Deck 6: Congress

Question 1

The "father of the U.S. Constitution," James Madison, referred to Congress as

A) the first branch of government.
B) the most dangerous branch of government.
C) a corrupt and evil force.
D) subordinate to the judicial and executive branches of government.
E) ineffective and self-serving.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

How is membership from each state in the U.S. Senate determined?

A) By the population of the individual state
B) By equal representation from each state
C) By the results of the U.S. Census every 10 years
D) By the courts
E) By each session of the Senate as members determine the method to be used

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The idea that the House of Representatives directly connects voter sentiment with popular representation, or that the House "should have an immediate dependence on, and an intimate sympathy with, the people" was expressed in

A) Federalist No. 15.
B) Federalist No. 46.
C) Federalist No. 51.
D) Federalist No. 70.
E) Federalist No. 78.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

A member of the House of Representatives must

A) be at least 21 years of age.
B) a U.S. citizen for at least seven years.
C) a resident of the district they represent.
D) never have been convicted of a felony.
E) a U. S. citizen for at least ten years.

Question 5

Once the number of representatives in the House of Representatives had been capped, it was necessary to allocate the appropriate amount of seats in the House to the states. This process is known as

A) gerrymandering.
B) stabilizing.
C) distribution.
D) reapportionment.
E) reassessment.

Question 6

The idea that the House of Representatives directly connects voter sentiment with popular representation, or that the House "should have an immediate dependence on, and an intimate sympathy with, the people" was expressed by

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

Question 7

Our legislative branch consists of two chambers: The U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. This arrangement is referred to as

A) congressional redistricting.
B) congressional reapportionment.
C) the system of checks and balances.
D) pro tempore.
E) a bicameral legislature.

Question 8

The first woman elected to Congress was

A) Elizabeth Dole from North Carolina in 2002.
B) Shirley Chisholm from New York in 1970.
C) Hillary Clinton from New York in 1992.
D) Nancy Pelosi from California in 1989.
E) Jeannette Rankin from Montana in 1916.

Question 9

The term "gerrymandering" was coined because Governor Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts created a new congressional district that on the map appeared to his opponents as resembling a

A) snake.
B) ink blot.
C) new state.
D) salamander.
E) crescent moon.

Question 10

The first Congress in North America was

A) the House of Burgesses.
B) the Albany Congress.
C) the Charleston Congress.
D) the First Continental Congress.
E) the Second Continental Congress.

Question 11

In its original language, the U.S. Constitution stated in Article I that the number of members in the U.S. House of Representatives should not exceed one for every __________ citizens.

A) 100
B) 10,000
C) 30,000
D) 100,000
E) 1,000,000

Question 12

The ultimate authority for enacting new laws lies with

A) Congress.
B) the president.
C) the Supreme Court.
D) state governments.
E) state courts.

Question 13

Congress provides representation for

A) Hispanics.
B) African Americans.
C) Native Americans.
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.

Question 14

Compared to most other countries that also have two chambers in the legislative body, one significant characteristic of the U.S. Congress is that

A) the U.S. Constitution grants powers to each branch that are just about equally divided.
B) its members are better paid.
C) the U.S. Congress may remove the president from office.
D) it works at a rapid pace in enacting important legislation.
E) it has total control over the executive branch.

Question 15

The process of gerrymandering refers to

A) illegally tampering with votes.
B) increasing the size of a congressional district.
C) the concept of "one man, one vote."
D) the drawing of congressional district boundaries to favor a particular political party or group.
E) reducing the size of the House of Representatives.

Question 16

Each state is guaranteed a minimum of how many seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, regardless of population?

A) One
B) Two
C) Three
D) Five
E) Ten

Question 17

Congressional districts must be equal to 650,000 people per district and each state must have at least one representative regardless of population size. Wyoming's population is 570,000 and thus the population is proportionately __________ in Congress.

A) overrepresented
B) equal to that of California
C) underrepresented
D) reapportioned every five years
E) represented

Question 18

In the U.S. House of Representatives, membership from each state is based upon

A) political party strength.
B) appointment by the governor.
C) equal representation from each state.
D) population of the state.
E) amount of funding allotted by the previous Congress.

Question 19

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives serve

A) terms of two years.
B) terms of four years.
C) terms of six years.
D) lifetime appointments.
E) staggered terms.

