american national government
Tea Party
a conservative political movement that advocates for drastically cutting government spending, reducing taxes, and ending most forms of regulations
Pendleton Act
a federal law passed in 1883 that required bureaucrats to be hired and retained according to their demonstrated skill, not their political affilation
chief of staff
a key assistant to the president who coordinates executive branch employees and serves as a link between other presidential advisers and the president
bureaucracy
a large, complex organization in which employees work within specific levels of rank and authority to carry out the policies of that organization
whip
a legislative leader who assits the party by counting votes and persuading members to vote according to the party leaders' wishes
a
Can committees amend bills a) Yes. b) Only when the main sponsor is on the committees c) No.
executive orders
Directives that the president issues to subordinates in the executive branch and that have the force of law
c
A Supreme Court decision in _____ allowed for the existence of Super PACs. a) 1995 b) 2003 c) 2010 d) 2011
c
A ______ is allowed to raise unlimited amounts of money from any source and spend unlimited amounts to support or oppose any candidate--so long as it does not coordinate its activities with any candidate. a) Corporate PAC b) PAC c) Super PAC d) Mega PAC
a
A parliamentary technique in the Senate that allows senators to delay or block votes by talking endlessly is known as a) Filibuster. b) Cloture. c) Impeachment. d) None of the above.
b
A period in which the president is of one political party and the majority of one or both houses of Congress are of the other party is known as a) Unified government. b) Divided government. c) Effective government. d) Ineffective government.
a
How many presidents have been impeached and removed from office? a) 0 b) 1 c) 2 d) 3
b
In the 2012 elections, the top ten "Super PACs" spent more money in support of _____ than any other presidential candidate. a) Rick Santorum b) Mitt Romney c) Barack Obama d) Newt Gingrich
b
In the Senate, the _____ articulates the majority party's legislative priorities and works to pass them. a) minority leader b) majority leader c) minority whip d) majority whip
d
Most districts that are majority Black are a) Not represented in Congress. b) Represented by Latino legislators c) Represented by White legislators. d) Represented by Black legislators.
super PAC's
Political action committees allowed to raise an unlimited amount of money from any source, including individualism corporations, labor unions, and interest groups. These committees are then allowed to spend this money in support of or opposition to any political candidate, including people running for president, so long as their activities are not directly coordinated with a campaign
b
The U.S. House of Representatives has _____ voting members. a) 100 b) 435 c) 535 d) 538
c
The congressional war power is found in _____ of the Constitution. a) Article 1, Section 12 b) Article 2, Section c) Article 1, Section 8 d) Article 2, Section 3
b
The extent to which representatives advocate policies that benefit their constituents is known as a) Descriptive representation. b) Substantive representation. c) Symbolic representation. d) Direct representation.
d
The extent to which the characteristics of a representative correspond with the general characteristics of his or her own constituency is known as a) Substantive representation. b) Direct representation c) Symbolic representation. d) Descriptive representation.
c
The first presidential primary is generally held in a) Iowa. b) Minnesota. c) New Hampshire. d) New Jersey.
d
The makeup of Congress in 2009 when President Obama first took office was an example of a) Effective government b) Ineffective government. c) Divided government. d) Unified government.
d
The makeup of the 113th Congress as President Obama took office in 2013 was an example of a) Ineffective government. b) Unified government c) Effective government. d) Divided government.
b
The modern presidency is characterized by a) A weak president who seeks to lead the Supreme Court, connects with the American public, and presides over an enormous legislative branch. Correct Response b) A powerful president who seeks to lead Congress, connects with the American public, and presides over an enormous executive branch. c) A powerful president who seeks to lead the Supreme Court, connects with the American public, and presides over a small executive branch. d) A weak president who is unable to lead Congress, connects with the American public, and presides over small executive branch.
b
The political party in the House or the Senate that has more than half of the seats and therefore controls the leadership, rules, and outcome of legislation is known as the a) Political party. b) Majority party. c) Minority party. d) None of the above.
c
The practice by members of Congress of assisting constituents with governmental matters is called _____. a)Gifts. b) Favoritism. c) Casework. d) Home work
a
The president's use of administrative power to influence public policy is most directly seen in a) executive orders b) executive agreements c) signing statements d) the veto
a
The published record of the official proceedings of Congress is known as the: a) Congressional Record. b) Congressional Register. c) Congressional Marker. d) Congressional Staff.
