Deck 6: Congress: the First Branch

Question 1

The Senate has the power to approve treaties with a __________ vote.

A)plurality
B)majority
C)two-thirds
D)three-fourths
E)unanimous

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Leaders in the House have greater control over the agenda and debate compared to leaders in the Senate.Which principle of politics best explains this difference?

A)rationality principle
B)collective action principle
C)institution principle
D)policy principle
E)history principle

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which term best describes a legislative assembly, such as the Congress, that is divided into two chambers or houses?

A)bipolar
B)bilateral
C)bipartisan
D)bicameral
E)bipartite

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which political institution in the American system of government did the framers intend to be the closest to the people?

A)the Senate
B)the president
C)the Supreme Court
D)the House of Representatives
E)the Electoral College

Question 5

Representatives who believe that they have been selected by their fellow citizens in order to do what the legislator thinks is "right" act as

A)masters.
B)politicos.
C)delegates.
D)guardians.
E)trustees.

Question 6

The district that makes up the area from which an official is elected is known as his or her

A)home turf.
B)geographic center.
C)reelection base.
D)terra firma.
E)constituency.

Question 7

How long is the term of office for a U.S.senator?

A)two years
B)four years
C)six years
D)eight years
E)twenty years

Question 8

How many members are in the U.S.Senate?

A)100
B)102
C)350
D)435
E)535

Question 9

Members of Congress owe their primary responsibility to

A)the president.
B)their constituency.
C)their political party.
D)the congressional leadership.
E)campaign donors.

Question 10

How often do voters elect members to the House of Representatives?

A)every year
B)every two years
C)every four years
D)every six years
E)Members serve life terms.

Question 11

Representatives who believe that they have been elected in order to do the bidding of those who sent them to the legislature are considered to be serving as

A)trustees.
B)politicos.
C)delegates.
D)tools.
E)bosses.

Question 12

The agency conception of representation works because of the ambition of politicians (as agents) and the capacity of constituents (as principals) to

A)contribute significantly to campaign funds.
B)be aware of specific deals made by politicians on their behalf.
C)reward and punish on the basis of the legislator's performance and reputation.
D)acquiesce to legislative initiative that may counter citizens' immediate interests.
E)become fully informed about policy debates before Congress.

Question 13

The type of representation that holds representatives accountable to their constituents if they fail to represent the constituents properly is known as __________ representation.

A)constrictive
B)bicameral
C)agency
D)runaway
E)ex ante

Question 14

Members of Congress may act as delegates or trustees, but they must win the next election in order to pursue either role.This primary goal of electoral survival is an example of which type of action?

A)agency representation
B)accountability
C)collective action
D)instrumental behavior
E)experiential behavior

Question 15

One of the few national representative assemblies in the world that can actually be said to govern is the

A)National Diet of Japan.
B)United States Congress.
C)British House of Lords.
D)British House of Commons.
E)Russian Duma.

Question 16

How many members are in the U.S.House of Representatives?

A)100
B)350
C)390
D)435
E)535

Question 17

Agency representation is similar to the relationship between

A)seller and buyer.
B)parent and child.
C)master and pet.
D)landlord and tenant.
E)lawyer and client.

Question 18

A representative who voted to limit greenhouse gas emissions because she thought it was in the best interest of the country even though her constituency did not support that action exemplifies a __________ style of representation.

A)trustee
B)delegate
C)plebiscitary
D)runaway agent
E)jurisprudential

Question 19

When a senator voted against a gun-control bill that he agreed with but that his constituency did not support, he exemplified a __________ style of representation.

A)trustee
B)delegate
C)plebiscitary
D)runaway agent
E)platonic

Question 20

What is one way in which the founders made the Senate more distant from the will of the majority than the House?

A)Senators have to be U.S.citizens longer than House members.
B)Senators have longer terms than House members.
C)There are more senators than members of the House.
D)Senators have shorter terms than members of the House.
E)Senators have higher salaries than members of the House.

