Deck 12: Congress

Question 1

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

Answer 1

E

Question 2

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

Answer 2

A

Question 3

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 3

A

Question 4

One difference between the House and Senate is the number of members. Because of this, which of the following is true?

A) The House will spend much more time on a bill on the floor than the Senate.
B) The Senate has more rules in order to limit discussion of possible legislation.
C) A greater number of formal rules are needed to govern activity in the House.
D) House members must sit on more committees than senators.
E) A constitutional amendment has been introduced to increase the size of the Senate and reduce the size of the House.

Question 5

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 6

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

Question 7

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 8

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 9

The division of Congress into two separate bodies is known as which of the following?

A) Cameralism
B) Bicameralism
C) Unicameralism
D) Checks and balances
E) The separation of powers

Question 10

The Framers listed the powers of the legislature in the Constitution because they were afraid that the legislative branch would do which of the following?

A) Stop being responsive to the people
B) Become too powerful
C) Become beholden to special interests
D) Be manipulated by the other two branches
E) Create unconstitutional laws

Question 11

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 12

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 13

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 14

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 15

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 16

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 17

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 18

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 19

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 20

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 21

Which of the following is one of the most powerful agencies in Washington, D.C., and assists in the preparation of the federal budget and monitors federal agencies throughout the year?

A) Office of Management and Budget
B) Council of Economic Advisors
C) Department of Budget and Commerce
D) House Ways and Means Committee
E) Senate Budget Committee

Question 22

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 23

If Congress passes a spending bill that provides $2 million to the Department of Transportation, it is an example of which of the following?

A) Appropriation
B) Reapportionment
C) Alignment
D) Earmark
E) Cloture

Question 24

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 25

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 26

A temporary law that Congress passes when an appropriations bill has not been decided by the beginning of the fiscal year is which of the following?

A) An emergency revenue generation
B) An emergency fall review
C) A continuing resolution
D) A second temporary budget resolution
E) A spring review

Question 27

Compared to the leadership structure in the House of Representatives, the leadership structure in the Senate is which of the following?

A) Not necessary
B) Totally centralized
C) More complex
D) Basically the same
E) Not as formal

Question 28

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 29

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 30

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 31

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 32

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 33

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 34

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 35

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 36

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

Question 37

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 38

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 39

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 40

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 41

Discuss the legislative and constituent responsibilities of Congress. Explain which of these have the most impact on elections.

Question 42

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

Question 43

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

Question 44

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

Question 45

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

Question 46

Because House and Senate members aim to be responsive to their constituents, they do which of the following?

A) Provide their private email addresses to the public
B) Hire staff members to address every possible concern
C) Establish offices in their home state so voters can get help with federal issues
D) Live in their home state, rather than Washington, D.C., when Congress is in session
E) Respond to every constituent directly, rather than through staff members

Question 47

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

Question 48

After a bill is introduced in the House of Representatives, where does it go from there? Give a brief explanation of the process.

Question 49

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

Question 50

Constituents can best express approval or disapproval of the job their representative is doing through which of the following?

A) Letter-writing campaigns
B) Emails and tweets
C) Public opinion polling
D) Elections
E) Approval ratings

Question 51

What is the only formal congressional leadership position in the Constitution? Discuss the role of this individual.

Question 52

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

Question 53

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 54

In order to actually fund programs established by authorization bills, Congress must pass which of the following?

A) A budget resolution
B) An appropriations bill
C) A budget reconciliation
D) Authorization vouchers
E) A continuing resolution

Question 55

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 56

Explain the purpose and function of the House Rules Committee.

Question 57

It is common for a president's party to do which of the following?

A) Gain control of Congress in a presidential election year and lose control of Congress during the midterm election
B) Gain congressional seats during a presidential election year and lose seats during the midterm election
C) Lose control of Congress during a presidential election year and gain control of Congress during midterm elections
D) Lose congressional seats during a presidential election year and gain seats during a midterm election
E) Gain seats in Congress during every election

Question 58

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

Question 59

How have the powers of Congress increased? Why did they increase?

Question 60

Describe the congressional budget process.