Question 20

Public Law 62-5, passed by Congress in 1911, capped the total number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives at

A) 50.
B) 65.
C) 185.
D) 435.
E) 1,435.

Question 21

In the House of Representatives, the whips

A) contact party members and try to convince them to vote the way party leadership wants them to vote.
B) oversees the development of their party's platform.
C) appoint members to serve on conference committees.
D) schedule votes on bills.
E) among other duties, oversees the physical fitness of party members.

Question 22

Committees in Congress

A) hold hearings and conduct investigations.
B) offer modifications and additions to bills.
C) review the operation of federal agencies.
D) Options A, B, and C are true.
E) None of the above is true.

Question 23

Permanent committees existing in both the House and Senate that deal with constant, recurring issues are called

A) standing committees.
B) select committees.
C) conference committees.
D) compromise committees.
E) joint committees.

Question 24

Prior to 1913, how were senators chosen?

A) They were appointed by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
B) They were appointed by the state governors.
C) They were chosen by the state legislatures.
D) They were chosen by fellow senators.
E) They were chosen in a nationwide election.

Question 25

The presiding officer in the U.S. Senate is

A) the majority whip of the Senate.
B) the president pro tempore of the Senate.
C) the vice president of the United States.
D) the clerk of the Senate.
E) the secretary of state.

Question 26

What is the minimum age for becoming a U.S. Senator?

A) No age limit
B) 18 years old
C) 25 years old
D) 30 years old
E) 40 years old

Question 27

What is the length of a term for a U.S. Senator?

A) Two years
B) Four years
C) Six years
D) Ten years
E) Lifetime appointment

Question 28

The U.S. Senate was created as a slower, more deliberative body in which legislation is forced to proceed at a more thoughtful pace. What is a primary reason for this design?

A) To serve as an antagonist to the U.S. House of Representatives
B) To protect the integrity of the Congress and to protect the people from radical shifts that result from swift changes in popular opinion
C) To protect legislation from a presidential veto
D) To make sure that the legislation is enforceable
E) The arrangement was not by design, but evolved over time

Question 29

The U. S. Senate

A) initially met in closed session.
B) is designed to be a slower body than the House.
C) is designed as a protection against tyranny by the majority.
D) Options A, B, and C are true.
E) None of the above is true.

Question 30

In creating legislation, the U.S. Congress has a reputation for

A) taking decisive action that clearly addresses the problem.
B) moving at a glacial pace, which often takes years for a decision.
C) demonstrating an inability to take any type of action.
D) taking the wrong paths and creating much more serious problems.
E) catering to the liberal core instead of the mainstream.

Question 31

The leader of the U.S. House of Representatives is the

A) Speaker of the House.
B) Majority Leader of the House.
C) Majority Whip.
D) Sergeant at Arms.
E) Vice President of the United States.

Question 32

Which of the following is NOT a duty or responsibility of the Speaker of the House?

A) Appointing all committee members
B) Acting as arbiter and interpreter of House rules
C) Recognizing members who speak in the House
D) Assigning bills to committees for consideration
E) Censuring House members for disciplinary reasons

Question 33

Passing new laws through Congress is difficult because of

A) the threat of a Presidential veto.
B) the power exercised by the Speaker of the House.
C) the power exercised by the President pro tempore of the Senate.
D) the fact that Congress has a tradition of slowness in action.
E) the fact that both chambers must come to complete agreement on the precise wording of a bill.

Question 34

Article I of the U.S. Constitution sets a minimum age of __________ for anyone serving in the U.S. House of Representatives.

A) 16
B) 18
C) 25
D) 35
E) 50

Question 35

How is the number of U.S. Senators from each state determined?

A) The president appoints the number of senators every four years.
B) Article I requires that there be two senators from each state.
C) The number is based on the population of the state.
D) The number is determined by the state's legislature.
E) The number is determined by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Question 36

Currently the population of the average congressional district is

A) less than 10,000.
B) about 50,000.
C) roughly 136,000.
D) approximately 646,000.
E) more than one million.

Question 37

U. S. Senators

A) initially were appointed by George Washington.
B) must have served in government before election to the Senate.
C) must have served in the military.
D) Options A, B, and C are true.
E) None of the above is true.

Question 38

Which of the following is NOT considered to be a normal task of a member of the modern Congress?

