Quiz #8. Congress
A filibuster allows members of the Senate to,
prevent a vote on a bill
Congressional leaders form ___ committees when they want to take up an issue that falls between the jurisdiction of existing committees, to highlight an issue, or to investigate a particular problem.
select
The Senate Watergate committee of 1973 is an example of a, ___ committee.
select
Approximately __ of the __ bills introduced in a typical congressional session die in committee
85%, 10,000
In 2018, about ____ of US House incumbents won reelection.
90%
Which of the following illustrates a member of Congress acting as a delegate?
During a town hall, constituents of Senator Ted Cruz (TX) urge him to vote in favor of an upcoming tax cut, which he does.
Why does the House typically have greater party unity than the Senate?
House rules grant greater control over the actions of representatives than Senate leaders
Over the past several decades, the __ & the __ have benefited most from apportionment.
South; West
Which type of legislature has two houses or chambers?
bicameral
Congress is a __ legislature with __ total members.
bicameral, 535
Under the rules of the US Senate, the introduction of new amendments,
can be stopped only by unanimous consent
When Democrats gather in the House to elect their House leaders everu two years, this is called a,
caucus
When Democrats gather in the House to elect their House leaders every two years, this is called a,
caucus
the "nuclear option" refers to a,
change to the filibuster rules enacted in 2013 that prevents the filibustering of nominees for positions in the executive branch and the federal courts
When Republicans gather in the House to elect their House leaders every two years, this is called a,
conference
In a roll-call vote,
each legislator's yes or no vote is recorded
What are the four joint committees in Congress?
economic, taxation, library, & printing
Imagine that all Republican members of Congress in the House vote to pass a bill to cut taxes. This action is known as a,
filibuster
Holding the political office for which one is running is known as,
incumbency
The Congressional Research Service and the Government Accountability Office are examples of,
staff agencies
Which congressional staff agency assesses the economic implications & likely costs of proposed federal programs?
the Congressional Budget Office
Who has the most real power in the Senate?
the majority & minority leaders
A major risk of the delegate model of representation is that,
the voices of only a few active & informed constituents will be heard because most people do not pay close attention to every issue
The role that the US Senate plays in impeachments can best be compared with that of a,
trial jury
A Senator who votes based on what she thinks is best for her constituency is called a,
trustee
Which of the following are the most salient three factors related to the American electoral system that affect who is elected to office?
who decides to run for office, incumbency, & the drawing of district lines
the president pro tempore of the Senate is usually,
the majority party member with the greatest seniority
If a member of the House of Representatives won her first election with 52% of the vote and won her second election with 75%, it would be an example of the,
"sophomore surge"
The House Rules Committee is important because it,
decides the order in which bills come up for a vote on the House floor and determines the specific rules that govern the length of debate and opportunity for amendments.
If an increased number of women in Congress makes it more likely that Congress passes laws to guarantee that women get paid as much as men for their work, which type of representation best described this scenario?
descriptive
Which sort of representation is based on the principle that if two individuals are similar in background, character, interests, & perspectives, then one could correctly represent the other's views?
descriptive
What is the most common occupation among members of Congress before coming to Congress?
lawyer
If a member of Congress directs a great deal of federal funding to build dams that are not really necessary in her state but create a lot of jobs, the member of Congress is engaged in which of the following?
pork barreling
When Senator Robert Byrd steered brough federal money to build highways, dams, & government facilities to his state of West Virginia, he was doing which of the following?
pork barreling
Conference committees,
reconcile differences between a bill passed by the House & Senate
The 2015 House of Representatives committee that held hearings to investigate Hillary Clinton's use of private email services during her tenure as secretary of state is an example of a,
select committee
In addition to pressuring members of Congress to vote a certain way on a bill, interest groups also have substantial influence in,
setting the legislative agenda
Which of the following are set up by Congress to provide the legislative branch with resources & expertise independent of the executive branch?
staff agencies
a legislative "hold" is a,
stalling tactic used in the U.S. House of Representatives to delay debate on a bill
The kind of representation that takes place when constituents have the power to hire & fire their representatives is called,
substantive representation
Over what policy areas does the House Ways & Means Committee have jurisdiction?
taxes, trade, & entitlement programs
Conference committees are,
temporary, involve members from both houses of Congress, & are charged with reaching a compromise on legislation once it has been passed by both the House & the Senate
The "sophomore surge" refers to the,
tendency for candidates to win a higher percentage of the vote when seeking future terms in office.
