AP Government
Chapter 7 Test
Name _______________________
Date __________ Period _______
Multiple Choice
1. _____ When Congress is in session, a member’s day can best be described as
a. chaotic
b. leisurely
c. short
d. simple
e. boring
2. _____ The structure of the legislative branch of government is described by
_________
of the Constitution.
a. Article I
b. Article II
c. Article III
d. Article IV
e. Article V
3. _____ Who conducts impeachment trials?
a. a joint session of Congress
b. the president’s cabinet
c. the Senate
d. the House of Representatives
e. the Supreme Court
4. _____ All of the following are advantages of incumbency EXCEPT
a. the frank
b. publicly funded campaigns
c. name recognition
d. easier fund raising
e. access to the media
5. _____ The War Powers Act
a. hinders the ability of Congress to declare war
b. was nullified by Richard Nixon’s signing statement
c. has been precisely followed by all sitting presidents since the law was
enacted
d. was declared unconstitutionally in Bowers v. Hardwick
e. was an unsuccessful attempt to reassert Congressional authority over the
executive branch
6. _____ How is a tie broken in the Senate?
a. a tie is broken by drawing lots
b. there is no way to break a tie; if there is a tie vote, the measure does not
pass
c. the vice president of the United States breaks the tie
d. the president pro tempore breaks the tie
e. the president of the United States breaks the tie
7. _____ From 1980 to 1990, about __________ percent of incumbents who
sought reelection were successful.
a. 25
b. 55
c. 70
d. 80
e. 95
8. _____ Most bills introduced in Congress
a. are passed quickly
b. are passed eventually
c. are vetoed by the president
d. die
e. are passed but not enacted because they are unconstitutional
9. _____ What did the Gang of Fourteen prevent?
a. changes to the filibuster rules
b. the China Trade Act of 2000
c. ghost voting
d. extending George W. Bush’s tax cuts
e. Social Security reform
10. _____ Which demographic group is the least well represented in Congress?
a. men
b. veterans
c. Hispanics
d. millionaires
e. those with advanced degrees
11. _____ What is the role of conference committees?
a. to reach compromises on a bill after they have been referred from
standing committees and before they are referred to select committees
b. to ensure ethical behavior by members of Congress
c. to reach compromises on bills after both chambers pass similar bills
d. to set the congressional agenda
e. to hear testimony from citizens and interest groups
12. _____ The Constitution gives formal law-making powers to
a. the bureaucracy
b. Congress
c. the executive branch
d. the House of Representatives but not the Senate
e. the Senate but not the House of Representatives
13. _____ Which committees are most numerous?
a. joint committees
b. standing committees
c. special committees
d. subcommittees
e. select committees
14. _____ The U.S. Congress is
a. nonpartisan
b. the only democratically elected legislators in the world
c. bicameral
d. prohibited from passing laws that might conflict with state laws
e. required to reapportion every year
15. _____ When is a member of Congress least likely to be reelected?
a. when he or she is involved in a scandal
b. when the economy is doing well
c. when there is a budget deficit
d. when the economy is doing poorly
e. when he or she is from the president’s party
16. _____ The Seventeenth Amendment
a. limits the president to two consecutive terms
b. establishes an income tax
c. limits the sale or importation of alcoholic beverages
d. requires the direct election of senators
e. limits congressional salaries
17. _____ The House of Representatives has the sole power to
a. approve treaties
b. initiate revenue bills
c. declare war
d. try impeached officials
e. make agreements with the executive
18. _____ Apportionment and redistricting typically occur every
a. 2 years
b. 4 years
c. 6 years
d. 10 years
e. 20 years
19. _____ How can a filibuster be stopped?
a. with a 3/5 vote of all House members
b. with a discharge petition
c. through senatorial courtesy
d. with a cloture motion
e. a filibuster cannot be stopped; that is why they are so powerful
20. _____ How does the Constitution define impeachable offenses?
a. “abuse of power or reckless disregard for the Principles of Democracy”
b. “actions contrary to the Interests of the Union, or those actions which
Appear contrary”
c. “a felony of any class”
d. “Treason, Bribery or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors”
e. “those acts which by their very Nature breach the public trust”
21. _____ Which of the following best describes George W. Bush’s beliefs about
Congress?
a. Congress should take the lead in foreign policy issues
b. Congress should take the lead in domestic policymaking
c. a strong Congress is the best way to keep America safe from terrorists
d. Congress has limited oversight over the executive branch, especially in
times of war
e. Congress should lead and the president should follow
22. _____ The constitutional officer who presides over the Senate is the
a. House majority leader
b. Speaker of the Senate
c. vice president of the United States
d. president of the United States
e. majority caucus
23. _____ Who is the true leader of the Senate by virtue of having the most power
and influence in the chamber?
a. the Vice President of the United States
b. the president pro tempore
c. the President of the Senate
d. the Senate majority leader
e. the presiding officer of the Senate
24. _____ A senator may agree to vote for a bill that will bring money to a
colleague’s district. In exchange, the colleague will agree to vote for a future bill
that the initial senator supports. This is called
a. using the frank
b. logrolling
c. discharging the petition
d. casework
e. fishmongering
25. _____ There are _________ members of the House of Representatives and
_________ members of the Senate
a. 435; 100
b. 527; 50
c. 527; 100
d. 376; 50
e. 435; 50
26. _____ The congressional leaders who line up members on partisan issues and
serve as a link between the rank-and-file members and the leadership are called
a. sergeants at arms
b. whips
c. minority leaders
d. parliamentarians
e. majority leaders
27. _____According to Article I, section 8 of the Constitution, Congress has the
power to
a. grant titles of nobility
b. lay and collect taxes
c. pass ex post facto laws
d. revoke natural laws
e. impeach state governors
28. _____ Senators are elected for ________-year terms
a. 2
b. 4
c. 6
d. 7
e. 8
29. _____ Which of the following best summarized the outcome of the 2006
elections?
