Deck 1: The Two Congresses

Question 1

Which of the following is the proximate goal of members of Congress?

A) reelection
B) passing laws
C) fund-raising
D) monitoring bureaucratic agencies

Answer 1

A

Question 2

According to the text, Congress, as a whole, is judged by the ______.

A) processes it uses and the policies it adopts (or fails to adopt)
B) diversity of its members
C) strength of its legislators' personal qualities
D) constituency service that its legislators conduct

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following would a trustee consider most important according to Edmund Burke's concept of the ideal Congress?

A) making sure their party wins the most seats in an upcoming election
B) talking to constituents in their district to determine what their views are on funding charter schools
C) discussing immigration reform with fellow members of Congress to figure out a policy that is best for the country as a whole
D) voting in favor of new environmental regulations that a majority of their constituents prefer, even though they personally prefer a different policy

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following actions fits best under the delegate model of representation?

A) fighting to retain funding for an important industry in the legislator's district
B) compromising with other representatives to make cuts that lower the national debt, even if it means cutting a popular program
C) meeting with citizens from around the nation to ask their opinions on a proposed health-care policy
D) voting one's conscience, even if it means making many voters angry

Question 5

Which of the following best describes the way members of the House of Representatives are elected?

A) The president appoints members of his own party.
B) State legislatures vote for individual members from each district.
C) proportional representation
D) a plurality vote within geographic constituencies

Question 6

Which of the following is true of proportional representation system?

A) Representation based on party affiliation is more important than geographic representation.
B) Representatives are always tied to specific geographic districts.
C) Parties have very little ability to influence representatives because of strict campaign finance laws.
D) Representatives are more cross-pressured by competing interests than in the US system.

Question 7

Which of the following pairs best describes the "dual nature" of Congress?

A) Congress has two chambers--the House of Representatives and the Senate.
B) A lawmaking institution and an assembly of local representatives.
C) Congress can both raise taxes and spend money.
D) A combination of elected representatives and appointed representatives make up Congress.

Question 8

Which of the following is explicitly outlined in the US Constitution?

A) Members of the House must follow the delegate model of representation.
B) Congress must balance the federal budget each year.
C) Congress is responsible for writing the nation's laws.
D) Two major parties will compete in each congressional election.

Question 9

Which of the following is explicitly outlined in the US Constitution?

A) Senators serve a two-year term.
B) Members of the House of Representatives are appointed by the president.
C) Specific powers are enumerated to Congress.
D) Congress must pass legislation proposed by the president.

Question 10

Which of the following issues would a senator from a large, diverse state with many competing interests be most likely to focus on during his campaign?

A) funding to keep a large military base located in the state open
B) his ties to the National Democratic Party
C) his consistent voting record in favor of a ban on partial-birth abortions
D) his work negotiating a controversial treaty with Iran

Question 11

What did the 17th Amendment to the Constitution accomplish in 1913?

A) prohibitions on campaign finance reform
B) direct election of senators
C) the right to vote for African Americans
D) the right to bear arms

Question 12

Which of the following is a basic principle of proportional representation?

A) The number of years a representative serves should be proportional to the level of support he or she receives from voters.
B) Cross-pressured representatives who are not beholden to a political party tend to make the best decisions.
C) The number of seats a party wins in the legislature should be proportional to the level of support it receives from voters.
D) A political system must provide representation for multiple minor parties in order to adequately represent voters.

Question 13

Members of Congress typically focus exclusively on their Washington, DC, activities in order to win reelection.

Question 14

The primary goal of members of Congress is to be reelected.

Question 15

Congress is mainly judged on the basis of citizens' overall attitudes toward politics policy process and the state of the union.

Question 16

The writers of the Constitution intended the House of Representatives to be the most representative element in the US national government.

Question 17

Members of Congress today are more able to cooperate with national party leaders than they were in the past, without risking their chances of reelection.

Question 18

Most countries in the world have legislative bodies that are modeled closely on the US Congress.

Question 19

Congress members have moved further away from their parties in recent decades.

Question 20

The picture of Congress conveyed by the media has become more flattering.

Question 21

Because of their longer terms, Senators rarely spend time on constituency service and campaigning.

Question 22

Members of Congress must carefully balance their lawmaking duties and attention to their districts at home.

Question 23

Congress is addressed first in the Constitution because the framers believed it to be the chief policy making body and bulwark against arbitrary executives.

Question 24

Political parties tend to be stronger under proportional representation system than under the United States' plurality system.

Question 25

Congress is consistently one of the most popular government institutions in the United States.

Question 26

In 2018, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez waged a campaign on a conservative set of issues.

Question 27

The lengthy recesses Congress takes when it is not in session tend to be used by members to visit their districts and attend to local concerns.

Question 28

Describe what is meant by the "dual nature" of Congress. Give an example of how members must attend to both definitions of Congress.

Question 29

Why is reelection considered the proximate goal of members of Congress?

Question 30

How has representation in the Senate changed over the course of US history?

Question 31

Explain one reason why parties have become more important in the US Congress since the 1970s.

Question 32

Explain why Joe Crowley lost his reelection bid in 2018.

Question 33

What is meant by "lowest common denominator" representation, and which types of representatives are most likely to adopt this style?

Question 34

Why do individual members of Congress tend to be more popular than Congress as an institution?

Question 35

Imagine a state with ten congressional districts. In each district, 60 percent of the voters are Republicans and 40 percent are Democrats. If everyone voted, how many representatives of each party would the state elect? How would this change if the United States adopted a proportional representation system?

Question 36

What is the difference between a trustee and a delegate? When considering reelection, should members of Congress take a trustee approach to representation or a delegate approach?

Question 37

Describe Edmund Burke's ideal view of a legislature. Does the modern Congress fulfill Burke's vision?

Question 38

Compare and contrast the US system of electing members of Congress with a proportional representation system. Which do you believe is best suited to providing adequate representation?

Question 39

Is the increased importance of parties in congressional politics since the 1970s good for representation?

Question 40

Select a member of Congress and research his or her most recent campaign. How does this member seem to balance national lawmaking duties with local representation and attention to constituents? Is this member a good representative of his or her district?