Question 1

Which of the following helped stall civil rights legislation?

Accepted Answer

Senators used filibusters as a tactic to delay or block civil rights legislation, making it difficult to pass such laws.

Question 2

What event most helped increase the stature of the president relative to Congress?

Accepted Answer

The terrorist attacks of 9/11 significantly increased the power and stature of the president relative to Congress, as it led to the expansion of executive powers, particularly in matters of national security and foreign policy, through measures like the Patriot Act and military actions.

Question 3

Multiple referral takes many forms, which of the following describes the referral wherein a bill is sent to one committee, which is given a specified amount of time to work on the bill, and then goes to a second committee where the process repeats.

Accepted Answer

Sequential referral is when a bill is sent to one committee for a specified time before moving to another committee for further consideration.

Question 4

In the mid-19^th century Henry Clay used what aspect of irregular order to broker a peace during the lead-up to the Civil War?

Accepted Answer

Henry Clay used omnibus bills, which are comprehensive bills that package together several measures into one, to broker peace during the lead-up to the Civil War, most notably in the Compromise of 1850.

Question 5

Which Supreme Court case struck down the malapportioned districts by instituting a one person, one vote standard.

Accepted Answer

Baker v. Carr (1962) established the principle of "one person, one vote," leading to the requirement that legislative districts across states be equal in population.

Question 6

One of the main duties of Congress is to fund the federal government. In the past few decades they have failed to fulfill that duty and therefore have had to rely on what tactic of irregular order to fund the government?

Accepted Answer

Continuing resolutions are temporary funding measures that Congress uses to keep the federal government operating when the formal appropriations process has not been completed by the start of the fiscal year.

Question 7

In the 1990s Newt Gingrich helped convince Republicans they could govern if they had control. This began an era characterized by what?

Accepted Answer

The 1990s marked a period of intense electoral competition, as Newt Gingrich's strategies helped Republicans gain control, leading to a political environment where either party could potentially hold the majority after each election cycle.

Question 8

Many aspects of irregular order threaten the power of committee chairs, but members are less concerned because committees are mandated to be part of the legislative process in ___________ of the Constitution.

Accepted Answer

The Constitution does not specifically mandate committees as part of the legislative process in any article or amendment. Committees are a procedural development in Congress, not a constitutional requirement.

Question 9

If a committee refuses to act on a bill individual members do not have many options, but they can always use which irregular order tactic to send their bill directly to the floor?

Accepted Answer

A discharge petition is a procedure in the U.S. House of Representatives that allows members to bring a bill out of committee and to the floor for consideration without a report from the committee, effectively bypassing the committee's refusal to act on the bill.

Question 10

Representative Wilson has been a policy expert in defense weapon procurement for years. She has written a broad bill that he thinks would benefit from multiple referral, and specifically, she thinks different parts of his bill should be examined by members with different areas of expertise. What type of referral is she hoping for?

Accepted Answer

A split referral allows different parts of a bill to be sent to different committees, enabling members with specific expertise to examine the sections relevant to their expertise.

Question 11

Which of the following have the least formal power in solving policy problems?

Accepted Answer

Gangs are informal groups and do not have formal power or authority in solving policy problems, unlike commissions and task forces which are established by governments or organizations with specific mandates.

Question 12

During the Textbook Congress the House Rules Committee, if it chose to report a bill, issued what kind of rule?

Accepted Answer

The answer of During the Textbook Congress the House Rules...

Question 13

King of the Hill rules do which of the following?

Accepted Answer

King of the Hill rules state that the last alternative to receive a majority vote is considered passed by the House, even if it does not have the greatest number of votes.

Question 14

In avoiding conference committees party leaders have instead engaged in a process known as "ping pong" negotiations. Which of the following best describes this process?

Accepted Answer

Ping pong negotiations involve party leaders directly negotiating and exchanging amendments between the two chambers to reconcile differences in legislation.

Question 15

Some members of Congress dislike Fast-Track Authority because it reduces their power in negotiations. What specifically does it prevent Congress from doing with deals presented via Fast-Track Authority?

Accepted Answer

Fast-Track Authority prevents Congress from amending trade deals, allowing only an up-or-down vote.

Question 16

The elimination of what procedural motion led to the creation of the filibuster in the Senate?

Accepted Answer

The filibuster was not created by the elimination of a specific procedural motion. It emerged as a result of the Senate's decision in 1806 to remove the "previous question" motion, which allowed for ending debate and forcing a vote. This absence of a mechanism to cut off debate led to the development of the filibuster.

Question 17

It's 1970 and the Senate is about to vote on a cloture motion. Every senator is present and intending to vote. How many votes are needed to enact cloture?

Accepted Answer

In 1970, the Senate required a two-thirds majority of those present and voting to invoke cloture, which would be 67 votes if all 100 senators were present.

Question 18

If a senator notifies her party leadership that she will object to a give Unanimous Consent Agreement it is known as what?

Accepted Answer

Placing a hold is when a senator informs their party leadership that they will object to a unanimous consent agreement, effectively delaying or blocking the consideration of a bill or nomination.

Question 19

Filling the amendment tree in the senate works because the Senate does not allow what?

Accepted Answer

The Senate does not allow third-degree amendments, which means that once a second-degree amendment is pending, no further amendments to it can be proposed.

Question 20

Which of the following allows for people who are not members of Congress to join?

Accepted Answer

Commissions often include experts, stakeholders, or other individuals who are not members of Congress to provide specialized knowledge or perspectives.

Quiz 6: Modern Developments in the Legislative Process