age required to serve as a member of the House of Representatives?

A)21
B)25
C)30
D)35
E)40

Question 37

The so-called Bridge-to-Nowhere project for which Alaskan legislators secured federal funding to build a bridge to an unpopulated island in Alaska is an example of a(n):

A)perk
B)earmark
C)hold
D)prerogative
E)block grant

Question 38

Compared to the Senate,the small size and relative homogeneity of House districts,combined with more frequent elections,make House members:

A)more likely to work on a broad range of legislative issues
B)more likely to be defeated in general elections
C)less likely to travel back home to visit with constituents
D)especially responsive to cues from party leaders
E)especially responsive to the legislative needs of local interest groups

Question 39

Which of the following is NOT a tool used by legislators to maintain the incumbency advantage?

A)serving on committees that deal with issues relevant to his or her constituents
B)helping constituents obtain favorable treatment from the federal bureaucracy
C)inserting language into bills to provide special benefits to one's own constituents
D)making reciprocal agreements between legislators to vote for or against a bill
E)sending mail free of charge to constituents to keep them informed of government affairs

Question 40

Perhaps the most important factor determining who runs for Congress is:

A)local party officials
B)national party leaders
C)incumbent politicians
D)candidates' personal ambitions
E)ballot access laws

Question 41

State legislatures must redraw congressional districts to reflect population changes every ________ years.

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

Question 42

In the U.S.House of Representatives,how are the committee chairs now selected?

A)a strict seniority system
B)consensus of the House leadership
C)an election by members of the full legislature
D)an election by the members of the majority party
E)drawing of straws among majority committee members

Question 43

The party conference or caucus is a:

A)group of nonofficeholders who administer the day-to-day affairs of the national parties
B)communications network in each house of Congress that polls the membership to learn their voting intentions
C)party organ designed to promote the election of fellow party candidates
D)meeting of a political or legislative group to select candidates or leaders
E)meeting of legislators held every four years to choose a presidential candidate

Question 44

In recent years,how have congressional party leaders sought to augment their formal powers?

A)fundraising for members,including the use of leadership political action committees (PACs)
B)limiting campaign spending to focus resources on the administrative and intellectual core of the party organization
C)setting affirmative action quotas on their leadership and membership
D)encouraging members to neglect their constituencies
E)building relationships with foreign leaders

Question 45

The provision by the House Rules Committee that permits floor debate and the addition of amendments to a bill is a(n):

A)open rule
B)modifying rule
C)developing rule
D)closed rule
E)motion to recommit

Question 46

What is the area of policy over which a committee is assigned responsibility?

A)area of expertise
B)central function
C)domain
D)home turf
E)jurisdiction

Question 47

In the House of Representatives,who determines the order in which bills come up for a vote?

A)the majority whip
B)the president pro tempore
C)the Rules Committee
D)the Deliberations Committee
E)the Agenda Committee

Question 48

Amendments to the 1965 Voting Rights Act have increased the controversial practice of drawing congressional district boundaries on the basis of the:

A)party identification of district residents
B)race of district residents
C)religion of district residents
D)gender of district residents
E)age of district residents

Question 49

Who is the individual with the most real power within the U.S.Senate?

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

Question 50

A group of senators or representatives who share certain opinions,interests,or social characteristics is called a:

A)caucus
B)task force
C)committee
D)commission
E)issue club

Question 51

In 2003,when the Texas legislature redrew the Texas congressional district boundaries in a way that favored Republicans,it exemplified the practice known as:

A)gerrymandering
B)pork-barreling
C)casework
D)the franking privilege
E)filibustering

Question 52

Who is the chief presiding officer in the U.S.House of Representatives?

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

Question 53

Which term describes the act of redrawing congressional districts in such a way as to give unfair advantage to the political party in power?

A)mudzoning
B)redistricting
C)redlining
D)reapportionment
E)gerrymandering

Question 54

Congress has established three staff agencies designed to provide the legislative branch with resources and expertise independent of the executive branch.These three agencies are the Congressional Research Service,the Congressional Budget Office,and the:

A)Federal Reserve Board
B)National Security Agency
C)Department of Commerce
D)Government Accountability Office
E)Office of Management and Budget

Question 55

The Congressional Research Service,which provides legislators with facts and competing arguments relevant to policy proposals or other legislative business,is an example of:

A)the expansion of bureaucratic largesse
B)the expansion of gatekeeping authority
C)the application of after-the-fact authority
D)a staff agency
E)a congressional caucus

Question 56

A permanent legislative committee that considers legislation within its designated subject area is known as the:

A)majority caucus
B)permanent caucus
C)standing committee
D)administrative committee
E)select subcommittee

Question 57

A bill's supporters generally prefer that the Rules Committee decide to use a(n)________ rule.

A)open
B)closed
C)termination
D)commencement
E)previous question

Question 58

In the House of Representatives,who are the elected individuals responsible for lining up party members on important votes and relaying voter information to the leaders?

A)prods
B)whips
C)strikes
D)thrashers
E)snipes

Question 59

Why would opponents of a bill prefer an open rule to a closed rule?

