Deck 6: Leaders and Parties in Congress

Question 1

Which of the following might we expect under the theory of conditional party government?

A) Parties tend to raise more money in fund-raising campaigns when their legislative programs have passed with little opposition.
B) The majority party is likely to centralize power in a strong leader when its preferences are homogeneous and it is polarized from the minority party.
C) a changing role of the Speaker
D) The Speaker of the House will have little power because committees remain the most powerful bodies in the House in terms of agenda setting.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following might we expect under the pivotal voter theory?

A) A bill is defeated because extreme members of the House united to oppose it.
B) A bill is passed that is opposed by a majority of House members, because of strong support in the Senate.
C) A bill is passed that is supported by moderate members of the House, even though party leadership believed the bill contained too many compromises.
D) A bill is passed that is opposed by moderate members of the House, because party leaders pressured those members to vote for it.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following is a major duty of the House majority leader?

A) primary point person to coordinate strategy with the president
B) select the Speaker of the House
C) preside over the House on a day-to-day basis
D) gauge sentiment among rank-and-file members and urge them to support bills

Answer 3

D

Question 4

What is the main role of party whips?

A) serve as a liaison between the party's rank-and-file members and party leadership
B) serve as a liaison between the House and the Senate
C) serve as a liaison between Congress and the president
D) serve as a liaison between different committees in Congress

Question 5

Which of the following procedural hurdles has become more prominent and more frequently utilized in the Senate in recent years?

A) Reed's rules
B) the filibuster
C) conditional party government
D) recognition of the chair

Question 6

How is the Senate majority leader selected?

A) appointed by the vice president
B) elected by secret ballot of their party colleagues
C) elected by majority vote of the entire Senate
D) elected by majority vote of the House of Representatives

Question 7

Which of the following characteristics best describes the modern Senate?

A) efficient
B) strong party leadership
C) individualistic
D) inegalitarian

Question 8

Which of the following is an example of an institutional task performed by party leaders?

A) publicizing party views
B) encouraging party unity
C) appointing party committees
D) scheduling floor business

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of a partisan task performed by party leaders?

A) raising money for candidates
B) appointing top administrative officers
C) consulting with the president
D) scheduling floor votes

Question 10

Which of the following is an example of how a party organizes?

A) revising party rules
B) scheduling members' bills
C) holding press conferences
D) raising campaign funds

Question 11

What is an omnibus bill?

A) a bill that never makes it out of committee because of partisan conflict
B) a piece of legislation authorizing new executive agencies
C) a very specific piece of legislation detailing one topic
D) a long piece of legislation encompassing disparate policy topics

Question 12

Which of the following is a benefit of having strong parties in Congress?

A) discourages the creation of third parties
B) creates a zero-sum environment
C) helps voters better understand the divergent views and values of the parties
D) members are willing to make significant accommodations and compromises

Question 13

Congressional leaders sometimes decide to strategically focus on confrontation with the president rather than legislative accomplishments.

Question 14

In both the House and the Senate, having a strong and cohesive party enables the leadership of the majority party to govern.

Question 15

The power of the Speaker of the House is the power of scheduling.

Question 16

Because of procedural rules in the House, the minority leader typically wields significantly more power than the majority leader.

Question 17

The filibuster is only used very occasionally, to block action on highly controversial bills.

Question 18

The modern Speaker of the House focuses largely on external activities (such as campaigning or fund-raising) as opposed to presiding over the House.

Question 19

The selection of party leaders in Congress is typically uncontested and based largely on seniority.

Question 20

Once elected, the Speaker of the House is typically reelected to this position as long as his or her party maintains majority control of the chamber.

Question 21

The Speaker of the House can be elected to a maximum of one term (two years).

Question 22

Since the 1890s, the House has been run by majority rule with limited rights for the minority party to delay legislation.

Question 23

Compared to legislative leaders in most other democracies in the world, Congressional party leaders have more tools to induce party loyalty.

Question 24

In today's individualistic Senate, party leaders are expected to serve members' personal needs and help advance their individual agendas.

Question 25

Party leaders are prohibited from publicizing partisan views in the media because of their official positions in government.

Question 26

What are the different kinds of presiding officers in the Senate, and what is the difference between them?

Question 27

What is the difference between institutional maintenance and party maintenance?

Question 28

Why does the United States have a two-party system where it is difficult for third parties to gain prominence?

Question 29

What are omnibus bills and why do party leaders prefer them?

Question 30

What are the major similarities and differences between party caucuses/conferences and informal party groups?

Question 31

What are some of the tools party leaders have for encouraging party unity and discipline?

Question 32

Why is mobilizing a winning coalition to pass legislation considered to be a collective action dilemma?

Question 33

What are the Speaker's procedural and political duties?

Question 34

How has the Speaker's power changed over time?

Question 35

What is conditional party government? How does it differ from the pivotal voter theory?

Question 36

How does the theory of conditional party government help explain how the role of the Speaker has changed over time?

Question 37

What is the difference between a floor leader and a floor manager?

Question 38

How has party leadership evolved over time in the Senate?

Question 39

The House and the Senate vary considerably in terms of how much power is afforded to parties and to individual members. Which do you believe is the better way to organize a legislative institution in today's polarized environment?

Question 40

Would the American people be better off with strong parties in Congress or with weak parties?