Question 1

The second most powerful federal official (after the president)is often said to be

Accepted Answer

The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives is considered the second most powerful federal official because they hold significant control over the legislative agenda of the House and are third in line for the presidency (after the vice president and the House minority leader). The other options listed hold significant power within their respective committees or party leadership roles, but do not hold as much overall sway in the federal government as the Speaker of the House.

Question 2

Incumbents may have some problems in reelection campaigns if

Accepted Answer

All of the given options can potentially create problems for incumbents in reelection campaigns. Disruptive issues such as public discontent with Congress can lead voters to seek new representation, allegations of personal misconduct or corruption can create negative perceptions of the incumbent, midterm elections historically have lower voter turnout and can contribute to the incumbent's party losing seats, and redistricting can alter the makeup of an incumbent's district, potentially making it less favorable for the incumbent.

Question 3

In contrast with the Speaker of the House,the Senate majority leader

Accepted Answer

The Senate majority leader is not the presiding officer of the chamber, while the Speaker of the House serves as the presiding officer of the House of Representatives. The other answer choices are not necessarily incorrect, but they do not provide a clear contrast with the Speaker of the House.

Question 4

Senators are generally less likely to take directions from their leaders than House members because

Accepted Answer

Senators serve in a smaller, more exclusive chamber than the House and generally view themselves as equals to their colleagues. They are often less beholden to party leaders and more likely to vote based on their own beliefs and convictions.

Question 5

One must be ________ years of age to serve in the U.S.House of Representatives,and ________ years of age to serve in the U.S.Senate.

Accepted Answer

To serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, one must be at least 25 years old, and to serve in the U.S. Senate, one must be at least 30 years old.

Question 6

Most of the legislative work of Congress is performed by

Accepted Answer

Standing committees and their subcommittees are responsible for conducting most of the legislative work in Congress. They have jurisdiction over particular policy areas and are responsible for holding hearings, conducting research, and drafting legislation related to their areas of expertise. House and Senate leadership may also play a role in legislative work, but the standing committees are the primary actors. Joint committees, select committees, and steering committees are all important components of Congress, but they do not perform the majority of legislative work.

Question 7

Congressional staffers spend most of their time on

Accepted Answer

The answer of Congressional staffers spend most of their time...

Question 8

A standing committee in the House or Senate

Accepted Answer

A standing committee is a permanent committee that has jurisdiction over a particular policy area, has authority to draft, amend, and recommend legislation, and is usually organized according to the seniority principle. All of these answers are correct.

Question 9

Committee staffs within Congress

Accepted Answer

Committee staffs within Congress are primarily focused on legislative functions, assisting in the drafting, study, and analysis of proposed legislation.

Question 10

In the nation's first century,

Accepted Answer

In the nation's first century, service in Congress was not seen as a lifetime career for most of its members. Many members would only serve one or two terms and then return to their other professions. It was not until the late 19th and early 20th centuries that serving in Congress became more of a lifelong career.

Question 11

Legislation whose tangible benefits are targeted solely at a particular legislator's constituency is

Accepted Answer

Pork-barrel legislation, also known as earmarks, are laws that provide specific benefits to a particular legislator's constituency. These benefits are often in the form of government spending on projects that are intended to benefit a particular area or group of people represented by the legislator.

Question 12

Compared with the Senate majority leader,the Speaker of the House has more power because

Accepted Answer

The Speaker of the House has more power compared to the Senate majority leader for several reasons: the House places more limits on debate, allowing the Speaker to control the legislative agenda more tightly; the House, being larger, necessitates stronger leadership to manage its proceedings; the House has less of a tradition of being a chamber of equals, which means the Speaker can exert more control; and the Speaker serves as the presiding officer of the House, giving them significant authority over legislative procedures.

Question 13

If the Rules Committee applies the "closed rule" to a bill,

Accepted Answer

Applying a "closed rule" means that no amendments will be permitted on the bill.

Question 14

Campaign fundraising tends to be a much greater challenge for

Accepted Answer

Incumbents have a built-in advantage because they already have name recognition and access to resources, including donors and political action committees. Challengers and nonincumbents have to work harder to gain visibility and raise money from scratch.

Question 15

Compared to House incumbents,Senate incumbents are more likely to face the problem of

Accepted Answer

Senate races tend to be more competitive than House races, and Senate incumbents are more likely to face strong challengers from the opposite party, making it more difficult for them to win reelection. While fundraising and local favors are still factors, they are not as significant as the potential for a strong challenger. Therefore, option C is the best choice.

Question 16

The modern Congress is different from the nineteenth century Congress in that most members

Accepted Answer

The modern Congress is primarily composed of professional politicians who have ambitions of making a career out of their congressional service. This is a marked difference from the nineteenth century Congress, where many members were amateur politicians or had other professions and only served in Congress for a short time.

Question 17

Which one of the following statements about the seniority principle is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

The seniority principle is not absolute in the selection of committee chairs anymore. While seniority is still usually followed, there are exceptions where other factors are considered, such as a member's expertise or leadership skills.

Question 18

When the House and Senate pass different versions of a bill,the differences are resolved by a

Accepted Answer

When the House and Senate pass different versions of a bill, they appoint a conference committee made up of members from both chambers to reconcile the differences and create a final version of the bill that both houses can approve.

Question 19

Because of the inherent tension in Congress between the need for strong leadership at the top and the individual congressional member's need to act according to local concerns,

Accepted Answer

The tension between the need for strong leadership at the top and the individual congressional member's need to act according to local concerns often leads to power fragmentation in Congress. This means that power is not centralized in one particular individual or group, but rather dispersed among various factions within Congress. This can make it difficult for Congress to take effective action on important issues, as different groups may have competing priorities and interests.

Question 20

In Beyond Ideology,political scientist Frances Lee shows that

Accepted Answer

The answer of In Beyond Ideology,political scientist Frances Lee shows...

Quiz 15: Congress: Balancing National Goals and Local Interests

The second most powerful federal official (after the president) is often said to be