Deck 13: Congress Congress

Question 1

 Which is NOT a power of Congress specifically enumerated in Article I,Section 8? 

A) To lay and collect taxes, duties, impost, and excise 
B) To borrow money 
C) To fix the standards of weights and measures 
D) To declare war 
E) To grant titles of nobility

Answer 1

E

Question 2

 In the typical public opinion poll, 

A) Congress is the most popular branch of government. 
B) Congress is the least popular branch of government. 
C) Congress is more popular than the president, but not the judiciary. 
D) Congress is more popular than the judiciary, but not the president. 
E) The three branches of government are equally popular.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

 A basic difference between a parliament such as Great Britain's and the U.S.Congress is that 

A) the principal role of Congress is to debate national issues. 
B) members of Parliament have more power and higher pay. 
C) members of Congress are more likely to vote the party line. 
D) Congress does not select a president. 
E) members of Parliament have nicer offices.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

 The principal work of Congress is 

A) deliberation and debate. 
B) action and debate. 
C) representation and debate. 
D) deliberation and representation. 
E) action and representation.

Question 5

 The overriding political question throughout the evolution of Congress has been the 

A) balance of power among Congress, the executive, and the judiciary. 
B) distribution of powers within Congress. 
C) curtailment of presidential activism. 
D) role of the parties in selecting members. 
E) rules pertaining to committee assignments.

Question 6

 The fact that Congress does not choose the president 

A) makes legislation pass more slowly. 
B) helps legislation pass more quickly. 
C) makes Congress members more powerful. 
D) makes Congress members less powerful. 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 7

 How many members are there in the U.S.House of Representatives? 

A) 400 
B) 435 
C) 535 
D) 100 
E) 200

Question 8

 Under the original U.S.Constitution,members of the House,unlike members of the Senate,were selected by 

A) direct elections. 
B) the president. 
C) state legislatures. 
D) primary runoffs. 
E) regional coalitions.

Question 9

 From 1890 to 1910,about __________ of all votes in Congress evoked a partisan split. 

A) one-tenth 
B) one-third 
C) one-fourth 
D) two-thirds 
E) two-fifths

Question 10

 Which of the following statements about the filibuster is true? 

A) It has always been a common feature of the Senate 
B) It became a popular feature of Senate life by the end of the nineteenth century. 
C) Neither party uses it. 
D) There have been no attempts to restrict its use. 
E) It takes sixty senators to end debate.

Question 11

 At the turn of the 20th century,Senate members were predominantly 

A) blue-collar tradesmen who had risen through the ranks of union leadership. 
B) members of prestigious professions, such as doctors and lawyers. 
C) academics and social activists. 
D) rich party leaders and businessmen. 
E) civic-minded men who were primarily interested in serving their country.

Question 12

 This article of the U.S.Constitution details the structure and power of Congress. 

A) Article I 
B) Article II 
C) Article III 
D) Article IV 
E) Article V

Question 13

 Congress was designed by the Founders in ways that almost inevitably make it 

A) efficient. 
B) popular. 
C) unpopular. 
D) proactive. 
E) ineffectual.

Question 14

 Members of a parliament tend to be __________ than members of a congress. 

A) less competent. 
B) more competent. 
C) less independent. 
D) more independent. 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 15

 The purpose of a filibuster is to 

A) ensure that all sides of an issue are heard. 
B) delay action in a legislative body. 
C) protect majority rule. 
D) shift legislative power to Senate committees. 
E) magnify the impact of specific special interests.

Question 16

 Until ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution,members of the Senate were selected by 

A) direct elections. 
B) the president. 
C) state legislatures. 
D) primary runoffs. 
E) regional coalitions.

Question 17

 Which is NOT one of the six phases of the U.S.House of Representatives discussed in the text? 

A) The Powerful House 
B) The Divided House 
C) The Speaker Rules 
D) The House of Newt 
E) The House Revolts

Question 18

 The extent of party-line voting today is similar to that of  

A) most of American history. 
B) no other time in American history. 
C) the 1960s and 1970s. 
D) the turn of the 20th century. 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 19

 A legislative body consisting of two houses is considered 

A) unicameral. 
B) bicameral. 
C) federal. 
D) republican. 
E) democratic.

