Congress

Members of Congress might make policy decisions that lead to an endorsement from which external source?

Interest groups

Which of the following have a significant influence on the decisions of legislators?

Interest groups Political parties Constituents

Which of the following statements best describes a majority-minority district?

It is a district where minority members are clustered together, creating a majority of voters

Which of the following statements about gerrymandering is true?

It is a legal redrawing of political districts to benefit a specific political party

What happens directly after a bill is introduced?

It is assigned to committee.

Which of the following is the most powerful leadership position in the Senate?

Majority leader

Which of the following is a maneuver used by the presiding officer of the Senate to eliminate the possibility of filibusters by requiring only a simple majority vote on certain matters?

Nuclear option

Which of the following best accounts for instances where members of the president's party fail to vote in favor of one his/her favored policy initiatives?

Other entities have pressured the party members to oppose the measure.

Which function describes the process by which the legislature checks on the executive branch to make sure it is carrying out the laws in the way Congress intended?

Oversight

Which of the following would be an exercise of Congress's power under the necessary and proper clause rather than an enumerated power?

Passing a law that reforms the immigration system

Which function is the main responsibility of Congress, to which all other functions of Congress are related to?

Policy making

According to analysts, most legislators use ______ of representation.

a combination of trustee and instructed delegate models

A procedural move in which a member or members of the Senate speak(s) for an unlimited amount of time on the Senate floor in order to prevent a vote on a bill is known as

a filibuster.

A(n) __ is a proposed piece of legislation that is considered by Congress.

bill

To end a filibuster, sixty senators must agree to invoke __ and end the debate.

cloture

In the 2018 midterm elections, in the face of possible candidacies of many female candidates, many congressional incumbents

decided not to seek reelection.

Members of Congress are attentive to the concerns of constituents because constituents

determine whether or not they stay in office.

Each senator represents his or her state, while House members represent their congressional __.

district

Congressional oversight of the federal bureaucracy is a way to check the president's power because the bureaucracy is a part of the ______ branch.

executive

The vice president presides over the Senate quite often.

false

Hearings are an effective way for committees to

gather information.

The redrawing of congressional boundaries to benefit an incumbent, a political party, or some other group is called

gerrymandering

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 of Republican members.

The framers had tax bills start in the House because its members

have shorter electoral terms have smaller constituencies than Senators

A bill must pass both the House and Senate in ______ form(s) before it can be sent to the president.

identical

Joint committees are unique because they

include members from both chambers of Congress.

Legislators who always vote in a manner consistent with the views of their constituents, even if those views contradict the legislator's personal views, are following the ______ model of representation.

instructed delegate

The purpose of pork barrel projects is to show constituents that their representative

is actively working for them in Congress

A committee that is composed of members of both chambers of Congress is known as a ______ committee.

joint

The framers' vision of the Senate was as the

legislative body that safeguards the rights of states and minorities against mass opinion.

Because congressional districts in the House are often homogeneous, cohesive units, a House member's constituency is

likely to share a fairly unified position on many issues.

Besides lawmaking, Congress can

limit the power of the president regulate currency administer post offices

The Speaker of the House is effectively chosen by the

majority party.

If Democrats hold a majority of the seats in the Senate, each committee and subcommittee will have a(n) ______ of Republicans as members.

minority

Congress has a number of functions other than lawmaking, including

oversight and agenda setting

A special presidential veto of a bill passed at the end of a legislative session is referred to as a(n)

pocket

Congress exercises its ______ power when it passes laws creating incentives for the development of alternative energy sources.

policy-making

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

reapportionment

The main purpose of a conference committee is to

reconcile differences in the House and Senate versions of a bill.

Redistricting is the process of

redrawing congressional district boundaries within a state.

The legislative process in both the House and the Senate is

remarkably similar.

A committee that is created to address a specific policy issue or concern is a

select committee.

A permanent committee in Congress is known as a(n) __ committee.

standing

The Supreme Court ruled that majority-minority districting is illegal if the

state legislature redraws majority-minority districts at the expense of other concerns.

In the House of Representatives, debate is limited on the congressional floor by

the Rules Committee.

Which model of representation insists that legislators vote in line with their constituents' views even when the vote contradicts their personal views?

the instructed delegate model

In the Senate, terms of debate are defined through

unanimous consent.

What factors make members of the House of Representatives reluctant to defy the will of the people in their congressional districts?

Short-term lengths make reelection challenging. Smaller districts mean House constituencies are often ideologically unified.

Which of these statements accurately describes powers that Congress has been given in the Constitution?

Some are very specific, and others are vague.

The most powerful leader in the House of Representatives is the

Speaker of the House.

Who do House and Senate members often rely upon to inform decision making on legislation due to their policy expertise?

Staff members Colleagues

Congress gets its powers from sources other than the Constitution, including

Supreme Court decisions the media American citizens

Which of the following policy-making functions are explicitly granted to Congress by the Constitution?

