Deck 12: Congress

Question 1

According to the Constitution, all bills for raising revenue should originate in the _________.

A) House of Representatives
B) Senate
C) states
D) Supreme Court
E) executive branch

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The Framers listed the powers of the legislature in the Constitution because they were afraid that the legislative branch would ________.

A) stop being responsive to the people
B) become too powerful
C) become beholden to special interests
D) be manipulated by the other two branches
E) create unconstitutional laws

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The Constitution differentiates between the two chambers by all of the following EXCEPT_________.

A) qualifications for office
B) mode of election
C) natural born citizenship
D) terms of office
E) constituencies

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Congress is__________; that is, it is divided into two separate chambers, the House of Representatives and the Senate.

A) bicameral
B) bifurcated
C) bisected
D) divided
E) unified

Question 5

The war powers are shared between Congress and

A) the judiciary.
B) the people.
C) the president.
D) the state legislatures.
E) the Supreme Court.

Question 6

Because the Framers knew that the country would grow, they required a __________, of the population every ten years, after which the number of congressional districts in each state would be adjusted to reflect population changes.

A) caucus
B) census
C) constituency
D) filibuster
E) roll call

Question 7

What is the term of office for U.S. senators?

A) 2 years
B) 4 years
C) 6 years
D) 8 years
E) 10 years

Question 8

With the _________ Amendment, passed in 1913, Congress gained the power to "lay and collect taxes on incomes," whatever the source.

A) Twelfth
B) Fourteenth
C) Sixteenth
D) Nineteenth
E) Twenty-First

Question 9

The House of Representatives is subject to _________, which is the redrawing of the boundaries of congressional districts in a state to make them approximately equal in population size.

A) franking
B) impeachment
C) oversight
D) redistricting
E) Reed's Rules

Question 10

When Congress exercises its power to allocate a set amount of federal dollars for a specific program or agency, it is using its ability to

A) authorize.
B) appropriate.
C) tax and spend.
D) provide for the common good.
E) regulate commerce.

Question 11

To be a member of the House of Representatives, an individual must _____.

A) be at least 25 years old
B) be a U.S. citizen
C) have been a U.S. citizen for seven years prior to running for office
D) reside in the state that he or she represents
E) fulfill all of these

Question 12

The mode of election for the Senate was changed with the ratification of the _________ Amendment.

A) Twelfth
B) Fourteenth
C) Seventeenth
D) Nineteenth
E) Twenty-First

Question 13

The _________ Act of 1965 prohibited states and political subdivisions from denying or abridging "the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color."

A) Civil Rights
B) Equal Protection
C) Judiciary
D) Omnibus
E) Voting Rights

Question 14

Despite advancements made by underrepresented groups in the electing members to Congress, it is still predominantly ______________.

A) white and male
B) white and female
C) Hispanic and male
D) over 65 and female
E) under 40 and male

Question 15

To be a senator, an individual must

A) be appointed by the governor of the state that he or she represents.
B) be at least 35 years old.
C) be a U.S. citizen.
D) have been a U.S. citizen for twelve years prior to running for office.
E) fulfill all of these.

Question 16

What is the term of office for members of the House of Representatives?

A) 2 years
B) 4 years
C) 6 years
D) 8 years
E) 10 years

Question 17

Congress's power to create a federal program or agency and set levels of federal funds to support that program or agency is known as its power to

A) appropriate.
B) divide government.
C) commerce.
D) authorize.
E) omnibus.

Question 18

The House started with 65 members and eventually grew to __________ members by 1929, at which point the number was limited.

A) 100
B) 130
C) 270
D) 435
E) 535

Question 19

By setting the size of House of Representatives by population and the Senate equal regardless of population, the Framers ensured that ________.

A) large states could not control the legislative agenda
B) small states could control the legislative agenda
C) the House could override the will of the states
D) the Senate could override the will of the people
E) the president could largely ignore the Congress

Question 20

From 1789 to 1913, the mode of election for the _________ was indirect: citizens voted for members of their state legislatures, who then selected these individuals.

A) House of Representatives
B) Majority Leader of the Senate
C) president
D) Senate
E) Speaker of the House

Question 21

Congress's ultimate check on the executive and judicial branches is its power to remove officials and judges from office by

A) advice and consent.
B) cloture.
C) impeachment.
D) special committee.
E) unanimous consent agreement.

Question 22

The leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives is known as the ________.

A) House majority leader
B) House minority leader
C) Speaker of the House
D) Leader of the House
E) Prime Minister

Question 23

Since 1959, when Hawaii and Alaska joined the union, the Senate has had _________ members.