Question 21

Perhaps the most important factor determining who runs for Congress is

A)local party officials.
B)national party leaders.
C)incumbent politicians.
D)candidates' personal ambitions.
E)ballot access laws.

Question 22

Which term describes the direct services and benefits that congressional representatives provide for their districts such as appointing supporters to government offices or conferring grants and licenses to constituents?

A)patronage
B)incumbency
C)sponsorships
D)franking privileges
E)position-taking

Question 23

What is the minimum age required to serve as a U.S.senator?

A)21
B)25
C)30
D)35
E)40

Question 24

Which of the following helps explain pork-barrel activities in Congress?

A)the rationality principle, because incumbent legislators think funding all these projects is in the best interest of the nation for the federal government
B)the collective action principle, because legislators must join with other legislators in exchanging support for each other's projects
C)the history principle, because these tactics are quite new
D)the institution principle, because the institutions of Congress are designed to prevent distributive practices such as pork-barrel legislation
E)the policy principle, because pork-barrel legislation is Congress's primary tool for improving the national economy

Question 25

Article I of the Constitution specifies that the House of Representatives must originate all legislation on which topic?

A)national defense
B)taxes and spending
C)immigration
D)post offices
E)elections

Question 26

A professional legislature is one with members who

A)are assisted by paid staff.
B)negotiate contracts based on each member's ability to contribute to the legislature.
C)have stiff qualifications to run for office.
D)have professional positions outside of public service.
E)serve full time for multiple terms.

Question 27

In recent years, the rate of reelection for representatives seeking to return to service in the U.S.House of Representatives has been about __________ percent.

A)35
B)55
C)75
D)90
E)100

Question 28

The practice by congressional representatives of including language providing special benefits for their constituents in otherwise unrelated bills is called the

A)perk.
B)earmark.
C)hold.
D)prerogative.
E)itemized request.

Question 29

The so-called Bridge-to-Nowhere project for which Alaskan legislators secured federal funding to build a bridge to an unpopulated island in Alaska is an example of a(n)

A)perk.
B)earmark.
C)hold.
D)prerogative.
E)block grant.

Question 30

Compared to the Senate, the small size and relative homogeneity of House districts, combined with more frequent elections, make House members

A)more likely to work on a broad range of legislative issues.
B)more likely to be defeated in general elections.
C)less likely to travel back home to visit with constituents.
D)especially responsive to cues from party leaders.
E)especially responsive to the legislative needs of local interest groups.

Question 31

Compared to the House of Representatives, the Senate is much more

A)organized.
B)centralized.
C)specialized.
D)deliberative.
E)partisan.

Question 32

One well-known advantage of congressional incumbency is the

A)campaign.
B)political ad.
C)voting record.
D)franking privilege.
E)ballot rank priority.

Question 33

Compared to the House of Representatives, the Senate serves constituencies that are

A)larger and more diverse.
B)smaller and more diverse.
C)larger and more homogeneous.
D)smaller and more homogeneous.
E)older and wealthier.

Question 34

Holding a political office for which one is running is called

A)rank.
B)tenure.
C)seniority.
D)incumbency.
E)ladder-clinging.

Question 35

What is the general term for providing minor services to constituents, introducing bills for specific citizens, and attempting to influence decisions by agencies and regulatory commissions on their behalf?

A)pork barreling
B)constituency service (casework)
C)swilling the planters with bumbo
D)glad-handing
E)gerrymandering

Question 36

What is the minimum age required to serve as a member of the House of Representatives?

A)21
B)25
C)30
D)35
E)40

Question 37

Legislation that captures federal projects and funds for a congressional representative's own district is described as __________ legislation.

A)monkey-barrel
B)pickle-barrel
C)cracker-barrel
D)whiskey-barrel
E)pork-barrel

Question 38

Why does the Senate tend to be a more deliberative body than the House?