b
What defines the foreign powers of the president? a) The president's authority to draft, promote, and enforce legislation that benefits both the nation and his or her political party b) The president's authority to receive other nations' ambassadors, negotiate treaties, and serve as commander in chief of the armed forces c) The president's influence over policy concerning matters within the United States d) The president's authority to enforce laws and ensure that policies take effect
c
What have modern presidents used to get around the Senate's authority to ratify treaties? a) Executive orders. b) The veto. c) Executive agreements. d) Signing statements.
d
What is needed to override a presidential veto? a) A three-fourths vote in both chambers of Congress. b) A two-thirds vote in the House of Representatives. c) A three-fifths vote in the Senate. d) A two-thirds vote in both chambers of Congress.
c
What is the status given to individuals captured in battle who do not belong to any national military force? a) Active combatants. b) Prisoners of war. c) Enemy combatants. d) Evildoers.
c
What largely accounts for the legislative difficulty encountered by the Obama administration during its early period of unified government? a) Extreme intraparty policy disagreement. b) Lack of support for President Obama's policies within his own party. c) The unprecedented use of the filibuster by the minority party in the Senate. d) None of the above.
a
What was a highly successful tactic used by conservative White Southern committee chairs in the 1950s to prevent the passage of civil rights legislation? a) Refusing to schedule a bill for committee action. b) Refusing to take the bill into the committee when the Speaker assigns it. c) Completely changing the bill in the markup session. d) Working to get the committee to vote to reject the bill.
d
Which of the following groups has been historically underrepresented in Congress? a) Blacks. b) Latinos. c) Asian Americans. d) All of the above.
d
Which of the following is a nonlegislative function of the Congress? a) Impeachment. b) Confirming presidential appointments. c) Executive and judicial oversight. d) All of the above
b
___ is the practice in which a political party or other group uses the redrawing of district lines to maximize its chances of winning elections. a) Redistricting. b) Gerrymandering. c) Representation. d) Reapportionment.
a
Which of the following is not one of the presidential foreign policy-making powers granted by the Constitution? a) Declare war. b) Serve as commander in chief of the armed forces. c) Receive foreign ambassadors. d) Negotiate treaties.
c
Which of these is not in the closest circle to the president within the executive branch? a) Vice president b) President's spouse c) Cabinet d) None of the above
d
Which president delivered the first televised State of the Union address? a) John Kennedy b) Dwight Eisenhower c) Franklin Roosevelt d) Harry Truman
b
Who was the first woman to run for the Republican presidential nomination? a) Sarah Palin b) Elizabeth Dole c) Elizabeth Hasselbeck d) Michele Bachmann
b
_____ includes the heads of executive branch departments as well as others whom the president designates. a) The Executive Office of the President (EOP) b) The Cabinet c) White House staff d) None of the above
d
_____ is the president most closely associated with the beginning of the "modern presidency." a) Harry Truman b) Woodrow Wilson c) Theodore Roosevelt d) Franklin Roosevelt
conference committee
a committee composed of members of the house and the senate that reconciles different versions of the same bill.
senate majority whip
a majority part leader in the senate who counts votes, persuades members to vote according to the leaderships' wishes, and assists the majority leader in passing the majority party's legislation
press secretary
a member of the president's staff who conducts daily briefings with members of the media
caucus
a method for political parties to select their candidates for office whereby party members convene at local meetings
primary
a method for political parties to select their candidates for office whereby people vote in an election
filibuster
a parliamentary technique in the senate that allows senators to delay or block votes by talking endlessly
executive office of the president
a part of the executive branch that is divided into specific offices and contains key advisers who assist the president in managing the executive branch and developing offices
unified government
a period in which both houses of congress are controlled by the same party as the president
divided government
a period in which the president is one political party and the majority of one or both houses of Congress is the other party.
divided government
a period in which the president is one political party and the majority of one or both houses of congress is of the other party
Representative
a person chosen to make policy decisions on behalf of a defined group of people
mandate
a president's claim to congress that his election victory signifies the public's support for his policy preferences
cloture vote
a procedure in the senate to stop a filibuster that requires three fifths of the senators agreeing to end debate
patronage
a system of hiring bureaucrats because they supported the winning political candidate, not because they had the skill, training, and experience for their jobs.
