Deck 11: Congress

Question 1

Restrictions on congressional action include

A) no ex post facto laws.
B) no bills of attainder.
C) the bill of rights.
D) a bicameral legislature.
E) all of the above

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Powers of the federal government specifically mentioned in the Constitution are known as

A) elastic powers.
B) reserve powers.
C) supremacy powers.
D) powers of federalism.
E) enumerated powers.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Before the Constitution was amended, Senators were selected by

A) voters.
B) the electoral college.
C) state legislatures.
D) the House of Representatives.
E) the president.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

How many members of the House of Representatives are up for election every two years?

A) one-fourth
B) one-third
C) half
D) two-thirds
E) all

Question 5

The "Great Compromise" dealt with

A) representation in Congress.
B) election of the president.
C) abolition of slavery.
D) lawmaking authority of Congress
E) none of the above

Question 6

The ________ explicitly allows Congress to legislate beyond its enumerated powers.

A) sovereignty clause
B) elastic clause
C) First Amendment
D) separation of powers
E) full faith and credit clause

Question 7

There are ________ members in the US Senate.

A) 50
B) 100
C) 150
D) 350
E) 435

Question 8

The elastic clause is found where in the US Constitution??A) Article II, Section 2
B) Article I, Section 7
C) Article VI, Section 2
D) Article I, Section 8
E) Article IV

Question 9

The elastic clause is also known as the

A) supremacy clause.
B) reserve clause.
C) necessary and proper clause.
D) enumerated powers clause.
E) federalism clause.

Question 10

There are ________ members in the US Congress.

A) 100
B) 150
C) 335
D) 535
E) 435

Question 11

How many members of the Senate are up for election every two years?

A) one-fourth
B) one-third
C) half
D) two-thirds
E) all

Question 12

The Framers believed single-house legislative bodies

A) were the best in theory, but the people did not like them.
B) were prone to rash action.
C) were the best in practice, but not in theory.
D) had historically proven to be the best, but were now outdated.
E) none of the above

Question 13

The original Constitution called for

A) direct election of senators by the people.
B) indirect election of senators through an electoral college.
C) election of senators by state legislatures.
D) appointment of senators by the president.
E) none of the above

Question 14

There are ________ members in the US House of Representatives.

A) 50
B) 100
C) 150
D) 350
E) 435

Question 15

Enumerated powers are

A) the powers of the states.
B) the powers of Congress listed in the U.S. Constitution.
C) derived from implied powers.
D) the powers granted Congress by the Supreme Court.
E) provided for in the Bill of Rights.

Question 16

The Constitution originally called for election of senators by

A) the president.
B) the people.
C) the House of Representatives.
D) state governors.
E) state legislatures.

Question 17

The "Great Compromise" during the constitutional convention created an arrangement

A) that greatly enhanced the power of the large states.
B) that greatly enhanced the power of the small states.
C) where members of the House of Representatives were appointed by state legislators.
D) where Senators were elected by ordinary citizens.
E) that severely undermined the power of southern states.

Question 18

The Supreme Court case of US v. Lopez (1995) dealt with which clause of the US Constitution??A) The reserve clause
B) The elastic clause
C) The supremacy clause
D) The commerce clause
E) All of the above

Question 19

The direct election of Senators

A) will probably be passed in the next several decades.
B) was part of the original Constitution.
C) was passed in 1913 in the form of a constitutional amendment.
D) makes Senators the only members of Congress directly responsible to their constituents.
E) has made Congress work more quickly.

Question 20

All of the following EXCEPT which of the following were designed to limit the power of Congress?

A) necessary and proper clause
B) ex post facto clause
C) bill of attainder provision
D) habeas corpus provision
E) none of the above

Question 21

The trustee theory of representation calls on representatives to

A) reflect the views of their constituents.
B) use their own best judgment of the issues.
C) represent the views of their political party.
D) concentrate on the needs of organized interest groups.
E) follow elite leadership, such as the president's.

Question 22

Black representation in Congress

A) is well above the proportion of blacks in the general population.
B) was highest right before the Civil War.
C) is well below the proportion of blacks in the general population.
D) was highest in the 1920s.
E) is now at its lowest point in American history.

Question 23

According to Figure 11.1,

A) African-Americans are overrepresented in the House of Representatives.
B) Women have a greater percentage of members in the Senate than House of Representatives.
C) Hispanic-Americans' representation in Congress is lowest relative to the population of any minority group.
D) Hispanic-Americans are overrepresented in the Senate.
E) Asian-Americans make up a larger percentage of House than Senate members.

Question 24

According to the trustee model of representation, representatives should

A) be similar to their constituents.
B) use their own judgments on political issues.
C) try to mirror the views of the constituents.
D) defer to legislative leaders.
E) defer to the president.

