Ch 11 Connect Reading
at risk
Incumbents are (secure/at risk) when elections are being waged in the context of disruptive issues
be removed
Incumbents are at risk when elections are being waged in the context of disruptive issues because voters are more likely to believe those in power should (remain/be removed) from office.
advantages
Incumbents have substantial ______________ over challengers
minority party
Making ____________ _________ committee assignments is one of the duties of the Speaker of the House
stay in office
Members of Congress are attentive to the concerns of constituents because constituents determine whether or not they ______ ____ _________.
partisan voters, wealthy donors
Members of Congress are most indebted to hardcore __________ ________ in their state or district and ___________ ___________ who fund their campaigns.
representative
Members of Congress give various interests a voice in the legislative process as part of Congress's _______________ function.
nation, constituency
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 _________ as a whole does not coincide with the needs of their ______________.
constituency
Members of Congress usually serve on congressional committees that concentrate on policy areas that affect the members' _______________.
newly elected
Most _______ ________ members of Congress request committee assignments
career polititians
Most members of Congress are _________ ____________ who want to stay in Congress and put themselves in position for reelection.
reelection
Most members of Congress are career politicians who want to stay in Congress and put themselves in position for _______________
distributive
Most of the bills Congress passes are ____________ in nature, which means they provide benefits to a particular group in society while spreading the costs across the taxpaying public as a whole.
benefits, costs
Most of the bills Congress passes are distributive in nature, which means they provide __________ to a particular group in society while spreading the _______ across the taxpaying public as a whole.
retirements, defeats
Most vacancies occur after elections, either from ____________ or incumbent ___________.
shape, direct
On major bills, it is increasingly typical for the majority party's leaders to _________ the bill's broad content and to __________ the floor debate after the bill leaves the committee
recognizing, speak
One of the duties of the Speaker of the House is _______________ members who will be allowed to ________ on the floor.
contributers
One reason that incumbents have a fundraising advantage over challengers is that they already have a list of potential _____________ from past campaigns
heavier spending
Open-seat elections usually spark _________ ____________ by the two political parties.
Rules Committee
This committee is considered one of the most important committes in the House because it decidesthe length of debate that will occur on a bill and whether amendments will be allowed
oversight function
This function describes the process by which the legislature checks on the executive branch to make sure it is carying out the laws in the way Congress intended
filibuster
This is a procedural move in which a member or members of the Senate speaks for n unlimited amount of time on the Senate floor in order to prevent a vote on a bill.
bill
This is a proposed legislative act that if passed by both chambers of Congress and signed by the president becomes law.
seniority system
This method is most often used to select committee chairs.
distributive policy
This policy confers a benefit on a particular group while spreading the cost across the taxpaying public
nationalization
This term describes the situation in which Republican and Democratic lawmakers vote in the same way as their fellow partisans, regardless of constituency differences.
discontented
Those who were _____________ with Trump in the 2018 midterms helped Democrats retake control of the House.
party differences
Positive aspects of party polarization include the fact that voters can more clearly see and understand _________ ________________.
people, places
Reapportionment deals with __________ while redistricting deals with __________
district boundaries
Redistricting consists of redrawing congressional __________ _______________ within a state.
functions
Representation, oversight, and lawmaking are the ____________ of Congress.
politically, philisophically
Republican and Democratic lawmakers generally have different perspectives on national issues because their parties differ __________ and _________________.
specific issue
Select committees are designed to address a ___________ ________ or problem.
democrats, house
Those who were discontented with Trump in the 2018 midterms helped ____________ retake control of the _________.
individual requests
Service strategy refers to a practice whereby members of Congress respond to constituents' ____________ ___________ for information or help with a federal benefit or service.
share
Today, Congress and the president ________ legislative power
Congress, president
Today, __________ and the _____________ share legislative power
20
Today, in the grip of partisan deadlock, congressional approval ratings are about ____ percent
True (Majority party leaders usually lead floor debate on proposed bills)
True or False: After clearing the committee stage, floor debate on a bill is usually ledby the majority party's leaddership in the House.
True (Majority party leaders usually lead floor debate on proposed bills)
True or False: After clearning the committee stage, floor debate on a bill is usually led by the majority party's leadership in the House
True (Recall that a House seat is often not attractive enough for local mayors or state legislators to risk running against an incumbent)
True or False: It is more common for House incumbents than Senate incumbents to face challengers in the form of prominent local politicians.
lower
Voter turnout for midterm elections is (higher/lower) than for presidential elections
jurisdiction
When a bill falls into the area in which a committee is authorized to act, that committee is said to have...
service strategy
When an incumbent personally helps constituents solve problems with the federal bureaucracy, it is known as the ...
redistricting
When congressional district boundaries are redrawn within a state, it is known as...
lose
When major disruptive issues occur, incumbents are more likely to (win/lose)
halt, delay
When members of the Senate wish to ______ of _______ the passage of a bill, a filibuster may take place.
open seat
When there is no incumbent running in an election, it is called an ______-______ election, and usually sparks heavier spending by the two political parties.
