Deck 11: Congress

Question 1

The Seventeenth Amendment allowed which of the following positions to be elected by the people?

A) Senators
B) House of Representatives members
C) Majority leader of the Senate
D) President
E) Speaker of the House

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The role in which members of Congress serve as brokers between private citizens and the federal government usually takes which of the following forms?

A) Trusteeship
B) Delegation
C) Lawmaking
D) Earmarking
E) Casework

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Why do U.S. House districts have to be as equal in population as possible?

A) To make it easier to determine the winners of the district
B) To follow the principle of one person, one vote
C) In order for each representative to have equal legislative power
D) In order for each representative to have an equal chance of serving on House committees
E) In order for each representative to have equal legislative power, and for each representative to have an equal chance of serving on House committees

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The 2015 Location Privacy Protection Act is an example of an issue that appeared on the congressional agenda as a result of which of the following?

A) Tech industry lobbying
B) Intelligence community concerns
C) The availability of new technologies
D) The increased risk of terrorism
E) WikiLeaks

Question 5

Which of the following is true of the necessary and proper clause?

A) It has expanded the role of the national government relative to the states.
B) It has increased the powers of the state governments relative to the federal government.
C) It was in the original Constitution but was eliminated as a consequence of the Twenty-Seventh Amendment.
D) It has served to limit the expansion of national authority.
E) It is located in the Constitution in the text of the Tenth Amendment.

Question 6

The power of advice and consent on treaties and presidential nominations was given only to which of the following?

A) The states
B) The House of Representatives
C) The Supreme Court
D) The Senate
E) The people

Question 7

In most states, who draws congressional district lines?

A) A small group of party leaders in the state legislature
B) A nonpartisan state panel of commissioners
C) A nonpartisan panel elected in special elections
D) A group of retired judges selected by party leaders
E) A forum chaired by the state's U.S. senators

Question 8

According to the Constitution, all bills for raising revenue must originate where?

A) From the president
B) From the Senate
C) From the House of Representatives
D) From the conference committee
E) From the Senate Ways and Means Committee

Question 9

An important domestic power of Congress includes which of the following?

A) Spending and regulating commerce
B) Establishing post offices and building new monuments
C) Establishing the federal court system and selecting judges
D) Coining money and using the concept of judicial review
E) Establishing rules for selecting judges and borrowing money

Question 10

Which of the following best describes redistricting?

A) The allocation of the seats in the House to each state after each census
B) The redrawing of district boundaries within each state to ensure equal district populations
C) A court order to hold new elections because of voting irregularities
D) Altering a legislative formula that apportions spending among the states
E) Normally a bipartisan exercise

Question 11

The founders of the American republic believed that most of the power that would be exercised by a national government should be in the hands of which of the following?

A) The chief executive
B) The judiciary
C) The electoral college
D) The legislature
E) The bureaucracy

Question 12

An important foreign policy power given to Congress includes which of the following?

A) Borrowing money from other countries
B) Declaring war
C) Punishing piracy on the high seas
D) Raising an army
E) Summoning and regulating state militias

Question 13

All taxing and spending bills must originate where?

A) In the Senate
B) In the House of Representatives
C) In the Rules Committee
D) In the conference committee
E) From the president

Question 14

The drawing of legislative district boundaries in order to give one side an advantage is known as which of the following?

A) The coattail effect
B) The incumbency advantage
C) Redistricting
D) Reapportionment
E) Gerrymandering

Question 15

What usually happens to members of Congress who run for reelection?

A) They are defeated in primary elections.
B) They are defeated in general elections.
C) They quit during the campaign.
D) They successfully run for reelection.
E) They are term-limited and cannot run for reelection.

Question 16

Which of the following issues has come up for discussion in just about every recent session of Congress?

A) Social Security
B) Foreign aid
C) The national debt
D) Federal taxes
E) All of these are correct.

