Chapter 12

In the House, the Committee on

Rule

Which of the following events resulted in an increase in partisan voting?

rise of the Tea Party in 2010 Watergate scandal Republican retake of Congress in 1994 Concept Resources

Committee chairs are often chosen using the

seniority Blank 2: system

Congress manages ______ conflict by representing a wide range of views and interests.

societal

Redistricting

sometimes makes incumbency less important.

A subcommittee is a subset of the members of a ______ committee.

standing

The Supreme Court ruled that majority-minority districting is illegal if the

state legislature redraws majority-minority districts at the expense of other concerns.

In the House of Representatives, debate is limited on the congressional floor by

the Rules Committee.

Those who pay careful attention to political issues are sometimes referred to as the

1: attentive

Redistricting can lessen the impact of incumbency, especially in years ending in the number

2

Which of the following is true about the the political advantages of the longer terms in the Senate?

A senator can be insulated from political fallout from things that happen early in his/her term.

How is legislation proposed in the House of Representatives?

A staff member places legislation in a wooden box on a desk at the front of the House chamber.

Why is the Rules Committee considered one of the most important committees in the House?

Because it decides the length of debate that will occur on a bill and whether amendments will be allowed.

Which of the following are similarities between the House and the Senate?

Both propose legislation. Both are chambers of Congress. Both are elected by popular vote.

Because taxation was such an important power to the framers, they required that all taxation measures be granted to

Congress

Which of the following statements about Congress and congressional representatives are true as a result of partisan redistricting?

Congress has become more politically polarized. House members are less likely to compromise with the opposition.

True or false: Most congressional bills survive committee scrutiny and are voted upon by the House and Senate.

F

True or false: When asked by their party leaders to "toe the party line" on a legislative vote, members of Congress automatically do so.

F

True or False: The minority leader's job description varies greatly from the majority leader's job description.

False

True or false: In any given election, two-thirds of the members of the House of Representatives are up for reelection.

False

True or false: The vice president presides over the Senate quite often.

False

Which of the following is true of the process of redistricting?

It can be subject to political manipulation.

With whom did the concept of the nuclear option originate?

Richard Nixon

Which of the following are ways new legislation can be introduced in the Senate?

Senators can announce new legislation in a speech on the Senate floor. Senators can submit a written draft of the proposed legislation to the Senate clerk. Senators can propose new legislation by offering it as an amendment to an already pending piece of legislation.

Why might voting against their constituents' will on a particular issue be less significant for a member of the Senate than for a member of the House?

Senators have longer terms of service.

What constitutional amendment shifted the election of senators from state legislators to popular election in the states?

Seventeenth Amendment

Which of these statements characterizes powers that Congress has been given in the Constitution?

Some are very specific, and others are vague.

Which of the following accurately states a difference between the House and Senate?

The House has a more formal legislative structure.

What occurs after a conference committee reconciles differences in the House and Senate versions of a bill?

The bill goes back to both chambers for a vote.

Which of the following are true about markup?

The committee suggests language changes and amendments. The committee may eliminate a component of the bill. All changes are referred to the full chamber.

Which of the following describe ways that the media are a source of congressional power?

The media can sway public opinion. The media can create a favorable climate for the passage of legislation. The media provide congressional members with a forum with which to communicate with constituents.

What does the president do when executing a pocket veto?

The president waits 10 days for the bill to "die."

True or false: The Constitution is far more explicit in defining the responsibilities of Congress than it is in describing the functions of the other branches of government.

True

For which of the following groups can a state's notable differences in constituents' views, ideologies, and policy priorities cause representation difficulties?

U.S. senators

According to analysts, most legislators use ______ of representation.

a combination of trustee and instructed delegate models

Which of the following most accurately describes a congressional subcommittee?

a committee that typically handles specific areas of a standing committee's jurisdiction

Which of the following is required to extract a bill from committee in order to have it considered by the entire House?

a discharge petition

A procedural move in which a member or members of the Senate speak(s) for an unlimited amount of time on the Senate floor in order to prevent a vote on a bill is known as

a filibuster.

Gerrymandering is

a legal redrawing of political districts to benefit a specific political party.

How many signatures does a discharge petition require?

a majority

Members of Congress may experience conflict between their lawmaking responsibility and their responsibility to represent their constituency when

a policy that is good for the nation as a whole does not coincide with the needs of their constituency.

Congress has a number of functions other than lawmaking. These include

acting on presidential actions. setting the national agenda. representing constituents.

During a(n) ______, executive agencies provide written comments on a proposed bill that has been assigned to a committee.

agency review

Congress continuously engages in ______ setting because it relieves the pressure parties face in getting their members to vote with their particular party.

agenda

Unanimous consent agreements require that ______ agree to the terms of debate on a given piece of legislation.

all senators

Standing committees are important because they

allow Congress to consider a high volume of bills. each specialize in a certain area of legislation.

The segment of voters who pay careful attention to political issues are referred to as the

attentive public.

The power of taxation, among other powers, was given to Congress

because it is more representative of the people. to limit the power of the president.

Which of the following strongly and positively affects a congressional candidate's ability to raise money and win an election?

being an incumbent

Which of the following are ways that Congress manages societal conflict?

by compromising and negotiating issues by representing a wide range of views and interests by taking stands on issues

Which of the following are ways that Congress manages societal conflict? by

by taking stands on issues by compromising and negotiating issues by representing a wide range of views and interests

Which of the following are ways that Congress manages societal conflict?

by taking stands on issues by representing a wide range of views and interests by compromising and negotiating issues

One consequence of having a congressional "safe seat" is that a House member

can generally be partisan without an unfavorable political outcome.