A)The Senate has more rules governing the lawmaking process.
B)The Senate is more centralized and organized.
C)The Senate has a strong commitment to the principle of unlimited debate.
D)The Senate has smaller constituencies.
E)The Senate has more members and thus a more diverse set of views.

Question 39

One of the primary goals of many incumbent legislators is to be reelected.Support for tools such as the franking privilege and the use of earmarks among incumbent legislators is best illustrated by which principle of politics?

A)rationality principle
B)institution principle
C)history principle
D)collective action principle
E)policy principle

Question 40

Compared to the Senate, the House of Representatives has exhibited considerably more

A)ideological unity.
B)intense partisanship.
C)deliberation of issues.
D)willingness to compromise.
E)indifference to public opinion.

Question 41

The franking privilege is an example of a tool that leads to

A)the incumbency advantage.
B)a professional legislature.
C)frequent ethics violations.
D)pork-barrel legislation.
E)patronage.

Question 42

Legislatures must make collective decisions despite divergent interests among legislators.Which of the following tools inhibits collective action among members of Congress?

A)organization of committees to produce policy information
B)formation of legislative parties
C)delegation of agenda power to legislative leaders
D)logrolling
E)bicameralism

Question 43

The theory of conditional party government holds that the institutional powers of party leaders are

A)robust in nearly all circumstances.
B)weak in nearly all circumstances.
C)greatest when party members share similar policy goals.
D)strongest when party members are heterogeneous.
E)weakest when policy disagreements between the two parties are frequent and stark.

Question 44

Which of the following is a reason legislators seek additional information to make intelligent choices?

A)Legislators do not vote for outcomes directly but on policies that produce outcomes, and there is uncertainty about whether a policy will produce the desired effect.
B)Legislators who acquire a reputation as policy experts can earn extra income consulting for executive agencies.
C)Because federal agencies publicly reveal the names of legislators who consult them, voters can reward or punish legislators for their efforts to make well-guided decisions.
D)Partisanship clouds the judgment of most legislators, forcing them to seek independent policy research.
E)The informal "rule of four" requires legislators to consult four outside experts before each major vote.

Question 45

In recent years, how have congressional party leaders sought to augment their formal powers?

A)fundraising for members, including the use of leadership political action committees (PACs)
B)limiting campaign spending to focus resources on the administrative and intellectual core of the party organization
C)setting affirmative action quotas on their leadership and membership
D)encouraging members to neglect their constituencies
E)building relationships with foreign leaders

Question 46

Which of the following explains why incumbents can still lose in spite of the incumbency advantage?

A)Incumbents have a long record of casework.
B)The importance and popularity of party labels changes.
C)Incumbents are too focused on the needs of constituents.
D)Incumbents are perceived to have youth and inexperience.
E)Reductions in the size of the House often force incumbents to run against each other.

Question 47

The party conference or caucus is a

A)group of nonofficeholders who administer the day-to-day affairs of the national parties.
B)communications network in each house of Congress that polls the membership to learn their voting intentions.
C)a group of lobbyists and interest groups who meet in the Capitol to ensure the success of the president's agenda.
D)meeting of a political or legislative group to select leaders and plan strategy.
E)meeting of legislators held every four years to choose a presidential candidate.

Question 48

Which term describes the act of redrawing congressional districts in such a way as to give unfair advantage to the political party in power?

A)mudzoning
B)redistricting
C)redlining
D)reapportionment
E)gerrymandering

Question 49

Amendments to the 1965 Voting Rights Act have increased the controversial practice of drawing congressional district boundaries on the basis of the

A)party identification of district residents.
B)race of district residents.
C)religion of district residents.
D)gender of district residents.
E)age of district residents.

Question 50

State legislatures must redraw congressional districts to reflect population changes every __________ years.

A)two
B)four
C)six
D)ten
E)twenty

Question 51

In recent decades, which areas of the country have gained U.S.House seats due to the reapportionment process following each census?

