Deck 8: Congress: Partisanship, Polarization, and Gridlock

Question 1

Which chamber of the Congress is given the power of origination overall revenue bills?

A) The Senate
B) The House of Representatives
C) Joint session of Congress
D) None of the above

Answer 1

B

Question 2

From what right does the filibuster originate?

A) The right of open dissent
B) The right of unlimited debate
C) The right of minority veto
D) The First Amendment right of free expression

Answer 2

B

Question 3

A select committee is?

A) A standing or permanent committee
B) A temporary committee
C) A joint committee
D) A power committee

Answer 3

B

Question 4

All but which of the following was central to the development of the committee system in the Congress?

A) The division of labor
B) Fixed jurisdictions
C) Seniority, specialization, and reciprocity norms
D) Member desires to spend more time in their districts

Question 5

Does the Speaker of the House of Representatives have more or less power than the majority leader in the Senate?

A) More
B) Less
C) The same
D) Neither, but the Speaker is second in line to the presidency after the VP

Question 6

The purpose of Gerrymandering is to __________to maximize the prospects of a particular party.

A) configure an odd distribution of electoral votes for president
B) amass an odd coalition of interest groups for electoral success of specific candidates
C) draw oddly shaped congressional district boundaries to advantage one party over the other
D) engage in vote trading with like-minded members of Congress for pork-barrel legislation

Question 7

According to Article I, section 2, of the Constitution, a census of the U.S. population is to be conducted every __________years.

A) 5
B) 10
C) 15
D) 20

Question 8

Every ten years, after a census has been conducted __________must redraw congressional district boundaries so that each district contains an equal number of residents.

A) state legislatures
B) congressional committees
C) federal courts
D) congressional leaders

Question 9

The size of the House of Representatives has been capped at 435 voting members. How was this done?

A) customary practice
B) Supreme Court decision
C) constitutional mandate
D) federal law

Question 10

Congressional reapportionment refers to ___ .

A) budgetary compromise on appropriation bills between the House and the Senate
B) congressional authority to revamp the jurisdiction of lower federal courts
C) reallocation of House seats among the states
D) ratio of defense to social welfare spending in the federal budget

Question 11

Which one of the following is not a legal requirement that the Supreme Court has laid out for congressional redistricting?

A) Districts should be as compact and contiguous as they reasonably can be.
B) Each district must be balanced between Democratic and Republican voters.
C) Each district must have equal numbers of residents.
D) Districts may not reduce minority representation.

Question 12

Redistricting refers to __________after each national census, as required by the Constitution.

A) reallocating electoral votes among the states
B) redrawing of electoral district boundaries
C) reviewing the impact of immigration policies
D) renewing public financing of federal campaigns

Question 13

Article I, section 8, of the Constitution enumerates the powers of Congress in __________specific clauses.

A) 5
B) 9
C) 13
D) 17

Question 14

The last clause of Article I, section 8, of the Constitution contains the __________with regard to the power of Congress.

A) privileges and immunities clause
B) necessary and proper clause
C) due process clause
D) equal protection clause

Question 15

Since 2000, Congress has averaged about __________days in session each year.

A) 130
B) 135
C) 140
D) 175

Question 16

Which of the following statements is not true regarding the membership of Congress?

A) Members come disproportionately from the legal profession and have practiced law.
B) Members come disproportionately from the business world of small, often private, or family-owned, businesses.
C) A high percentage of members have occupied senior positions in the corporate or financial world.
D) Nearly all members have college degrees.

Question 17

In the current Congress, are women in the majority or the minority as members of the Congress?

A) Women are in the majority.
B) Women are in the minority but they are close to a majority with about 45 percent of the membership of the Congress.
C) Women are in the minority with about 19 percent of the congressional membership.
D) There are in fact no current members of Congress who are women.

Question 18

How is member turnover in U.S. Congress defined?

A) the proportion of new members from one party to the other
B) the proportion of new state districts from one census to the next
C) the proportion of new members from one Congress to the next
D) Turnover does not apply to the Congress; it only applies to the presidency.

Question 19

According to Edmund Burke, an eighteenth-century British thinker, as an elected representative to Parliament, ___ .

A) a representative should not listen to his constituents because he is bound to vote according to the wishes and views of his party
B) a representative does not need to listen to his constituents because ultimately he must use his own judgment on how to vote
C) a representative should listen to his constituents because he is bound to vote according their wishes and views
D) a representative should listen to his constituents but ultimately he should use his own judgment on how to vote

Question 20

With whose understanding of the proper role of an elected representative did Alexander Hamilton agree?

A) Edmund Burke
B) Thomas Jefferson
C) Abraham Lincoln
D) Aristotle

Question 21

According to the trustee view of representation, ___ .

