Deck 11: Congress

Question 1

Public approval of Congress is low because most members lack strong links to their constituents, preferring to focus on reelection efforts instead.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Legislative districts are gerrymandered because politicians are trying to draw House districts in a way that gives them a political advantage.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

A filibuster can only be used in the House, while cloture can only be invoked in the Senate.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Since incumbency rates are so high, members of Congress who hold a "safe" seat do not worry about the electoral connection to voters.

Question 5

Redistricting and apportionment do not influence representation of state interests in the Senate.

Question 6

In early American history, Congress was the first and most important branch. Over time it has become less important than the presidency, largely because the nature of the country's problems have changed.

Question 7

Incumbents are more likely to lose a bid for reelection in the Senate than in the House. Even so, large majorities of incumbents win in both chambers.

Question 8

Since the 1960s, the number of legislators elected to the House with less than 55 percent of the vote has been increasing.

Question 9

Members of Congress behave as if voters pay attention to everything they do, because even the smallest issues can come to light during reelection campaigns.

Question 10

Before any bill can become a law, the House and Senate must pass identical versions of the bill.

Question 11

The main difference between descriptive and substantive representation has to do with whether the legislator represents constituents from a distance or acts as if the legislator has a mandate to do exactly what he or she wants.

Question 12

Party leaders help with campaign financing to give members an incentive to vote the party line on key legislation.

Question 13

The McCaskill Sexual Assault Bill is an example of an uncontentious piece of legislation that enjoyed broad bipartisan support.

Question 14

Members of Congress often use casework to connect with people in their districts on a personal level.

Question 15

States can only gain seats in the House of Representatives-they can never lose seats.

Question 16

Senators tend to be policy generalists, while members of the House often become policy experts on a particular issue.

Question 17

Term limits restrict how much money a congressional candidate can raise in a given term of Congress.

Question 18

A bill that made it illegal to catch fish under a certain size would be an example of an earmark.

Question 19

An example of descriptive representation would be an African-American representative who comes from a district that has a majority of African-American constituents.

Question 20

When determining who will chair a committee, the position usually goes to the member of the majority party with the longest service on the committee. This is an example of the norm of reciprocity.

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT an enumerated power of Congress?

A) coining money
B) levying taxes
C) establishing post offices and roads
D) regulating commerce
E) judicial review

Question 22

In Federalist 57, James Madison wrote that legislators were to:

A) only encompass the common good.
B) only represent their local constituents.
C) follow the president's lead on policy matters.
D) encompass the common good and represent their local constituents.
E) make sure that the Congress represented a direct democracy.

Question 23

Because of the ________, only ________ of the Senate is up for reelection in every even-numbered year.

A) two-year term; one-third
B) six-year term; one-half
C) two-year term; one-half
D) six-year term; one-third
E) four-year term; one-third

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT a constitutional compromise that created incentives for legislators to compromise between local and national interests?

A) creating a bicameral legislature
B) allowing slaves to count as three-fifths of a person
C) having senators serve longer than members of the House
D) the necessary and proper clause
E) a popularly elected House of Representatives

Question 25

What is "descriptive representation"?

A) legislators acting as though they have a simple mandate to carry out voter desires
B) shared demographic traits between legislators and constituents
C) legislators acting on behalf of collective, national interests
D) legislators responding differently to constituents on the basis of how salient an issue is to the public
E) legislators ignoring the needs of constituents

Question 26

Why did the Founders believe that the Senate would be more responsive to national interests than the House?

A) All states were equally represented.
B) Senators were indirectly elected and served longer terms.
C) Senators were popularly elected.
D) The Senate had more constitutional authority than the House.
E) All bills would originate in the Senate.

Question 27

Which of the following is an example of Mayhew's phenomenon of credit claiming?

A) a legislator marching in a local parade
B) a legislator releasing a position paper on an issue of interest to constituents
C) a legislator explaining the legislator's role in securing funds for a local highway
D) a legislator running a campaign advertisement
E) a legislator giving a speech to a foreign government

Question 28

According to David Mayhew's work, advertising in the House of Representatives refers to:

A) buying thirty-second spots on television to affect legislative debate.
B) appeals without issue content that get a member's name in front of the public.
C) claiming credit for things of value to voters, such as pork-barrel projects.
D) making public statements on things that interest constituents.
E) developing a member's Web page.

