Deck 4: Being a Member of Congress

Question 1

Should members of Congress determine their own salary and benefits? Why or why not? If not, who should decide?

Answer 1

no answer

Question 2

What is the best level of descriptive representation? Theriault and Edwards suggest that the proportion of members of Congress should equal the proportion of the population. Is that the best level or should it be more to make up for past inequality? Or, is just under the proportion of the population acceptable?

Answer 2

no answer

Question 3

Why are most members of underrepresented groups Democrats today? Will that ever change? Why or why not?

Answer 3

no answer

Question 4

Is substantive representation more effective for constituents than descriptive representation? Why or why not?

Question 5

Should members of Congress be more transparent about what their primary goal will be if they are elected to Congress?
a. Would they be honest, or would the proximate goal of reelection cloud their statements?

Question 6

Is it possible for members of Congress to be pragmatic ideologues when pursing good public policy?

Question 7

Given the way members divide their time, what would you change? Are they spending the right amount of time fulfilling the duties you think are most important? Why or why not?

Question 8

Theriault and Edwards claim that voting on the floor is the most important thing members do. Do you agree or disagree with their statement? Why?

Question 9

Political scientists argue about whether descriptive or substantive representation matter more. Define both types of representation and summarize the arguments on both sides. Use concrete examples to support your definitions. Then, pick a side of the debate and briefly explain why you agree with that side.

Question 10

Why might a member of Congress prioritize the goal of reelection over the many other goals they have? Is it bad that some members prioritize reelection over other goals? Support your answer with support from the text and examples.

Question 11

Why has having majority party status in Congress become a goal of members? How does being in the majority help those members? Be sure to support your answer with examples.

Question 12

While in Washington, D.C. members of Congress adhere to incredibly complex and jam-packed schedules. Discuss at least three duties members must fulfill and explain why they must tend to that duty. If necessary, detail how that duty might change from one day to the next. Be sure to include examples where possible.

Question 13

Why is voting on the floor a member's most important job while in Washington, D.C.? Given the importance of voting, discuss what members might take into account when deciding how to vote. Be sure to support your answer with a rationale for why members might care about the factors they take into account when voting.

Question 14

List two negative behaviors driven by the assumption that members are single-minded seekers of reelection.

Question 15

Hiring staffers can be a tricky task for members to navigate. Describe two potential problems that less-than-ideal staffers might have.

Question 16

Why do members tend to prioritize meetings with constituents?

Question 17

Why might a member of Congress travel abroad?

Question 18

Anita Hill historically accused Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment. During her time before the Senate Judiciary Committee she was treated rather poorly. What significance did this event have on American politics?

Question 19

Which underrepresented group continues to increase most markedly in the years just after redistricting? Why is this group making such great gains in representation?

Question 20

Are there more or fewer veterans in Congress in recent years? Why?

Question 21

David Mayhew famously argued what? Did he believe his argument was literally true? Why or why not?

Question 22

All members have offices in their respective House/Senate office buildings, but some members are lucky enough to have offices in the Capitol building as well. Name three positions or people who have offices in the Capitol building.

Question 23

Name three different staff positions and their responsibilities in the average congressional office.

Question 24

White men comprise around ____ of the total membership of Congress, but almost without exception their proportion declines every election.

A) 95%
B) 87%
C) 75%
D) 66%

Question 25

Who mandated the creation of majority-minority districts wherever possible?

A) The Department of Interior
B) The Department of Justice
C) Congress mandated it
D) The Federal Election Commission

Question 26

While 1992 is still known as the "Year of the Woman," what more recent event also catapulted record numbers of women to run for Congress?

A) The election of Donald Trump to the presidency
B) The War on Terror
C) The selection of the first female Senate Minority Leader
D) The Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade

Question 27

Which underrepresented group in the House of Representatives is closest to the level of representation they have in the general population?

A) Black Americans
B) Hispanic Americans
C) Asian Americans
D) Native Americans

Question 28

Women are best represented where?

A) Presidency
B) House of Representatives
C) Local governments
D) Senate

Question 29

Prior to the early 20th century all African American members of Congress were members of which party?

A) Douglass Party
B) Republican Party
C) Federalist Party
D) Democratic Party

Question 30

Most members of Congress from underrepresented groups are members of the Democratic Party. As a consequence, for the first time in history, white men constituted a minority of the Democratic caucus beginning in which Congress?

A) 107th (2001-2002)
B) 110th (2007-08)
C) 113th (2013-14)
D) 115th (2017-18)

Question 31

___________________ is the idea that constituents should be represented by someone who shares characteristics similar to their own.

A) Descriptive Representation
B) Substantive Representation
C) Characteristic Representation
D) Mayhew Representation

Question 32

A proximate goal is best defined as which of the following?

A) A goal that is achieved on behalf of someone else
B) A goal that you assign to someone else
C) The easiest goal to achieve
D) The goal that must be satisfied to pursue any other goals

Question 33

Casework is critical to members of Congress providing good constituent service. Which of the following is an example of casework?