A) representatives should listen to their constituents but use their own expertise and judgment to make decisions about public issues
B) the representative's principal role is to reflect the views and protect the interests of his or her own constituents
C) representatives should follow constituent opinion when that is clear and his or her own judgment or political interest when constituency opinion is amorphous or divided
D) Representatives should be skeptical of constituent opinion but would be foolish to admit it

Question 22

According to the delegate view of representation, ___ .

A) representatives should listen to their constituents but use their own expertise and judgment to make decisions about public issues
B) the representative's principal role is to reflect the views and protect the interests of his or her own constituents
C) representatives should follow constituent opinion when that is clear and his or her own judgment or political interest when constituency opinion is amorphous or divided
D) Representatives should be skeptical of constituent opinion but would be foolish to admit it

Question 23

According to the politico view of representation, ___ .

A) representatives should listen to their constituents but use their own expertise and judgment to make decisions about public issues
B) the representative's principal role is to reflect the views and protect the interests of his or her own constituents
C) representatives should follow constituent opinion when that is clear and his or her own judgment or political interest when constituency opinion is amorphous or divided
D) Representatives should be skeptical of constituent opinion but would be foolish to admit it

Question 24

In the 2016 elections, fully 97 percent of House incumbents and 90 percent of Senate incumbents __________their seats.

A) retained
B) lost
C) resigned
D) None of the above, since these percentages are far too high

Question 25

Since political parties span the separation of powers, it is the responsibility of the __________to organize both chambers of Congress and assign committee responsibilities according to party affiliation.

A) president
B) Supreme Court
C) Republican or Democratic National Committee
D) None of the above

Question 26

In each chamber of Congress, the position of whip serves as an assistant to the ___ .

A) Speaker
B) leader of the party
C) president pro tempore
D) vice-president

Question 27

The leaders in both houses of Congress derive their formal powers from ___ .

A) the Constitution
B) the rules of each house
C) the political parties
D) their centrality to all that is happening

Question 28

The leaders in both houses of Congress derive their informal powers from ___ .

A) the Constitution
B) the rules of each house
C) the political parties
D) their centrality to all that is happening

Question 29

The House Speaker's principal deputy is the ___ .

A) majority leader
B) minority leader
C) whip
D) Rules Committee chair

Question 30

One of the majority whip's jobs is to ___ .

A) set the legislative agenda and maintain communication with the committees
B) encourage support among members of the majority party for the positions of the party
C) decide whether to refer legislation to one committee or to several
D) determine whether and how a bill will reach the floor for debate

Question 31

One of the minority whip's jobs is to ___ .

A) set the legislative agenda and maintain communication with the committees
B) encourage support among members of the majority party for the positions of the party
C) decide whether to refer legislation to one committee or to several
D) mobilize and hold together opposition to the majority's agenda

Question 32

The modern Speaker presides over the __________and sets its agenda.

A) House
B) Senate
C) Bipartisan caucus
D) None of the above

Question 33

The legislative device of "unanimous consent" suggests that the Senate's ability to proceed to a particular piece of business can be denied by ___ .

A) a presidential veto
B) the Speaker of the House
C) a single senator
D) a court order

Question 34

Most of Congress' work is done in ___ .

A) districts
B) committees
C) campaigns
D) caucuses

Question 35

The division of labor in Congress refers to the ___ .

A) system of permanent standing committees with fixed committee jurisdictions
B) constitutional division of Congress into two separate chambers
C) overlapping structure of separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches
D) the work done by the whip system in both houses of Congress

Question 36

Which one of the following statements is true regarding the legislative work of Congress?

A) Legislative work involves both enacting legislation and oversight but does not involve investigation of executive branch activities.
B) Legislative work involves both enacting legislation and oversight and investigation of executive branch activities.
C) Legislative work does not involve enacting legislation but it does involve oversight and investigation of executive branch activities.
D) Legislative work does not involve enacting legislation and oversight and does not involve investigation of executive branch activities.

Question 37

Which one of the following norms is not an expectation of members of the House and the Senate?

A) collaboration norm
B) specialization norm
C) reciprocity norm
D) seniority norm

Question 38

In Congress, the specialization norm refers to the expectation that members will ___ .

A) defer to the expertise of other members as long as other members will do the same
B) develop subject matter expertise upon which their committee members may depend
C) give the opportunity to chair a committee to the member with the longest continuous service on that committee
D) participate in cross-party efforts to seek compromise when writing legislation on authorization committees

Question 39

In Congress, reciprocity norm refers to the expectation that members will ___ .

A) defer to the expertise of other members as long as other members will do the same
B) develop subject matter expertise upon which their committee members may depend
C) give the opportunity to chair a committee to the member with the longest continuous service on that committee
D) participate in cross-party efforts to seek compromise when writing legislation on authorization committees

Question 40

In Congress, seniority norm refers to the expectation that members will ___ .

