Question 1

Why is the Senate more individualistic than the House?

Accepted Answer

Senate debate and procedure rules allow for more individualistic behavior compared to the House. For example, the filibuster is a unique tool available only to Senators that allows them to stall or block legislation by speaking continuously on the Senate floor. This gives individual Senators more influence and power than they would have in the House, where debate rules are more restrictive. Additionally, the Senate's smaller size allows for more personal relationships and networking, which can lead to more individualistic behavior.

Question 2

What presidential tool is most useful at the end of a congressional session?

Accepted Answer

Pocket vetoes are most useful at the end of a congressional session. This allows the president to effectively veto a bill without the opportunity for Congress to override their veto, as there is not enough time left in the session for Congress to consider the bill again.

Question 3

________ rules allow no amendments while ________ rules allow specified amendments.

Accepted Answer

The answer of ________ rules allow no amendments while ________...

Question 4

What is the central purpose of subcommittees?

Accepted Answer

The central purpose of subcommittees is to solve collective dilemmas within committees. Committees are often composed of members with diverse perspectives, interests, and goals who need to work together to pass legislation. Subcommittees allow for smaller groups of members to work together to resolve disagreements and reach compromises on specific aspects of a bill or policy proposal. They also help to expedite the legislative process by allowing committees to work on multiple bills at the same time.

Question 5

Which of these Senate tools is the closest to a rule issued by the House Rules Committee?

Accepted Answer

Unanimous consent agreements in the Senate serve a similar purpose to the rules issued by the House Rules Committee in that both are used to structure the debate on legislation, including setting time limits and determining which amendments can be considered.

Question 6

How can votes on the floor of the House and Senate be utilized by interest groups?

Accepted Answer

Interest groups often generate scorecards based on how closely legislators' votes align with the group's interests, which helps them in lobbying and endorsing candidates.

Question 7

In what way are committees a central feature of the distributional model?

Accepted Answer

The distributional model of Congress suggests that members of Congress seek to secure particularized benefits for their districts or constituents. Committees are central to this model because they allow members to use their specialized knowledge or positions to insert specific allocations or earmarks into legislation, thereby directly benefiting their constituents or interests.

Question 8

What is the importance of markups for individual representatives?

Accepted Answer

Markups allow individual representatives to have a significant degree of control over the content of a bill. This is an opportunity for representatives to make changes or additions to the proposed legislation that reflect their constituents' interests and priorities. They can use this leverage to shape the final version of the bill that is presented for a vote in Congress. Therefore, the importance of markups for representatives lies in the ability to influence the legislative process and outcomes.

Question 9

What important role does the Speaker play in the referral process?

Accepted Answer

The Speaker of the House plays a critical role in controlling the referral of bills to committees. When a bill is introduced in the House, the Speaker decides which committee should consider it. This decision can significantly impact the success or failure of the bill, as some committees may be more receptive to certain issues than others. Additionally, the Speaker can use their power to block or delay the referral of a bill as a tactic to influence its outcome. Therefore, the Speaker's strategic control over the referral process is an important factor in shaping the legislative process.

Question 10

Why is the inability of a party leader to control a candidate's usage of a party label in elections important?

Accepted Answer

If a candidate runs an individualistic campaign rather than representing the party's platform and values, it dilutes the party's message and can lead to confusion among voters. This can also make it harder to hold elected officials accountable to the party's platform once they are in office.

Question 11

What is the impact of the power and duties of the House Rules Committee relative to proceedings in the Senate?

Accepted Answer

The House Rules Committee has the power to determine which measures and amendments can be debated and voted upon on the floor. This gives the House greater partisan control over floor proceedings, as the majority party controls the committee and can shape the agenda accordingly. In contrast, the Senate has more relaxed procedures and allows for more open debate and amendments, giving individual senators more power relative to their counterparts in the House. Therefore, C is the best choice.

Question 12

Why are staffs for legislative and campaign work separate entities?

Accepted Answer

The separation between staffs for legislative and campaign work is primarily mandated by election law to prevent conflicts of interest and ensure that government resources are not used for campaign purposes.

Question 13

What is the Rules Committee? How does the Rules Committee support the power of party leaders in the House of Representatives? How does the absence of a parallel institution in the Senate increase the power of individual senators relative to party leaders?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the Rules Committee? How does...

Question 14

Why might a representative propose a bill knowing it will fail?

Accepted Answer

A representative may propose a bill even if they know it will fail because it demonstrates to their constituents that they are advocating for their interests and concerns. This can help the representative maintain or increase their popularity with their electorate.

Question 15

The Congressional Black Caucus holds a meeting at the beginning of every session. What is most likely discussed in those meetings?

Accepted Answer

The Congressional Black Caucus is a group of African American members of Congress who focus on issues related to the concerns of African Americans. Therefore, it is most likely that the meetings would discuss issues related to African Americans.

Question 16

Why are laws passed by Congress often in line with the status quo?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why are laws passed by Congress often...

Question 17

What is the best description of the difference between the informational and distributional models of congressional organization?

Accepted Answer

The informational model places a greater emphasis on party leaders and their opinions, while the distributional model focuses on the distribution of resources among committees based on their jurisdiction. Therefore, choice B is the best description of the difference between the two models. Choices A, C, and D may be factors considered in both models to some extent, but they do not capture the primary distinction between them. Choice E is incorrect as there is a clear difference between the two models.

Question 18

What effect does the constitutional feature of separation of powers have on the pace of legislation?

Accepted Answer

The separation of powers creates checks and balances between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, which often leads to a slower pace of legislation. Each branch has equal power and can veto or block the actions of the others, which can lead to gridlock and a slower pace of decision-making.

Question 19

How do parties exercise control over the functioning of committees?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How do parties exercise control over the...

Question 20

Which of these models of congressional organization places the most emphasis on the growth of bureaucracies such as the congressional research service?

Accepted Answer

The informational model of congressional organization emphasizes the importance of information in the legislative process and supports the growth of bureaucracies like the Congressional Research Service to provide detailed and accurate information to lawmakers for informed decision-making.

Quiz 5: Congress