a. Democrats regained control of the House, while Republicans retained
control of the Senate
b. Democrats retained control of both chambers
c. Republicans regained control of both chambers
d. Democrats regained control of both chambers
e. Republicans retained control of both chambers
30. _____ Nancy Pelosi is the first woman
a. to serve as President of the Senate
b. to serve in Congress
c. to serve as Speaker of the House
d. selected as the Democratic whip in the House of Representatives
e. elected to Congress from California
31. _____Members of the House of Representatives must
a. be at least 30 years old
b. have lived in the U.S. for at least 7 years
c. pass a religious test
d. take an oath to uphold socialist principles
e. all of the above
32. _____ The Senate has the sole power to
a. declare war
b. approve major presidential appointments
c. regulate the District of Columbia
d. issue patents and copyrights
e. establish post offices and post roads
33. What was J. Dennis Hastert’s style as Speaker?
a. aggressive
b. flamboyant
c. pragmatic and cautious
d. extravagant and overzealous
e. knee-jerk and hot-headed
34. _____ Which of the following accurately characterizes a difference in the way the
House and Senate operate?
a. the House is more formal than the Senate
b. the Senate leadership is more powerful than the House leadership
c. authority in the Senate is concentrated while authority in the House is
diffuse
d. House rules permit a filibuster but Senate rules do not
e. it is easier to pass legislation in the Senate than in the House
35. _____ The leader of the House of Representatives is called the
a. majority leader
b. President of the House
c. Speaker of the House
d. ombudsman
e. president pro tempore
36. _____ What kind of Speaker was Newt Gingrich?
a. a powerful Speaker who had considerable control over the House
b. a weak Speaker who had very little control over the House
c. a behind-the-scenes Speaker who stayed out of the limelight
d. a corrupt Speaker who resigned after he was indicted by a Texas grand
jury
e. a go-along-to-get-along Speaker
37. _____ Woodrow Wilson wrote that “Congress in session is Congress on
exhibition, whilst Congress in its _______ is Congress at work.”
a. cloakrooms
b. pubs and smoking lounges
c. districts
d. reelection offices
e. committee rooms
38. _____ Committees allow for
a. socialization
b. emancipation
c. specialization
d. fraternization
e. temptation
39. _____ Why do members of Congress pass pork and earmarks?
a. because each project benefits the country as a whole
b. because agricultural subsidies are necessary to ensure that the U.S. has
enough domestic food sources in case an armed conflict cuts off supplies
of imported food
c. because Congress prefers to pass bills that are in the long-term best
interests of the country
d. because they help members of Congress get reelected
e. because it is important for the U.S. to be a good global citizen
40. _____ What is the composition of committees in the House of Representatives?
a. the majority party has all of the seats on a majority of committees; the
minority party has all of the seats on a minority of committees
b. the majority party has a majority of seats on all committees; the minority
party has a minority of seats on all committees
c. the majority party has a majority of seats on a majority of committees;
the minority party has a majority of seats on a minority of committees
d. each committee has an equal number of Democrats and Republicans
e. partisanship does not affect committee composition
41. _____ How are committee chairs selected in the House?
a. by lot
b. by seniority
c. by party loyalty
d. by margin of electoral victory
e. according to the size of Representatives’ constituencies
42. _____ What are members of Congress most likely to do when they leave
Congress?
a. run for local office
b. run for state office
c. work in the executive branch
d. work in the judicial branch
e. become lobbyists
43. _____ Elected representatives who listen to their constituents’ opinions and then
use their best judgment to make decisions are
a. incommunicados
b. politicos
c. simpaticos
d. delegates
e. trustees
44. _____ What happens to a House bill after it is reported by the full committee?
a. it is introduced in the corresponding committee in the Senate
b. it is debated on the house floor
c. it is sent to a conference committee
d. it is sent to the Rules Committee
e. it is sent to the Committee on Committees
45. _____ What is a hold?
a. a failed filibuster
b. a type of constituency service
c. an illegal perk from a lobbyist
d. a way for a member of the House to delay legislation by refusing to
support a unanimous consent agreement
e. a Senate tactic that signals the leadership to consult the senator before
further action is taken on a bill
True/False
46. _____ Richard Nixon is the only U.S. president to be impeached.
47. _____ In 2006, Democrats regained control of Congress and Nancy Pelosi was
appointed Speaker of the Senate.
48. _____ In the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks, Congress banned a
Muslim congressional staffers association.
49. _____ Since 1945, the number of women, African Americans and Hispanics in
Congress has been gradually increasing.
50. _____ Every 10 years, congressional districts are redrawn to reflect changes in
population.
51. _____ The Congressional Budget Office helps members of Congress by
evaluating the costs and economic effects of proposed legislation.
52. _____ U.S. Senator George Allen lost his reelection bid in part because he
referred to a volunteer working for his opponent as “Macaca.”
53. _____ House incumbents usually win reelection, while Senate incumbents usually
lose their reelection.
54. _____ The U.S. Congress is unicameral.
55. _____ Members of Congress tend to pay more attention to those who help fund
their reelection.
56. _____ The Israeli Knesset was modeled on the U.S. Congress and operates in a
nearly identical fashion.
57. _____ Voters overwhelmingly dislike divided government because it tends to
result in policy gridlock.
58. _____ Congress determines naturalization procedures and limits.
59. _____ Lawyers are overrepresented in Congress.
60. _____ Congress can halt executive activities by cutting off funds for them.
Essay
61. What roles do political parties play in the organization of Congress? Be sure to
discuss the role of parties in leadership positions and in the committee structure.