Question 25

Which of the following best explains the demographic makeup of Congress?

A) It is basically representative of the demographic characteristics of the U.S. population.
B) It has remained virtually unchanged for 200 years.
C) It includes a greater percentage of minorities than the actual population.
D) It is not entirely consistent with the norm of political equality.
E) It has become less diverse over time.

Question 26

If a legislator is running far ahead in re-election polls, we might anticipate him or her practicing the ________ model of representation.

A) trustee
B) direct
C) delegate
D) indirect
E) presidential

Question 27

What is the principal instrument in democracy for linking citizens to government officials?

A) lobbyists
B) polls
C) elections
D) newspapers
E) letters

Question 28

The House of Representatives is most likely to use what kind of representation style??A) delegate
B) trustee
C) responsive
D) federal
E) local

Question 29

If a legislator anticipates a difficult election to retain his or her seat, we might expect him or her to follow the ________ model of representation.

A) trustee
B) direct
C) delegate
D) indirect
E) prospective

Question 30

Which type of occupation is noticeably absent among congresspersons?

A) blue-collar workers
B) professionals
C) lawyers
D) business executives
E) none of the above

Question 31

Reapportionment occurs

A) every ten years.
B) whenever Congress decides it should.
C) when the Supreme Court orders it.
D) every leap year.
E) none of the above

Question 32

If Senators are generally more inclined than House members to adopt the "trustee" role, it is probably due to the

A) size of their constituency.
B) fact that they are elected statewide.
C) fact that they have six-year terms.
D) fact that they are older.
E) fact that they are more responsible for issues of national security.

Question 33

The most common occupation of members of Congress is

A) businessperson.
B) political scientist.
C) lawyer.
D) teacher.
E) salesperson.

Question 34

What kind of representation is it when congressional makeup is similar to the demographic makeup of the nation as a whole??A) substantive representation
B) approximate representation
C) descriptive representation
D) delegate representation
E) trusteeship representation

Question 35

Who became the first female Speaker of the House in 2007?

A) Hillary Clinton
B) Nancy Pelosi
C) Barbara Boxer
D) Kay Bailey Hutchinson
E) Elizabeth Edwards

Question 36

"While acting as [your] representative, I shall be governed by [your] will, on all subjects upon which I have the means of knowing what [your] will is" Which model of representation does this quote demonstrate?

A) delegate
B) parliamentarian
C) trustee
D) determinist
E) retrospective

Question 37

Reapportionment

A) is most prominent in the Senate.
B) is rarely invoked for political reasons.
C) is done by statistical sampling.
D) has lead to an increase in House seats for the North and Eastern American states.
E) is also the technical name for the redistribution of congressional seats

Question 38

Which of the following describes a characteristic of the Senate, as opposed to the House of Representatives?

A) has a minimum age requirement of 25 years
B) originates revenue bills
C) has the power to bring impeachment charges
D) gives advice and consent to the president on treaties
E) all of the above

Question 39

Reapportionment is required by

A) the US Constitution.
B) the state governments.
C) state governors.
D) the US president.
E) Congress.

Question 40

"Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays you, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion." This quote is consistent with the ________ model of representation.

A) trustee
B) direct
C) delegate
D) indirect
E) presidential

Question 41

In Hunt v. Cromartie (2001) the Supreme Court ruled that congressional districts

A) could not be drawn in irregular forms unconnected to traditional political jurisdictions.
B) must be drawn so that minority representation is increased.
C) race can be a significant, but not the dominant factor in drawing district lines.
D) must be drawn to guarantee districts of equal size.
E) could not be drawn by partisan legislatures.

Question 42

What might one conclude by looking at Figure 11.2??A) The South is growing at a greater rate than any other region in the country.
B) The Pacific-northwest has had a net loss in congressional seats.
C) The Northeast is gaining in population relative to the rest of the nation.
D) Including Texas, the Southwest has gained the most representation of any other region.
E) all of the above

Question 43

Which of these statements is correct?

A) Candidates from both major parties spend such enormous amounts of money on campaigns that the amount spent by either candidate has little relationship to the final outcome.
B) Incumbents are reelected in such high numbers that they are able to spend relatively limited funds and are usually outspent by their opponents.
C) Federal campaign laws now strictly limit the amounts of money that can be spent campaigning for Congress.
D) Although the candidate who spends the most money does not always win, the amount of money spent is related to the probability of winning.
E) Challengers typically receive more PAC money than incumbents.

Question 44

When members of Congress provide federal dollars to their home district in the form of contracts and subsidies, it is referred to as

A) pork.
B) casework.
C) franking.
D) log-rolling.
E) beef.