Question 29

Which legislative institution did the Founders believe would be most responsive to the public?

A) the House of Representatives
B) the president
C) the Senate
D) a conference committee
E) a subcommittee

Question 30

Legislators who make public statements demonstrating how they share priorities with the groups in their district are engaged in:

A) position taking.
B) credit claiming.
C) casework.
D) descriptive representation.
E) gerrymandering.

Question 31

The elastic clause in Article I of the Constitution created a situation in which Congress:

A) took a lead role in the early American constitutional system.
B) was limited in its powers.
C) had legislative power separated between two houses.
D) had a small set of specific powers that guided its actions in early America.
E) is no longer relevant in the policy-making process.

Question 32

The term "substantive representation" refers to ________, while the term "descriptive representation" refers to ________.

A) representing constituents from a distance; having a mandate directly from voters
B) shared traits between members and constituents; members serving constituent interests
C) members serving constituent interests; shared traits between members and constituents
D) having a mandate directly from voters; representing constituents from a distance
E) members serving constituent interests; representing constituents from a distance

Question 33

What is a "constituent"?

A) someone registered to vote in an election
B) a member of a party's leadership team in Congress
C) an important lobbyist
D) someone living in a member's district
E) a member of the majority party

Question 34

The term "franking privilege" refers to:

A) incumbents' fund-raising advantages.
B) electoral safety leading to more honest discussions by long-term incumbents.
C) large staffs that incumbents employ in districts for casework.
D) free postage on mail that legislators send to their constituents.
E) the ability to travel back and forth between the district and Washington.

Question 35

Which part of the legislature did the Founders believe would be the least responsive to the general public and most attentive to national interests?

A) the House of Representatives
B) a party caucus
C) the Senate
D) the committee system
E) a subcommittee

Question 36

Voting based on the trustee model can harm a Congress member's political career because:

A) it can go against the national interest.
B) it can lose support for the member among party leaders.
C) it can go against the views of constituents back home.
D) it forces members to spend too much time fund-raising.
E) it is viewed by many as unconstitutional.

Question 37

What is "bicameralism"?

A) the implied powers that Congress can use in fulfilling its constitutional responsibilities
B) the tendency of legislators to listen to their constituents because they want to win elections
C) the governmental structure, which includes two different houses in the legislature
D) the redrawing of districts in the House of Representatives
E) the separation of powers between the Congress and the president

Question 38

An example of the "________ model of representation" is a situation in which a legislator acts as though the legislator gives an electoral mandate on salient issues but looks after broader interests on complex issues.

A) descriptive
B) politico
C) delegate
D) balanced
E) substantive

Question 39

Members of Congress are primarily guided by a desire to ________, while being subject to the constraints of ________.

A) respond to constituent interests; institutional structures
B) represent interest groups demands; campaign finance law
C) pass good policy; having to please voters
D) make money; campaign finance law
E) gain influence in Washington; the law of diminishing returns

Question 40

What was the result of the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913?

A) Women got the right to vote.
B) Prohibition was established.
C) The federal income tax was established.
D) Prohibition was rescinded.
E) The popular election of senators was allowed.

Question 41

Which of the following is an example of gerrymandering?

A) placing two incumbents of the same party into one district
B) keeping districts roughly equal in size
C) trying to keep a single municipality in a district
D) ensuring that all parts of a district are connected
E) respecting traditional natural boundaries

Question 42

The process of determining the boundaries of House districts every 10 years is known as:

A) the census.
B) apportionment.
C) bicameralism.
D) redistricting.
E) franking.

Question 43

Legislators spreading benefits as widely as possible is called ________; trading their support on a bill for someone's support on a different bill is an example of ________.

A) specialization; universalism
B) reciprocity; specialization
C) reciprocity; logrolling
D) universalism; reciprocity
E) specialization; logrolling

Question 44

What is an argument in favor of earmarks?

A) They provide consensus among both parties on federal spending priorities.
B) They secure the passage of larger bills.
C) They are distributed equally among the states.
D) They only represent the desires of members of Congress and not interest groups.
E) They are the only source of funding for local infrastructure projects.