A) 50
B) 100
C) 270
D) 435
E) 535

Question 24

Who brings the formal charges in an impeachment?

A) Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
B) House of Representatives
C) president
D) Senate
E) vice president

Question 25

What clause in the Constitution becomes the basis for the implied powers of Congress?

A) equal protection clause
B) general welfare clause
C) full faith and credit clause
D) interstate commerce clause
E) necessary and proper clause

Question 26

Congress has used its authority to _________ in order to exert oversight as to how the executive branch implements laws.

A) appropriate money
B) regulate commerce
C) tax
D) regulate weights and measures
E) provide advice and consent on presidential appointments

Question 27

The majority party elects the _________, but unlike the Speaker of the House, this position is not written into the Constitution.

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

Question 28

Over time, with rulings by the Supreme Court, the power of Congress to regulate commerce has __________.

A) expanded
B) diminished
C) neutralized
D) compounded
E) done none of these

Question 29

In the 1950s, the _________ became more active in the executive branch business and less active in the Senate.

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

Question 30

Congress has used the necessary and proper clause to do all of the following EXCEPT___________.

A) regulate interstate railroads
B) protect civil rights
C) provide student loans
D) expand marriage laws
E) fund school lunch programs

Question 31

The small number of senators, as opposed to the large number of representatives, has allowed each senator to ________ over policy outcomes.

A) exert individual influence
B) remain mostly immune from party pressure
C) have little influence
D) join together in voting blocs
E) exert party influence

Question 32

To gain control of the Senate a party must have _______ senators.

A) 51
B) 66
C) 50
D) 52
E) 63

Question 33

The majority leader also has nine majority _________ to help get support for the party's preferred policies and keep lines of communication open between the party leadership and the rank-and-file membership.

A) chairs
B) delegates
C) directors
D) parliamentarians
E) whips

Question 34

When the party that controls Congress is NOT the party of the president, it is referred to as

A) bicameralism.
B) concurrent government.
C) divided government.
D) reconciliation.
E) unified government.

Question 35

Article 1, Section 3, of the Constitution states that the _________ shall be the president of the Senate.

A) Senate majority whip
B) president
C) Senate majority leader
D) Speaker of the Senate
E) vice president

Question 36

The highest-ranking minority party member in the House of Representatives is the _________, and his or her main responsibility is crafting the minority party's position on an issue and serving as the public spokesperson for the party.

A) Blue Dog
B) House minority leader
C) House minority whip
D) House ranking member
E) president pro tempore

Question 37

Congress also has the power to

A) raise and support armies.
B) provide and maintain a navy.
C) provide for calling forth the militia.
D) make rules and regulations regarding the armed forces.
E) do all of these.

Question 38

The _________ is the only formal leadership position in the House of Representatives that is written into the Constitution.

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

Question 39

Speaker Newt Gingrich came to power with a large class of newly elected Republicans who called their platform ______________.

A) Reconnect with  Republicans
B) Contract with America
C) Omnibus Bill
D) Ten Points of Light
E) Republican Contract

Question 40

The power of advice and consent on treaties and presidential nominations was given solely to the _________.

A) states
B) Senate
C) House of Representative
D) Supreme Court
E) people

Question 41

Which of the following is NOT true about sponsoring a bill?

A) Bill sponsorship is an effective tool for giving local voters a voice in the federal policy.
B) When Congress members sponsor bills, they can claim it as their area of expertise.
C) Sponsoring bills is one way that Congress members fulfill their campaign promises.
D) Sponsoring bills helps Congress members avoid controversy in the public spotlight.
E) Bill sponsorship attracts media attention that Congress members can use in their favor.

Question 42

Because House and Senate members aim to be responsive to their constituents, they

A) provide their private e-mail addresses to the public.
B) hire staff members to address all the concerns for them.
C) establish offices in their home state so voters can get help with federal issues.
D) live in their home state, rather than Washington D.C., while Congress is in session.
E) respond to every constituent directly rather than through staff members.

Question 43

Committee chairs have powerful roles. The chair is typically the majority party member who has the most _________, the longest time served on the committee.

A) ranking member
B) seniority
C) cloture
D) markup
E) committee

Question 44

If Congress will be going out of session within ten days, the president can wait for Congress to go out of session and simply not sign a bill, a practice known as a(n)

A) hold.
B) override.
C) pocket veto.
D) recess appointment.
E) veto.