Question 17

Before an issue is placed on the congressional agenda, congressional leadership needs to ensure which of the following occurs?

A) Members learn about the issue.
B) Members will support the leadership's view on the issue.
C) There is support, or at least not a great deal of impediments put in the way by interest groups.
D) There is presidential support, or enough congressional support to override a presidential veto.
E) All of these are correct.

Question 18

In order to get an issue on the congressional agenda, it must be seen by whom as something Congress needs to address?

A) The committee chairman
B) Party leaders
C) Interest groups
D) The president
E) All of these are correct.

Question 19

How are enumerated powers specifically granted to the national government?

A) By the citizenry
B) By the Supreme Court
C) By the Bill of Rights
D) By the Emancipation Proclamation
E) By the Constitution

Question 20

After the civil war began in Syria, and children leaving the country began dying at sea, President Obama announced what policy of the U.S. government?

A) The children would be sent back to Syria.
B) More refugees would be allowed to settle in the United States.
C) The children would be put in relocation camps.
D) The children and their parents would be jailed.
E) More ships would be purchased for the U.S. Coast Guard so that these children could not reach American territory.

Question 21

Who can introduce a bill in Congress?

A) Only a member of Congress
B) Any American citizen
C) Any registered interest group member
D) Members of Congress and Supreme Court justices
E) Supreme Court justices, members of Congress, or the president

Question 22

The most important committees in Congress are permanent bodies that possess an expertise resulting from their jurisdiction over certain policy areas. These are known as what kind of committees?

A) Select committees
B) Joint committees
C) Conference committees
D) Standing committees
E) Legislative committees

Question 23

A filibuster is which of the following?

A) An attempt to persuade others to vote for a bill in return for a favor at a later date
B) A technique used to get blocks of House members to support a bill
C) A practice used in the House to force a standing committee to release a bill
D) An attempt to prevent the passage of a bill through the use of unlimited debate
E) A method used by the Speaker of the House to promote a majority party's legislation

Question 24

Why might Congress try to limit the number of refugees allowed to come into the United States?

A) They're worried that some of the "refugees" might be terrorists.
B) The refugees haven't gone through the same procedures as other immigrants.
C) The refugees don't have an interest group looking out for their interests.
D) The Syrian government wants all refugees returned to the country.
E) All of these are correct.

Question 25

The concept of cloture refers to which of the following?

A) A method used to defeat legislation in Congress
B) A resolution that adjourns Congress
C) A process that attempts to limit debate in the Senate
D) Closed meetings held by both parties to elect their leadership or resolve other important issues
E) An action by the House Rules Committee that must be approved by the Speaker of the House

Question 26

In the Senate, how many votes are necessary to invoke cloture and end debate on a bill?

A) A simple majority
B) 67
C) 75
D) 50
E) 60

Question 27

A temporary legislative committee established for a limited time period and for a special purpose is known as which of the following?

A) Joint committee
B) Conference committee
C) Standing committee
D) Rules committee
E) Select committee

Question 28

Oversight is the process by which Congress does which of the following?

A) Reviews the actions of subcommittees
B) Chooses its leadership
C) Supervises the activities of the judicial branch
D) Passes legislation
E) Follows up on the laws that it has enacted

Question 29

A senator who wants to prevent a bill from coming up for a vote might decide to deliberate on the subject matter of the bill for hours since the Senate gives its members the right to unlimited debate in a process called which of the following?

A) A mandate
B) A filibuster
C) A pocket veto
D) A hold
E) An initiative

Question 30

In the absence of the president of the Senate, who presides over the Senate?

A) The Senate majority leader
B) The Senate majority whip
C) The president pro tempore of the Senate
D) The vice president of the United States
E) The Speaker of the House

Question 31

The seniority system provides which of the following?