A) Running for reelection
B) Serving constituents
C) Working on legislation
D) Traveling internationally to develop and negotiate treaties
E) Providing oversight of federal agencies

Question 39

Both chambers of Congress, and both majority and minority parties in the chambers, choose a member who has the responsibility to keep track of how party members are planning to vote on upcoming legislation and to work with party members to keep the party in unison. This party leadership position is called the

A) sergeant at arms.
B) committee chair.
C) whip.
D) president pro tempore.
E) clerk.

Question 40

Leadership positions in Congress, such as Speaker of the House, are determined by

A) appointments by the president, which are confirmed by Congress.
B) the results of the nationwide elections.
C) the preferences of the state legislatures.
D) the laws that dictate who will be in the leadership positions.
E) the elected members of Congress.

Question 41

The Congressional function in which Congress monitors federal agency performance and holds hearings to inquire about agency policies and decisions is

A) confirmation of appointees.
B) ratification of treaties.
C) impeachment.
D) oversight.
E) casework.

Question 42

Of the 10,000 or so bills introduced annually in Congress, __________ eventually become law.

A) less than 1 percent
B) 2 to 3 percent
C) 5 to 10 percent
D) about 22 percent
E) about 45 percent

Question 43

The power of Congress to enact legislation, despite a president's veto of that legislation, and require a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress is known as

A) a legislative veto.
B) an amendatory veto.
C) a line item veto.
D) a pocket veto.
E) overriding a veto.

Question 44

As a bill comes to the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote, it passes through the Rules Committee. A bill that is presented to the floor with a closed rule means

A) that House members may vote only once on the bill.
B) that only members of the majority party may vote on the bill.
C) that House members are severely limited in their ability to amend the bill.
D) that House members may offer amendments to the bill.
E) that the president cannot veto the bill.

Question 45

The kind of Congressional committees that consist of members of both the House and Senate are

A) standing committees.
B) conference committees.
C) coordinating committees.
D) joint committees.
E) select committees.

Question 46

When the U.S. Senate enters into endless debate as a procedural tactic to block a vote on the Senate floor, other senators may call for a(n) __________ vote, which immediately ends debate and forces a vote on the issue.

A) filibuster
B) cloture
C) closed rule
D) open rule
E) censure

Question 47

If the president vetoes a bill passed by Congress, then Congress may, in turn, check presidential power by overriding the veto. What is the threshold that Congress needs to be successful with the override?

A) A simple majority of either chamber
B) A simple majority of both chambers
C) A two-thirds majority in both chambers
D) A two-thirds majority in only one chamber
E) A three-fourths majority in both chambers

Question 48

A U.S. House of Representatives member may occasionally vote a certain way on one bill in exchange for a favorable vote on another bill. This process as known as

A) logrolling.
B) cloture.
C) gerrymandering.
D) lobbying.
E) overriding a veto.

Question 49

The U.S. Senate attempt to block a bill from passage by refusing to end discussion is known as a(n)

A) cloture.
B) open rule.
C) filibuster.
D) tabling.
E) flanking.

Question 50

Congressional agencies such as the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) are designed to

A) recommend legislation to the leaders of Congress.
B) critique Congress.
C) provide objective information for use in formulating policy.
D) report to the president on the actions of Congress.
E) reveal criminal activity on the part of members of Congress.

Question 51

A temporary committee within either chamber of Congress that is established to investigate a particular issue of concern and report back to the full chamber is called a

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

Question 52

The power that requires the consent by two-thirds vote of the Senate is

A) confirmation of appointees.
B) ratification of treaties.
C) impeachment.
D) oversight.
E) casework.

Question 53

The chairpersons of the powerful congressional committees are

A) chosen in a nationwide election.
B) elected by the full membership of congress.
C) members of the majority party who are appointed by the majority party leadership.
D) evenly divided between majority and minority party members.
E) appointed based solely on seniority regardless of party affiliation.

Question 54

In the two-chamber Congress, both chambers vote individually on bills, and often the votes of the two chambers disagree. To reach consensus, the two chambers create which type of committee?

A) Conference committee
B) Standing committee
C) Joint committee
D) Select committee
E) Ad hoc committee

Question 55

The formal process by which the House brings charges against federal officials is

A) confirmation of appointees.
B) ratification of treaties.
C) impeachment.
D) oversight.
E) casework.