Question 45

Congressional "casework" includes

A) filing legal briefs on behalf of public interest groups.
B) helping constituents solve red-tape problems with the federal bureaucracy.
C) intervening with police when constituents are held without reasonable bail.
D) introducing legislation that would regulate the judicial branch.
E) polling for constituent opinion.

Question 46

The Supreme Court ruled in 1964 that congressional districts had to be approximately the same size. This ruling was based on the

A) principle of separation of powers.
B) protection of political liberty.
C) principle of one-person, one-vote.
D) principal of equality of result.
E) principle of popular sovereignty.

Question 47

Figure 11.4 is clear that

A) members of both houses of Congress are regularly challenged through competitive races for their seats.
B) Senators are reelected at a higher rate, on average, as members of the House of Representatives.
C) Senators are reelected at the same rate, on average, as members of the House of Representatives.
D) members of the House have a higher reelection rate, on average, than Senators.
E) neither set of incumbents for both house of Congress have a measurable advantage.

Question 48

Gerrymandering is

A) the guarantee of political equality on election day.
B) the process of redrawing congressional district lines to gave a partisan advantage to a party or candidate.
C)

Public subsidization of mail from the members of Congress to their constituents.
D) the regular process of reapportionment every 10 years.
E) used to increase the level of substantive representation in Congress.

Question 49

Which is NOT a reason why it costs a lot more to run for Congress today?

A) inflation
B) greater reliance on campaign technologies
C) weakening party loyalty among the voters
D) election contests have become much more competitive
E) none of the above

Question 50

Using the Framework answers

A) why Democrats continue to support large governmental spending projects.
B) why President Bush used the veto to keep congressional spending in check.
C) why unified government is an important governmental-level condition for fiscal conservatism.
D) why Republicans pushed through an expensive highway bill when they were in control of government.
E) why Democrats opposed the highway spending bill.

Question 51

The leadership in Congress often schedules important votes between Tuesday and Thursday because

A) this prevents voting on holidays.
B) this allows congress members to reserve Mondays and Fridays for studying bills.
C) members often travel back home on Friday and don't get back in time for business on Monday.
D) Mondays and Fridays are when important committee meetings are held.
E) all of the above

Question 52

The largest portion of money spent on congressional campaigns comes from

A) parties.
B) individuals.
C) PACs.
D) the candidates themselves.
E) committees.

Question 53

Congressional casework refers to

A) writing bills to submit to Congress.
B) bargaining over legislation.
C) dealing with the media, interest groups, and other organizations outside Congress.
D) helping constituents solve red-tape problems with the federal bureaucracy.
E) polling for constituent opinion.

Question 54

What is one consequence of recent redistricting efforts among the states??A) Very few House races are competitive because most redistricting protects incumbents.
B) Competition among House races has increased.
C) More and more states are using independent commissions to redistrict.
D) Campaign contributions for House races have declined.
E) Presidents make fewer campaign stops in House races.

Question 55

How much are Party committees allowed to give to each congressional candidate per campaign?

A) $1,000
B) $3,000
C) $5,000
D) $10,000
E) There is no limit.

Question 56

When congressional districts are drawn in strange configurations to benefit one party over another, it is called

A) cloture.
B) filibustering.
C) gerrymandering.
D) reapportionment.
E) census building.

Question 57

Political Action Committees (PACs)

A) can contribute an unlimited amount to any one congressional candidate.
B) are limited in the total amount they can contribute to congressional candidates.
C) are unregulated concerning the sources of their fundraising.
D) contribute more than 75 percent of all congressional campaign funds.
E) are subcommittees of the FEC.

Question 58

Figure 11.3 reveals that

A) open seats lead to the highest percentage of money raised for both House and Senate races.
B) House challengers raise a higher percentage of campaign funds than challengers of Senate seats.
C) incumbent Senators raise a higher percentage of campaign money than incumbent Representatives.
D) incumbents of both Houses have a distinct advantage over challengers in raising money for elections.
E) none of the above

Question 59

The By the Numbers diagram shows

A) that drawing congressional lines make little difference to representation in Congress.
B) how districts of equal size leads to equal representation across minority groups.
C) how drawing congressional lines matters to party control of Congress.
D) that drawing congressional line by population leads to equal opportunities for both parties to compete for congressional seats.
E) none of the above

Question 60

The franking privilege allows members of Congress to

A) help constituents solve red-tape problems with the federal bureaucracy.
B) mail literature related to government to constituents free of charge.
C) travel to their districts free of charge.
D) testify in Congress with immunity from arrest or imprisonment.
E) park for free in Washington, DC.

Question 61

Members of the House vote in conformity with the majority opinion in their districts about

A) one-fourth of the time.
B) one-third of the time.
C) half the time.
D) two-thirds of the time.
E) nearly all of the time.

