Deck 9: Congress

Question 1

The reason members of Parliament almost always vote with their party leaders is that

A) the members are paid by their party, not by the government.
B) it is illegal to do otherwise.
C) nominations to serve in Parliament are made by party leaders.
D) party leaders cast all votes for members of their party.
E) votes are always done by voice, and there are no records of individual decisions.

Answer 1

nominations to serve in Parliament are made by party leaders.

Question 2

Unlike members of Parliament, members of Congress can become involved in the details of lawmaking because

A) there is no interference from a monarch.
B) Congress is constitutionally independent of the chief executive.
C) their votes can cause the government to collapse.
D) Congress cannot actually enact bills into law.
E) there is no strict separation of powers.

Answer 2

Congress is constitutionally independent of the chief executive.

Question 3

The "franking privilege" allows representatives in Congress

A) free trips to the home district.
B) free office space in Washington.
C) free postage for mailings.
D) free meals in the Capitol's cafeteria.
E) impressive savings on materials from the Department of Defense.

Answer 3

free postage for mailings.

Question 4

Which of the following is not a congressional power?

A) Lay and collect taxes
B) Issue patents and copyrights
C) Declare war
D) Raise and support an army
E) Nominate federal judges

Question 5

A bicameral legislative branch

A) has two chambers, or houses.
B) is elected every two years.
C) consists of two communities and a main body.
D) is subject to the veto power of both the president and the Supreme Court.
E) has two chances to pass legislation.

Question 6

The Framers tried to prevent legislative tyranny by

A) requiring Congress to defer to other branches of government.
B) not giving Congress many powers.
C) limiting the number of terms members of Congress can serve.
D) checks and balances.
E) providing a long list of enumerated powers to the executive branch.

Question 7

According to the original Constitution, senators were to be elected by

A) members of the House of Representatives.
B) the people of each state.
C) the electoral college.
D) the state legislatures.
E) the judicial branch.

Question 8

Direct election of U.S. senators was mandated by passage of the

A) Twentieth Amendment.
B) Fifteenth Amendment.
C) Seventeenth Amendment.
D) Thirteenth Amendment.
E) Tenth Amendment.

Question 9

The House consists of _____ voting members.

A) 100
B) 435
C) 535
D) 50
E) 450

Question 10

The reapportionment of seats in the House of Representatives occurs

A) whenever the total U.S. population increases by 5 percent.
B) once every decade, after the Census is taken.
C) whenever called for by the president.
D) once every century.
E) whenever a new Supreme Court justice is nominated.

Question 11

The number of senators from each state is determined by

A) federal law.
B) the Constitution, and cannot be amended.
C) the Constitution, but can be amended.
D) each state.
E) the courts.

Question 12

The number of legislators "ought at most be kept within a certain limit, to avoid the confusion and intemperance of a multitude." Who is the author of that quote?

A) Thomas Jefferson
B) James Madison
C) George Washington
D) Alexander Hamilton
E) John Adams

Question 13

By the ______, serving in Congress had become a career.

A) 1890s
B) 1910s
C) 1930s
D) 1940s
E) 1950s

Question 14

Incumbents are likely to win reelection because

A) the South is becoming more supportive of the Democratic Party.
B) Republican candidates are having more success in the Northeast.
C) of the advantage they have in name recognition.
D) voters have a more favorable attitude toward Congress as an institution.
E) ballots typically list their names first.

Question 15

Probably the main reason behind the domination of Congress by the Democrats for four decades until the mid-1990s is

A) incumbency.
B) a monopoly on "attractive" candidates.
C) better fund-raising techniques.
D) the lack of a two-party system during the last forty years.
E) media bias in primary elections.

Question 16

To obtain a party's nomination for a seat in Congress, a candidate typically must

A) win a plurality of votes in a primary election.
B) win a majority of votes in a primary election.
C) win a plurality of votes in the electoral college.
D) obtain the party's approval after winning a primary.
E) obtain signatures from key party leaders.

