Government Chapter 12

13. The single most important advantage to someone trying to get elected to Congress is A) being an incumbent. B) having more money to spend on campaigning. C) being charismatic and photogenic. D) having a clean record. E) winning the endorsement of the top leaders of their party.

A

15. Which of the following statements about those who challenge incumbent members of the House is TRUE? A) They are usually not well-known. B) They are usually experienced legislators. C) They usually have a well-established organizational backing. D) They tend to be well-financed. E) They usually conduct public opinion polls and only run if they have a good chance of winning.

A

22. Bicameralism means that a legislative body is one A) with two houses, providing checks and balances on policymaking. B) in which each state has two senators, providing equal representation of the states. C) in which incumbents have a better chance of being reelected, providing continuity in policymaking. D) that must share power with a president, providing more efficient policymaking. E) in which there are only two political parties.

A

24. House seats are up for election every A) two years. B) four years. C) six years. D) eight years. E) five years.

A

28. Nominees to the United States Supreme Court must be confirmed by A) the Senate. B) the House. C) either the House or the Senate. D) both the House and the Senate. E) the president.

A

3. ________ privileges refer to the free use of the mails enjoyed by Congress. A) Franking B) Conmail C) Junket D) Procurement E) E-mail

A

35. Which of the following statements about the majority leader of the House of Representatives is FALSE? A) The majority leader exercises substantial control over which bills get assigned to which committees. B) The majority leader is the main steppingstone to the job of Speaker of the House. C) The majority leader is responsible for scheduling bills in the House. D) The majority leader is responsible for rounding up votes on behalf of the partyʹs position on legislation. E) He or she is the principal ally of the Speaker.

A

37. The most powerful person in the Senate is the A) majority leader. B) vice president of the United States, who serves as president of the Senate. C) chair of the Rules Committee. D) Speaker. E) president of the United States.

A

10. The most common prior occupation for members of Congress is A) business. B) law. C) education. D) public service. E) state legislator.

B

18. On average, most of the money raised by a candidate for Congress comes from A) political parties. B) individual contributions. C) the candidateʹs own savings. D) Political Action Committees. E) loans.

B

2. Which of the following is NOT one of the perquisites which go with the job of being a member of Congress? A) a salary of over $150,000 B) subsidized housing in the Virginia or Maryland suburbs of D.C. C) free use of the mails to communicate with constituents D) free office space in Washington, D.C., and in the constituency from which elected E) a budget to support office staff

B

32. One of the key differences between the House and Senate is that the Senate A) is more centralized. B) is less dependent on seniority for determining power. C) has a lower turnover rate. D) has stronger leadership. E) has more anarchy.

B

6. The United States Senate has ________ members. A) 50 B) 100 C) 435 D) 438 E) 535

B

7. How many senators are elected from each state? A) one B) two C) four D) it depends on a stateʹs population E) the same number as it has electors in the electoral college

B

8. Which of the following is TRUE about the minimum age requirements for members of Congress set forth in the Constitution? A) One must be at least 21 years of age to serve in the House of Representatives. B) One must be at least 30 years of age to serve in the Senate. C) One must be at least 35 years of age to serve in either the House or the Senate. D) There are no age requirements for members of Congress. E) The age requirements are the same for the House and the Senate.

B

1. The foremost attraction for the job of serving in Congress is A) a salary four times the income of the typical American family. B) generous retirement benefits. C) the power to make key public policy decisions. D) travel benefits. E) employment opportunities after leaving office.

C

11. Relative to the total population, the most underrepresented group in Congress is A) African Americans. B) Hispanics. C) women. D) Jews. E) homosexuals.

C

14. Reasons that incumbent senators have greater competition than incumbent members of the House include all of the following EXCEPT A) an entire state is more diverse than a congressional district, providing more of a base for opposition. B) senators have less personal contact with their constituencies. C) voters are less likely to know the issue positions of their senators than their representatives. D) senators tend to draw more visible challengers. E) senate challengers are better funded than House challengers.