Question 45

Which of the following is NOT a role of money in congressional elections?

A) scaring off strong challengers
B) paying for staff and travel
C) increasing a legislator's personal wealth
D) helping make incumbents relatively safe
E) paying for advertising

Question 46

Effective home style helps to explain the rise of:

A) filibustering.
B) the incumbent advantage.
C) interest groups.
D) gerrymandering.
E) the whip system.

Question 47

The manner in which members of the House relate to their districts is called:

A) the incumbency advantage.
B) descriptive representation.
C) their home style.
D) casework.
E) substantive representation.

Question 48

The process of determining how many House districts each state gets is known as ________, while the process of determining how those districts look within the states is called ________.

A) redistricting; gerrymandering
B) gerrymandering; redistricting
C) redistricting; apportionment
D) apportionment; redistricting
E) gerrymandering; apportionment

Question 49

Which of the following statements best characterizes public attitudes toward Congress?

A) Americans are deeply suspicious and untrusting of their own representatives.
B) Americans like their own legislators but not Congress.
C) Americans like Congress better than they like the president.
D) Americans look to Congress first in times of crisis.
E) Americans trust members of Congress to work together in the best interests of the nation.

Question 50

The process of drawing legislative districts for political advantage is known as:

A) representation.
B) gerrymandering.
C) apportionment.
D) redistricting.
E) bicameralism.

Question 51

All of the following media influences contribute to lower public approval of Congress EXCEPT:

A) negative press coverage of Congress.
B) the short news cycle.
C) superficial news coverage that does not focus on policy substance.
D) the need for media outlets to make a profit.
E) letters to the editor.

Question 52

According to the text, what is the minimum amount a challenger for a House seat must be able to spend to unseat an incumbent?

A) $10,000
B) $50,000
C) $250,000
D) $1 million
E) $500 million

Question 53

What does the Supreme Court say about race and the redistricting process?

A) It cannot play any role in the redistricting process.
B) It must be the top priority in the redistricting process.
C) It may be a factor but may not be the predominant factor in the redistricting process.
D) It can only be used as a factor in the redistricting process in states in the South.
E) It should not be used in the computer models that draw district boundaries.

Question 54

Which of the following is NOT one of the built-in advantages that incumbents have over challengers?

A) ability to purchase low-cost advertising from local television
B) ability to send mail to constituents at no cost, touting legislative accomplishments
C) the partisan bias of legislative districts
D) media attention attained by virtue of their position
E) ability to perform casework for constituents

Question 55

A key part of an incumbent's success is the incumbent's home style, which is developed by:

A) spending more time in their district than in Washington.
B) using the ability to send free mail to constituents to tout the incumbent's accomplishments.
C) helping constituents navigate the federal bureaucracy.
D) using campaign funds to ward off potential challengers.
E) spending more time in Washington than in their district.

Question 56

Incumbency safety has ________ in the past two decades.

A) stayed the same
B) increased
C) decreased
D) been eliminated
E) fluctuated wildly

Question 57

________ refers to the relative infrequency with which members of Congress are defeated in their attempts for reelection.

A) filibustering
B) incumbent advantage
C) gridlock
D) gerrymandering
E) the electoral connection

Question 58

When legislators help constituents with problems they have with government agencies and programs, legislators are engaged in:

A) policy representation.
B) campaigning.
C) advertising.
D) casework.
E) direct democracy.

Question 59

What is it called when Congress is unable to pass important legislation because of partisan conflict?

A) gridlock
B) whipping
C) incumbency advantage
D) gerrymandering
E) filibustering

Question 60

The tension between being responsive to constituents but responsible to national interest contributes to Congress's image problem. This is because:

A) it is interpreted as gridlock, and expectations are often impossible to meet.
B) Congress will always choose the national interest over their constituents' interests.
C) it leads to meaningless legislation.
D) Congress will always choose their constituents' interest over the national interests.
E) it leads to too much legislation.

Question 61

Which of the following is NOT a party position in the House?

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

Question 62

A ________ committee is created to deal with a specific policy topic, while a ________ committee is created to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of the same bill.