A) defer to the expertise of other members as long as other members will do the same
B) develop subject matter expertise upon which their committee members may depend
C) give the opportunity to chair a committee to the member with the longest continuous service on that committee
D) participate in cross-party efforts to seek compromise when writing legislation on authorization committees

Question 41

The most important committees in Congress are the standing committees because they have ___ .

A) fluid jurisdictions that automatically continue from one Congress to the next
B) fixed jurisdictions that do not automatically continue from one Congress to the next
C) fluid jurisdictions that do not automatically continue from one Congress to the next
D) fixed jurisdictions that automatically continue from one Congress to the next

Question 42

Which one of the following statements is true regarding staff assistance for members and committees in Congress?

A) Congressional members and committees share the same staff assistance.
B) Congressional members have their own office staff separate from the staff serving committees.
C) Only congressional members have an office staff; committees have no staff assistance.
D) Only congressional committees have staff assistance; each member has no office staff.

Question 43

Which of the following statements is true regarding the membership size of each chamber of Congress and the number of committees on which each member serves?

A) Each member of the House serves on more committees and subcommittees than a senator.
B) Each senator serves on approximately the same number of committees and subcommittees as a member of the House.
C) Each senator serves on exactly the same number of committees and subcommittees as a member of the House.
D) Each senator serves on more committees and subcommittees than a member of the House.

Question 44

When a member of the House or Senate introduces a bill, that member is designated as the bill's ___ .

A) supporter
B) sponsor
C) advocate
D) leader

Question 45

A referral in Congress is the ___ .

A) act by which a subcommittee defers action on a bill until its hearings have been completed
B) method by which a donation may be legally made to the congressional campaign committee
C) process by which a bill is referred or assigned to a standing committee for initial consideration
D) the first step in getting a staff job in Congress

Question 46

The term __________is when a bill is divided into sections, and the relevant sections are sent to different committees.

A) sequential referral
B) concurrent referral
C) split referral
D) open referral

Question 47

The term __________is when a bill is sent first to one committee and then to another.

A) sequential referral
B) concurrent referral
C) split referral
D) open referral

Question 48

Essentially, there exist three stages of consideration by a committee that has been sent a bill. Which one of the following is not one of the stages?

A) public hearings
B) report
C) markup
D) reconciliation

Question 49

Calendars are used in each chamber of Congress for the purpose of ___ .

A) scheduling committee and subcommittee hearings
B) assigning days and times for sessions with majority and minority leaders
C) listing bills that are awaiting action by the full chamber
D) keeping track of adjournment and district work periods

Question 50

The House Rules Committee sets the conditions for debate and amendment of bills on the floor with a rule that lays out all but which of the following ___ .

A) when the bill will come up for floor consideration
B) whether the Speaker has approved it for passage
C) how long debate on the bill will run
D) what kinds of amendments, if any, will be permitted

Question 51

Which one of the following is not one of the main stages of floor consideration of proposed legislation by the House?

A) general debate
B) amending
C) filibuster
D) a vote on final passage

Question 52

Which one of the following statements is not true regarding the Senate's filibuster?

A) Each senator enjoys the right of unlimited debate.
B) Filibusters are only employed on critical issues and thus rarely used.
C) By threatening to filibuster, a senator may place an informal "hold" on a bill without actually speaking.
D) A filibuster may be stopped with a favorable vote of cloture.

Question 53

In the Senate, a vote of cloture is used to ___ .

A) discharge a proposed bill held by a conference committee
B) override a presidential veto of legislation passed by Congress
C) adjourn formal legislative sessions for a congressional recess
D) halt a filibuster attempt to block proposed legislation

Question 54

In the Senate, the label "nuclear option" has been used to refer to ___ .

A) a decision to approve the president's use of nuclear weapons on a one-time basis
B) a simple majority vote to approve a long-held and important Senate rule change
C) a Supreme Court ruling that all commonly employed legislative vetoes are now unconstitutional
D) an economic recession that diminished government revenue resulting in a mandatory reduction in domestic spending

Question 55

When in power, the Democrats used the nuclear option to declare that filibusters would be out of order ___ .

A) only on executive and judicial nominees, though not on Supreme Court nominees
B) on all matters except legislation
C) on Supreme Court nominees but not lower court nominees
D) on Vice Presidential nominations

Question 56

When in power, the Republicans used the nuclear option to declare that filibusters would be out of order ___ .

A) only on executive and judicial nominees, though not on Supreme Court nominees
B) on all matters except legislation
C) on Supreme Court nominees but not lower court nominees
D) on Vice Presidential nominations

Question 57

Members of Congress are expected to be aware of and open to outside influences of ___ .

