Congress Test AP GOV Unit 4

Which of the following scenarios is an example of the trustee model of representation?

A member of Congress votes to close a popular tax loophole based on the belief that the money would be better spent paying down the national debt.

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates a member of Congress supporting pork-barrel legislation?

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

The details of legislation are usually worked out in which of the following settings?

A subcommittee

Based on the data, which of the following is the most likely consequence for the legislative process in Congress?

An increase in gridlock and failure to compromise on legislation

Which of the following is true about congress?

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

Which of the following identifies the formal procedure for ending a filibuster?

Cloture

Which of the following is an example of Congress using its implied powers?

Congress passing occupational safety regulations for the private sector

The House Rules Committee is an important part of the legislative process because it

determines the terms and conditions of debate when a bill goes to the House floor

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?

Agriculture

Which of the following statements accurately summarizes the reasoning for the decision in Baker v. Carr (1962) ?

Because rural districts had fewer people, representation was unevenly distributed; thus, Baker was denied equal 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?

Conference

Which of the following are differences between the legislative process in the House of Representatives and that in the Senate?

Debate is more restricted on the House floor than on the Senate floor. The amendment process is more restricted in the House than in the Senate. A Rules Committee sets the guidelines for floor debate in the House but not in the Senate.

Which of the following is an accurate description of the powers of the House of Representatives and the Senate?

House of Representatives initiates all revenue bills, and the Senate confirms presidential appointments.

Which of the following scenarios illustrates Washington's concerns?

Ideological divisions within Congress can lead to partisan gridlock.

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?

In the house is limited, while in the senate, members can filibuster.

Which of the following is a unique power held by members of the Senate?

The ability to filibuster

Which of the following has decreased in Congress over the past twenty years?

The influence of committee chairs

Debate of a bill in the House of Representatives under a "closed rule" means that

amendments to the bill cannot be offered

The United States Constitution says that Congress has the power to coin money. This is an example of

an enumerated power

The term "bicameralism" refers to the

establishment of two legislative chambers that have different structures and rules

The congressional system of standing committees is significant because it

fosters the development of expertise by members

Pork barrel legislation helps the reelection chances of a member of Congress because such legislation

helps earn the member of Congress a reputation for service to his or her district

The largest source of federal revenue is the

income tax

Federal benefits that must be funded by Congress and must be paid to all citizens who meet eligibility criteria are called

individual entitlements

A difference between the House of Representatives and the Senate is that in the House

legislative activity on the floor is more constrained by rules

Nominations to the Supreme Court must be approved by a

simple majority vote in the Senate only

An example of a discretionary item in the federal budget is

spending on national parks

The boundary lines of congressional districts are drawn by

state legislatures

Fiscal policies refer to the government's power to

tax and spend

The committee system is more important in the House than in the Senate because

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

the United States House of Representatives

Which of the following Supreme Court cases involved the principle of "one person, one vote"?

Baker v. Carr

Which of the following is the most likely consequence of divided government?

Delays in confirmation of federal court nominees

A member of Congress votes in favor of a bill as a result of receiving many letters of support for the bill from constituents. Which form of democratic representation best describes this voting decision?

Delegate

Which of the following powers is shared by the House of Representatives and the Senate?

Establishing federal courts

Which of the following is the most accurate comparison of the processes that generally facilitate gridlock and those that facilitate governmental action?

Facilitates Gridlock - Checks and balances Facilitates Action - Executive orders

To which of the following congressional committees would a proposal to reform the national income-tax system initially be sent?

House Ways and Means Committee

Advocates of shifting the task of drawing United States House districts from state legislatures to independent commissions are likely to claim which of the following as an advantage of independent commissions?

Independent commissions significantly reduce the influence of partisan gerrymandering in the redistricting process.

Which of the following statements about gerrymandering is true?

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

Which of the following is generally true of the gerrymandering of congressional districts?

It creates districts that favor one political party over another.

Which of the following is true about divided party control of the presidency and Congress?

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

The practice in Congress whereby Representative A promises to vote for Representative B's legislation, provided that Representative B will support Representative A's legislation, is referred to as

Log rolling

Which of the following best describes pork barrel politics?

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

Congressional legislative powers include all of the following EXCEPT

Pardoning felons

Which of the following describes the ruling in Shaw v. Reno (1993) ?

Racial gerrymandering was ruled unconstitutional.

A member of the House of Representatives who wishes to be influential in the House itself would most likely seek a place on which of the following committees?

Rules

Which of the following committees of the House of Representatives sets the conditions for debate and amendment of most legislation?

Rules

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate?

The Constitution's framers intended the house to reflect the will of the people. The Constitution's framers designed the senate to represent the interests of the states.

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?

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

Which of the following is true of the seniority system of Congress in relation to committee leadership and committee staffing?

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

Which of the following statements about Congress is true?

The legislative process is frequently lengthy, decentralized, and characterized by compromise and bargaining.

Based on your knowledge and the diagram, which of the following is true regarding the leadership structure of Congress?

The majority leaders in both chambers work to ensure that a bipartisan agenda is passed in the Congress.

Which of the following situations best illustrates the meaning of divided government in the United States political system?

The majority of senators and the majority of representatives are from one party, but the president is from another.

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?

The necessary and proper clause

Which of the following best describes gerrymandering?

The party in control of the state legislature draws district boundaries in such a way as to favor its own candidates in subsequent elections.

Members of Congress who have adopted the delegate role of representation normally cast their votes based on which of the following?

The preferences of the majority of their constituents

Which of the following statements about motions for cloture is true?

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

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 conference committee for review and compromise

A committee chair in the House of Representatives is always

a member of the majority party in the chamber

Much of the steady increase in federal government expenditures since 1960 has been caused by

increases in entitlement programs

Congressional standing committees are best described as

permanent subject-matter committees

The power of the Rules Committee in the House of Representatives rests on its authority to

place a bill on the legislative calendar, limit time for debate and determine the type of amendments allowed

The role of a conference committee in Congress is to

reconcile differences in bills passed by the House and Senate

Most of the bills introduced in the House and the Senate are then

referred to committee but never sent to the full Congress

Enumerated powers of the federal government include all of the following EXCEPT the power to

regulate intrastate commerce

The boundaries of United States congressional districts are usually determined by

the state legislatures