A) Contacting the Veterans Administration agency in search of a missing benefits check for a constituent
B) Attending a town hall and answering constituent questions
C) Writing a bill to name a local post office in the member's district
D) Researching policies related to a topic that is coming up in the member's committee

Question 34

Some members view good public policy through an ideological lens. Which of the following is a question one of these members might ask themselves when considering how to vote?

A) Does it maximize freedom?
B) Does it reduce inequalities?
C) Does this solve a policy problem?
D) Either a or b

Question 35

A _________ approach to policymaking is more problem oriented and tends to concede that solutions to policy issues are complex and multidimensional.

A) Ideological
B) Pragmatic
C) Reelection
D) None of the above

Question 36

If a member is aggressively seeking to become a committee chair or party leader, they are likely prioritizing which goal?

A) Constituent services
B) Reelection
C) Power and prestige
D) Majority party status

Question 37

Not all members are driven by power, but members of Congress are ambitious people to start with and so they will not remain on the backbench silently. What might a member demand in exchange for not seeking advancement in the party?

A) A party whip position
B) Disproportionate fundraising service
C) Attention being given to an issue they care about
D) Both a and b

Question 38

Who decides the benefits of members of Congress?

A) Members of Congress
B) The President
C) The Office of Management and Budget
D) Americans vote directly in each midterm election

Question 39

How much more than a rank-and-file member does the Senate Majority Leader make per year from their salary?

A) $90,000
B) $10,000
C) $50,000
D) All members are paid the same

Question 40

How much money can members of Congress earn as outside income? (As a percent of their salary)

A) Members are not permitted to earn outside income
B) 15%
C) 50%
D) 90%

Question 41

What characteristic differentiates the money members are given for their expense accounts?

A) How long they have served in Congress
B) The distance their district or state is from Washington, D.C.
C) The number of constituents
D) Both b and c

Question 42

How many years must a member serve in Congress to receive retirement benefits?

A) 6
B) 5
C) 2
D) 10

Question 43

Which of the following is the main factor in determining how many district offices a member has?

A) Population density in the district
B) How long the member has served
C) The member's margin of victory in their last election
D) All members have the same number of district offices

Question 44

Which of the following are members of Congress NOT allowed to earn money from?

A) Sale of real estate
B) Dividends from stocks
C) Honorarium for giving an outside speech
D) Practicing law

Question 45

Members' offices are funded by the annual legislative branch appropriations bill. Which of the following is NOT also funded by this bill?

A) Staff salaries
B) Campaign fundraisers
C) Official mail
D) District office equipment

Question 46

Which members are more likely to return home every weekend to spend time with constituents?

A) Younger members
B) Members who were elected by a narrow margin
C) Party leaders
D) Both a and b

Question 47

What is the frank used for by members of Congress?

A) To send official mail with the member's signature instead of a stamp
B) To vote on the floor
C) To contact their party's leadership on the closed phone system in the Capitol
D) None of the above

Question 48

When members are in Washington, D.C. what do they spend most of their time doing?

A) Constituent services
B) Legislative and policy work
C) Political and campaign work
D) Press and media relations

Question 49

Which chamber(s) of Congress has electronic floor voting?

A) Both chambers
B) Neither chamber
C) House of Representatives
D) Senate

Question 50

What types of places do members most often travel to when traveling abroad?

A) Strong U.S. allies
B) Areas that are particularly troubled
C) Countries that are not democracies
D) Both a and b

Question 51

In a given congress, about what percent of House members will travel abroad on official business?

A) 10%
B) 60%
C) 33%
D) 95%

Question 52

Most trips taken abroad by members of Congress are bipartisan. What does the trendline for the bipartisan nature of these trips tell us?

A) More bipartisan trips occur each year
B) An increasing number of trips are partisan
C) About the same number of trips have been bipartisan for the last decade
D) The number of bipartisan trips used to be extremely low, but trips have become much more bipartisan in recent years

Question 53

Members voting records are known to be __________________.

A) Ideologically consistent
B) Responsive to polls
C) Responsive to national economic indicators
D) None of the above

Question 54

People who have adopted, and are deeply committed to, specific points of view on the important social, cultural, and political issues of the day are known as what?

A) Ideologues
B) Political sophisticates
C) True Believers
D) Devout Partisans

Question 55

When members vote on the floor by verbally expressing their position it is known as what?

A) Voice Vote
B) Verbal Vote
C) Teller Vote
D) Recorded Vote

Question 56

They say knowledge is power and we know party leaders are powerful. What information helps party leaders shape winning coalitions for floor votes?

A) Knowing which members might defect
B) Knowing how frequently a member holds town halls
C) Knowing which members stand to be persuaded
D) Both a and c

Question 57

The two major political parties have not always been so ideologically sorted. Who was particularly powerful in the mid-20^th century, but could not survive in today's Congress?

A) West Coast Democrats
B) Southern Democrats
C) Midwestern Republicans
D) None of the above

Question 58

Which of the following is the most important goal of every member of Congress?

A) Good public policy
B) More effective federal agencies
C) Good constituent service
D) None of the above