Test 1: The Legislative Branch/Second Nine Weeks/Sutherland
1.
What is the typical process followed by a bill in the House of Representatives?
a.
introduction, committee referral, subcommittee, full committee report, rules
committee, conference committee, send to president, full House vote
b.
introduction, committee referral, subcommittee, full committee report, rules
committee, full House vote, conference committee, send to president
c.
introduction, committee referral, subcommittee, rules committee, full committee
report, conference committee, full House vote, send to president
d.
introduction, committee referral, rules committee, subcommittee, full committee
report, full House vote, conference committee, send to president
e.
introduction, subcommittee, committee referral, full committee report, rules
committee, full House vote, conference committee, send to president
2.
In the House of Representatives, more than 90 percent of incumbents seeking
reelection usually win.
a.
10
b.
30
c.
50
d.
70
e.
90
3.
The true leader of the Senate is the __________, elected by the majority party.
a.
majority leader
b.
president pro tempore
c.
Senate Chair
d.
Speaker
e.
vice president
4.
Strict limits are placed on the amount of debate that a bill can receive in the
Senate.
a.
True
b.
False
5.
Over the past three decades, the distance between the congressional parties has
been growing steadily. Republicans in Congress have become more consistently
conservative, Democrats have more consistently liberal, and the distance
between the centers of the two parties increased. As a result of these ideological
differences between the parties in Congress, it has been more difficult to reach a
compromise—and more difficult for the president to obtain policy support from the
opposition party. Explore some of the reasons for this increased ideological
distance between the parties and, thus, increased polarization between the
parties in Congress.
Test 1: The Legislative Branch/Second Nine Weeks/Sutherland
6.
A conference committee is comprised of members from the House and Senate
committees that originally considered the bill.
a.
True
b.
False
7.
__________ is a good example of Congressional casework.
a.
Analysis of an incumbent's policy positions prior to a debate
b.
Analysis of police force effectiveness
c.
Analysis of water quality within a district
d.
Assistance to a constituent in obtaining a Social Security check
e.
Assistance to a federal agency operating within a member's district
8.
Members of Congress earn a salary of $174,000.
a.
True
b.
False
9.
Partisan __________ occurs when members of both parties move away from the
moderate middle and share increasingly less common ground.
a.
conservatism
b.
divergence
c.
ideology
d.
polarization
e.
popularization
10.
The Constitutional Convention resulted in what form of legislature?
a.
bicameral
b.
direct
c.
trilateral
d.
unicameral
e.
unified
11.
A special joint committee created to reconcile differences in bills passed by the
House and Senate is called a(n) __________ committee.
a.
arbitration
b.
conference
c.
joint
d.
select/special
e.
standing
12.
Congressional whips serve what main function?
a.
act as official spokespersons for their chambers
b.
help the Speaker schedule proposed legislation for debate
c.
meet with members of the executive cabinet
d.
persuade party members to toe the party line
e.
serve as personal assistants to the majority and minority leaders
Test 1: The Legislative Branch/Second Nine Weeks/Sutherland
13.
The House tends to be more influential in foreign affairs while the Senate tends to
be more influential in budget matters.
a.
True
b.
False
14.
A new bill that is sent to a committee typically goes directly to a subcommittee,
which can hold hearings on the bill. The full committee then “marks up,” or
revises, the bill, which it ultimately submits to the full House or Senate for debate
and voting.
a.
True
b.
False
15.
What best explains the overwhelming advantage incumbents possess in seeking
reelection over opposition candidates?
a.
additional financial support from constituent taxes
b.
additional financial support from the federal government campaign fund
c.
demonstrated ability to lead and public record of votes
d.
name recognition, access to media, and franking privilege
e.
name recognition and access to district taxes
16.
Congress may override a veto by a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate.
a.
True
b.
False
17.
Which of the following groups is most underrepresented in Congress?
a.
African Americans
b.
Asian Americans
c.
Hispanics
d.
Native Americans
e.
women
18.
Members of Congress differ from the larger American population in they are dispr
oportionately__________.
a.
socially conservative and fiscally liberal
b.
socially liberal and fiscally conservative
c.
socially and fiscally moderate
d.
white, upper-middle-class, middle-aged, and male
e.
white, upper-middle-class, Protestant, and female
19.
The Constitution specifies that members of the House must be at least _________
_ years old and American citizens for _________ years.
Test 1: The Legislative Branch/Second Nine Weeks/Sutherland
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
25; 7
25; 10
30; 9
35; 10
35; 7
20.
Each state has __________ senators elected every __________ years.
a.
two, two
b.
two, four
c.
two, six
d.
four, two
e.
four, four
21.
__________ is the only formal method for ending a filibuster and requires the
approval of __________ senators.
a.
Abrogation, fifty-one
b.
Abrogation, sixty
c.
Censure, sixty
d.
Cloture, fifty-one
e.
Cloture, sixty
22.
This individual keeps close contact with all members of his or her party, counts
votes for key legislation, prepares summaries of bills, and acts as a
communications link within the party.
a.
committee chairperson
b.
majority/minority leader
c.
majority/minority whip
d.
president pro tempore
e.