Tax and spend Regulate the armed forces Declare war Establish courts

Which of the following accurately states a difference between the House and Senate?

The House has a more formal legislative structure.

Who is the leader of the majority party in the House who works with the minority party's leadership?

The House majority leader

Why is the Senate a more deliberative chamber than the House of Representatives?

The Senate's electoral terms are longer. The Senate has fewer members.

Who schedules debates on legislation in the Senate?

The majority leader

Which of the following legislative powers does the president possess?

The power to veto a bill The power to sign a bill into law

Who chairs the Senate in the vice president's absence?

The president pro tempore

What does the president do when executing a pocket veto?

The president waits 10 days for the bill to "die."

As of 2020, how many African Americans had been elected to the U.S. Senate?

10

What does an ombudsperson do?

Acts as a citizens' advocate in dealings with government agencies

If the president chooses to veto a bill,

Congress can override the veto by a two-thirds vote in each chamber.

In any given election, two-thirds of the members of the House of Representatives are up for reelection.

False

Which of the following most accurately describes a congressional subcommittee?

A committee that typically handles specific areas of a standing committee's jurisdiction

In the House of Representatives, how many signatures does a discharge petition require to move a bill from a committee to the full chamber?

A majority of the members

Which of the following explains a bill and its intent to the full legislative chamber?

A report

Most congressional bills survive committee scrutiny and are voted upon by the House and Senate.

False

Personal experiences play no role in legislative decision making.

False

The demographics of Congress are roughly equivalent to those of the American public at large.

False

The president's position on legislation rarely affects the way members of Congress vote on it.

False

When asked by their party leaders to "toe the party line" on a legislative vote, members of Congress automatically do so.

False

Which of the following statements describes the Supreme Court's most recent position on the issue of gerrymandering?

Federal courts cannot make a blanket determination on whether gerrymandered maps violate the Constitution

What model of representation are legislators most likely to follow in important or high-profile issues?

Instructed delegate

Which of the following is true of the process of redistricting?

It can be subject to political manipulation

Which of the following is an accurate statement about the use of the seniority system to choose committee chairs in Congress?

It does not always mean that the person with the longest tenure will become chair.

Which of the following are duties of the Speaker of the House?

Make majority party committee assignments Guide legislation through the chamber

What type of committee typically handles specific areas of a standing committee's jurisdiction?

Subcommittee

Which of the following methods is most often used to select committee chairs?

The seniority system

In the large majority of cases, the winner of a congressional campaign is the

incumbent.

Donors are more willing to make campaign contributions to

incumbents

Political polarization in the Senate is ______ when compared to the House.

not as apparent

Ensuring that laws are being administered by the executive branch in the way intended by Congress is an important function of Congress and is known as

oversight.

A vote where most members of one political party vote one way while most members of the other party vote the other way is categorized as a ______ vote.

party

Congress manages ______ conflict by representing a wide range of views and interests.

societal

A subcommittee is a subset of the members of a ______ committee.

standing

In the House of Representatives, after a member of a legislator's staff drafts a proposed piece of legislation, the House member puts the bill into

the hopper.

The House leadership position of whip acts as a liaison between

the leadership and party members in the House.

With the widespread use of computer-driven mapmaking technology, congressional seats can be configured to ensure that

the majority of a district's population identifies with one party

In 2013, Senate Democrats exercised ______, a maneuver eliminating the possibility of filibusters on federal judicial nominations and appointments to the executive branch.

the nuclear option

Put the steps that a bill must pass through to become law in order. Put the first step at the top of the list.

A member of the House of Representatives or the Senate formally proposes the bill. The bill is submitted to a committee for consideration. A majority of members in the House and Senate approve the bill. The conference committee reconciles the bill if different versions pass the two houses. The president signs the bill.

How is legislation proposed in the House of Representatives?

A staff member places legislation in a wooden box on a desk at the front of the House chamber.

Which of the following terms describes the process used to determine what public policy issues the federal legislature should consider?

Agenda setting

Why is the Rules Committee considered one of the most important committees in the House?

Because it decides the length of debate that will occur on a bill and whether amendments will be allowed.

Which of the following contribute to incumbents having an advantage over their challengers during congressional elections?

Being able to raise money more easily Having greater name recognition Having easier access to media coverage

Which of the following strongly and positively affects a congressional candidate's ability to raise money and win an election?

Being an incumbent

Committee chairs are often chosen using the , by which the member with the longest continuous tenure on a standing committee receives preference when the committee chooses its chair.

Blank 1: seniority Blank 2: system

If a vote in the Senate is tied, the breaks the tie.

Blank 1: vice Blank 2: president

Which of the following oversight tools help Congress to ensure that the executive branch is administering the laws properly?

Budgetary appropriations Confirmation hearings Investigations Congressional hearings

Which of the following are ways in which Congress manages societal conflict?

By taking stands on issues By compromising and negotiating on issues By representing a wide range of views and interests

Which of the following activities can benefit an incumbent by earning a particular voter's loyalty through the performance of a task the voter cannot complete alone?

