Deck 2: The Power of the People

Question 1

Given modern advancements such as scientific polling, smart phones, etc. a true delegate form of representation could reduce policymaking to a purely administrative matter where citizens text in their preferences for votes. Would this necessarily be a bad thing? What decisions might not lend themselves best to direct democracy?

Answer 1

no answer

Question 2

The Reapportionment Act of 1929 capped House membership at 435 members. Should we allow for more members in the House? If so, should we return to the standard suggested by the founders (i.e., 30,000 constituents per member)?

Answer 2

no answer

Question 3

Do members of Congress owe their attention to every single constituent or only those who were involved in the political process? And, what if those not involved could not spare the money or time to be involved?
o Optional mid-discussion additional question: What about the fact that elections are THE way that citizens choose what views are represented in Congress?

Answer 3

no answer

Question 4

Does it matter that most Americans do not know who their member of Congress is?
o Alternative frame: Do you agree with Alexander Hamilton that the people need not be constantly engaged as long as the government functions properly?

Question 5

Should members of Congress determine their own pay? If you think they should not, who should decide their pay and how? What are the terms of an increase in salary?

Question 6

Legislating is a critical task for members of Congress, but constituents expect them to do more than just write bills and cast votes. Name three other expectations that constituents have of their members and discuss why fulfilling each of these is important for a member to work toward reelection.

Question 7

Polling is considered the best option for members of Congress to determine the preferences and interests of their constituents. Despite polling be the best option there are many reasons why polls are still not ideal for assessing constituent preferences. Briefly discuss why members should care about their constituent preferences at all and then provide three weaknesses of polling.

Question 8

Chapter 2 discusses four different kinds of representation that members of Congress can utilize. Which form is the best and why? Be sure to name and clearly define each kind of representation. Be clear about what members' goals are fulfilled when they rely on each type of representation.

Question 9

Richard Fenno coined the term "homestyle" to describe how members present themselves to their constituents. Why and how are homestyles useful to members? What factors go into shaping a member's homestyle? Are homestyles static and unchanging over time or dynamic and always adjusting? Support your answer with examples where appropriate.

Question 10

Given what we have discussed about the necessity of the people in the American system of government and the less-than-encouraging record of people's participation, opinions, and knowledge, how has the system endured for so long? Provide at least three reasons and support for each reason.

Question 11

Before the founders developed the system of government used in the United States today most societies were divided between those who decided and those who obeyed. In those societies, what types of people might have been included in the political decision-making process (i.e., the deciders)?

Question 12

What precautions did the founders take to make sure Congress did not become merely a symbolically empowering body?

Question 13

Who was Edmund Burke and why does he matter?

Question 14

Members of Congress may switch representation types multiple times per day and these switches depend on several factors. Name three factors.

Question 15

Many citizens focus not on specific policy outcomes but instead on the "direction" of a legislator's activities. What is meant by direction in this context?

Question 16

Why might some federal agencies give preferential treatment to requests made by members of Congress?

Question 17

In an ideal world a member of Congress would consider every constituent's preferences equally. In reality, they cannot possibly do so. How might they decide which constituents to listen to?

Question 18

Polling is the best way for members of Congress to estimate constituent preferences but it is not the only way. How else do members of Congress estimate constituent preferences? Name at least three.

Question 19

What explains the approximately 12% gap between those who claim to have voted and those who actually voted in 2016?

Question 20

If a member of Congress was trying to determine how they will vote on a piece of legislation dealing with a complex public policy issue it is most likely they will be what kind of representative and why?

Question 21

Representative Molono has an important vote coming up on a bill that would increase environmental regulations in a variety of industries. Her constituents want her to oppose the bill. The most important industries in her district want her to oppose the bill too. But, Rep. Molono strongly believes that environmental regulations are critical for the future of the nation she loves. What form of representation is she utilizing if she supports the bill?

A) Trustee
B) Delegate
C) Burkean Trustee
D) Politico

Question 22

People come to their political preferences in a variety of different ways, but not everyone has the same level of specificity in their reasoning. Who tends to have the most well-defined preferences?

A) Members of Congress
B) Congressional staffers
C) The general public
D) Members of the media

Question 23

The framers sought to create a government based mainly on __________, which developed a similar form of government about a decade before the United States did.

A) Italy
B) Austria
C) Spain
D) None of the above

Question 24

What key point does James Madison make in Federalist No. 57?

A) That the spirit of the American people will keep members of Congress accountable
B) That representation of the masses is of no concern as long as those with suffrage are pleased
C) That political parties will play a key role in representing the people
D) All of the above

Question 25

If a member is more concerned with the effects of public policy than they are with the popularity of a given proposal they are utilizing _________ representation.

A) Fennoean Delegate
B) Trustee
C) Burkean Trustee
D) Delegate

Question 26

Most members today employ what type of representation form?

A) Trustee
B) Delegate
C) Politico
D) Burkean Trustee

Question 27

One way that members of Congress serve constituents is by bringing federally funded projects to their districts. What is the process of getting these projects called?

A) Pork barreling
B) Earmarking
C) Homestyle
D) Constituenting

Question 28

Earmarks were banned in 2011, but members still need to bring money back to their districts and so now members of Congress ______________________.

A) Pressure the president to allocate funds to their districts
B) Apply for waivers from the House or Senate Clerk's office to insert earmarks into existing bills
C) Obtain projects as a result of court case decisions that get overturned
D) Secure projects via executive branch bureaucrats

Question 29

Fenno's primary constituency includes which of the following?

A) Every constituent and structure in the district
B) Every member of the member's political party in the district
C) The member's most loyal voters
D) None of the above

Question 30

During the later phase of a member's career they seek to keep the supporters they have instead of gaining new supporters. What is this phase known as?