Question 45

Committee chairs decide which bills receive hearings and which go on to _________, a meeting in which committee members write the version of the bill that they send to the entire chamber for a vote.

A) appropriations
B) conference
C) cloture
D) markup
E) reconciliation

Question 46

A _________ committee is a permanent committee with the power to write legislation and report it to the full chamber.

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

Question 47

Congress and the president negotiate the federal budget, which expires on September 30 each year. If they fail to do this, Congress enacts a ___________ in order to continue funding the government.

A) continuing resolution
B) concurring resolution
C) remedial budget
D) partisan budget
E) nuclear option

Question 48

Senators can use the practice known as a hold to _______ a bill for a minimum of twenty-four hours .

A) delay
B) stop
C) repeal
D) pre-filibuster
E) amend

Question 49

The _________ maintains control before the bill goes to the floor by issuing a rule dictating how many amendments may be considered in the House of Representatives.

A) House majority leader
B) House majority whip
C) House Rules Committee
D) Speaker of the House
E) standing committee

Question 50

The sum of loans and interest that the federal government has accrued over time to pay for the federal deficit is known as _________.

A) inflation
B) the budget deficit
C) the national debt
D) monetary decline
E) the federal deficit

Question 51

With a two-thirds majority vote in each chamber, the Congress can _______ a presidential veto.

A) bypass
B) override
C) accept
D) constrain
E) concur with

Question 52

Committee hearings _______________.

A) draw attention to a current problem or issue that needs public attention
B) inform the committee members about the consequences of passing a specific bill
C) convey constituents' questions and concerns on an issue
D) exert oversight of the executive branch to determine whether congressional intent is being honored
E) do all of these

Question 53

The last stage in the congressional legislative process is when the House and Senate meet in _________ committee to resolve any differences that exist in the versions that passed each chamber.

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

Question 54

Before e-mail and the Internet , what was franking privilege?

A) free air travel for congressional leaders
B) free gasoline for congressional leaders
C) free computers for congressional leaders
D) free mail service for congressional leaders
E) free television time for congressional leaders

Question 55

An extended debate in the Senate whose purpose is to delay or even prevent a bill's passage is referred to as a(n)

A) cloture.
B) filibuster.
C) hold.
D) override.
E) veto.

Question 56

A _________ is the member  of a committee  from the minority party with the greatest seniority.

A) ranking member
B) minority party member
C) majority party member
D) cloture
E) markup

Question 57

An agreement among all one hundred senators on how a bill or presidential nomination will be debated, changed, and voted on is called a(n) ________.

A) unanimous consent agreement
B) mutual non-aggression pact
C) unilateral consent agreement
D) majoritarian advice and consent
E) bipartisan consent agreement

Question 58

The only way to stop a filibuster is by invoking _________, a motion to end debate that requires a supermajority of sixty votes to pass.

A) a continuing resolution
B) an override
C) a roll call vote
D) cloture
E) impeachment

Question 59

The Senate does not have a gatekeeper committee; instead, all senators have the _________ to try to amend legislation on the floor.

A) vote
B) cloture
C) earmark
D) power
E) committee

Question 60

Most _________ in the House and Senate win reelection; in 2012, 90 percent in the House, and 91 percent in the Senate won reelection.

A) Democrats
B) incumbents
C) men
D) Republicans
E) women

Question 61

What is the difference between a representative who acts as a trustee and one who acts as a delegate?

Question 62

Explain the federal budgetary process and reconciliation.

Question 63

Explain the importance of constituent services.

Question 64

Identify the key components of the congressional budget process.

Question 65

Briefly explain the outcome of National Federation of Independent Business et al. v. Sebelius

Question 66

How have the powers of Congress increased? Why did they increase?

Question 67

Describe the key ways in which members of Congress communicate with constituents.

Question 68

Explain redistricting and how gerrymandering occurs during the redistricting process .

Question 69

After a bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives, where does it go from there? Provide a brief explanation of the process.

Question 70

Explain the impeachment process .

Question 71

Define commerce clause , and explain its power.

Question 72

How are the constitutional requirements for members of the House of Representatives and the Senate different from one another? Why is that?

Question 73

Describe how the demographics of Congress have changed over time.

Question 74

Explain the power of advice and consent.

Question 75

In your own words, explain the importance of "home style" to a member of Congress .

Question 76

Explain what happens in conference committees.

Question 77

State what the general welfare clause allows Congress to do.

Question 78

Describe what happens to a bill in committee.

Question 79

Explain Congress's role in the authorization of judges.

Question 80

What are advocacy caucuses? What is their purpose? Explain.