AP Classroom Congress Questions

Which of the following statements accurately summarizes the reasoning for the decision in Baker v. Carr (1926) ? a. Because rural districts had fewer people, representation was unevenly distributed; thus, Baker was denied equal protection under the law. b. To ensure equal protection under the law, there should be an equal number of rural and urban districts in a state. c. There should be redistricting every ten years at the federal level, but the state can choose not to redistrict at the state and local levels. d. Congressional redistricting must involve traditionally excluded groups in the process or it violates the equal protection clause.

a. Because rural districts had fewer people, representation was unevenly distributed; thus, Baker was denied unequal protection under the law.

When a bill passes the House and the Senate in different versions, the bill is resolved by which of the following types of committee? a. Conference b. Select c. Reconciliation d. Rules e. Standing

a. Conference

The term "bicameralism" refers to the a. Establishment of two legislative chambers that have different structures and rules b. Members of the House of Representatives having two-year terms c. President having veto power over both chambers of Congress d. Members of the House and Senate having to appease their mutual constituencies e. Checks that Congress has over the federal bureaucracy

a. Establishment of two legislative chambers that have different structures and rules

The congressional system of standing committees is significant because it a. Fosters the development of expertise by members b. Helps Congress reduce staff costs c. Insulates decision-making from the influence of special interests d. Weakens Congress in its dealing with the President e. Prevents Congress from effectively processing its large legislative workload

a. Fosters the development of expertise by members

A difference between the House of Representatives and the Senate is that in the House a. Legislative activity on the floor is more constrained by rules b. Committees are less important in the decision-making process c. Junior members have more influence over legislative decisions d. Party leaders are less powerful e. Bills are more likely to be amended on the floor

a. Legislative activity on the floor is more constrained by rules

Members of Congress who have adopted the delegate role of representation normally cast their votes based on which of the following? a. The preferences of the majority of their constituents b. Their judgement of what is best for their constituency c. The instructions of their political party's leadership d. Their political party's most recent policy platform e. The advice of congressional staffers and political consultants

a. The preferences of the majority of their constituents

A first term member of the House of Representatives from North Dakota who wished to maximize opportunities for constituent service would be most likely to seek placement on which of the following committees? a. Judiciary b. Agriculture c. Rules d. Foreign Affairs e. Science and Technology

b. Agriculture

Which of the following powers is shared by the House of Representatives and the Senate? a. Holding trials of impeachment b. Establishing federal courts c. Approving treaties d. Holding confirmation hearings e. Approving major presidential appointments

b. Establishing federal courts

"Pork barrel" legislation helps the reelection chances of a member of Congress because such legislation a. Gives the member of Congress national standing and coverage on national television shows b. Helps earn the member of Congress a reputation for service to his or her district c. Attracts campaign contributions from ideological political committees (PACs) d. Prevents other candidates from claiming that the member of Congress is too liberal for his or her district e. Requires the member of Congress to travel extensively

b. Helps earn the member of Congress a reputation for service to his or her district

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate? a. House of Representatives: The majority and minority parties control legislative scheduling and rules equally Senate: Minority party members can threaten to filibuster a bill the majority wants to pass. b. House of Representatives: The Constitution's framers intended it to reflect the will of the people. Senate: The Constitution's framers designed it to represent the interests of the states. c. House of Representatives: Most legislative work takes place in the standing committees. Senate: Based on its size, it tends to have stricter rules affecting the legislative process. d. House of Representatives: Members serve two-year terms with a term limit of up to twelve years. Senate: Members serve six-year terms with no limits.

b. House of Representatives: The Constitution's framers intended it to reflect the will of the people. Senate: The Constitution's framers designed it to represent the interests of the states.