A)Northeastern states and Alaska
B)Southern states and Alaska
C)Midwestern and Northeastern states
D)Western and Southern states
E)Western and Midwestern states

Question 52

In the House of Representatives, who determines the order in which bills come up for a vote?

A)the majority whip
B)the president pro tempore
C)the Rules Committee
D)the Deliberations Committee
E)the Agenda Committee

Question 53

What is one of the most important powers of House majority party leaders?

A)nominating judges for the Supreme Court and other federal judgeships
B)screening and editing press releases by members of their congressional party delegations
C)selecting legislation for consideration in the House chamber
D)choosing which members will go on international fact-finding missions
E)distributing the patronage jobs controlled by the House and Speaker's office

Question 54

What is the area of policy over which a committee is assigned responsibility?

A)area of expertise
B)central function
C)domain
D)home turf
E)jurisdiction

Question 55

What is the term for choosing the chairs of Congressional committees based on which member has served on the committee the longest?

A)seniority rule
B)patronage
C)ranking-by-rotation
D)merit system
E)experience mandate

Question 56

In 2003, the Texas legislature redrew the Texas congressional district boundaries in a way that favored Republicans.This exemplifies the practice known as

A)gerrymandering.
B)pork barreling.
C)casework.
D)the franking privilege.
E)filibustering.

Question 57

Political scientists John Aldrich and David Rohde suggest that the role of political parties in Congress is "conditional" because it varies with the

A)degree to which party members share policy goals.
B)party of the president.
C)willingness of party leaders to confront opposing party leaders.
D)extent to which the media is more likely to cover political conflict.
E)size of the majority party's chamber share.

Question 58

A permanent legislative committee that considers legislation within its designated subject area is known as the

A)majority caucus.
B)permanent caucus.
C)standing committee.
D)administrative committee.
E)select subcommittee.

Question 59

Which Senate position is mentioned in the Constitution but currently wields little real power, so it is often held by the most senior member of the majority party?

A)the Speaker
B)the majority leader
C)the minority leader
D)the president pro tempore
E)the vice president

Question 60

Who is the chief presiding officer in the U.S.House of Representatives?

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

Question 61

The right and power to decide whether a bill will be submitted to the full chamber for consideration is known as

A)oversight power.
B)delegation power.
C)gatekeeping authority.
D)after-the-fact authority.
E)life-or-death power.

Question 62

Congress has established three staff agencies designed to provide the legislative branch with resources and expertise independent of the executive branch.These three agencies are the Congressional Research Service, the Congressional Budget Office, and the

A)Government Accountability Office.
B)National Security Agency.
C)Department of Commerce.
D)Federal Reserve Board.
E)Office of Management and Budget.

Question 63

The provision by the House Rules Committee that permits floor debate and the free opportunity to offer amendments to a bill is a(n)

A)open rule.
B)modifying rule.
C)developing rule.
D)closed rule.
E)motion to recommit.

Question 64

Why would opponents of a bill prefer an open rule to a closed rule?

A)Members of the House can exercise their filibuster power and block the legislation.
B)The open rule allows the other chamber to make a decision on the bill first.
C)The open rule prevents a bill's supporter from making further demands on minority party legislators.
D)The open rule makes it easier to add amendments that may weaken its chances of passing.
E)An open rule means that a bill can be recalled even after it is passed.

Question 65

The Congressional Research Service, which provides legislators with facts and competing arguments relevant to policy proposals or other legislative business, is an example of

A)the expansion of bureaucratic largesse.
B)the expansion of gatekeeping authority.
C)the application of after-the-fact authority.
D)a staff agency.
E)a congressional caucus.

Question 66

A rule allowing a three-fifths majority of U.S.senators to set a time limit on debate over a given bill is called

A)cloture.
B)preemption.
C)a closed rule.
D)a legislative veto.
E)duration power.