Question 17

A primary election is usually most influenced by

A) the individual candidate's efforts.
B) the political party's efforts.
C) presidential endorsements.
D) state-level endorsements.
E) newspaper endorsements.

Question 18

According to the Constitution, what are the minimum ages necessary for a U.S. representative and senator, respectively?

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

Question 19

Members of the House of Representatives must be citizens of the United States for

A) no set amount of time.
B) three years.
C) five years
D) seven years.
E) ten years.

Question 20

The Supreme Court recognizes "privileged speech" for members of Congress so long as that speech is

A) related to the Fourteenth Amendment.
B) printed before it is spoken.
C) made in chambers during a joint session of Congress.
D) made on the Senate floor.
E) part of the legislative process.

Question 21

Leadership carries more power in the House than in the Senate because

A) the House has more constitutional powers than the Senate.
B) the Speaker can preside over the Senate when the vice president is absent.
C) House rules closely regulate debate and the scheduling of business.
D) the Speaker can expel any member of the House who "offends the dignity of the House."
E) the Senate has more restrictions on debate.

Question 22

The Speaker of the House

A) is elected by whichever party has a majority.
B) is less powerful than the president pro tem of the Senate.
C) is an honorific position.
D) is much more powerful today than in previous years.
E) has many informal powers, but few formal powers.

Question 23

By the strictest measure, a party vote occurs when ___% or more of one party vote together against ____% of the opposing party.

A) 90/50
B) 50/50
C) 90/90
D) 75/75
E) 50/90

Question 24

Members tend to vote with their parties in Congress because

A) the parties control important campaign resources.
B) the leaders can punish members who are disloyal.
C) members tend to share the ideologies of the party with which they are affiliated.
D) the congressional party connection to the White House is very strong.
E) party leaders make key decisions concerning ballot positioning in primaries.

Question 25

The purpose of a congressional caucus is to

A) advocate a political ideology or advance a regional interest.
B) rally support for the party's leadership.
C) punish party members for deviating from the party line.
D) provide a public meeting place for members of Congress and representatives of interest groups.
E) reduce expenditures in midyear elections.

Question 26

Significant congressional power is found in

A) the committees.
B) specialized caucuses.
C) state delegations.
D) party leaders.
E) party spokespersons.

Question 27

The purpose of a conference committee is to

A) propose legislation by reporting a bill.
B) resolve differences between House and Senate versions of a bill.
C) decide whether Congress should override a president's veto.
D) determine how long a bill can be debated in the House.
E) decided whether to end debate on legislation.

Question 28

Committee chairmen must be elected by

A) a roll-call vote.
B) secret ballot.
C) seniority.
D) absentee ballot.
E) a unanimous vote.

Question 29

If you work on a House member's staff, you probably will

A) become an advocate of bills that are clearly in the public interest.
B) take the initiative in finding and selling a policy to your boss.
C) not care what bills are supported by your employer.
D) be an independent thinker.
E) be a member of the opposite party.

Question 30

The purpose of staff agencies is to

A) monitor the performance of the staff working for Congress.
B) hire the staff working for congressional committees to avoid improper political influences.
C) represent the concerns of congressional staff in labor negotiations.
D) provide Congress with specialized information that is relatively nonpartisan.
E) dispute the findings of interest groups opposing legislation.

Question 31

A bill can be introduced by

A) any member of Congress.
B) members of Congress, the president, and the Supreme Court.
C) any citizen.
D) members of the House of Representatives only.
E) the president, with approval of two or more committee chairs.

Question 32

Which of the following establishes operating rules?

A) Simple resolution
B) Concurrent resolution
C) Joint resolution
D) Discharge resolution
E) Rider resolution

Question 33

A joint resolution

A) is passed by several committees.
B) has the force of law.
C) does not need to be signed by the president.
D) typically establishes operating rules for one of the chambers.
E) is invalid unless it is signed by the president.

Question 34

Which of the following requires the signature of the president?