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

Question 63

Which of the following is NOT an informal norm that influences the structure of Congress?

A) universalism
B) reciprocity
C) conditional party government
D) specialization
E) seniority

Question 64

Conference committees are ________ and negotiate differences between ________.

A) permanent; the House and the Senate
B) temporary; Democrats and Republicans
C) temporary; the majority and minority leaders
D) temporary; the House and the Senate
E) permanent; Democrats and Republicans

Question 65

Any group of legislators with a continuing membership and policy jurisdiction is known as a:

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

Question 66

Strong party leadership only occurs when:

A) the members of the party give their consent.
B) leaders exercise their strong negative powers.
C) there is divided government.
D) a party is internally divided.
E) there is unified government.

Question 67

The process by which bills are rewritten and amended in a committee is known as:

A) multiple referral.
B) markup.
C) a conference committee vote.
D) a floor action.
E) veto.

Question 68

What is an advantage that larger committee staffs give members of Congress?

A) more time to spend in Washington rather than in their home district
B) more opportunities to pass legislation at the expense of having time to look at the details of the bills
C) more media attention from the press
D) better opportunities for fund-raising
E) independent sources of information and expertise with which to challenge the president

Question 69

Which aspect of the committee system does NOT support members' reelection prospects?

A) The division of labor allows for policy specialization.
B) Party leaders can raise money to funnel to other legislators.
C) Legislators can more easily claim credit for particular policy areas.
D) Members can become experts in an area and use that in gaining funding for their district.
E) Members can support pork-barrel projects based on the needs of their district.

Question 70

Which of the following is NOT a deviation from the standard path of the lawmaking process?

A) summit meetings
B) use of conference committees
C) major bills bypassing the committee process via discharge petitions
D) omnibus legislation
E) adjustments made to the legislation post-committee

Question 71

Which of the following is less common in the Senate than in the House?

A) committee markup
B) placement on the legislative calendar
C) a filibuster
D) multiple referral
E) markup

Question 72

Which of the following is NOT a function of the whip system in Congress?

A) gathering information
B) planning overall party strategy
C) coalition building
D) disseminating information
E) regular meetings to discuss legislative strategy

Question 73

Which theory of legislative politics holds that committee assignments are based on legislators trying to best serve their districts and that the entire legislature therefore respects the committee's interests?

A) distributive theory
B) partisan theory
C) conditional party government
D) informational theory
E) democratic theory

Question 74

Since the 1970s, party unity in the legislature has:

A) fluctuated wildly.
B) stayed the same.
C) decreased.
D) been eliminated.
E) increased.

Question 75

The distributive theory of legislative organization argues that:

A) legislative leaders decide policy on the basis of support they get from legislators.
B) party leadership is strongest when it has the support of legislators.
C) committee views are respected over what the entire House wants.
D) interest groups are the crucial piece in the functioning of Congress.
E) pork-barrel spending should be eliminated.

Question 76

Which of the following is NOT a part of the structure and functioning of Congress?

A) norms
B) political parties
C) staff
D) committees
E) unicameralism

Question 77

The head of the majority party in the House of Representatives is called the:

A) president pro tempore.
B) majority leader.
C) Speaker of the House.
D) chief justice.
E) legislative liaison.

Question 78

Which of the following is a power that party leaders in the House and Senate can use to influence the legislative process?

A) forcing members of the party to cast ballots in a particular way
B) the ability to control the timing of when bills come up for a vote
C) control over who can run for office under the party label
D) the ability to influence the redistricting process
E) control over how much money a member can spend on reelection

Question 79

Which of the following lists is correctly ordered?

A) Member introduces a bill; one chamber takes floor action; conference committee version is approved.
B) Conference committee approves a bill; member introduces bill; one chamber
Takes floor action.
C) Member introduces a bill; conference committee version is approved; one
Chamber takes floor action.
D) Member introduces a bill; president signs/vetoes bill; conference committee
Version is approved.
E) One chamber takes floor action; president signs/vetoes bill; conference committee version is approved.

Question 80

The president pro tempore of the Senate is:

A) the vice president.
B) the majority leader.
C) the minority leader.
D) the Speaker of the House's ceremonial position.
E) usually held by the most senior member of the majority party.