Question 67

When the 2009 omnibus spending bill was passed in different forms in the House and Senate, the group of legislators from each chamber that met to resolve interchamber differences was known as a(n) __________ committee.

A)standing
B)ad hoc
C)conference
D)bicameral
E)disagreement

Question 68

Who is the ultimate decision maker of any proposal made to a committee?

A)the committee chair
B)the set of subcommittee chairs on the committee
C)the presiding officer
D)the mean voter on the committee
E)the median voter on the committee

Question 69

Which term describes efforts by Congress to exercise control over the way bureaucrats implement policies?

A)post hoc authority
B)oversight
C)enforcement authority
D)agency loss management
E)administrative vetoes

Question 70

In the U.S.House of Representatives, how are the committee chairs now selected?

A)a strict seniority system
B)consensus of the House leadership
C)an election by members of the full legislature
D)an election by the members of the majority party
E)drawing of straws among majority committee members

Question 71

When the Committee on Agriculture focused on legislation supported by farm advocates instead of focusing on the desires of its parent chamber, the House, it exemplified the problem of

A)plenary abuse.
B)pork-barrel spending.
C)agency loss.
D)the discharge petition.
E)agency oversight.

Question 72

A committee's responsibility to bargain with the other chamber and to conduct oversight after legislation has passed is known as

A)post hoc authority.
B)enforcement authority.
C)proposal power.
D)after-the-fact authority.
E)veto avoidance.

Question 73

Imagine you are a newly elected member of the House from a district with a military base that provides many jobs for your constituents and access to federal resources.Due to budget cuts, there is pressure to close a number of bases across the country.The House Committee on Armed Services must deal with military base closure requests from the Defense Department.What is the best way you could prevent an attempt to close the base in your district?

A)sponsor a bill that prohibits the Defense Department from closing your district's base
B)request a seat on the Armed Services Committee
C)filibuster any bill that proposes closing your district's base
D)engage in logrolling
E)support the president on all his legislation in the hopes the president will veto any base closure requests that impact your district

Question 74

When members of the Senate prevent action on legislation they oppose by continuously holding the floor and speaking until the majority backs down, which tactic are they using?

A)cloture
B)advise and consent
C)blockade
D)blowback
E)filibuster

Question 75

Frequently, features of a bill are drafted initially or revised so as to be more inclusive, spreading the benefits widely among beneficiaries according to the principle of

A)policy allocation.
B)central frequency.
C)the distributive tendency.
D)interest-group pluralism.
E)the difference theory.

Question 76

A bill's supporters generally prefer that the Rules Committee decide to use a(n) __________ rule.

A)open
B)closed
C)termination
D)commencement
E)previous question

Question 77

When the Energy and Commerce Committee decided to bring a massive energy reform bill to the floor of the House for consideration, which of its powers did it exercise?

A)oversight power
B)proposal power
C)gatekeeping authority
D)after-the-fact authority
E)override authority

Question 78

Imagine you are a member of Congress and have sponsored a controversial piece of legislation overhauling the immigration system.The bill has made it through committee and has the support of leaders from both parties, but many of your colleagues are opposed to various provisions in the bill and would like to see substantial changes.What would you like to happen to ensure the bill is voted upon as originally drafted?

A)have the bill sent to the floor to be considered under a closed rule
B)have a colleague filibuster the bill
C)have the bill sent to the floor to be considered under an open rule
D)have the whips instruct your colleagues they are free to vote as they please
E)have each party's leader organize support for a discharge petition

Question 79

When Senator Strom Thurmond spoke for over 24 hours in an attempt to block a piece of civil rights legislation, he used the

A)cloture motion.
B)filibuster.
C)blockade.
D)blowback method.
E)moonshine.

Question 80

A group of senators or representatives who share certain opinions, interests, or social characteristics is called a(n)

A)caucus.
B)task force.
C)committee.
D)commission.
E)issue club.