Speaker of the House
23.
What is the name given to federal projects, grants, and contracts available to
state and local governments, businesses, colleges, and other institutions in a
congressional district?
a.
apportionment
b.
casework
c.
federalism
d.
logrolling
e.
pork
24.
“Pork” legislation may aid the district of a member of Congress by __________.
a.
diverting unallocated funds to the service sector
b.
increasing jobs and revenue with federally funded projects
c.
increasing revenue through private market investment
d.
taxing corporations less so they provide health insurance for employees
e.
taxing waste producers more to pay for environmental cleanup
Test 1: The Legislative Branch/Second Nine Weeks/Sutherland
25.
In the Senate, and particularly in the House of Representatives, it takes a large
shift in votes to affect the outcomes of most elections. To increase turnover in the
membership of Congress, some reformers have proposed __________ for
representatives and senators.
a.
campaign spending limitations
b.
credit claiming
c.
franking privileges
d.
incumbency
e.
term limitations
26.
Which statement is true of the House of Representatives?
a.
Members are elected every two years and apportioned to states based on geographic
size.
b.
Members are elected every two years and apportioned to states based on population.
c.
Members are elected every four years and apportioned to states based on
geographic size.
d.
Members are elected every four years and apportioned to states based on
population.
e.
Members are elected every six years and apportioned to states based on population.
27.
What best represents the trend of party polarization over the last three decades?
a.
Both Republicans and Democrats have become more conservative.
b.
Both Republicans and Democrats have become more liberal.
c.
Both Republicans and Democrats have become more moderate.
d.
The distance between the centers of the two parties has decreased.
e.
The parties have become more homogeneous internally as they have pulled apart
ideologically.
28.
Fundamental flaws in the operations and management of FEMA became evident
in its response to four hurricanes that hit Florida in 2004; yet by 2005, when
Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Congress had not yet held hearings to pinpoint and
resolve FEMA’s problems. Similarly, 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.
These incidents represent failures of __________.
a.
bureaucracy
b.
jurisdiction fragmentation
c.
oversight
d.
the informal organization of Congress
e.
the seniority system
29.
The __________ holds the only legislative office mandated by the Constitution.
Test 1: The Legislative Branch/Second Nine Weeks/Sutherland
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
majority leader
majority whip
minority leader
minority whip
Speaker of the House
30.
Members of the House of Representative must give “advice and consent” to many
presidential nominations.
a.
True
b.
False
31.
The vice president’s only constitutionally defined job is to serve as __________ of
the Senate.
a.
majority leader
b.
majority whip
c.
minority leader
d.
president
e.
Speaker
32.
A __________ is a group of members of Congress who share some interest or
characteristic; their goal is to promote the interests around which they are formed.
a.
caucus
b.
college
c.
committee
d.
conference
e.
convention
33.
Members of Congress are not typical or average Americans; thus, they cannot
claim __________ representation—representing constituents by mirroring their
personal, politically relevant characteristics. But they may engage in __________
representation—representing the interests of groups of which they themselves are
not members.
a.
deliberate; substantial
b.
descriptive; substantive
c.
personal; popular
d.
substantial; deliberate
e.
substantive; descriptive
34.
The House currently has 435 members, but this number increases every ten
years with the taking of the census, as mandated by the Constitution.
a.
True
b.
False
Test 1: The Legislative Branch/Second Nine Weeks/Sutherland
35.
By creating a bicameral Congress, the Constitution set up this check and balance:
no bill can be passed unless both House and Senate agree on it; each body can
thus veto the policies of the other.
a.
True
b.
False
36.
__________ organize hearings, research legislative options, draft reports on bills,
write legislation, and keep tabs on the activities of the executive branch.
a.
Committee staffers
b.
Congressional pages
c.
Personal staffers
d.
Senior representatives and senators
e.
Staff agencies
37.
The House minority leader __________.
a.
has authority over the selection of the Speaker of the House
b.
holds a position that has been the main stepping stone to the Speaker’s role
c.
is selected by the majority leader
d.
is selected by the Speaker of the House
e.
is the principal member of the minority party in the House
38.
Which statement about incumbency is most accurate?
a.
Incumbents have a huge advantage in reelection.
b.
Incumbents have a small advantage in reelection.
c.
Incumbents have no advantage in reelection.
d.
Incumbents only leave office when pressured by party leadership.
e.
Incumbents only leave office when they choose.
39.
Most of the real work of Congress goes on in __________, which dominate
congressional policymaking in all its stages.
a.
caucuses
b.
committees
c.
conferences
d.
hearings
e.
“mark-ups”
40.
In the House of Representatives, who is second in authority to the Speaker of the
House?
a.
majority leader
b.
majority whip
c.
minority leader
d.
minority whip
e.
president pro tempore (or pro tem)
Test 1: The Legislative Branch/Second Nine Weeks/Sutherland
41.
The U.S. Congress is bicameral, as is every American state legislature except ___
_______, which has one house (unicameral).
a.
Nebraska’s
b.
Nevada’s
c.
New Hampshires’s
d.
New York’s
e.
North Carolina’s