lawmaking
Which function is the main responsibility of Congress, to which all other functions of Congress are related?
majority leader
Which of the positions in the Senate schedules debates on legislation?
strong partisans
Who is more likely to vote in a primary election?
no one, debated
___ _____ established the standard for the proper approach to Congress's representative function, and it has been ____________ since the founding.
standing
a permanent committee in Congress is known as a ____________ committee
select committee
a small legislative committee appointed for a special purpose.
few limits
Super PACs are groups that can pour money into a political campaign with ____ ________.
conference committees
Temporary joint committees that are formed to work out differences
two-thirds
The 2014 North Carolina Senate race (Hagan vs Tillis) was one of the most extensive campaigns in Senate history, with more than $75 million spend. What portion of that money came from super PACs?
party leaders
The House and the Senate each elect _______ __________ to lead their party's efforts in the chamber
length of debate, amendments
The Rules Committee is considered one of the most important committees in the House because it decides the _________ __ _________ that will occur on a bill and whether _____________ will be allowed.
bicameral
The U.S. Congress is a __________ legislature with two chambers, the House and the Senate
two chambers
The U.S. Congress is a bicameral legislature with ____ ___________, the House and the Senate.
super PACs
The emergence of ________ _____, groups that can pour money into a political campaign with few limits, has given challengers a better opportunity to unseat congressional incumbents.
Speaker of the House
The following are duties of the ____________ (of the) __________: Recognizing members who will be allowed to speak on the floor; making minority party committee assignments; choosing leadership of the House of Rules Committee.
make laws
The framers of the Constitution granted Congress the power to ________ ______, the greatest of all powers of government.
compromise
The framers of the Constitution intended that lawmakers act in the spirit of __________, something that has become increasingly difficult in today's partisan Congress
less
The importance of local issues changed in Congress as party polarization has taken hold by making local issues (more/less) important
deadlock
The increase in party polarization in Congress has led to increased policy ______________.
legislative agenda
The majority leader helps the Speaker set the party's ___________ ________ in the House
most powerful
The majority leader is the _______ ___________ party leadership position in the Senate.
Speaker of the House
The most powerful leader in the House of Representatives is the ...
proposes, committee, approve, signs
The order of a bill becoming a law includes: A member of the House of Representatives or the Senate formally ___________ the bill, the bill is submitted to a _____________ for consideration, a majority of members in the House and Senate ___________ the bill, and then the president _______ the bill.
party unity
The partisan divide in Congress has grown in recent years and each party engages in _______ ______, which iswhen party members band together on legislation and oppose the other party.
majority party
The party that controls the rules and has the most powerful leadership position in the House is the _____________ (party).
exist, authorization
The power of Congress in comparison to the other branches of government is evident in the fact that no executive agency or lower court can _________ without congressional _______________.
logrolling
The practice in which members of Congress agree to vote for a bill in exchange for their colleague's vote on another bill
only part
The president does NOT possess the legislative power to sign ______ ________ of a bill into law
sole executive authority
The president has ______ __________ _________ and thus can decide a course of action without needing the consent of other top executives.
loses
The president's party usually (gains/loses) seats during a midterm election.
reapportionment
The process of determining how many House seats each state is allowed as a result of population change since the last census is known as ....
actively working
The purpose of pork barrel projects is to show constituents that their representative is __________ __________ for them in Congress.
pork barrel projects
The purpose of these projects is to show constituents that their representative is actively working for them in Congress.
gerrymandering
The redrawing of congressional boundaries to benefit a political party is called ...
reconcile differences
The sole purpose of a conference committee is to ___________ ___________ in the House and Senate versions of a bill
different solutions
The sticking point in the national issues on which Rpublican and Democratic lawmakers cannot agree lies in the two parties having _________ __________ to the same problems
ranking
The term that describes the minority party's committee and subcommittee leaders is ____________.
roll call
The trend toward party unity in Congress can clearly be seen in voting records of members of Congress when their votes are officially recorded during a ______-_____ vote.
roll call vote
The trend toward party unity in Congress can clearly be seen in voting records of members of Congress when their votes are officially recorded during a ______-______ _______.
joint
A committee that is composed of members of both chambers of Congress is known as a _______ committee
six years
A limit of ____ _______ exists for how long a Republican member can chair a particular committee.
congressional districts, states
A major reason why incumbents are reelected is that many _______________ __________ and some _______ are lopsidedly Democratic or Republican.
lopsidedly
A major reason why incumbents are reelected is that many congressional districts and some states are ______________ Democratic or Republican.
party unity vote
A vote where most members of one political party vote one way while most members of the other paty vote the other way is categorized as a ....
different districts
Among the reasons why Congress has difficulty taking the lead on broad issues are the facts that members of Congress come from ___________ ___________ and often have conflicting views on national policy
open rule
An _______ _______ allows members to propose amendments that are relevant to any section of the bill
lawmaking function
An example of Congress's ____________ ________ is when Congress passes legislation that created incentives for the develpment of alternative energy sources
lawmaking function
An example of Congress's _____________ ___________ is when Congress passes legislation that creates incentives for the development of alternative energy sources.
central role
As national and international forces combined to place greater policy demands on the federal government, the president assumed a more _________ _______ in the legislative process
narrow, broad
As political scientist James Sundquist noted, "Congress is organized to deal with _________ problems, but not with ________ ones."
broad; narrow
As political scientist James Sundquit noted, "Congress (is) organized to deal with _________ problems but not with ___________ ones.
