Question 1

In the 2011-2012 election cycle,how much money did the average winning House candidate spend?

Accepted Answer

The average winning House candidate in the 2011-2012 election cycle spent approximately $1.6 million.

Question 2

Which incumbency advantage involves efforts to highlight an incumbent's service to individuals and to the district?

Accepted Answer

Credit claiming involves incumbents highlighting their achievements and how they have served their constituents and the district, showcasing their efforts and successes in serving their community.

Question 3

Of the following groups,which is most underrepresented in Congress?

Accepted Answer

Women are most underrepresented in Congress compared to their proportion in the general population.

Question 4

Where does most of Congress's work happen?

Accepted Answer

Most of Congress's work, including the drafting, discussion, and revision of proposed legislation, happens within committees. These are smaller groups specializing in specific areas of policy, such as finance or foreign relations, allowing for more focused and detailed work than would be possible in the full Congress.

Question 5

How have parties changed internally as they have become more polarized?

Accepted Answer

As parties have become more polarized, they have become more homogeneous, meaning there is less internal diversity and more uniformity in beliefs and policies within each party.

Question 6

Which committee is created to reconcile differences in versions of a bill passed by the House and Senate?

Accepted Answer

Conference committees are specifically designed to reconcile differences in bills that have been passed in different forms by the House and Senate, ensuring that a single, unified version of the legislation can be sent to the President for approval.

Question 7

Why might incumbents want to deemphasize their policy positions during a reelection campaign?

Accepted Answer

Stressing policy positions can indeed make enemies as well as friends because it clarifies the incumbent's stance on contentious issues, potentially alienating voters who disagree.

Question 8

Which of the following makes economic projections about the performance of the economy,the costs of proposed policies,and the economic effects of taxing and spending alternatives?

Accepted Answer

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is responsible for making economic projections about the performance of the economy, evaluating the costs of proposed policies, and analyzing the economic effects of taxing and spending alternatives.

Question 9

Which example best demonstrates a legislator acting as a trustee of his or her constituency?

Accepted Answer

A trustee is someone who uses their own judgment to make decisions they believe are in the best interests of their constituents, even if those decisions are not directly aligned with the current public opinion or desires of the constituency. This contrasts with a delegate, who strictly follows the wishes of their constituents.

Question 10

When does a bill go to the Rules Committee in the House of Representatives?

Accepted Answer

A bill goes to the Rules Committee in the House of Representatives after it is approved by its full committee. This step is crucial for determining the terms under which the bill will be debated and voted on by the full House.

Question 11

What have reformers proposed to increase turnover in the membership of Congress?

Accepted Answer

Term limits have been proposed by reformers as a way to increase turnover in the membership of Congress by limiting the number of terms an individual can serve.

Question 12

What is substantive representation?

Accepted Answer

Substantive representation refers to the advocacy for and representation of the interests and policy preferences of groups by elected officials, even if those officials do not personally belong to those groups. It contrasts with descriptive representation, where elected officials physically or demographically resemble the groups they represent.

Question 13

What is defined as the activities that help individual constituents,particularly by cutting through bureaucratic red tape?

Accepted Answer

Casework involves assistance provided by members of Congress to their constituents in navigating the complexities and bureaucratic hurdles of government agencies and services.

Question 14

Who is the only House official mandated by the Constitution?

Accepted Answer

The Constitution mandates the position of Speaker of the House, as outlined in Article I, Section 2, Clause 5, which states that the House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and other officers.

Question 15

What type of legislation do party leaders from the two chambers of Congress sometimes use to address numerous and perhaps unrelated issues to create winning coalitions and force members to support the entire bill to obtain the individual parts?

Accepted Answer

Omnibus legislation is used to package together several measures into one or combine diverse subjects into a single bill, making it easier to pass through Congress by building broad support.

Question 16

When is lobbying more likely to be successful?

Accepted Answer

Lobbying is often more successful when lobbying against change because it is generally easier to maintain the status quo than to implement new policies or changes.

Question 17

What is the vice president's only constitutionally defined job?

Accepted Answer

The Vice President's only constitutionally defined job is to serve as President of the Senate, which includes casting a tie-breaking vote when the Senate is deadlocked.

Question 18

Which committees exist in both the House and Senate,may be temporary or permanent,and usually have a specific focus?

Accepted Answer

Select committees exist in both the House and Senate, can be temporary or permanent, and are established to conduct investigations or consider specific issues not within the jurisdiction of standing committees.

Question 19

Congress missed the fact that various agencies with responsibility for supervising the banking industry were negligent in identifying looming financial problems that led to the recession of 2008-2009.This suggests a failure of __________.

Accepted Answer

The failure to identify looming financial problems in the banking industry that contributed to the recession of 2008-2009 indicates a failure of oversight, as it suggests that the agencies responsible for supervising the banking industry were not adequately monitored or held accountable for their actions.

Question 20

How are Senate committee chairs generally selected?

Accepted Answer

Senate committee chairs are generally selected according to seniority, with the position often going to the longest-serving member of the majority party on the committee.

Quiz 11: Congress