The framers gave the power to introduce "money bills" to the House of Representatives but not the Senate because they believed that,
the chamber closest to the people should exercise greater authority over taxing and spending
In the House of Representatives, what is the relationship between the majority leader & the Speaker of the House?
the majority leader is subordinate to the Speaker of the House
What is cloture?
the process by which three-fifths of the Senate can end a filibuster
Redistricting
the process or redrawing of electoral districts every 10 years
How can congress override a president's veto?
a two-thirds vote in both chamberss
Most programs & agencies are subject to some oversight every year during the course of hearings on,
approprations
The amount of money approved by Congress in bills that each agency of government can spend is called,
appropriations
Imagine that you are one of the Framers of the Constitution and want to design a legislature with two chambers. Which type of legislature would that be?
bicameral
In 2019, Democrats impeached President Trump on,
charges that he sought to pressure the Ukrainian government into investigating Joe Biden & his son
In ___ , legislators rewrite bills to reflect changes discussed during hearings.
committee markup
Suppose that a major piece of legislation is being considered by Congress. The House & the Senate have passed similar versions of the bill, but important differences remain. Which committee would be in charge of working out a compromise between the two chambers?
conference committee
Suppose that a major piece of legislation is being considered by Congress. The House and the Senate have passed similar versions of the bill, but important differences remain. Which committee would be in charge of working out a compromise between the two chambers?
conference committee
A member of the House of Representatives that helps a constituent apply for Social Security benefits is engaging in,
constituency service
The Senate & House Appropriations committees are important because they,
decide how much funding various programs will receive & how the money will be spent
If a member of Congress always votes according to the interests of the majority of her constituency, what kind of representation best describes her behavior?
delegate
If a legislative body was composed of 10% Latinos and 80% males in a state whose residents were 35% Latino and 50% male, the legislative body would be said to lack,
descriptive representation
Which of the following are methods US senators can use to block or delay debate on a bill?
filibustering, adding amendments to a bill, & placing a hold on a bill
One cause of party unity voting in recent Congresses is,
increased polarization
A senator or representative running for reelections is called the,
incumbent
Senator Mitch McConnell is running for re-election; this means the senator is an,
incumbent
Senator's longer terms of office, & larger, more heterogeneous constituencies makes them more,
insulated from the pressures of individual, narrow, & immediate interests
Which best characterizes the use of oversight powers in Congress in recent years?
it has an increasingly partisan tone
Gerrymandering refers to the,
manipulation of electoral districts to serve the interests of a particular group
Recent congresses are __ polarized than other congresses within the last century.
more
One advantage of seniority in Congress is that it makes it,
more likely to get leadership in a committee
The frequency with which they must seek re-election makes members of the US House of Representatives,
more responsive to the needs of local interest groups in the districts they represent
A bill that deals with such a diverse set of unrelated issues as environmental issues, tax issues, & criminal justice issues is likely to be an,
omnibus appropriations bill
A provision by the House Rules committee that allows debate and the addition of new amendments to a bill is called an,
open rule
The 2014 Select Committee on Benghazi is an example of Congress's
oversight powers
Imagine that there is a roll-call vote on a bill on Medicare in the Senate & 50% of Republicans vote against it & 50% of Democrats vote in favor. This is known as a,
party unity vote
Joint committees are,
permanent, but do not have the power to prevent legislation
A __ veto occurs when Congress adjourns during a 10-day period after presenting the president with a bill on which he or she takes no action.
Which is an important factor in organizing the work of Congress?
parties
A bill's supporters in the House of Representatives generally prefer __, while opponents generally prefer a(n) __.
a closed rule; open rule
The practice of referring a bill to more than one committee for consideration is called,
a multiple-referral
In Congress, the term "whip" refers to,
a party member in the House or Senate responsible for coordinating the party's legislative strategy, building support for key issues, & counting votes