A) Simple resolution
B) Concurrent resolution
C) Joint resolution
D) Discharge resolution
E) Rider resolution

Question 35

Under the Constitution, bills can originate in either house of Congress with the exception of

A) proposed constitutional amendments, which must begin in the Senate.
B) declarations of war, which must begin in the House.
C) bills to override a president's veto, which must begin in the Senate.
D) bills for raising revenue, which must begin in the House.
E) bills reducing expenditures that were previously appropriated.

Question 36

When a bill is assigned to a committee, it usually

A) passes Congress unchanged from its original form.
B) dies there (in the committee).
C) is not acted on until a majority vote of either house demands action.
D) stays there until a declaration by the Supreme Court that it constitutional.
E) passes Congress with major modifications.

Question 37

A discharge petition is used to

A) finalize a bill.
B) send a bill to the president.
C) assign a bill to another committee.
D) replace a committee chairperson.
E) get a bill that has been stalled in committee onto the floor.

Question 38

A bill that can have amendments from the floor is operating under _____ rule.

A) closed
B) open
C) restrictive
D) options
E) alterations

Question 39

The function of the Rules Committee in the House is to

A) punish members who violate the rules of Congress.
B) decide who will be Speaker of the House.
C) make a rule determining which committee receives a bill introduced into Congress.
D) make a rule determining how long a bill can be debated and how it can be amended.
E) keep records of speeches in chamber.

Question 40

The purpose of the Committee of the Whole is to

A) assemble all members of the House to discuss important bills.
B) assign members of the House to standing committees.
C) reduce the quorum of the House to debate and amend bills.
D) form a joint committee with members of both houses to propose constitutional amendments.
E) discuss legislation in small groups of ten or less.

Question 41

Amendments that are unrelated to a bill but added so that their subject also can be considered by Congress are called

A) rip-ups.
B) triple trackers.
C) cloture agents.
D) filibusters.
E) riders.

Question 42

The text suggests that __________ have found filibusters useful.

A) Democrats
B) Republicans
C) conservatives
D) liberals
E) conservatives and liberals

Question 43

Senators no longer need to speak around the clock while filibustering because of

A) double tracking.
B) riders.
C) the open rule.
D) simple resolutions.
E) the closed rule.

Question 44

The focus of debate over filibusters in 2005 was

A) abortion.
B) congressional subpoenas.
C) church and state.
D) the budget.
E) nomination of federal judges.

Question 45

Members of Congress traditionally refer to each other as

A) "distinguished."
B) "beleaguered."
C) "honorable."
D) "right honorable."
E) "exceptional."

Question 46

Which vote requires members to shout "aye" or "no"?

A) Voice vote
B) Division vote
C) Standing vote
D) Teller vote
E) Roll-call vote

Question 47

Which type of vote records the names of who voted which way?

A) Voice
B) Division
C) Standing
D) Recorder
E) Roll-call

Question 48

When a bill passes the House and Senate in substantially different forms, the differences are resolved in

A) a standing committee.
B) a committee of the whole.
C) the Rules Committee.
D) a conference committee.
E) a resolution quorum.

Question 49

Conference reports on __________ bills usually split the differences between the House and Senate versions.

A) spending
B) reapportionment
C) redistricting
D) commercial regulation
E) civil-rights

Question 50

Studies have shown significant correlations between congressional votes and constituency opinion regarding

A) foreign-policy measures.
B) civil-rights bills.
C) economic regulation.
D) commercial regulation.
E) taxation.

Question 51

For members who seek to mirror their constituents' views, the principal difficulty is

A) the lack of clear and consistent policy positions from their districts.
B) the need to follow the dictates of party leaders in the Congress.
C) the pressure of special interest groups.
D) the influence of the White House.
E) clarifying media reports that influence public opinion.

Question 52

In the organizational explanation of congressional voting behavior, the principal voting cue is probably

A) constituency opinion.
B) party.
C) personal ideology.
D) the conservative coalition.
E) interest-group contributions.