Question 20

 Article I,Section 8 of the U.S.Constitution confers on Congress all of the following powers EXCEPT 

A) the power to veto bills. 
B) the power to collect taxes. 
C) the power to declare war. 
D) the power to establish courts. 
E) the power to regulate commerce.

Question 21

 Recent changes in the composition of Congress have resulted in 

A) a more moderate Senate. 
B) a more moderate House. 
C) a more ideological House. 
D) a more nonpartisan Senate. 
E) a more nonpartisan House.

Question 22

 If you wished to study the real leadership office in the Senate,you would most likely focus on the 

A) president pro tempore. 
B) majority leader. 
C) party whip. 
D) chairperson of the Policy Committee. 
E) chairperson of the Judiciary Committee.

Question 23

 A marginal district is one in which 

A) voters frequently change party affiliation. 
B) the constituency is made up largely of minority groups. 
C) voters are not clear as to which candidate is the incumbent. 
D) gerrymandering has produced a loose affiliation of interest groups. 
E) the winner in an election gets less than 55 percent of the vote.

Question 24

 Since the 1980s,the conservative coalition has become less important because 

A) reapportionment has given moderates an advantage in policymaking. 
B) rules changes have weakened party discipline. 
C) congressional leadership changes hands more frequently. 
D) many Southern Democrats in Congress have been replaced by Southern Republicans. 
E) Northern Republicans are more influential.

Question 25

 The explanation for congressional voting behavior that assumes members vote to please their colleagues is referred to as 

A) representational. 
B) conventional. 
C) organizational. 
D) attitudinal. 
E) relational.

Question 26

 Today,women comprise approximately __________ of the House. 

A) one fifth 
B) one fourth 
C) one third 
D) half 
E) two thirds

Question 27

 Politically moderate Americans are 

A) able to get more out of Congress than extreme partisans. 
B) less active than ideological extremists, but not by much. 
C) overwhelmingly politically inactive. 
D) overwhelmingly politically inactive. 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 28

 The Senate first invoked cloture to end a filibuster of the debate over 

A) whether to enter War World I or not. 
B) the Treaty of Versailles. 
C) the Sixteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. 
D) the Spanish-American War. 
E) the Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Question 29

 The conservative coalition in Congress consists of  

A) Republicans and Southern Democrats. 
B) Republicans and Western Democrats. 
C) Democrats and Southern Republicans. 
D) Democrats and Western Republicans. 
E) Democrats and Northeastern Republicans.

Question 30

 According to the __________ explanation for congressional voting behavior,members of Congress vote primarily based on their own beliefs. 

A) representational 
B) conventional 
C) organizational 
D) attitudinal 
E) relational

Question 31

 In 2016,over __________ percent of House incumbents who sought reelection won it,as did more than __________ percent of Senators. 

A) 75, 75 
B) 85, 65 
C) 90, 75 
D) 95, 85 
E) 95, 95

Question 32

 Today,women comprise approximately __________ of the Senate. 

A) one fifth 
B) one fourth 
C) one third 
D) half 
E) two thirds

Question 33

 Rule 22 was adopted by the Senate to provide a method to cut off debate during a filibuster because senators were 

A) trying to protect the power of individual senators. 
B) fearful of tying a president's hands during a wartime crisis. 
C) trying to protect their state interests. 
D) trying to strengthen the power of the courts. 
E) All of these are correct.

Question 34

 Each of the following statements concerning term limits is correct EXCEPT 

A) the movement to impose term limits was popular in the 1990s. 
B) the concept of term limits is popular among the public. 
C) many states passed laws to limit the terms of members of Congress. 
D) research has shown that term limits have little effect on who gets elected to office. 
E) the Supreme Court struck down state laws limiting the terms of members of state legislatures.