A)Members of the House can exercise their filibuster power and block the legislation.
B)The open rule allows the other chamber to make a decision on the bill first.
C)The open rule prevents a bill's supporter from making further demands on minority party legislators.
D)The open rule makes it easier to add amendments that may weaken its chances of passing.
E)An open rule means that a bill can be recalled even after it is passed.

Question 60

Imagine you are a member of Congress and have sponsored a controversial piece of legislation overhauling the immigration system.The bill has made it through committee and has the support of leaders from both parties,but many of your colleagues are opposed to various provisions in the bill and would like to see substantial changes.What would you like to happen to ensure the bill is voted upon as originally drafted?

A)have the bill sent to the floor to be considered under a closed rule
B)have a colleague filibuster the bill
C)have the bill sent to the floor to be considered under an open rule
D)have the whips instruct your colleagues that they are free to vote as they please
E)have each party's leader organize support for a discharge petition

Question 61

When the small business lobby organized a network of small businesses across the country to oppose President Clinton's health care plan,it illustrated the power of which group to influence congressional decision making?

A)the constituency
B)interest groups
C)political party leaders
D)military leaders
E)the Brookings Institution

Question 62

Members of Congress rarely pay attention to the interests of their constituency.

Question 63

When the Republican Party leadership removed several members from the House Ethics Committee for having participated in an investigation of then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay,they exemplified the leadership's power to:

A)invoke immunity to ethical allegations
B)set committee assignments
C)reward other members with a desirable assignment to the Ethics Committee
D)purge the majority leader
E)maintain agenda control

Question 64

Wherein is power to impeach and remove from office vested?

A)Congress
B)the Senate
C)the vice president
D)the Supreme Court
E)the Electoral College

Question 65

When the 2009 omnibus spending bill was passed in different forms in the House and Senate,the group of legislators from each chamber that met to resolve interchamber differences was known as a(n)________ committee.

A)standing
B)ad hoc
C)conference
D)bicameral
E)disagreement

Question 66

When members of the Senate prevent action on legislation they oppose by continuously holding the floor and speaking until the majority backs down,which tactic are they using?

A)cloture
B)advise and consent
C)blockade
D)blowback
E)filibuster

Question 67

Imagine the Republicans control the majority in the House and are pushing for a major immigration reform bill,although several party members would like to vote against the proposed piece of legislation.Which of the following is NOT a way in which party leaders may encourage party discipline among their members?

A)They may deny a member's future request to sit on a desired committee.
B)They may restrict the ability of a member to speak on the floor about an issue of importance to their constituents.
C)They may decide who gets to run for reelection to the House.
D)They may promise to take up a future bill supported by disgruntled party members in exchange for support on the immigration bill.
E)They may employ the whip system to exert pressure on members to change their vote.

Question 68

Imagine both the House and the Senate have passed financial reform bills that alter the way in which the federal government oversees the banking sector.However,the Senate bill is significantly different from the House bill.Before the financial reform bill can be sent to the president,what is the final step that must take place?

A)A conference committee must be formed to reconcile the two bills.
B)A majority of Senate members on the conference committee must support the conference agreement.
C)A majority of House members on the conference committee must support the conference agreement.
D)A majority of members of both the House and Senate on the conference committee must support the agreement.
E)Both houses must adopt the conference report.

Question 69

A congressional representative's statement to his or her legislative colleague that "I'll support your bill if you'll support mine" is an example of:

A)whipping
B)logrolling
C)the distributive tendency
D)interest-group bargaining
E)a filibuster

Question 70

A representative who votes according to the preferences of his or her constituency acts as a delegate.

Question 71

A representative who votes based on what he or she thinks is best for his or her constituency acts as a trustee.

Question 72

Which is an example of a special Senate power?

A)impeachment
B)the pocket veto
C)advise and consent
D)executive agreement
E)declaring war

Question 73

When Senator Strom Thurmond spoke for over twenty-four hours in an attempt to block a piece of civil rights legislation,he used the:

A)cloture motion
B)filibuster
C)blockade
D)blowback method
E)moonshine

Question 74

A rule allowing a three-fifths majority of U.S.senators to set a time limit on debate over a given bill is called:

A)cloture
B)preemption
C)a closed rule
D)a legislative veto
E)duration power

Question 75

During the past half century,who has taken the lead in creating legislative agendas?

A)the Speaker
B)the president
C)the majority leader
D)the president pro tempore
E)the Supreme Court

Question 76

The U.S.Congress is able to serve simultaneously as a representative assembly and a powerful agency of government.

Question 77

When Senator Thad Cochran inserted language into the bill funding the war in Iraq that provided $250 million for "disaster relief" for Southern catfish farmers,it illustrated which principle of congressional action?

A)policy allocation
B)central frequency
C)the distributive tendency
D)interest-group pluralism
E)the Southern strategy

Question 78

Frequently,features of a bill are drafted initially or revised so as to be more inclusive,spreading the benefits widely among beneficiaries according to the principle of:

A)policy allocation
B)central frequency
C)the distributive tendency
D)interest-group pluralism
E)the difference principle

Question 79

The U.S.Congress is a bicameral legislature.

Question 80

Which term describes efforts by Congress to exercise control over the way bureaucrats implement policies?

A)post hoc authority
B)enforcement authority
C)oversight
D)agency loss management
E)administrative vetoes