A) Protectionist phase
B) Defensive phase
C) Expansionist phase
D) Retention phase

Question 31

Senators were not directly elected according to the unamended version of the Constitution. Who chose senators initially?

A) A committee made up of state legislators, judges, and the governor
B) The governor of a state
C) Members of state legislatures
D) Members of the U.S. Senate

Question 32

Richard Fenno developed a, now widely respected, way of conducting research on Congress. Part of that method of research is known as "soaking," which can be defined as which of the following?

A) Closely examining all files in a member's office during a session of Congress
B) Observing a member when they are engaging in official duties
C) Conducting an in-depth interview with a member about their official duties
D) Meeting weekly with a member and asking them the same questions each week to see how their answers evolve over time

Question 33

Fenno describes a typology of homestyles within which all members can be categorized. What is the category that most members end up in?

A) Reelection focused
B) Committee focused
C) Prestige focused
D) None of the above

Question 34

Americans tend not to have firm political beliefs, but almost all Americans tend to agree on which of the following positions?

A) All children should attend public school
B) Universal healthcare should slowly be phased into American society
C) The federal government is inept and cannot be trusted
D) The IRS should be eliminated

Question 35

Members of Congress will frequently hold meetings to meet constituents and answer their questions. What are these meetings known as?

A) Questionnaires
B) Town Halls
C) Policy Programs
D) District Days

Question 36

A member of Congress announces that they have secured funding for a bridge in their district to be repaired. What is this an example of?

A) Casework
B) Heuristics
C) Porkmarks
D) Pork barreling

Question 37

Members of Congress frequently face complex public policy issues that are difficult to resolve. In these cases, popular wisdom sometimes calls for members to use a(n) _____________, which seldom provides a permanent fix to the problem and often creates additional problems that make matters worse.

A) Band-Aid solution
B) Heuristic
C) Roosevelt Resolution
D) Pork barrel

Question 38

To estimate their constituents' preferences some members attempt to conduct their own surveys. Why do these surveys often yield no useful results?

A) Too many constituents respond
B) Their staffers lack professional training in survey design
C) The surveys frequently include leading questions
D) Both b and c

Question 39

Most scientific surveys show that Americans _____________________.

A) Hold consistent views over long periods of time
B) Can easily be swayed from one side of a political issue to another
C) Participate vigorously in politics
D) Both a and c

Question 40

Which of the following most accurately describes American public opinion about their system of government.

A) They believe in, and even revere, the Constitution
B) They approve of the separation of powers
C) They do not approve of the way that the principles underpinning their government are carried out
D) All of the above

Question 41

How would you characterize the proportion of people who know who their member of Congress is?

A) Almost no one
B) A little over a quarter of the population
C) Just over half the population
D) Almost everyone

Question 42

Which founder is most notable for his insistence that the American public be constantly consulted about policy decisions and the actions of government?

A) James Madison
B) Thomas Jefferson
C) Alexander Hamilton
D) Benjamin Franklin

Question 43

The framers wanted to be sure that members of Congress were selected from among the people themselves. To accomplish this goal, they required members of the House to be from the ________ that they represent.

A) State
B) District
C) Geographic grouping
D) Both a and b

Question 44

Which form of oversight suggests that the people need not be well informed and instead they need only get involved when attention is brought to an issue or scandal.

A) Burkean alarm
B) Police patrol
C) Fire alarm
D) Judicious rigor

Question 45

The media and interest groups are the two most frequently involved actors in which type of oversight?

A) Trustee
B) Police patrol
C) Delegate
D) Fire alarm

Question 46

In pondering how their newly created government might gain legitimacy, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton suggested different approaches. Which approach is served by the constant oversight provided by political parties, interest groups, and the media?

A) Top-down approach
B) Bottom-up approach
C) Colonial approach
D) Anti-federalist approach

Question 47

Which of the following heuristics allows for voters to merely decide who they like and then make political decisions through association?

A) Associative heuristic
B) Availability heuristic
C) Resolution heuristic
D) None of the above

Question 48

By asking themselves what their constituents might think of a given decision they have made if they were fully informed, members of Congress are trying to do what?

A) Fend off attacks from party leaders
B) Act as trustees
C) Estimate potential preferences
D) None of the above

Question 49

Which of Fenno's constituencies do members view differently during different phases of their career?

A) Geographic
B) Reelection
C) Primary
D) Personal

Question 50

Liberals and conservatives often end up on different sides of issues. These people usually have concerns based on sets of ideas about how the country should operate. What are these concerns called?

A) Partisan concerns
B) Issue concerns
C) Ideological concerns
D) Both a and c

Question 51

Some constituents gives legislators more flexibility and accept the premise that many issues are complicated. These constituents tend to stress problem solving over politics. This is known as the __________ approach.

A) Ideological
B) Social
C) Goldwater
D) Pragmatic

Question 52

We know that only about half of Americans tend to vote, but political participation more broadly defined produces even lower numbers. Which of the follow activities is the most common way Americans participate politically if we exclude voting?

A) Trying to influence how someone else votes
B) Donating money to a political cause
C) Volunteering for a campaign or political party
D) Attending a political meeting

Question 53

Congress is the most popular branch of government, but which branch comes in as a close second?

A) Presidency
B) Judicial
C) Executive (bureaucracy)
D) Congress is not the most popular branch of government

Question 54

Which of Fenno's constituencies is usually described with references to its borders?

A) Reelection
B) District
C) Primary
D) None of the above

Question 55

A mental shortcut in the human brain that breaks down complex situations into simpler ones to reduce cognitive costs of decision making is known as a _________.

A) Heuristic
B) Psychological alternative
C) Rational choice
D) None of the above