Deck 6: State Legislatures

Question 1

Committee action on pending legislation is

A)crucial because the committee schedules the bill to be heard by the full chamber.
B)not crucial because failure in one house may be overridden by favorable action in the second chamber.
C)crucial; it must be favorably reported out of committee to have a chance of passage by the full chamber.
D)not crucial because the speaker may overrule the committee in all states.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Following the 2015 elections, state legislatures exhibited which of the following characteristics?

A)About fifty percent of all legislators were women.
B)Democrats held 43 percent of the seats while Republicans held 56 percent.
C)Legislatures were less racially and ethnically diverse then they were in the previous decade.
D)The legal profession accounted for about fifty percent of all legislators.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Legislative bodies have both formal and informal leaders who

A)make the legislature run smoothly and accomplish its work.
B)block the legislative initiatives of the bureaucracy.
C)write all new legislation.
D)perform only the housekeeping tasks of the legislatures, leaving substantive matters to the committee chairs.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

A legislator who relies on his or her own judgment and conscience rather than following the "will of the district" that he or she represents is called a(n)

A)instructed delegate.
B)trustee.
C)politico.
D)journeyman.

Question 5

State legislative terms for senators are

A)six years, as in the U.S. Senate.
B)six years in all but one state.
C)six years in most states, but four years in some.
D)four years for most states.

Question 6

A unicameral structure in the legislature is

A)considered less efficient, but it represents the traditional legislative form in this country.
B)composed of a single chamber; only Iowa has such a legislative body.
C)composed of a single chamber; only Nebraska has such a legislative body.
D)a two-house structure.

Question 7

In 2012, the highest annual salary (excluding per diem)for state legislators was

A)$90,526 in California.
B)$99,000 in New Jersey.
C)$78,315 in Pennsylvania.
D)$123,876 in New York.

Question 8

By 2015, "full-time legislator" was the single largest category of legislator occupations. This category overcame the historically dominant occupation of

A)retiree.
B)business owner.
C)business executive/manager.
D)lawyer/attorney.

Question 9

In a typical chamber, the presiding officer carries all but which of the following functions?

A)Sets the salaries of other legislators
B)Controls the activity on the floor
C)Appoints committee members
D)Allocates office space and committee budgets

Question 10

In Vieth v. Jubelirer (2004), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that

A)states must include minority districts to ensure minority representation.
B)race cannot be considered in drawing district maps.
C)reliance on partisan considerations is an appropriate redistricting option.
D)Georgia had failed to include enough minority districts to pass court scrutiny.

Question 11

The result of Baker v. Carr (1962)and Reynolds v. Sims (1964)was the fundamental concept

A)that legislatures were to be more responsive to state problems and therefore to meet a minimum of four months a year.
B)of controls on lobbyists, who otherwise disrupted the business of the legislatures.
C)of "one person, one vote," which led to the redistricting of legislative seats based on equity.
D)of "one person, one vote," which prevented redistricting for political purposes.

Question 12

​ The state that technically does not pay its legislators a salary (only a per diem for expenses), is

A)New Hampshire.
B)New Mexico.
C)Nebraska.
D)Idaho.

Question 13

Redistricting of state legislative and U. S. House Congressional seats comes every

A)twenty years and must be based on the U.S. Census.
B)ten years and is based purely on political considerations.
C)ten years unless the state constitution provides otherwise.
D)ten years and must ensure that each district has the same population.

Question 14

Legislative districts can be drawn for all but which of the following?

A)Solely on the basis of the racial/ethnic composition of the district
B)To ensure each district has the same number of residents
C)On the basis of party affiliation of the citizens
D)To account for a change in the size of the population

Question 15

The real work of the state legislatures in policy making usually takes place in

A)the home districts of the legislators.
B)committees.
C)the full chamber of the legislature.
D)party caucuses.

Question 16

Most legislatures are in session

A)annually.
B)annually but for no longer than sixty days.
C)every other year.
D)every other year but for no longer than sixty days.

Question 17

State legislatures typically pass __________ percent of the bills introduced.

A)8
B)40
C)20 to 25
D)50 to 60

Question 18

The acronym FAIIR indicates characteristics

A)such as accountability and independence, considered by the Citizens' Conference on State Legislatures to be critical to legislatures' improvement.
B)ranging from "freedom from influence" by narrow interest groups to the "risk taking" needed to solve the states' problems.
C)considered by the Governors' Conference on State Legislatures to be critical to legislatures' improvement.
D)ranging from "informed by an effective staff" to "integrated with the governor's office."

Question 19

Legislatures engage in three principal functions, namely,

A)policy making, auditing, and control of regulatory activities.
B)representation, constituent service, and policy making.
C)enacting laws, allocating funds, and oversight.
D)policy making, oversight, and representation.