Question 35

 The typical member of Congress is a(n) 

A) middle-aged, white, Protestant businessman. 
B) older, white, Protestant businessman. 
C) older, white, Catholic lawyer. 
D) middle-aged, white, Protestant lawyer. 
E) young, white, communications major.

Question 36

 The explanation for congressional voting behavior that assumes members vote to please their constituents is referred to as 

A) representational. 
B) conventional. 
C) organizational. 
D) attitudinal. 
E) relational.

Question 37

 A member of the Senate has just been elected to a position that requires him to keep the majority leader informed about the opinions of other party members.He has just been elected 

A) majority party whip. 
B) president pro tempore. 
C) chairman of the Steering Committee. 
D) chairman of the Policy Committee. 
E) chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

Question 38

 Today,it takes __________ of the Senate to cut off debate. 

A) 50 members 
B) 51 members 
C) 60 members 
D) 75 members 
E) 99 members

Question 39

 In elections,Republicans have a slight persistent advantage over Democrats because 

A) Republicans have gerrymandered more effectively. 
B) Republicans have been more willing to gerrymander. 
C) Democratic voters tend to be scattered across the country. 
D) Democratic voters tend to live in concentrated areas. 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 40

 One proposed explanation for why congressional seats have become less marginal is that 

A) the growing strength of the party system makes it less likely for challengers to appeal to average voters. 
B) incumbents can use their powers to get programs passed that benefit their districts and thereby themselves. 
C) incumbents are less likely than challengers to become associated with the "mess" in Washington. 
D) changing demographics have made an increasing number of districts overwhelmingly Democratic or Republican. 
E) incumbents are less ideological than challengers and link themselves with Congress as an institution.

Question 41

 The staff agency that advises Congress on the probable economic effect of different spending programs and the cost of proposed policies is the 

A) Congressional Budget Office (CBO). 
B) General Accounting Office (GAO). 
C) Congressional Research Service (CRS). 
D) Office of Technology Assessment (OTA). 
E) Congressional Research Fund (CRF).

Question 42

 Where is the real work of Congress done? 

A) On the House floor 
B) On the Senate floor 
C) In the caucuses 
D) In floor sessions in both houses 
E) In the committees in both houses

Question 43

 When a bill passes the House and Senate in substantially different forms,the differences are resolved in 

A) a joint committee. 
B) a committee of the whole. 
C) the Rules Committee. 
D) a conference committee. 
E) a team-plan committee.

Question 44

 __________ committees are more or less permanent bodies with specific legislative responsibilities. 

A) Standing 
B) Select 
C) Conference 
D) Joint 
E) Rejoinder

Question 45

 Most of the power in Congress is found in 

A) the chairmanship of committees and subcommittees. 
B) specialized caucuses. 
C) state delegations. 
D) party leaders. 
E) caucuses.

Question 46

 A discharge petition is used by the House to 

A) make revisions and additions to a bill before it is voted on. 
B) get a bill that is stalled in committee onto the floor. 
C) amend a bill that has already passed one house but not the other. 
D) override a presidential veto. 
E) amend a bill in a manner that will make it quite unpopular.

Question 47

 Which of the following statements about revenue bills is correct? 

A) They must originate in the House. 
B) They must originate in the Senate. 
C) They must originate with the president. 
D) They can originate in either the House or the Senate. 
E) They must originate in the Senate Finance Committee.

Question 48

 Of the following,which is an example of a select committee? 

A) Aging 
B) Ethics 
C) Indian Affairs 
D) Intelligence 
E) All of these are correct.

Question 49

 A concurrent resolution based by Congress seeks to 

A) censor executive branch officials. 
B) make significant policy decisions. 
C) settle housekeeping and procedural matters that affect both houses. 
D) settle housekeeping and procedural matters that affect only one house. 
E) reorganize committees in one house.

Question 50

 Because they are usually the only ones that can report out bills,the most important committees are the __________ committees. 

