Deck 13: Congress

Question 1

If the Framers had created a parliament instead of a congress, it is reasonable to assume that its principal function would be

A) representation and action.
B) investigation and censure.
C) involvement in the details of administration.
D) conducting foreign policy.
E) debate.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

In a parliamentary system, when members of the government's party vote against the parliament, the leadership must

A) form an alliance with the opposition.
B) appeal to the people to influence their representatives.
C) dissolve the parliament and form a new government.
D) resign and name someone from the opposing party to lead the government.
E) resign and join the opposing party.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution confers on Congress all of the following powers except

A) the power to veto bills.
B) the power to collect taxes.
C) the power to declare war.
D) the power to establish courts.
E) the power to regulate commerce.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The principal work of Congress is

A) debate.
B) deliberation.
C) representation.
D) action.
E) both C and D.

Question 5

The current salary for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives is approximately

A) $90,000.
B) $120,000.
C) $170,000.
D) $230,000.
E) $500,000.

Question 6

The text suggests that the importance of congressional legislators, compared with that of members of Parliament, can best be inferred from the

A) resources they receive while in office.
B) number of votes they receive in elections.
C) number of votes they cast while in office.
D) frequency with which they debate major bills.
E) number of committee assignments they have.

Question 7

The overriding political question throughout the evolution of Congress has been the

A) balance of power among Congress, the executive, and the judiciary.
B) distribution of powers within Congress.
C) curtailment of presidential activism.
D) role of the parties in selecting members.
E) rules pertaining to committee assignments.

Question 8

A basic difference between a parliament such as Great Britain's and the U.S. Congress is

A) that the principal role of Congress is to debate national issues.
B) members of Parliament have more power and higher pay.
C) members of Congress are more likely to vote the party line.
D) Congress does not select a president.
E) none of the above.

Question 9

Under the original U.S. Constitution, members of the House, unlike members of the Senate, were selected by

A) direct elections.
B) the president.
C) state legislatures.
D) primary runoffs.
E) regional coalitions.

Question 10

Which of the following statements concerning members of the British House of Commons is correct?

A) They are poorly paid.
B) They have no offices of their own.
C) They have virtually no staff.
D) They are allowed small sums to buy stationery.
E) All of the above.

Question 11

Besides the United States, which other nations have congresses?

A) Great Britain only
B) Most European nations and China
C) Most European nations only
D) Great Britain and most European nations only
E) Many Latin American countries

Question 12

A person becomes a candidate for representative of senator in the U.S. Congress by

A) a lottery of candidates held by each party.
B) running in a primary election.
C) majority vote of party leaders.
D) the head of each party.
E) two-thirds vote of a committee of party leaders.

Question 13

In the typical public opinion poll,

A) Congress is the most popular branch of government.
B) Congress is the least popular branch of government.
C) Congress is more popular than the president, but not the judiciary.
D) Congress is more popular than the judiciary, but not the president.
E) the three branches of government are equally popular.

Question 14

Once they are in the legislature, members of a parliament discover they can only make one important decision:

A) whether or not to join a committee.
B) what strategy they will use in their next primary election.
C) whether or not to support the government.
D) how to best please their constituents.
E) how to best allocate the considerable resources of the office.

Question 15

Parliament comes from a French word, that means

A) to talk.
B) parity.
C) to act.
D) legislate.
E) reconsider.

Question 16

In Great Britain's parliamentary system, candidates for Parliament are selected by

A) other members of Parliament, as in a private club.
B) the people, through primary elections.
C) delegates to the party conventions.
D) the party.
E) the prime minister.

Question 17

The term bicameral, used to describe the U.S. legislature, means that the legislature

A) has two chambers, or legislative bodies.
B) is elected every two years.
C) consists of both committees and a main body.
D) is based on a system of checks and balances.
E) is apportioned once every ten years.

Question 18

If Congress were to act quickly and decisively as a body,

A) there would have to be strong central leadership.
B) there would have to be restrictions on debate.
C) there would have to be fewer opportunities for stalling tactics.
D) there would have to be minimal committee interference.
E) All of the above

Question 19

Congress was designed by the Founders in ways that almost inevitably make it

A) efficient.
B) popular.
C) unpopular.
D) proactive.
E) respected.

Question 20

Under the original U.S. Constitution, members of the Senate, unlike members of the House, were selected by

A) direct elections.
B) the president.
C) state legislatures.
D) primary runoffs.
E) regional coalitions.

Question 21

In terms of its percentage of women and nonwhite members since 1950, the Senate, compared with the House, has

A) been slower to change.
B) changed at about the same rate as the House.
C) been faster to change.
D) fewer women and nonwhites in powerful positions.
E) not changed at all.

