Question 1

All of the following statements regarding congressional committees are true except

Accepted Answer

The Speaker of the House is not a member of all of the House of Representatives' committees. Instead, they typically only serve on one or two committees.

Question 2

A supermajority of ______________ votes is needed to end a filibuster in the U.S. Senate.

Accepted Answer

A supermajority of 60 votes is needed to end a filibuster in the U.S. Senate.

Question 3

The incentive to get reelected powerfully shapes the preferences and decisions of legislators. This incentive is often referred to as the ______________.

Accepted Answer

The term used to describe the incentive for legislators to be responsive to the preferences of their constituents in order to win reelection is the electoral connection. This is a powerful motivator for legislators to prioritize policies and decisions that will please their constituents and help secure their reelection.

Question 4

All of the following statements are true about Congress except

Accepted Answer

Congress has traditionally been composed of individuals from professional and business backgrounds rather than from working-class occupations. This trend has not significantly changed, making it less representative of the working class.

Question 5

Incumbents generally enjoy an advantage in elections for all of the following reasons except

Accepted Answer

Incumbents do not run as political outsiders. In fact, their experience in government is often a key part of their campaign messaging. The other reasons listed (A, B, C, and E) are all advantages that incumbents typically have in elections.

Question 6

Generally, Senate races are more competitive than House of Representatives races for all of the following reasons except

Accepted Answer

The two-year term of office for Senators does not allow them sufficient time to raise enough campaign money to discourage challengers. This is the opposite of the other reasons listed, which suggest that Senate races are more competitive due to factors such as larger constituencies and better-funded challengers.

Question 7

Congress may override a presidential veto ______________.

Accepted Answer

According to the Constitution, a presidential veto may be overridden only by a two-thirds vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. This is meant to ensure that a significant majority of the legislative branch supports the override and prevents the presidential veto from being easily overruled.

Question 8

The campaign money that a congressional candidate raises

Accepted Answer

Congressional candidates can receive donations from both inside and outside their district. Federal law allows individuals to donate up to $2,800 per election to a congressional candidate, regardless of whether the donor lives in that candidate's district or not. Furthermore, candidates can also receive money from political action committees (PACs) and political parties, many of which operate on a national level, so donations from outside the candidate's district are common.

Question 9

According to the text, between the years 1998-2012, labor unions spent $528 million on lobbying. In the same period, the finance, insurance, and real estate sectors alone spent ______________ on lobbying.

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to the text, between the years...

Question 10

The text cites Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia to illustrate its point that

Accepted Answer

Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia is cited as an example of a wealthy member of Congress who is a leading advocate of social programs for the poor, illustrating that wealth does not preclude a focus on social welfare.

Question 11

In the House of Representatives over the past fifty years, the number of Republicans from the South has ______________, and the number of Republicans from the Northeast has ______________.

Accepted Answer

Over the past fifty years, the Republican party has become more dominant in the South, leading to an increase in the number of Republican representatives from that region. At the same time, the Northeast has become more liberal, leading to a decrease in the number of Republican representatives from that region. Therefore, the correct answer is option B: increased in the South and decreased in the Northeast.

Question 12

As of 2013, women accounted for approximately 52 percent of the electorate, occupied approximately ______________ percent of the seats in the House, and occupied approximately ______________ percent of the seats in the Senate.

Accepted Answer

In 2013, women made up about 18% of the seats in the House and 20% in the Senate, despite being 52% of the electorate.

Question 13

Although the text notes that some legislators do a good job of representing constituents whose demographic characteristics are different from those of the legislators, the book states that the social background of legislators is important because

Accepted Answer

The book states that the social background of legislators is important because legislators bring assumptions to their work based on their life experiences, and variations in life experience are likely to affect legislators' sensitivity to and awareness of certain issues. While the text notes that some legislators can effectively represent constituents whose demographic characteristics are different from their own, this does not negate the importance of social background. The other answer choices are not supported by the text.

Question 14

Which of the following statements about political polarization is true?

Accepted Answer

According to various studies, including the Pew Research Center's Political Polarization in the American Public report in 2014, the average Republican has become more conservative on both social and economic issues, while the average Democrat has become more liberal on both types of issues. This has contributed to increased political polarization between the two major parties. Option A is incorrect because political differences within parties have also increased, contributing to the overall polarization. Option B is incorrect because political differences between the parties have actually increased. Option C is incorrect because the average Democrat has become more liberal on social issues and more conservative on economic issues. Option E is incorrect because the average Republican has become more conservative on both social and economic issues.

Question 15

Congress' responsibility to monitor, supervise, and review how the executive agencies of the federal government conduct their affairs is called ______________.

Accepted Answer

Oversight refers to Congress' responsibility to monitor, supervise, and review how the executive agencies of the federal government conduct their affairs. Casework refers to a member of Congress helping a constituent with a specific problem or concern. The electoral connection refers to the relationship between Congress and the voters in their districts or states. Confirmation refers to the Senate's role in approving presidential appointments to executive and judicial positions. Earmarks are funds that are specifically allocated for a particular project or purpose, often at the request of a member of Congress.

Question 16

In the 2008 Congressional elections, the candidate who raised the most money won ______________ of the time.

Accepted Answer

In the 2008 Congressional elections, the candidate who raised the most money won approximately 90 percent of the time, highlighting the significant impact of fundraising on electoral success.

Question 17

As of 2013, African Americans comprised approximately 12 percent of the electorate, occupied approximately ______________ percent of the seats in the House, and occupied approximately ______________ percent of the seats in the Senate.

Accepted Answer

According to the data given, African Americans comprised approximately 12 percent of the electorate. However, they did not occupy 12 percent of the seats in the House or the Senate. The correct answer can be found by process of elimination. Choice A is incorrect because it wrongly suggests that African Americans hold 5 percent of the seats in the House, which is not true. Choice B is incorrect because it suggests that African Americans hold only 1 percent of the seats in both the House and Senate, which is also not true. Choice D is incorrect because it suggests that African Americans hold 12 percent of the seats in both the House and Senate, which would be an over-representation. Therefore, the correct answer is C, which states that African Americans hold approximately 9 percent of the seats in the House and approximately 1 percent of the seats in the Senate, which are accurate representations of their current levels of representation.

Question 18

Who/what is an incumbent?

Accepted Answer

An incumbent is a person that currently holds a political office, such as a president, governor, or member of Congress. They are running for re-election and may have an advantage over their opponents because they already have name recognition and a track record that voters can evaluate.

Question 19

According to the text, earmarks are

Accepted Answer

Earmarks refer to the practice of inserting authorizations for a specific project in a bill.

Question 20

The text quotes a study by political scientist Larry Bartels comparing the preferences of constituents who are wealthy, middle class, and poor with the voting of senators on government spending, abortion, civil rights, and the minimum wage. The study found that

Accepted Answer

The study found that senators were more responsive to the opinions of the wealthy than to those of the middle class, and weren't at all responsive to the poor.

Quiz 7: The Congress