Which of the following activities can benefit an incumbent during reelection by building loyalty with a particular voter by performing a task that the voter cannot complete alone?

casework

To end a filibuster, sixty senators must agree to invoke

cloture

Who do House and Senate members often rely upon to inform decision making on legislation due to their policy expertise?

colleagues staff members

Who do House and Senate members often rely upon to inform decision making on legislation due to their policy expertise? judges

colleagues staff members

If the House and Senate pass different versions of a bill, it must first go to a

conference

If the House and Senate pass different versions of a bill, it must first go to a ______ committee to have any differences reconciled before it can be sent to the president.

conference

Members of Congress are attentive to the concerns of constituents because constituents

determine whether or not they stay in office.

Partisan voting is most apparent when members are voting on major ______ issues.

domestic policy

Constituents influence the legislative process by

ensuring that their representatives in Congress work hard to present their perspectives and policy

When members of the Senate wish to halt or delay the passage of a bill, a(n

filibuster

When members of the Senate wish to halt or delay the passage of a bill, a(n)

filibuster

The ability to use ______ to communicate with voters free of charge is a benefit exclusive to incumbents.

franking

Interest groups engage in which of the following activities in order to influence legislators' decisions?

grassroots activism lobbying financial contributions

If the majority of the members of the House of Representatives are Republican, then every committee and subcommittee in the House will

have a majority of Republican members.

Which of the following contribute to incumbents having an advantage over their challengers during congressional elections?

having easier access to media coverage being able to raise money more easily having greater name recognition

In the House of Representatives, a member of a legislator's staff drafts the proposed legislation and the House member puts the bill into the

hopper

Which of the following has most hampered the ability of Congress to manage social conflict in recent years?

increased polarization caused by partisan redistricting

Donors are more willing to make campaign contributions to

incumbents

Which of the following have a significant influence on the decisions of legislators?

interest groups constituents political parties

The "necessary and proper" clause was also called the elastic clause because

it increased the powers of Congress beyond the language of the Constitution.

The framers' vision of the Senate was as the

legislative body that safeguards the rights of states and minorities against mass opinion.

If Congressperson A agrees to vote for a defense bill that has funding for a project in Congressperson B's district in exchange for Congressperson B's vote in favor of farming subsidies that benefit Congressperson A's district, the action is referred to as

logrolling

The practice in which members of Congress agree to vote for a bill in exchange for their colleague's vote on another bill is called

logrolling

The Speaker of the House is effectively chosen by the

majority party.

Which of the following are duties of the Speaker of the House?

make majority party committee assignments guide legislation through the chamber

A legislative committee recommends changes to the full chamber concerning a particular bill during

markup

With regard to representation, members of Congress

may speak for several constituencies.

If Democrats hold a majority of the seats in the Senate, each committee and subcommittee will have a(n) ______ of Republicans as members.

minority

Political polarization in the Senate is ______ when compared to the House.

not as apparent

Which of the following describe a maneuver exercised by the presiding officer of the Senate that eliminates the possibility of filibusters by subjecting votes on certain matters to a simple majority vote?

nuclear option

Which function describes the process by which the legislature checks on the executive branch to make sure it is carrying out the laws in the way Congress intended?

oversight

Congress has a number of functions other than lawmaking, including

oversight and agenda setting.

A vote where most members of one political party vote one way while most members of the other party vote the other way is categorized as a ______ vote.

party

Members of Congress frequently use ______ as a means of appropriating funds for projects within their districts.

pork barrel politics

Historically, which Senate position has been honorary in nature?

president pro tempore

Which of the following influence agenda setting in Congress?

public discourse House and Senate leaders' goals

Which of the following occurs every ten years after the U.S. census and determines how many seats a state receives in the House of Representatives?

reapportionment

The main purpose of a conference committee is to

reconcile differences in the House and Senate versions of a bill.

Besides lawmaking, Congress can

regulate currency. limit the power of the president. administer post offices.

Which of the following explains a bill and its intent to the full legislative chamber?

report

Which of the following describes the process by which members of Congress articulate and vote for the position that best reflects the views of their constituents?

representation

Which of the following policy-making functions are explicitly granted to Congress by the Constitution?

tax and spend declare war establish courts regulate the armed forces

In the original version of the Constitution, members of the House were to be elected by the ______, while senators were to elected by ______.

the citizenry; state legislatures

Which model of representation insists that legislators vote in line with their constituents' views even when this contradicts their personal views?

the instructed delegate model

Who schedules debates on legislation in the Senate?

the majority leader

With the widespread use of computer-driven mapmaking technology, congressional seats can be configured to ensure that

the majority of a district's population identifies with one party.

Congress gets its powers from sources other than the Constitution, including

the media. American citizens. Supreme Court decisions.

Who chairs the Senate in the vice president's absence?

the president pro tempore

Which model of representation means that a legislator may act in opposition to the clear wishes of constituents, such as in cases where an action is for the good of society?

the trustee model

Who has the power to preside over the Senate and vote in case of a tie but otherwise has little real authority in the Senate?

the vice president of the United States

The president's opinion concerning a specific bill can influence members of Congress, especially when

they belong to the same party as the president.

How do congressional committees and subcommittees gather information on issues related to proposed laws?

through hearings

If a vote in the Senate is tied, the

vice Blank 2: president

Both political parties in the House have a ______, who acts as a go-between with the leadership and the party members in the House.

whip