Question 20

The process of creatively designing a legislative district, usually to enhance the electoral fortunes of the party in power is called

A)redistricting.
B)gerrymandering.
C)reapportionment.
D)malapportionment.

Question 21

There are more than 12,000 state legislators in the country.

Question 22

A legislature's oversight role includes all except which of the following functions?

A)Policy and program evaluation
B)Legislative review of administrative rules
C)Passing legislation to create a new executive branch department
D)Review and control of federal funds

Question 23

Attorneys remain the single largest occupational category for state legislators (about 15 percent).

Question 24

By requiring the governor to obtain legislative approval of budget cutbacks in the event of a revenue shortfall, some states have

A)increased legislative power relative to gubernatorial power.
B)increased bureaucratic power relative to gubernatorial power.
C)increased gubernatorial power relative to legislative power.
D)reduced the overall power of state government relative to interest groups.

Question 25

The U.S. Supreme Court decisions in Baker v. Carr and Reynolds v. Sims mandated reapportionment.

Question 26

Term limits were expected to produce all but which of the following results?

A)Increase the proportion of first-term legislators in any given session.
B)End the domination of a chamber by powerful, entrenched veteran legislators.
C)Reduce pay and shorten the legislative session.
D)Shift power from the legislature to the governor and to lobbyists.

Question 27

As of 2015, women make up over 50 percent of all legislators.

Question 28

Gerrymandering refers to the process of creatively designing a legislative district to enhance the electoral fortunes of the party in power.

Question 29

The average size of a state house is about 100 members, while the average senate is currently forty members.

Question 30

Legislatures engage in three principal functions: policy making, representation, and oversight.

Question 31

All state legislatures are bicameral.

Question 32

Reapportionment is the reallocation of seats in a legislative assembly.

Question 33

Gerrymandering never has the effect of enhancing the electoral fortunes of one party or the other.

Question 34

North Dakota is the only state with a bicameral legislature, which it established in 1934.

Question 35

New Hampshire pays its legislators the lowest salary in the nation, about $100 per year, and pays no expenses.

Question 36

Legislative reforms and modernization have led to state legislatures with which of the following characteristics?

A)Greater professionalization of the legislative career, increased polarization of the legislative process, and more fragmentation of the legislative institution
B)Decreased professionalization of the legislative career, decreased polarization of the legislative process, and more fragmentation of the legislative institution
C)Greater professionalization of the legislative career, decreased polarization of the legislative process, and less fragmentation of the legislative institution
D)Decreased professionalization of the legislative career, increased polarization of the legislative process, and more fragmentation of the legislative institution

Question 37

New Hampshire has the largest state legislature, with 400 members.

Question 38

Although legislatures were once part-time organizations with short legislative sessions and filled with citizens as members, most state legislatures are now in session several months of each year.

Question 39

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that race cannot be the sole criterion when drawing legislative district lines.

Question 40

Sunset laws are statutes that

A)set automatic expiration dates for specified agencies and other organizations.
B)require the legislature to end the session on a particular date.
C)reduce the power of committee chairs in the agenda-setting role.
D)end the legislative veto.

Question 41

Divided government refers to having one party in control of the governor's office and the other party in control of the legislature.

Question 42

Discuss the three major functions of legislatures. Of the three, which do you consider most important? Why?

Question 43

New Hampshire scored two firsts in 2009: the first state with a female majority in a legislative chamber and the first state to have women lead both the house and senate together.

Question 44

What are the proposed benefits of term limits? Have these benefits been realized? In conclusion, take a stand on this issue and argue in favor or against term limits.

Question 45

About 20 to 25 percent of the bills introduced in state legislatures ultimately become laws.

Question 46

Unlike the U.S. Congress, committees do less work in state legislatures as the power is held by the top leadership.

Question 47

Imposing legislative term limits has been a simplistic way for a public angry with entrenched politicians to kick them out of office.

Question 48

With all their institutional improvement, legislatures continue to struggle with their public image.

Question 49

If you were a legislator, which role, trustee or delegate, would you follow? Discuss why you chose the particular role and how that role would affect some hypothetical policy decisions. Would the role you choose have an effect on your re-election prospects?

Question 50

Discuss how state legislatures "reinvented themselves"; that is, what changes have occurred since the 1960s that have made many state legislatures more professional and capable of handling their duties?

Question 51

Explain the effects of the decisions in Baker v. Carr (1962)and Reynolds v. Sims (1964)in terms of the types of legislators elected to the state legislatures and their influence in policy outcomes since their rulings over 50 years ago.

Question 52

Voters in twenty-one states have imposed term limits for legislators and other state officeholders.

Question 53

Ideally, legislatures should be functional, accountable, informed, independent, and representative (the acronym is FAIIR).

Question 54

As of 2015, annual salaries for legislators ranged from a low of around $100 to over $90,000.

Question 55

During the 1970s, fundamental reforms occurred throughout the country because state legislatures sought to increase their capacity and become more professional.