Question 62

Who among the following have been Speakers of the House?

A) Tip O'Neill
B) Jim Wright
C) Tom Foley
D) Newt Gingrich
E) All of the above

Question 63

Which of these is a reason for the rise of partisanship in Congress?

A) In the electorate and among the members of Congress, Democrats are becoming more liberal and Republicans are becoming more consistently conservative.
B) The changing regional bases of the parties have created new alliances.
C) Partisan conflict and division is happening across the board in the country.
D) Party advocacy groups are pressured strongly to act as partisans as they go about their legislative tasks.
E) all of the above

Question 64

Who is next in line after the Vice-President in succeeding the President of the United States??A) Secretary of Defense
B) Chief of Staff
C) Secretary of State
D) Speaker of the House
E) Majority Leader in the Senate

Question 65

Congressional incumbents

A) win at lower rates than they did several decades ago.
B) cannot receive money directly from PACs.
C) win at about the same rates as they did in the late 1970s.
D) increasingly come from relatively "safe" districts.
E) receive less PAC dollars than their challengers.

Question 66

Who does the filibuster benefit?

A) majority party in the House.
B) chairman of the majority party's National Committee.
C) chairs of the major committees in the House.
D) voters.
E) the president.

Question 67

Which of the following is NOT a standing committee in the US House of Representatives??A) Agriculture
B) Transportation
C) Natural Resources
D) Veterans' Affairs
E) Ways and Means

Question 68

Legislative oversight involves

A) maintaining control over expenditures by congressional staff.
B) keeping an eye on how the executive branch carries out the provisions of congressional statutes.
C) regulating the activities of lobbyists and political action committees (PACs).
D) establishing procedures for implementation of congressional codes of conduct.
E) voting on congressional rules and procedures.

Question 69

How does the U.S. Congress differ from the British parliamentary system?

A) Congress is a less powerful body than the British Parliament.
B) Individual members of Parliament have more freedom to vote their own best judgment than do members of Congress.
C) Congress has more substantial powers independent of the executive than does the British Parliament.
D) Congress has no control over treaties negotiated by the president, whereas the British Parliament has the power to reject treaties.
E) Congressional party leadership is much stronger.

Question 70

The Constitutional presiding officer of the Senate is the

A) Speaker.
B) president pro tempore.
C) vice-president.
D) majority leader.
E) chief justice of the US Supreme Court.

Question 71

Which of the following is NOT a standing committee in the US Senate??A) Budget and Finance
B) Transportation
C) Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment
D) Veterans' Affairs
E) Foreign Relations

Question 72

Which of the following is one of the reasons for increased party unity in Congress?

A) weak leadership on the part of Speaker Newt Gingrich
B) a growing number of moderate Republicans in Congress after the 1994 elections
C) the large number of conservative, mostly southern, Republicans elected in 1994
D) the ability of party leaders, finally, to enforce stricter party discipline
E) decentralized committee structure.

Question 73

Members of Congress do most of their work

A) in committees and subcommittees.
B) on the floor.
C) behind closed doors.
D) with the approval of the Senate.
E) with the approval of the president.

Question 74

What is a standing committee?

A) one that always takes a position on a bill before reporting it out of committee
B) a permanent committee
C) a temporary committee
D) one that always takes roll calls by having members stand
E) a committee that resolves differences between House and Senate versions of a bill.

Question 75

Public opinion least influences members of Congress

A) when issues are about public morality.
B) on issues of high visibility and public concern.
C) when issues are about foreign affairs.
D) on issues of low visibility and low public concern.
E) on issues of presidential priority.

Question 76

What factor is the single most important predictor of how a member of Congress will vote on a bill?

A) political party
B) the president's position
C) committee leadership
D) party leadership in the Congress
E) citizen preferences

Question 77

According to Figure 11.5, party voting in Congress has

A) remained about the same since the 1970s.
B) declined since the 1970s.
C) rarely reached a percentage higher than fifty.
D) increased since the 1970s.
E) has always been higher for Republicans.

Question 78

The best single predictor of how a congress member will vote is

A) tradition
B) political party
C) ideology
D) presidential leadership
E) citizen preferences

Question 79

How are members of Congress different from members of European parliaments?

A) American members of Congress are less likely to vote along party lines.
B) American candidates for congressional seats are hand picked by party leaders.
C) There is a greater concentration of power in the U.S. Congress.
D) American legislators are elected in state-wide at large elections.
E) all of the above

Question 80

Between 1994 and 2006 congressional elections, the Republicans control the House of Representatives. Thus,

A) all chairmanships of standing committees were Republicans.
B) Democrats are not allowed on important committees.
C) Democrats cannot vote on committee matters.
D) all ranking committee members were Republicans.
E) all of the above