Congress

Which example best demonstrates a legislator acting as a trustee of his or her constituency? a. A legislator uses his or her best judgment. b. A legislator does whatever is best for his or her reelection. c. A legislator follows the public opinion of his or her constituency. d. A legislator does what is in the best interest of his or her party.

A legislator uses his or her best judgement.

When does a bill go to the Rules Committee in the House of Representatives?

After it is approved by its full committee

Which of the following statements about caucuses is most accurate? b. It is rare for people with a common interest to form a caucus. c. As interest groups within Congress they have power over legislation. d. They only take campaign contributions from individuals like themselves.

As interest groups within Congress they have power over legislation.

What type of legislature did the Constitutional Convention create?

Bicameral

Based on the graph, how might federal term limits affect the makeup of Congress?

Candidates face more opposition when there are term limits.

What is defined as the activities that help individual constituents, particularly by cutting through bureaucratic red tape?

Casework

According to the Constitution, how can a bill become a law without the president's signature?

Congress can override a veto with a 2/3 vote in both houses.

Which of the following makes economic projections about the performance of the economy, the costs of proposed policies, and the economic effects of taxing and spending alternatives?

Congressional Budget Office

What best represents the trend of party polarization over the last three decades? a. . The parties have become less polarized because more and more voters are opting to become independents. b. Both Republicans and Democrats have become more liberal. c. While members of Congress have not become more extreme, ordinary citizens have. d. Each congressional party has become more homogeneous, and the distance between parties has increased.

Each congressional party has become more homogeneous, and the distance between parties has increased.

What is a good example of congressional casework?

Helping a constituent with the Veterans Administration

Based on the graph, which statement about incumbency is most accurate?

Incumbents have a significant reelection advantage

Which of the following is the cartoonist's main argument? a. Congressmen have a diverse set of interests to represent. b. Interest groups play too big a role in policy making. c. More lobbyists have been elected to Congress than ever before. d. Interest groups only represent controversial issues.

Interest groups played too big a role in policy making.

Which of the following statements might be made by a critic of term limits?

Legislators with limited time in office won't seek to gain institutional knowledge.

Who is second in authority to the Speaker of the House in the House of Representative?

Majority Leader

How does Article I, Section 7 exemplify the concept of checks and balances?

No one branch is single handedly in control of making laws for the country.

Which of the following statements accurately describes the relationship between Congress and the President? a. The President has historically been able to direct Congress to pass certain laws. b. The President has the final word on which bills Congress considers. c. If something is important to the President it is always also important to Congress. d. Presidents are most successful as facilitators, rather than directors, in lawmaking.

Presidents are most successful as facilitators, rather than directors, in lawmaking.

Which committees exist in both the House and Senate, may be temporary or permanent, and usually have a specific focus?

Select

Who is the only House official mandated by the Constitution?

Speaker of the House

Why might incumbents want to deemphasize their policy positions during a reelection campaign?

Stressing policy positions can make enemies as well as friends.

Based on the graph, which of the following statements is true? a. The Senate is currently more polarized than the House of Representatives. b. Both chambers are less polarized than they were fifty years ago. c. The House is often more polarized than the Senate. d. The House has become less polarized and the Senate more polarized over time.

The House is often more polarized than the Senate.

Which of the following is a difference between members of Congress and the general population? a. They are less partisan. b. They are less well paid. c. They tend to be happier. d. They are generally wealthier.

They are generally wealthier.

Of the following groups, which is most underrepresented in Congress?

Women

What is the pictured group of members of Congress who share some interest or characteristic and common goals?

caucus

How can a filibuster be ended?

cloture approved by 60 senators

Where does most of Congress's work happen?

committees

Which committee is created to reconcile differences in versions of a bill passed by the House and Senate?

conference

Which incumbency advantage involves efforts to highlight an incumbent's service to individuals and to the district?

credit claiming

How might the pork barrel aid a congressional member's district?

increasing jobs and revenue with federally funded projects

Why is Congress fairly open to interest group influence?

it is decentralized.

How have parties changed internally as they have become more polarized?

more homogenous.

What type of legislation do party leaders from the two chambers of Congress sometimes use to address numerous and perhaps unrelated issues to create winning coalitions and force members to support the entire bill to obtain the individual parts?

omnibus

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. This suggests a failure of __________.

oversight

What have reformers proposed to increase turnover in the membership of Congress?

term limits

Which of the following, which might include federal spending projects, might contribute to the trend indicated in the graph?

the pork barrel

What function do whips serve?

to persuade party members to support the party's priorities.

What is the vice president's only constitutionally defined job?

to serve as president of the Senate

As advocated by English politician and philosopher Edmund Burke, which concept describes legislators as people who use their best judgment to make policy in the interests of the people?

trustees

When is lobbying more likely to be successful?

when lobbying against change