A) Members are awarded additional committee assignments in line with their seniority.
B) The committee member of the majority party with the longest continuous service normally becomes the committee chairperson.
C) Members become party whips in order of seniority.
D) Members of the House can be appointed to the Senate to fill vacancies.
E) The Speaker of the House is the member of the majority party with the longest continuous service.

Question 32

Selection of committee chairpersons in each chamber of Congress is most often based on which of the following?

A) The party of the president
B) Which party holds the majority in the chamber
C) Seniority
D) Balancing power between the two parties
E) Longstanding traditions of assigning certain positions to members from certain districts or states

Question 33

Which of the following best describes the duties of the U.S. vice president?

A) Serving as president of the Senate
B) Making committee assignments in the Senate
C) Casting tiebreaking votes in the Senate
D) Serving as president of the Senate and making committee assignments in the Senate
E) Serving as president of the Senate and casting tiebreaking votes in the Senate

Question 34

The purpose of a conference committee is to do which of the following?

A) Originate appropriations bills
B) Set the rules of debate for a bill
C) Determine the committee path of a bill
D) Reconcile House and Senate versions of a bill
E) Override a presidential veto

Question 35

Which of the following is the committee in the House that proposes time limitations on debate for bills?

A) Debate Committee
B) Rules Committee
C) House Ways and Means Committee
D) Debate and Censure Committee
E) Issues Committee

Question 36

In 2013, in response to their frustration with minority filibusters, Senate Democrats decided to do which of the following?

A) Invoke "perpetual cloture" which ended the possibility of filibusters
B) Split appointments 50/50 among Republicans and Democrats
C) End legislative recesses until Republicans agreed to limit filibusters
D) Eliminate filibusters for confirmation of presidential nominees other than Supreme Court justices
E) Change Senate committee structures so that Republicans would be less represented and would lose influence

Question 37

How can Congress pass a bill over a presidential veto?

A) A two-thirds vote in the House and a majority in the Senate
B) Majority approval in the Supreme Court
C) Two-thirds vote in each house
D) Three-fourths vote in each house
E) Majority vote in the House and 60 votes in the Senate

Question 38

To signal one's intent to filibuster, a senator may issue which of the following?

A) A cloture request
B) A gerrymander
C) A hold
D) A senatorial veto
E) A franking privilege

Question 39

Over time, what has happened to political parties in Congress?

A) They've become more inclusive of various ideological perspectives.
B) They've become more and more similar, giving voters fewer legitimate choices.
C) They've become more ideologically distinct.
D) They've found it easier to identify common ground.
E) They've largely abandoned traditional ideological viewpoints.

Question 40

After being reported by a committee, but before being sent to the House floor, bills are sent to which committee, which defines the conditions under which the bill is to be considered by the House?

A) The Appropriations Committee
B) The Joint Committee
C) The Select Committee
D) The Ways and Means Committee
E) The Rules Committee

Question 41

How does a representative who is performing the role of a trustee vote?

A) In the interest of his or her home constituents
B) In support of his or her political party's agenda
C) On the basis of his or her own conscience in the broad interests of society
D) In accordance with opinion polls
E) Based on vote trades

Question 42

Whose job is it to monitor Congress and lobby for the president's policies?

A) The Senate majority leader
B) The president's legislative liaison staff
C) The vice president
D) The Speaker of the House
E) The president's public relations staff

Question 43

When the president is a Republican and the Senate is also controlled by Republicans, but the House of Representatives is controlled by Democrats, it demonstrates which of the following ideas?

A) Agenda setting
B) Divided government
C) A joint resolution
D) A gerrymander
E) A markup

Question 44

If a member of Congress listens to his or her constituents and votes the way that most of them want, he or she is said to be following which system of governance?

A) Majoritarian
B) Pluralistic
C) Elitist
D) Constitutional
E) Dependent

Question 45

In 2011, congressional parties formally banned which of the following pork barrel projects that benefit specific districts or states?