Question 53

Except in matters of national emergency, most votes in Congress

A) are unimodal.
B) are unanimous.
C) are bimodal.
D) follow a bell-shaped curve.
E) follow a random distribution.

Question 54

A censured member

A) may lose seniority.
B) may be expelled from the chamber.
C) is one who has been cleared of ethics charges.
D) is one in whom the chamber has great confidence.
E) cannot be punished just after being reelected.

Question 55

The Abscam scandal involved

A) taking bribes for political favors.
B) tax evasion.
C) taking illegal campaign contributions.
D) sexual misconduct.
E) illegally influencing a regulatory agency.

Question 56

The weakness of the congressional ethics code is the

A) assumption that all improper influences are associated with financial transactions.
B) absence of a financial disclosure provision.
C) requirement that members must first be convicted by a court before being expelled.
D) restriction of the impeachment process to members with at least one year remaining in their terms.
E) manner in which courts interfere with enforcement.

Question 57

One of the apparent manifestations of congressional weakness during the 1960s and early 1970s was

A) presidential refusal to spend appropriated money.
B) the continued existence of racial discrimination.
C) incumbent members refusing to run for reelection.
D) the decrease in interest-group activity.
E) the increase in PAC spending.

Question 58

The text suggests that the claim that Congress became weak as the president became strong is

A) a bit overdrawn.
B) a truism.
C) beyond debate.
D) well documented.
E) convincing.

Question 59

Until 1995, Congress passed many laws that

A) were, for the most part, contrary to the Constitution.
B) were enforced without any sense of legitimacy.
C) applied to everyone but Congress.
D) made innovative distinctions between citizens and elected officials.
E) decreased the power of the federal courts.

Question 60

The Congressional Accountability Act raised some concerns with respect to

A) due process.
B) checks and balances.
C) separation of powers.
D) the supremacy clause.
E) the privileges and immunities clause.

Question 61

The most important reason Congress follows the lead of the president is

A) reluctance to challenge a popular president.
B) a desire to avoid blame for the president's policies.
C) the constitutional requirement that proposals for legislation must originate with the president.
D) the president's control over salaries.
E) the desire to capitalize on coattails in midterm elections.

Question 62

The process of making policy is

A) shared with the executive and judicial branches.
B) somewhat centralized.
C) somewhat decentralized.
D) highly centralized.
E) highly decentralized.

Question 63

Among the Western democracies, the U.S. Congress is one of the few legislatures that acts independently of its executive branch.

Question 64

Members of Parliament usually can make only one important decision-whether or not to support the government.

Question 65

One power of Congress is the ability to borrow money, but the power to establish post offices is left up to the states.

Question 66

Congress has the power to create federal courts below the Supreme Court.

Question 67

The Framers of the Constitution expected the legislative branch to be the dominant branch of government.

Question 68

During the twentieth century, the major struggles for national power have been struggles within Congress rather than between Congress and the president.

Question 69

U.S. senators prefer Senate leaders with strong formal powers.

Question 70

The practical effect of direct election of the Senate was actually small.

Question 71

According to the Constitution, each state must have at least one member in the House of Representatives.

Question 72

The Constitution prohibits an amendment that would change the number of Senators from each state.

Question 73

A male-dominated Congress proposed the Equal Rights Amendment.

Question 74

In most democracies, the ratio of national legislators to citizens is far higher than it is in the United States.

Question 75

In the nineteenth century, a majority of members served more than one term.

Question 76

Both incumbents and challengers have equal chances of winning a congressional election.

Question 77

The tendency of voters to return incumbents to office means that, in ordinary times, people should expect dramatic change.

Question 78

By the 1990s the disadvantages of being an incumbent turned into advantages.

Question 79

To get elected to the House or Senate in most states, you need to win a majority of the votes cast.

Question 80

Polls show that many Americans have a low opinion of Congress but a high opinion of their own member of Congress.