AP Gov Unit 4 Test

Wesberry v. Sanders established the principle of

"one man, one vote."

Congressional districts for the House are determined in the majority of states by

A census and the various state legislatures

How did the composition of Congress change between 1950 and 2002?

Although representation does not mirror the population as a whole, there are more minorities and women than previously.

What conclusion can you reach from the fact that informal congressional caucus groups such as the black caucus and caucus for women's issues have been formed?

Caucus groups were organized to better serve voter constituents.

Which of the following is a major cause of the inability of Congress to pass legislation?

Divided party control of the Congress

The difference between gerrymandering and malapportionment is that

Gerrymandering is a bizarrely drawn district to ensure a specific outcome and malapportionment involves disproportionate size

Which of the following accurately describes congressional committees? I. The committee chairpersons always belong to the majority party. II. Seats on each committee are divided between the two major parties in exact proportion to the parties' representation in Congress. III. They recommend whether Congress should pass various pieces of legislation, and those recommendations are always approved by the full congressional body. IV. When a committee vote results in a tie, the vice president cast the tie-breaking vote.

I only

Incumbent members of the Senate tend to win reelection to Congress because I. often their districts have been drawn to support the incumbents' party. II. voters are more familiar with incumbents than with the challengers. III. the staff of incumbents solve problems for constituents and build up good will for their bosses that translates into support back home at election time. IV. incumbents are able to raise more campaign money than challengers.

II, III, and IV

Those who argue that the House of Representatives is the government institution most responsive to the will of the public are most likely to cite as evidence the fact that

Representatives must run for reelection every two years

The House ________ Committee prioritizes bills before they go on to the full House, thus performing a traffic cop function.

Rules

The Rule Committee is considered among the most powerful in the House of Representatives because it has great power over the

Scheduling of votes and the conditions under which bills are debated and amended

A congressional committee was created to investigate any intelligence failures that might have occurred prior to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. What kind of committee does this represent?

Select

The Speaker of the House of Representatives has the primary role of

Setting the legislative agenda for the House

Which of the following statements concerning the Speaker of the House of Representatives is TRUE?

The Speaker is elected by the majority party in the House of Representatives.

One of the most important legislative powers of Congress is

The ability to tax and spend

The Constitution provides that one-third of the Senate's membership is up for election every two years so that

The entire House and entire Senate are not elected in the same year

Under which of the following circumstances is Congress LEAST likely to pass a bill the president has threatened to veto?

The president's public approval rating is extremely high.

Which of the following definitions describes standing committees?

They are permanently established committees formed to handle bills in different policy areas.

Whips have which of the following functions?

They are responsible for keeping party member inline when a vote occurs.

The head of the Senate is the

Vice president of the United States

In viewing the relationship between the president and Congress in the area of foreign policy, which action on the part of Congress attempted to reduce presidential authority?

War Powers Act

A member of the House of Representatives wishing to influence tax policy would most likely try to serve on which of the following committees?

Ways and Means

In the House of Representatives, the ________ Committee writes tax codes.

Ways and Means

An "iron triangle" consists of

a bureaucratic agency, an interest group, and a congressional committee.

When the House and the Senate pass different versions of the same bill

a conference committee is appointed to resolve differences.

In the House, a pigeonholed bill can be forced to the floor for consideration through use of:

a discharge petition

A presidential veto of legislation passed by Congress can be overridden by

a two-thirds vote of both the House and the Senate.

To actually fund a program, Congress must pass an ________ bill.

appropriations

Most bills formally submitted for consideration in Congress

are quietly killed off early in the process.

The most important factor in winning congressional elections is

being an incumbent.

The War Powers Resolution

established a 60-90 day limit for troops sent to areas where hostilities are imminent.

Before the president submits his/her budget to Congress, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) coordinates the requests of

federal agencies

Which is true about midterm elections?

he president's party typically loses seats in Congress

An example of casework by a member of Congress is

helping a constituent gain financial aid from the Small Business Administration.

According to the Constitution, revenue bills must originate in the

house

Most important congressional activity is done

in committees and subcommittees.

The "revolving door" involves

individuals who alternate between jobs in the public sector and private sector

Once the House votes for impeachment of a president, the president

is tried by the Senate.

When members of Congress hold a hearing to question a cabinet member on how a law is being carried out, they are engaging in

legislative oversight.

In its investigation of Supreme Court nominees, the Senate Judiciary Committee

may probe a nominee's judicial philosophy in great detail.

Compared to members of the House, senators are generally

more likely to face difficult reelection opponents.

Federal funding for methane gas research in Eastvale, CA is an example of

pork barrel.

Which of the following is a largely ceremonial position in the Senate?

president pro tempore

All of these are major sources of conflict between Congress and the president EXCEPT:

reapportionment.

Which of the following does the Speaker NOT play a role in?

ruling on motions for cloture.

The agenda for the Senate is controlled by

the majority and minority leaders.

Traditionally, congressional committee chairpersons have been chosen through

the seniority system.