Deck 7: The Confederacy of Dunces: The Legislative Function Not in Bad Spanish

Question 1

A representative who utilizes both the trustee and delegate models of representation is referred to as a ______.

A)flip-flopper
B)partisan
C)politico
D)bipartisan

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The development of organized religion pulled lawmaking power away from kings because ______.

A)of the urge to sacrifice divine leaders
B)religion is the opiate of the masses
C)separate priesthoods developed with substantial influence over acceptable behavior
D)pious behavior is dull

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Gridlock is usually associated with which of the following?

A)policy instability
B)votes of no confidence
C)divided government
D)dictatorship

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The U.S.Congress is best described as a ______ legislature.

A)unicameral
B)bicameral
C)tricameral
D)multicameral

Question 5

Which of these nations had 12 different governments from 1990 to 2004?

A)Canada
B)Australia
C)Cuba
D)France

Question 6

A representative who relies on his or her own judgment when making legislative decisions is considered a ______.

A)delegate
B)trustee
C)politico
D)conservative

Question 7

A senator from the state of Oregon,knowing the citizens of Oregon support the right to die for the terminally ill,filibustered a vote in the Senate chamber that sought to preempt state right to die laws.This is an example of a ______.

A)delegate model of representation
B)trustee model of representation
C)political model of representation
D)partisan model of representation

Question 8

Which of the following refers to a representative who attempts to do exactly what the constituents want?

A)delegate
B)trustee
C)politico
D)conservative

Question 9

Which of the following is the name for the tactic used by Jefferson Smith in Mr.Smith Goes to Washington,which allows a senator or group of senators to talk indefinitely about a bill?

A)stranglehold
B)filibuster
C)hold
D)cloture

Question 10

Legislatures that use geographic representation and a first-past-the-post system produce which of the following?

A)proportional representation
B)ideological representation
C)delegate systems
D)two-party systems

Question 11

At one point,U.S.presidents accumulated so much power that Arthur Schlesinger Jr.warned of which of the following?

A)an imperial presidency
B)a dynamic presidency
C)a dual presidency
D)an amorphous presidency

Question 12

Question Hour in the British Parliament is an example of which legislative function?

A)legitimating
B)checking
C)education
D)legislating

Question 13

The U.S.House of Representatives is divided into 435 single-member districts providing what type of representation?

A)geographic
B)delegate
C)politico
D)trustee

Question 14

Which of the following is the primary concern of those who choose proportional representation?

A)a two-party system
B)geographic representation
C)ideological representation
D)checks and balances

Question 15

Most of the real lawmaking in democratic legislatures goes on ______.

A)in smoke-filled back rooms
B)on the floor of the legislature while it is in session
C)in committee
D)in private meetings with lobbyists

Question 16

Which of the following statements is true with regard to district elections?

A)The drawing of district lines for representatives is always done fairly and without political consideration.
B)What is in the interest of a representative's district is always in the nation's best interest.
C)Some countries use independent commissions to try to avoid gerrymandering.
D)Pork-barrel politics is a relic of the past and no longer occurs in modern times.

Question 17

Which of the following is not one of the five most important roles of the legislature identified in your text?

A)debating
B)lawmaking
C)representing
D)educating

Question 18

Parliamentary systems do not suffer from gridlock,but they can suffer from ______,which also can cause government to stall.

A)cohabitation
B)immobilism
C)reorientation
D)separation of powers

Question 19

Shadow governments are ______.

A)members of the minority party who would take over if they were in the majority
B)the protective services of government,such as the Secret Service
C)secret organizations that control global economic systems
D)made up of economic leaders who "pull the strings" even in democratic societies

Question 20

Under this arrangement,the two major parties of a nation work together to achieve a higher national purpose: ______.

A)cohabitation
B)unity government
C)minority government
D)social government

Question 21

The imperial presidency can happen only if the legislature fails to check its rise.

Question 22

A divided government does not have an impact on lawmaking in Congress.

Question 23

What purposes do bicameral legislatures serve,and why might some argue that they are redundant?

Question 24

That monarchs cannot create wealth even though their kingdoms depend on wealth is an example of ______.

A)a societal puzzle
B)a power struggle
C)a traditional monarchy
D)a dilemma of power

Question 25

Shadow governments are a form of checking in parliamentary governments.

Question 26

A legislature with 12 houses is referred to as bicameral.

Question 27

In most legislatures,much of the real lawmaking work goes on in the legislative chambers.

Question 28

Gerrymandering is the process of intentionally drawing districts to gain a partisan advantage.

Question 29

Describe what your text means by the "Bob solution" and how it relates to the concept of gridlock.

Question 30

Gridlock occurs when the checks and balances within the presidential system work too well.

Question 31

The duties of legislative committees include ______.

A)catering to the whims of the executive and judicial branches
B)holding hearings and debating
C)supervising elections and signing bills
D)making the passage of bills impossible

Question 32

Much like the United Kingdom's parliamentary system,the United States' presidential system closely links the powers of the presidency and the legislature.

Question 33

Which do you believe better serves democracy,district elections or proportional representation? Explain.

Question 34

A type of religious law,often associated with Islam,still practiced in some countries and regions today is ______.

A)sharia
B)Al-Qaeda
C)Islamic
D)Hinduism

Question 35

Define the term gerrymander and explain how gerrymandering affects district elections.

Question 36

Explain how the proliferation of political parties in a proportional representation system can lead to difficulties in creating a new public policy.

Question 37

Legislatures do not create laws.

Question 38

Checks and balances and the representation of the different segments of society are two reasons for a government to adopt ______.

A)a unicameral legislature
B)a bicameral legislature
C)a unitary governmental system
D)a monarchy

Question 39

Lawmaking is probably the most fundamental role that legislative institutions play.