Question 56

The U.S. Senate plays a pivotal role in the selection of cabinet officers and federal judges. What is this role?

A) The Senate recommends all appointees to the president.
B) Each senator must be consulted by the president during the confirmation process.
C) The president is required to appoint any candidate recommended by the Senate.
D) The president chooses the appointee but the Senate must confirm that appointment before the candidate assumes the office.
E) The Senate recommends the nominee and the president confirms the appointment.

Question 57

The kind of Congressional committees that are permanent committees in the House and Senate are

A) standing committees.
B) conference committees.
C) coordinating committees.
D) joint committees.
E) select committees.

Question 58

The power that requires a "yes" vote by a simple majority of the Senate is

A) confirmation of appointees.
B) ratification of treaties.
C) impeachment.
D) oversight.
E) casework.

Question 59

Which of the following is NOT a role of the president in the process of enacting a bill into law?

A) The president may recommend legislation to members of Congress.
B) The president may attempt to strongly influence the votes of members of Congress.
C) The president may cast a vote to break a tie in either chamber of Congress.
D) The president may use the national media to lobby publicly for passage, or defeat, of the bill.
E) The president may openly state great displeasure with the outcome of the bill.

Question 60

The president may refuse to act upon or sign a bill for which he/she is opposed. If Congress passes a bill and sends it to the president within 10 days of the end of a congressional session and the president does not act on the bill, then the bill does not become law. This procedure is known as

A) the pocket veto.
B) a presidential override.
C) a filibuster.
D) cloture.
E) presidential oversight.

Question 61

Discuss the key differences between the powers granted to the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Question 62

What is meant by congressional oversight? What oversight authority is given to the House? What oversight authority is given to the Senate? Identify and discuss some of the unique oversight powers of the Senate, especially in relation to the other two branches of government.

Question 63

As an elected member of Congress prepares to vote on a proposed bill, he/she is influenced by a number of factors. List at least five modern factors and describe how they may affect the legislation process.

Question 64

What is a filibuster? Why is it used? How does it work, and how does it end?

Question 65

Explain the duties of each component of Congressional staffing: Congressional agencies, personal staff, and committee staff. Explain the role of each component in Congressional activity, especially legislative activity.

Question 66

Fully explain the development and role of special interest Congressional caucuses. Using examples, explain the operation of such caucuses in advancing particular positions and issues within Congressional activity.

Question 67

What role does the House of Representatives play in the impeachment and/or removal of the president or federal judges from office?

A) The House may bring formal impeachment charges against the individual, but such charges do not automatically remove the official from office.
B) Only the House of Representatives may vote to remove the official from office.
C) The House of Representatives has sole responsibility to both impeach and remove the official.
D) The House of Representatives can only recommend actions to the Senate.
E) The House of Representatives does not have a role in impeachment and/or removal proceedings.

Question 68

Assume a scenario in which the House of Representatives has considered the president's spending bill and has authorized military funding of $8 billion. After consideration of the same legislation, the Senate recommends authorization of $12 billion for military expenditures. Describe the process that the two chambers of Congress will utilize to come to consensus on this spending issue.

Question 69

Explain the impeachment power given to Congress. Compare and contrast the respective roles of the House and Senate.

Question 70

Identify and describe the roles of the leaders within each chamber of Congress. How do these leaders obtain their positions? How are leadership positions of the House and Senate similar? How are they different?

Question 71

The direct assistance that a member provides to a constituent is

A) confirmation of appointees.
B) ratification of treaties.
C) impeachment.
D) oversight.
E) casework.

Question 72

What role does the Senate play in the impeachment and/or removal of the president or federal judges from office?

A) The Senate has sole power to initiate impeachment proceedings, but these do not automatically remove the individual from office.
B) The Senate has the power to try and remove the individual from office after the House has charged the person with an offense.
C) The Senate is the only chamber with power to impeach, try, and remove the official.
D) Both chambers of Congress have equal power in the impeachment process.
E) The Senate does not have a role in impeachment and/or removal proceedings.

Question 73

The process of bringing a bill to the point of enacting it as legislation is a multi-step and often complicated process. Describe how a bill becomes a law. Be sure to discuss the steps taken, the political and partisan activity, the authority of committees, and the compromise involved in the process.