Federal benefits that must be funded by Congress and must be paid to all citizens who meet eligibility criteria are called a. Discretionary appropriations b. Individual entitlements c. Tax expenditures d. Distributive benefits e. Continuing appropriations

b. Individual entitlements

The boundaries of United States congressional districts are usually determined by a. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) b. The state legislatures c. The House Rules Committee d. A conference committee of the House and Senate e. The director of the United States Census Bureau

b. The state legislatures

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates a member of Congress supporting pork-barrel legislation? a. A senator from a coal-producing state voting against a job-training for coal miners b. A member of the House voting for urban renewal in exchange for increased funding for roads c. A senator from an agricultural state amending legislation to establish a potato research institute in his or her state d. A member of the House Armed Services Committee marking up a bill that will increase funding for military bases

c. A senator from an agricultural state amending legislation to establish a potato research institute in his or her state

Based on the data, which of the following is the most likely consequence for the legislative process in Congress? a. More competitive races for House seats in the general election b. A decrease in party-line voting on important legislation introduced in the House c. An increase in gridlock and failure to compromise on legislation d. Greater cooperation between Congress and the president on nominations

c. An increase in gridlock and failure to compromise on legislation

Which of the following is an example of Congress using its implied powers? a. Congress changing the tax code so that individuals making more than $350,000 per year have to pay higher taxes b. Congress requesting that the Supreme Court review the constitutionality of a state gun-control law c. Congress passing occupational safety regulations for the private sector d. Congress ratifying a new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada

c. Congress passing occupational safety regulations for the private sector

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the rules for debate used by the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate? a. House of Representatives: Debate is unlimited. Senate: Debate is unlimited. b. House of Representatives: Members can filibuster. Senate: Members cannot filibuster. c. House of Representatives: Debate is limited. Senate: Members can filibuster. d. House of Representatives: Members cannot filibuster. Senate: Only the majority leader can filibuster.

c. House of Representatives: Debate is limited. Senate: Members can filibuster.

Which of the following statements about gerrymandering is true? a. It has been banned by the United States Supreme Court beginning with Baker v. Carr. b. It was used traditionally to maintain urban control of the House of Representatives. c. It can be used by a political party to draw boundary lines to control as many districts as possible. d. It guarantees greater constituency control over elected representatives. e. It ensures liberal control of the House of Representatives.

c. It can be used by political party to draw boundary lines to control as many districts as possible.

Which of the following best describes pork barrel politics? a. The Office of Management and Budget negotiates with Congress to get the president's budget proposal passed. b. Senators from states with agricultural economies promote farm price supports. c. Voters in rural areas support different issue positions than do voters in metropolitan areas. d. Members of Congress negotiate bills so that individual districts get money for projects that do not benefit the nation as a whole. d. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee refuses to endorse the president's nominees to the federal courts.

c. Members of Congress negotiate bills so that individual districts get money for projects that do not benefit the nation as a whole.

Which of the following describes the ruling in Shaw v. Reno (1993) ? a. The Voting Rights Act was ruled unconstitutional. b. The poll tax was eliminated. c. Racial gerrymandering was ruled unconstitutional. d. It was decided that congressional districts needed to be equal in size.

c. Racial gerrymandering was ruled unconstitutional.

Which of the following clauses serves as the constitutional basis for the federal Real ID Act of 2005, a law that established uniform standards for state-issued identification cards and provided regulation of a state function? a. The due process clause b. The establishment clause c. The necessary and proper clause d. The commerce clause

c. The necessary and proper clause

A committee chair in the House of Representatives is always a. The member with the longest service on the committee b. The member with the longest service in the House c. A representative of the Speaker d. A member of the majority party in the chamber e. A trusted ally of the President

d. A member of the majority party in the chamber

Debate of a bill in the House of Representatives under a "closed rule" means that a. The bill can only be amended by section b. Debate on the bill will consist of five-minute speeches, pro and con c. Only senior members are allowed to participate d. Amendments to the bill cannot be offered e. The bill must be approved by two-thirds of the House

d. Amendments to the bill cannot be offered

Refer to the diagram for the following question. (Congressional Leadership Diagram) Which of the following is true according to the diagram? a. The Senate minority leader is as powerful as the Senate majority whip. b. The Speaker of the House, in coordination with the House majority leader, appoints the House minority leader. c. Unlike the House of Representatives, the Senate does not recognize political parties. d. Both chambers make use of a system of majority and minority whips.

d. Both chambers make use of a system of majority and minority whips.