pocket veto
a way for the president to overturn a bill passed by congress when the president does not act on a bill within ten days of passage and congress adjourns in the meantime
executive agreements
agreements between the president and foreign nations that, because they are not treaties, don need the approval of the senate
state of the union address
an annual occasion in which the president speaks before congress to suggest laws that congress should pass
congressional black caucus
an informal organization consisting of African Americans elected to the United states congress
casework
favors and other forms of assistance that members of Congress provide to their constituents
pork barrel spending
federal money spent on projects that benefit only a specific member's district or state.
independent regulatory commissions
government bodies that issue and enforce regulations on specified economic and social interests
caucuses
informal organization within congress
majority minority districts
legislative districts that contain a population made up of more than 50 percent of a racial or ethnic minority group.
political party
mass organizations that seek to elect candidates to public office and influence policymaking
government corporations
parts of the federal bureaucracy that changes fees for the services that they provide to the American public
independent executive agencies
parts of the federal bureaucracy with specified functions that are independent from cabinet departments, do not regulate, and do not charge fees for their services
executive privilege
presidential authority to keep some of the communications among executive branch personnel private and free from congress, the courts, and the publix
signing statements
presidential declarations issued along with legislative bill signings that express reservations about parts of a bill or announce an unwillingness to enforce aspects of the bill.
modern presidency
since Franklin Roosevelt in 1933, the conception of the presidency which is characterized by a powerful president who seeks to lead congress, connects with the American public, and presides over an enormous executive branch
franking privilege
the ability of members of congress to send non-campaign material to their constituents free of charge.
bureucrats
the employees who work in a bureaucracy
electoral college
the entity that selects the president and vice president, consisting of 538 electors chosen from the state and the district of Columbia
substantive representation
the extent to which Representatives advocate policies that benefit their constituents
symbolic representation
the extent to which constituents trust and accept their representative and the legislative institution as a whole.
descriptive representation
the extent to which the characteristics of a representative correspond with the general characteristics of his or her constituency
cabinet
the key presidential aides, each of whom heads an executive branch department, as well as others the president designates.
House minority leader
the leader of the minority party in the House of Representatives; the person who articulates the legislative priories of the minority party and opposes the majority party's priorities but exerts minimal control over the outcome of legislation.
senate minority leader
the leader of the minority party of the senate; the person who articulates the legislative priorities of the minority party and opposes the majority party's priorities but exerts limited control over the outcome of legislation
cabinet departments
the major divisions within the executive branch, with each performing a specific function
speaker of the house
the most powerful position in the House of Representatives the leader of the majority party. the person who articulates the house's legislative priorities and ensures their passage.
senate majority leader
the most powerful position in the senate; the person who articulates the majority party's legislative priorities and works to pass them
constituency
the people who choose a Representative to act on their behalf
minority party
the political party in the house or the senate that fewer than half of the seats and therefore does not control the leadership, rules, or outcome of legislation.
majority party
the political party in the house or the senate that has more than half of the seats and therefore controls the leadership, rules and outcome of legislation.
congressional war powers
the power granted by the constitution (in article 1 section 8) by Congress to decide when the US goes to war
logrolling
the practice by members of congress of trading votes or others favors to enhance members' mutual interests
gerrymandering
the practice in which a group, usually a political party uses redistricting to maximize its chances of winning elections
veto
the president ability to cancel legislation passed by congress
white house staff
the president's personal advisers who do not need senatorial approval when appointed and provide critical political and policy advice to the president
redistricting
the process by which a state is divided into geographical regions with each region electing a member of the house of representatives
impeachment
the process by which the House of Representatives charges a president, vice president, or federal judge with a high crime or misdemeanor, the senate can then decide to remove that official from office with a two thirds vote
impeachment
the process by which the house of representatives charges a president, vice president, or federal judge with a high crime or misdemeanor, the Senate can then decide to remove that official from office with a two thirds vote
reapportionment
the process of assigning states a number of representatives to the house of representatives after each decennial census.
congressional record
the published record of the official proceedings of congress
House Majority Leader
the second most powerful leader in the House of representatives, the person who assists the speaker in passing the majority party's legislative priorities
enemy combatants
the status given to individuals captured in battle who do not belong to any national military force