Question 22

Studies suggest the incumbency advantage is worth ______ percentage points today.

A) two
B) three to four
C) five
D) six to eight
E) thirty

Question 23

One irony of the first U.S. senatorial elections was that

A) vote turnout was particularly low.
B) very few incumbent members even bothered to run for reelection.
C) most of the members of the Senate were replaced by members of the House.
D) most of the Senators who lost were reelected to the House of Representatives.
E) most of those who had been previously selected by the state legislatures won reelection.

Question 24

The first serious effort to restrict the filibuster appeared in the aftermath of a foreign policy clash between the Senate and President

A) Wilson.
B) Jefferson.
C) Grant.
D) Truman.
E) Eisenhower.

Question 25

The purpose of a filibuster is to

A) ensure that all sides of an issue are heard.
B) delay action in a legislative body.
C) protect majority rule.
D) shift legislative power to Senate committees.
E) magnify the impact of specific special interests.

Question 26

Being a congressman was not regarded as a career during the 1860s because

A) the federal government was not that important.
B) it was difficult to travel to Washington.
C) Washington was not considered a pleasant place to live.
D) the job did not pay well.
E) all of the above.

Question 27

Today, it takes ___ members of the Senate to cut off debate.

A) 50
B) 51
C) 60
D) 75
E) 99

Question 28

One proposed explanation for why congressional seats have become less marginal is that

A) the growing strength of the party system makes it less likely for challengers to appeal to average voters.
B) incumbents can use their powers to get programs passed that benefit their districts, and thereby themselves.
C) incumbents are less likely than challengers to become associated with the "mess" in Washington.
D) changing demographics have made an increasing number of districts overwhelmingly Democratic or Republican.
E) incumbents are less ideological than challengers and link themselves with Congress as an institution.

Question 29

The "Blue Dog" Caucus consists of Democrats who happen to be

A) extremely liberal.
B) moderately conservative.
C) from the Southeastern United States.
D) from districts that feature coastal waterways.
E) senior to most of the members in their region.

Question 30

The typical member of Congress is a(n)

A) middle-aged, white, Protestant businessman.
B) older, white, Protestant businessman.
C) older, white, Catholic lawyer.
D) middle-aged, white, Protestant lawyer.
E) young, white communications major.

Question 31

The 1992 and 1994 midterm elections brought scores of new members to the House because

A) of the redrawing of congressional districts after the 1990 census.
B) of voter disgust at a variety of political scandals.
C) the South became a Republican stronghold.
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Question 32

In terms of the composition of its membership, the House since 1950 has become

A) less male and less white.
B) less male and more white.
C) more male and less white.
D) more male and more white.
E) none of the above.

Question 33

All of the following statements concerning the filibuster are correct except

A) it became a common feature of Senate life by the end of the nineteenth century.
B) it became an unpopular feature of Senate life by the end of the nineteenth century.
C) it was used by liberals and conservatives alike.
D) there have been attempts to restrict its use.
E) today, it takes seventy-five senators to end debate.

Question 34

The anti-incumbent mood that voters have directed toward members of Congress in recent years has worked to the disadvantage of

A) Democrats.
B) Republicans.
C) Democrats and Republicans equally.
D) independents.
E) Republicans and independents.

Question 35

Serving in Congress had become a career by the

A) 1950s.
B) 1960s.
C) 1970s.
D) 1980s.
E) 1990s.

Question 36

By the end of the nineteenth century, the Senate was known as the ____________ Club.

A) Recalcitrant
B) BMOC
C) Hunt
D) Millionaire's
E) Vice President's

Question 37

A marginal district is one in which

A) voters frequently change party affiliation.
B) the constituency is made up largely of minority groups.
C) voters are not clear as to which candidate is the incumbent.
D) gerrymandering has produced a loose affiliation of interest groups.
E) the winner in an election gets less than 55 percent of the vote.

Question 38

In the last thirty congressional elections, the gap between votes and seats in the House is illustrated by the fact that the

A) Republican percentage of votes has been higher than the Republican percentage of House seats.
B) Republican percentage of votes has been lower than the Republican percentage of House seats.
C) Democratic percentage of votes has been higher than the Democratic percentage of House seats.
D) Democratic percentage of votes has been lower than the Democratic percentage of House seats.
E) Both A and D

Question 39

All of the following statements concerning term limits are correct except

A) the movement to impose term limits began in the 1980s.
B) the House approved a constitutional amendment to limit terms.
C) a constitutional amendment to limit terms died in the Senate.
D) the Supreme Court has struck down a state law limiting the terms of members of Congress.
E) the Supreme Court has struck down a state law limiting the terms of members of state legislatures.