20
At present there are ___ standing committees in the House of Representatives.
career
Before 1900, service in Congress was not usually a __________ for most of its members
personal misconduct
Being involved in a sex scandal or engaging in bribery are forms of ____________ ______________ that might lead to a congressional incumbent losing a bid for reelection.
less media
There is (more media/less media) coverage of candidates and issues during midterm elections than in a presidential election.
overwhemling majority
Bills that emerge from committee with the full support of the committee members are typically passed by an ___________________ ____________.
whip
Both political parties in the House have a ______, who acts as a go-between with the leadership and the party members in the House
members of Congress
These are most indebted to hardcore partisan voters in their state or district and wealthy donors who fund their campaigns.
party affilation
Changing ________ ____________ at will is not a direct power of the committee chair
incumbents
These have substantial advantages over challengers.
House Rules Committee
Choosing leadership of the __________ ________ ____________ is one of the duties of the Speaker of the House.
decentralize
Committees and subcommittees serve to _______________ power in Congress by allowing more members to hold leadership positions.
more members
Committees and subcommittees serve to decentralize power in Congress by allowing _______ ___________ to hold leadership positions
underrepresented
Compared with their percentage of the overall population of the United States, women and minorities are _______________ in Congress.
underrepresented
Compared with their percentage of the overall population of the United States, women and minorities are __________________ in Congress.
chambers, agreement
Congress has two _____________, and they are not always in ______________ on policy issues
oversight tools
These tools help Congress to ensure that the executive branch is adminstering the laws properly
block legislature
Congress's structure makes it easier to ______ ___________ than to enact it
specialize; high volume
Congressional committees each _____________ in a certain area of legislation, and they make it possible for Congress to consider a ______ __________ of bills
favor
Congressional elections usually (favor/oppose) incumbents.
single policy message
Developing issues and adopting a ________ ________ ___________ are activities that typically take place in a party caucus.
party caucus
Developing issues and adopting a single policy message are activities that typically take place in a _______ _____________.
oversight
Ensuring that laws are being administered by the executive branch in the way intended by Congress is an important function of Congress.
usually legal
Gerrymandering is ....
scandal
Getting caught in a _________ is the problem which is most likely to jeopardize an incumbent's chances of reelection.
trending toward
Going into the 2018 election, the Democratic Party was able to field an unusually strong set of candidates because polls showed that voters were _____________ ____________ the Democrats.
fund the campaign
Having access to large sums of money to ______ ____ ___________ makes a challenger to a Senate incumbent more successful.
challenger, Senate
Having access to large sums of money to fund the campaign, having strong public recognition, and having an existing campaign organization are all ways which a ______________ to a (House/Senate) incumbent may be more successful.
campaign
Having an existing ___________ makes a challenger to a Senate incumbent more successful.
recognition
Having strong public _____________ makes a challenger to a Senate incumbent more successful.
gather information
Hearings are an effective way for committees to ...
dissatisfied
How does the public generally feel about Congress?
Speaker of the House
If a "turf war" erupts as different committees vie for jurisdiction over a bill, who or what decides the committee assignment?
leadership, voters
If congressional representatives find themselves having to choose between angering voters and donors or angering party leadership by refusing to go along with a vote, they will most likely choose to anger _______________ and vote the way their __________ want them to.
closed rule
If the Rules Committee places a "_______ _______" on a piece of legislation, no amendments are permitted.
no amendments
If the Rules Committee places a "closed rule" on a piece of legislation, ___ _____________ are permitted.
majority of Republican
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/minority) of (Democrat/Republican) members.
override
If the president chooses to veto a bill, Congress can ___________ the veto by a two-thirds vote in each chamber
moderate Washington insider
In 2012, Senator Richard Lugar, a six-term incumbent, was beaten in the GOP primary by conservative Richard Mourdock, who portrayed Lugar as a...
partisan divisions
In Congress, disagreement over national policy usually occurs along ____________ _____________.
25
In order to be a member of the House of Representatives, a person must be _____ years of age
30, 9
In order to become a member of the Senate, a person must be at least ___ years of age and have been a citizen for at least __ years.
different, district
In terms of the budget to hire office staff, House members get ___________ amounts, depending on where their ________ is located.
varying, population
In terms of the budget to hire office staff, Senators receive ___________ amounts of money, depending on the ___________ of their state.
60
In the 1908s, before partisan deadlock, congressional approval ratings were about ___ percent.
Rules Committee
In the House of Representatives, debate is limited on the congressional floor by the ...
mark up
In the House, both the full committee and a subcommittee may ______ ___, or propose changes to, a bill
messaging
In the currently closely matched parties, members of Congress are in engaged in "___________" rather than "governing"