A) joint 
B) conference 
C) standing 
D) select 
E) rejoinder

Question 51

 __________ decide(s)the outcome of disputed congressional elections. 

A) Congress alone 
B) Congress and the Supreme Court 
C) The Supreme Court 
D) State legislatures 
E) Governors

Question 52

 Unlike in the House,the scheduling of legislation in the Senate is 

A) controlled by the Rules Committee. 
B) initiated by means of a discharge petition. 
C) governed by closed rather than open rules. 
D) determined by the majority and minority leaders. 
E) determined ad hoc.

Question 53

 A bill can be introduced in Congress by 

A) any member of the majority party. 
B) any member of Congress. 
C) any member of Congress or the president. 
D) members of the relevant committees only. 
E) committee chairpersons only.

Question 54

 The complexity of the procedure for enacting a law gives the advantage to the bill's 

A) party supporters. 
B) opponents. 
C) congressional sponsors. 
D) supporters in the executive branch. 
E) supporters in the media.

Question 55

 In the Senate,a filibuster can be ended by invoking 

A) a rider. 
B) a quorum. 
C) a markup. 
D) cloture. 
E) a meeting of the whole.

Question 56

 In addition to the formal powers,the Speaker of the House has the informal power to 

A) assign patronage jobs and office space 
B) decide pay and benefits for members of Congress. 
C) rule on motions on the floor. 
D) select members of the Rules Committee. 
E) decide which members will be re-nominated in the next election cycle.

Question 57

 The Speaker of the House is 

A) elected by the country at large. 
B) elected by whichever party has a majority. 
C) appointed by the chairs of the standing committees. 
D) appointed by the Supreme Court. 
E) appointed by the president.

Question 58

 The original purpose of the General Accounting Office (GAO),now the Government Accountability Office,was to perform 

A) research in the Library of Congress. 
B) audits of financial records. 
C) evaluations of technological advancements. 
D) employment application evaluations. 
E) audits of high-ranking military officers.

Question 59

 When Congress obliged itself to follow 11 important laws it had previously been exempted from,it created the Office of Compliance to oversee the law,rather than have the president execute the law,because 

A) the latter may have been unconstitutional. 
B) the leadership wanted to control the office itself. 
C) the president did not want the job. 
D) the former was cheaper. 
E) Congress wanted to avoid following the law.

Question 60

 The type of committee most likely to deal with a bill near the end of its legislative process is the __________ committee. 

A) standing 
B) select 
C) conference 
D) joint 
E) rejoinder

Question 61

 Most Americans trust the Supreme Court,respect the presidency (whether or not they like the president),and dislike Congress. 

Question 62

 The right to filibuster is governed by Senate Rule 22. 

Question 63

 Simple resolutions are used to make internal rules in either house. 

Question 64

 Congress tends to be a decentralized institution,with all members more interested in their own views and those of their voters than with programs proposed by the president. 

Question 65

 Of the three types of resolutions (simple,concurrent,and joint),a joint resolution is the only one that requires the signature of the president. 

Question 66

 A congress concerns itself mainly with legislative action; a parliament concerns itself with debate. 

Question 67

 Research has shown that the net gains from redistricting for one party over the other are very small. 

Question 68

 The Senate has been the dominant house of Congress since the dawn of the American republic. 

Question 69

 To the Framers of the Constitution,the Congress was intended to be the most important branch of government. 

Question 70

 The number of women in Congress has increased in recent years. 

Question 71

 The Congress is a unicameral institution. 

Question 72

 Civil rights issues are likely to be guided by the representational view of congressional voting. 

Question 73

 Although the vice president is technically the president of the Senate,the Senate is usually presided over by the president pro tempore. 

Question 74

 Most scholars agree that the legislative output of Congress declined during the 1980s and 1990s. 

Question 75

 Congressional power is exercised primarily by committee chairs. 

Question 76

 Being a Congressperson has always been a distinguished career. 

Question 77

 Many experts see Congress as the "broken branch." 

Question 78

 Party is the principal cue in congressional voting. 

Question 79

 Today,sixty senators must agree to invoke cloture to close off debate in the Senate. 

Question 80

 Substantive representation is said to occur when citizens are represented by elected officials from their same racial/ethnic background.