Question 40

The ________ changed the manner in which U.S. senators were selected.

A) Thirteenth Amendment
B) Fifteenth Amendment
C) Sixteenth Amendment
D) Seventeenth Amendment
E) Twentieth Amendment

Question 41

Members of the Senate must have been a citizen of the United States for at least _______ years.

A) two
B) four
C) six
D) seven
E) nine

Question 42

The most important aspect of the process of selecting Senate members for key leadership and committee positions is

A) paying off political debts.
B) finding the best person available for the job.
C) selecting individuals who make an effective television appearance.
D) achieving ideological and regional balance.
E) returning political favors.

Question 43

The explanation for congressional voting behavior that assumes members vote to please their constituents is referred to as

A) representational.
B) conventional.
C) organizational.
D) attitudinal.
E) relational.

Question 44

The best way to understand how Congress carries out its business is to think of it as

A) a single, centralized bureaucracy.
B) anarchy in a three-piece suit.
C) a collection of different kinds of organizations.
D) a temporary alliance between warring camps.
E) a bureaucracy headed by a king.

Question 45

The author's suggest a Congressman's final vote on a bill

A) usually reflects the views of the president.
B) may conceal as much as it reveals.
C) rarely contradicts the views of leadership.
D) is often unrecorded.
E) is the best measure of his/her views.

Question 46

If you wished to study the real leadership office in the Senate, you would most likely focus on the

A) president pro tempore.
B) majority leader.
C) party whip.
D) chairperson of the Policy Committee.
E) chairperson of the Judiciary Committee.

Question 47

The explanation for congressional voting behavior that assumes members vote to please their colleagues is referred to as

A) representational.
B) conventional.
C) organizational.
D) attitudinal.
E) relational.

Question 48

Recent changes in the composition of Congress have resulted in

A) a more moderate Senate.
B) a more moderate House.
C) a more ideological and partisan House.
D) a more nonpartisan Senate.
E) a more nonpartisan House.

Question 49

In the organizational view of congressional voting, the principal cue is

A) race.
B) gender.
C) legal education.
D) party.
E) seniority.

Question 50

The British House of Commons differs most obviously from Congress in the role played in it by

A) money.
B) primaries.
C) party organization.
D) general elections.
E) legislative roles.

Question 51

Since the 1980s, the conservative coalition has become less important because

A) reapportionment has given moderates an advantage in policymaking.
B) rules changes have weakened party discipline.
C) congressional leadership changes hands more frequently.
D) many southern Democrats in Congress have been replaced by southern Republicans.
E) northern Republicans are more influential.

Question 52

Members of the House of Representatives must have been a citizen of the United States for at least ______ years.

A) two
B) four
C) six
D) seven
E) nine

Question 53

The conservative coalition in Congress consists of

A) southern Democrats and Republicans.
B) western Democrats and Republicans.
C) southern Republicans and Democrats.
D) western Republicans and Republicans.
E) none of the above.

Question 54

One study reported in the text showed that the strongest correlation between congressional voting and constituency opinion was in the area of

A) social welfare.
B) foreign policy.
C) taxation.
D) commercial regulation.
E) civil rights.

Question 55

From the standpoint of the ambitions of a newly elected Republican senator, the most important element in party organization is the

A) Steering Committee.
B) party whip.
C) Foreign Relations Committee.
D) president pro tempore.
E) Committee on Committees.

Question 56

A member of the Senate has just been elected to a position that requires him to keep the majority leader informed about the opinions of other party members. He has just been elected

A) majority party whip.
B) president pro tempore.
C) chairman of the Steering Committee.
D) chairman of the Policy Committee.
E) chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

Question 57

A problem with the representational interpretation of congressional voting behavior is that

A) senior members of Congress have little need to be concerned about public opinion.
B) on many key issues, public opinion is weak or vague.
C) such representation relates to the House but not to the Senate.
D) most politicians are not theoreticians.
E) most politicians have a strong academic background.

Question 58

From the standpoint of the ambitions of a newly elected Democratic senator, the most important element in party organization is the

A) Steering Committee.
B) party whip.
C) Foreign Relations Committee.
D) president pro tempore.
E) Judiciary Committee.

Question 59

The explanation for congressional voting behavior that assumes members vote on the basis of their individual beliefs is referred to as

A) representational.
B) conventional.
C) organizational.
D) attitudinal.
E) relational.