C

19. After each federal census, A) the office of the Speaker of the House changes hands. B) the size of Congress increases. C) the membership of the House is reapportioned D) the Senate reapportions its membership. E) all of the above

C

21. Nebraskaʹs legislature is the only one in the United States that is NOT A) elected by the voters. B) unicameral. C) bicameral. D) tricameral. E) under term limits.

C

25. A Senate seat is up for election every A) two years. B) four years. C) six years. D) eight years. E) five years.

C

27. According to the Constitution, revenue bills must originate in the A) Internal Revenue Service. B) Federal Reserve System. C) House. D) Senate. E) Treasury Department.

C

30. According to the Constitution, once impeached, federal officials are then tried in the A) Supreme Court. B) House. C) Senate. D) Department of Justice. E) United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

C

31. One of the key differences between the House and Senate is that the House A) has weaker leadership. B) is more influential on foreign affairs. C) has more policy specialization. D) is less centralized. E) is less institutionalized.

C

33. The real differences between the House and the Senate lie in their A) ideology. B) membersʹ characteristics. C) organization and centralization of power. D) role in policy. E) power relative to each other.

C

39. The presidentʹs most common method of attempting to influence Congress is to A) call up wavering members. B) offer to campaign for members. C) hold regular meetings with the partyʹs leaders in Congress. D) invite members of Congress to the White House. E) use the veto power.

C

40. If Congress has increased the scope of government it is because A) members typically suffer from Potomac fever. B) members are by-spending liberals. C) that is what constituencies want. D) that is what Congressional staffers want. E) it is responding to the policy expertise provided by the bureaucracy.

C

5. The United States House of Representatives has ________ members. A) 638 B) 100 C) 435 D) 80 E) 535

C

9. In terms of religion, most members of Congress are A) Catholic. B) Jewish. C) Protestant. D) born-again Christians. E) atheists.

C

26. Which of the following is TRUE about the Senate as compared to the House? A) more centralized with stronger leadership B) seniority more important in determining power C) more influential on the budget D) more influential in foreign affairs E) smaller in number, less powerful and less prestigious

D

29. Articles of impeachment must be passed by A) either the House or the Senate. B) both the House and the Senate. C) the Senate. D) the House. E) the Supreme Court.

D

34. The minority whip A) assists the majority leader in party-line votes. B) becomes the Speaker automatically if the Speaker resigns. C) represents African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans in each chamber of Congress. D) keeps a close head count on key votes, and attempts to keep party members in line. E) is used to punish members who do not vote with the rest of their party.

D

36. The ________ has the job of presiding over the Senate, breaking ties when necessary. A) majority leader B) majority whip C) minority leader D) vice president E) Speaker

D

38. Legislative ________ is the process of monitoring the bureaucracy and its administration of policy. A) franking B) stonewalling C) overview D) oversight E) supremacy

D

4. A myth about members of Congress is that they A) generally are educated and come from high-status occupations. B) tend to develop policy specialties. C) are especially effective in carrying out their constituent service. D) are overpaid, underworked, corrupt, and ineffective. E) are overwhelmingly male.

D

20. Which of the following statements about Congress is FALSE? A) Congress is a collection of generalists trying to make policy on specialized topics. B) Members of Congress are surrounded by people who know (or claim to know) more than they do. C) Members of Congress are often unsure of what is being voted on when a roll-call vote is called. D) Members frequently ask their colleagues how to vote. E) none of the above

E

12. Incumbents are those A) already holding office. B) running for office for the first time. C) who have been defeated in an election. D) retired members of Congress. E) running for an office.

A

16. In the House races of 2004, the typical incumbent outspent the typical challenger by A) 2 to 1. B) 4 to 1. C) 6to1. D) 15 to 1. E) 20 to 1.

D

17. House incumbents typically receive A) about the same amount of contributions from PACs as challengers. B) less from PACs than challengers. C) much more from PACs as challengers. D) generous support from their party campaign committees. E) none of the above.

D

23. To be sent to the president, a bill must be passed by A) the House. B) the Senate. C) either the House or the Senate. D) both the House and the Senate. E) a majority vote of Congress, regardless of which house the votes come from.

D