A) the views of their constituents, their staffs, and their partisan colleagues and leaders
B) interest groups and their lobbyists
C) the president and his representatives in the executive branch
D) international organizations and foreign donors

Question 58

For members of the House of Representatives, the term "constituents" refers to ___ .

A) the voters in his or her district
B) lobbyists who represent diverse interest groups
C) officials of federal agencies of the executive branch
D) foreign donors

Question 59

The term "casework" refers to the active and direct problem-solving by members of Congress or their staff on behalf of ___ .

A) donors
B) lobbyists
C) constituents
D) colleagues

Question 60

When facing recalcitrant or unresponsive federal agency on behalf of their constituents, Congress' primary leverage is control over ___ .

A) intent
B) personnel
C) publicity
D) funding

Question 61

The term "reconciliation" refers to the process in Congress to resolve ___ .

A) differences between the House and Senate versions of a bill on the same topic passed in both chambers
B) differences if appropriations bills approve more spending than the spending targets permit
C) separation of powers disputes between a diplomatic and a military solution to an international crisis
D) All of the above

Question 62

Which one of the following statements is true regarding the design of Congress?

A) Congress was designed to move quickly and to make it much harder to stop things from happening than to make them happen.
B) Congress was designed to move slowly and to make it much harder to stop things from happening than to make them happen.
C) Congress was designed to move quickly and to make it much easier to stop things from happening than to make them happen.
D) Congress was designed to move slowly and to make it much easier to stop things from happening than to make them happen.

Question 63

The Legislative Reform Act of 1970 was designed to ___ .

A) open Congress to greater public scrutiny
B) enhance Congress' decision-making capabilities in key areas
C) empower the majority party in Congress
D) trim congressional staff and budgets

Question 64

S. Constitution envisioned a powerful national government with a __________at its center.

A) bicameral legislature
B) strong presidency
C) vibrant judiciary
D) participatory citizenry

Question 65

Constitutionally, "the power of the purse" rests with the ___ .

A) Senate
B) House
C) president
D) courts

Question 66

__________of members of Congress have a net personal wealth of ___ .

A) nearly $1 million
B) Nearly half
C) More than half
D) $1 million or more

Question 67

Through most of the nation's history, commitment to politics as a career was __________and the average congressional turnover was ___ .

A) uncommon
B) low
C) high
D) common

Question 68

According to Thomas Jefferson, the elected representative should __________and ___ .

A) not listen to his constituents
B) mirror the broader community
C) use his own judgment on how to vote
D) reflect the views and interests of his constituents

Question 69

Fundamentally, the House operates by ___ , whereas the Senate operates by ___ .

A) consensus
B) diversity
C) light enforcement of its rules
D) close enforcement of its rules

Question 70

The Constitution declares that the __________shall preside over the Senate, although __________voting except in cases of a tie.

A) Speaker
B) without
C) vice president
D) with

Question 71

Members of the early House and Senate were wary of __________and preferred to set policy in __________debate.

A) open
B) committees
C) closed
D) caucuses

Question 72

The division of labor in Congress is the system of permanent __________committees with fixed committee ___ .

A) jurisdictions
B) joint
C) assignments
D) standing

Question 73

The broadest distinction that can be made among standing committees is between __________and ___ .

A) authorizing committees
B) select committees
C) appropriating committees
D) joint committees

Question 74

Joint committees are made up of members from the House and Senate ___ ; whereas, conference committees are also made up of members from the House and Senate but ___ .

A) charged to resolve the differences between bills on the same topic passed in the separate chambers
B) determine how much money will actually be spent on each government activity and program
C) assigned to do continuing analysis and oversight in a particular substantive area
D) produce particular policies or programs through legislation for consideration before being sent to the president

Question 75

Which two of the following individuals may introduce a bill in Congress?

A) a citizen
B) a member of the House
C) a member of the Senate
D) the president

Question 76

What are the two forms of "complex referral" of a bill used in the House?

A) sequential referral
B) concurrent referral
C) split referral
D) open referral

Question 77

Post-committee changes to bills are particularly common on __________where ___ .

A) the pressure to assure passage is great
B) bills of no major interest to either party
C) key majority party bills
D) failure to pass them has no discernible impact on voters

Question 78

The __________Rules Committee sets the ___ .

A) conditions for debate and amendment of bills on the floor
B) Senate
C) expectations for each committee before scheduling hearings on a bill
D) House

Question 79

Bills cannot be sent from the Congress to the president for approval until they have been passed in identical form by both the __________and the ___ .

A) president
B) Senate
C) Supreme Court
D) House

Question 80

The budgetary process in Congress sets the government's priorities by making explicit decisions about __________and ___ .

A) revenues
B) contributions
C) deductions
D) expenditures