Senate-----49 Republicans-----51 Democrats HOP-----220 Republicans------215 Democrats The government depicted above is best described by which of the following terms? a. Nonpartisan government b. Unicameral government c. Unitary government d. Divided government e. Dealigned government

d. Divided government

Which of the following is true about divided party control of the presidency and Congress? a. It is a natural occurrence due to the constitutional system of checks and balances. b. It rarely occurs in United States elections, because of straight-ticket voting. c. It promotes quick action by the President and Congress on such issues as the federal budget. d. It reflects a frequent election pattern over the past three decades. e. It results from the reapportionment of House seats after the decennial census.

d. It reflects a frequent election pattern over the past three decades

Congressional standing committees are best described as a. Specially appointed investigative bodies b. Joint committees of the two houses of Congress c. Committees created for each session d. Permanent subject-matter committees e. Advisory staff agencies

d. Permanent subject-matter committees

A person claiming that the House can pass legislation with a simple majority, but the Senate is unlikely to pass legislation unless a bill has the support of a 60-vote supermajority is most likely to cite which of the following institutional differences as the cause of this trend? a. The House has fewer legislative committees than the Senate does. b. Members of the House often represent a much narrower constituency than senators do. c. Party leadership in the House is highly formalized, while leadership in the Senate is much more informal. d. The House has strict limits on debate, while the Senate allows unlimited debate.

d. The House has strict limits on debate, while the Senate allows unlimited debate.

The committee system is more important in the House than in the Senate because a. The seniority system plays no role in the House and therefore committees must play a larger role b. The Constitution mandates the type of committee structure in the House c. Committee members are appointed by the President d. The House is so large that more work can be accomplished in committees than on the floor e. The majority party in the House prefers to give priority to the work of the committees

d. The House is so large that more work can be accomplished in committees than on the floor.

The Constitution states that all revenue bills must originate in a. A White House budget resolution b. The Congressional Budget Office c. The United States Senate d. The United States House of Representatives e. The Office of Management and Budget

d. The United States House of Representatives

Which of the following statements about motions for cloture is true? a. They force a bill out of committee so that the full House can vote on it. b. They are applied to bills that failed in the previous session of Congress. c. They are applied only to appropriation bills. d. They are used by senators to end a filibuster and bring a bill to a vote. e. They occur whenever a bill is reported out of committee.

d. They are used by senators to end a filibuster and bring a bill to a vote.

An example of a discretionary item in the federal budget is a. Interest on the public debt b. Spending on national parks c. Social security payments d. Veterans' pensions e. Liquidation of prior obligations

d. Veterans' pensions

If legislation passes in both the House of Representatives and the Senate but each version is slightly different, the conflicting bills are sent to a. A standing committee of each house for a vote b. An ad hoc committee for judicial review c. The Rules Committee of each house for reconciliation and compromise d. The majority and minority leaders of both house for compromise e. A conference committee for review and compromise

e. A conference committee for review and compromise

The details of legislation are usually worked out in which of the following settings? a. A party caucus b. The majority leader's office c. The floor of the House d. Legislative hearings e. A subcommittee

e. A subcommittee

Congressional legislative powers include all of the following EXCEPT a. Legislative federal appropriations b. Approval of treaties c. Establishing a lower-court system d. Passing federal laws e. Pardoning felons

e. Pardoning felons

The role of a conference committee in Congress is to a. Hold hearings on proposed legislation b. Oversee the actions of the executive branch of the government c. Decide which bills should be considered by the full Senate d. Conduct hearings that make information available to the public e. Reconcile differences in bills passed by the House and Senate

e. Reconcile differences in bills passed by the House and Senate

The boundary lines of congressional districts are drawn by a. The United States House of Representatives b. The United States Senate c. United States district courts d. State governors e. State legislators

e. State legislatures

Which of the following is true of the seniority system of Congress in relation to committee leadership and committee staffing? a. Members of Congress with the longest continuous service are assured the chairmanship of major congressional committees. b. Members of Congress must be elected from safe seats to accrue committee seniority. c. Members of congressional committees are the most senior members of the body's majority party. d. The oldest members of Congress have the most seniority. e. The chairs of congressional committees tend to be senior members of the body's majority party.

e. The chairs of congressional committees tend to be senior members of the body's majority party.