Question 60

Members of Congress can influence legislation by

A) voting.
B) conducting hearings.
C) marking up bills in committee hearings.
D) offering amendments.
E) all of the above.

Question 61

Among the many powers of the House Speaker is that he/ she

A) determines the committee assignment of bills.
B) assigns party members to the various committees.
C) keeps party leaders informed about the opinions of their party members.
D) schedules legislation.
E) takes the minutes.

Question 62

The complexity of the procedure for enacting a law gives the advantage to the bill's

A) party supporters.
B) opponents.
C) congressional sponsors.
D) supporters in the executive branch.
E) supporters in the media.

Question 63

An unusual feature of the Democratic Study Group is that its members are

A) extremely conservative.
B) all above 70 years of age
C) unpublicized.
D) not running for reelection.
E) chairs of major committees.

Question 64

___________ decide(s) the outcome of disputed congressional elections.

A) Congress alone
B) Congress and the Supreme Court
C) The Supreme Court
D) State legislatures
E) Governors

Question 65

Which of the following statements about the speed with which bills move through Congress is correct?

A) It has been decreasing as Congress has grown.
B) It has been increasing as a result of teller votes.
C) It is depressingly slow in most cases.
D) It has been increasing in the electronic age.
E) It can vary enormously.

Question 66

The typical Congress will feature over ______ subcommittees.

A) a dozen
B) two dozen
C) 50
D) 80
E) 100

Question 67

The Supreme Court ruled that Senator William Proxmire was outside of the protection of the "privileged speech" when he discussed _________ in the United States Senate.

A) the mating habits of geese
B) research on monkeys
C) a controversial study of milk cows
D) steroids
E) drag racing

Question 68

The staff agency that advises Congress on the probable economic effect of different spending programs and the cost of proposed policies is the

A) Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
B) General Accounting Office (GAO).
C) Congressional Research Service (CRS).
D) Office of Technology Assessment (OTA).
E) Congressional Research Fund (CRF).

Question 69

The type of committee most likely to deal with a bill near the end of its legislative process is the

A) standing committee.
B) select committee.
C) conference committee.
D) joint committee.
E) rejoinder committee.

Question 70

Because they are usually the only ones that can report out bills, the most important committees are the

A) joint committees.
B) conference committees.
C) standing committees.
D) select committees.
E) rejoinder committees.

Question 71

Which of the following statements about most joint resolutions is correct?

A) They require the approval of both houses but not the signature of the president.
B) They require the approval of one house only along with the signature of the president.
C) They must be approved by a two-thirds vote of each house.
D) They require the approval of both houses and the signature of the president.
E) They must be approved by all members of both chambers.

Question 72

Most of the power in Congress is found in

A) the chairmanship of committees and subcommittees.
B) specialized caucuses.
C) state delegations.
D) party leaders.
E) caucuses.

Question 73

The original purpose of the General Accounting Office (GAO) was to perform

A) research in the Library of Congress.
B) audits of financial records.
C) evaluations of technological advancements.
D) employment application evaluations.
E) audits of high-ranking military officers.

Question 74

Since the 1970s, the chairpersons of House committees have been chosen by

A) teller vote.
B) voice vote.
C) years of seniority.
D) the Committee on Committees.
E) secret ballot.

Question 75

Increased reliance on staff has made Congress more

A) collegial.
B) personal.
C) deliberative.
D) philanthropic.
E) individualistic.

Question 76

Where is the real work of Congress done?

A) On the House floor
B) On the Senate floor
C) In the caucuses
D) In floor sessions in both houses
E) In the committees in both houses

Question 77

In the Senate, committees such as Small Business, and Veterans' Affairs are examples of

A) major committees.
B) minor committees.
C) select committees.
D) conference committees.
E) rejoined committees.

Question 78

If you were a newly elected member of Congress interested in becoming an expert on a particular policy and influencing your colleagues on this policy, you would probably ask to be assigned to the

A) Appropriations Committee.
B) Ways and Means Committee.
C) Public Works and Transportation Committee.
D) Ethics Committee.
E) Post Office and Civil Service Committee.

Question 79

A bill can be introduced in Congress by

A) any member of the majority party.
B) any member of Congress.
C) any member of Congress or the president.
D) members of the relevant committees only.
E) committee chairpersons only.

Question 80

Which of the following statements about introducing a bill in Congress is correct?

A) A bill not passed during the life of one congress cannot be introduced again during the next congress.
B) Bills are initiated by the president, not by Congress.
C) A bill not passed during the life of one congress is dead.
D) Most bills introduced today are private rather than public bills.
E) None of the above