A) Categorical funds
B) Bylines
C) Redactions
D) Delineations
E) Earmarks

Question 46

When members of Congress serve on a committee, they tend to reflect the views of their party's membership. In this situation, what role are these members of Congress playing?

A) Delegate
B) Trustee
C) Tribune
D) Agent
E) Incumbent

Question 47

A legislator acts as a trustee when they vote based on which of the following?

A) Majority rule
B) Their conscience
C) Party alignment
D) Constituency agreement
E) Historical trends

Question 48

The people whom a legislator represents and spends considerable time and effort serving are known as which of the following?

A) Delegates
B) Trustees
C) Constituents
D) Representatives
E) Members

Question 49

When interest groups give campaign contributions to a political candidate, what are they expecting to get in return from the candidate?

A) Their vote on any issue that affects the interest group
B) Better tables at other political fund raisers
C) Access to the candidate so that their positions will be considered
D) An appearance at the interest group's national convention
E) Influence on who the president picks for cabinet positions

Question 50

Discuss the major powers of Congress as granted by the U.S. Constitution.

Question 51

Most democracies outside the United States have which of the following?

A) Parliamentary system
B) Executive-legislative system
C) Congressional system
D) Constitutional monarchy
E) Legislative oversight system

Question 52

Describe the process of redistricting and its impact on the House of Representatives.

Question 53

A congressional earmark allows which of the following?

A) Deficit spending rather than balancing the federal budget
B) More discretionary funds that can be channeled to where the money is most needed
C) The government to spend money on a specific project
D) A tax loophole for a specific corporation
E) The funding required for entitlement programs

Question 54

Discuss the enumerated powers of Congress listed in Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution and describe how these powers have been interpreted over time.

Question 55

Explain the differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate with regard to constituencies, terms of office, powers, and political processes.

Question 56

Most members of Congress spend most of their weekends where?

A) In Washington
B) At their vacation homes outside Washington
C) On congressional research tours to other countries
D) In their home districts
E) In meetings in their state capitals, getting direction from the governor and state legislature

Question 57

In a parliamentary system, power is concentrated in which of the following?

A) The head of state
B) The voting public
C) The legislature
D) The prime minister
E) The courts

Question 58

One reason there may be no delegate position for members of Congress to take is which of the following?

A) Many issues are of great concern to their constituents.
B) Sometimes what constituents want is not really clear.
C) Technology has made most congressional issues highly visible back home.
D) Congressional issues rarely cut across a constituency in the same way.
E) They fear losing their incumbency.

Question 59

Which of the following is an influence on how legislators decide to vote?

A) Their political party
B) Their constituents
C) The president
D) Interest groups
E) All of these are correct.

Question 60

On issues of high visibility and great concern to constituents, members of Congress are most likely to behave as which of the following?

A) Tribunes
B) Trustees
C) Advertisers
D) Insiders
E) Delegates

Question 61

Discuss some of the ways that issues that reach the congressional agenda still do not get addressed. Consider the needs of all parties involved in the passage of a bill into law.

Question 62

Discuss the importance of political parties in the U.S. Congress. How do political parties impact leadership and legislation?

Question 63

Explain the purpose and function of the House Rules Committee.

Question 64

Discuss the demographic makeup of Congress and how it compares to the United States as a whole. What differences are there, and what effects might these differences have?

Question 65

Describe the leadership structure in each house of Congress, noting the differences between the House and the Senate.

Question 66

What are the four major influences that affect the legislative environment? Explain their significance.

Question 67

Discuss the ways in which issues can get on the congressional agenda.

Question 68

Discuss the importance of committees to the lawmaking process and to the ability of members of Congress to do their jobs.

Question 69

Discuss the differences in the roles and the functions of the president of the Senate, the president pro tempore of the Senate, and the majority leader of the Senate.

Question 70

Explain three of the advantages incumbents have over challengers in congressional elections.

Question 71

Compare and contrast the trustee and instructed delegate theories of representation.