Casework

Congressional oversight is an example of what essential component of American democracy?

Checks and balances

Which of the following is a procedural move in the Senate that can end a filibuster?

Cloture

Because taxation was such an important power to the framers, they required that all taxation measures be granted to

Congress

How do the demographics of Congress compare to those of the constituents they serve?

Congress is less diverse.

Which of the following generally exert(s) the strongest influence on congressional decision making?

Congressional constituents

Which of the following benefits of office are an advantage for incumbents in their campaigns for reelection?

Franking privileges Free news exposure Casework

Interest groups engage in which of the following activities in order to influence legislators' decisions?

Grassroots activism Lobbying Financial contributions

Which of the following statements about Congress and congressional representatives are true as a result of partisan redistricting?

House members are less likely to compromise with the opposition. Congress has become more politically polarized.

In which ways is the House of Representatives different from the Senate?

In general, senators have more prestige than House members. The House has more formal rules regarding debate than the Senate has.

Which of the following has most hampered the ability of Congress to manage social conflict in recent years?

Increased polarization caused by partisan redistricting

Which of the following factors have the greatest influence on congressional elections?

Incumbent popularity Redistricting

What happens when the number of seats a state has in the House of Representatives changes due to reapportionment?

Incumbents in the state can lose their seats as districts are redrawn with new constituencies.

Which of the following is true of current African American representation in the U.S. Congress?

More African Americans serve in Congress than at any other point.

Which two of the following were major factors in the the record number of women running for Congress in 2018?

President Trump's rhetoric and behavior toward women Republican attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act

Historically, which Senate position has been honorary in nature?

President pro tempore

Which of the following influence agenda setting in Congress?

Public discourse House and Senate leaders' goals

Which of the following occurs every ten years after the U.S. census and determines how many seats a state receives in the House of Representatives?

Reapportionment

Which of the following is the function members of Congress fulfill when they articulate and vote for the position that best reflects the views of their constituents?

Representation

Which of the following events resulted in an increase in partisan voting?

Republican retake of Congress in 1994 Watergate scandal Rise of the Tea Party in 2010

With whom did the concept of the nuclear option originate?

Richard Nixon

In the House, the __ Committee is responsible for determining the debate and amendment procedures for each bill prior to it going to the floor for debate.

Rules

Which of the following accurately describe the position of Speaker of the House?

Second in line of presidential succession Leader of his or her party in the House An elected member of the House

Which of the following is true about the political advantages of the longer terms in the Senate?

Senators can be insulated from political fallout after unpopular votes that take place early in their terms.

Which of the following are ways new legislation can be introduced in the Senate?

Senators can propose new legislation by offering it as an amendment to an already pending piece of legislation. Senators can announce new legislation in a speech on the Senate floor. Senators can submit a written draft of the proposed legislation to the Senate clerk.

Why might voting against their constituents' will on a particular issue be less significant for a member of the Senate than for a member of the House?

Senators have longer terms of service.

What occurs after a conference committee reconciles differences in the House and Senate versions of a bill?

The bill goes back to both chambers for a vote.

Which of the following accurately explains the importance of the necessary and proper (or elastic) clause in the Constitution?

The elastic clause has allowed Congress to pass legislation in areas that are not specified in the list of its enumerated powers

Which of the following describe ways that the media are a source of congressional power?

The media can create a favorable climate for the passage of legislation The media provide congressional members with a forum with which to communicate with constituents The media can sway public opinion

Who has the power to preside over the Senate and vote in case of a tie but otherwise has little real authority in the Senate?

The vice president of the United States

Why is it challenging for U.S. .senators to represent the views of their constituencies?

They represent entire states, which may include many different ideologies.

How do congressional committees and subcommittees gather information on issues related to proposed laws?

Through hearings

What area has traditionally been the vehicle for pork barrel projects?

Transportation bills

Which of the following describe the U.S. Senate rather than the U.S. House of Representatives?

Treaties are considered in this chamber. This chamber is more deliberative.

Despite winning a record number of congressional seats in the 2018 midterm election and increasing their numbers in 2020, the proportion of women in Congress is not nearly equal to their proportion in the national population.

True

The Affordable Care Act, which reformed the U.S. health care system, was an assertion of the power Congress has under the necessary and proper clause of the Constitution.

True

The Constitution is far more explicit in defining the responsibilities of Congress than it is in defining the functions of the other branches of government.

True

The president pro tempore is third in the line of presidential succession.

True

For which of the following groups can the differences in the views, ideologies, and policy priorities of their constituents make it especially challenging to represent those constituents?

U.S. senators

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 nation as a whole does not coincide with the needs of their constituency

During a(n) ______, executive agencies provide written comments on a proposed bill that has been assigned to a committee.

agency review

Congress continuously engages in ______ , which relieves the pressure parties face in getting their members to vote with their particular party.

agenda setting

Unanimous consent agreements require that ______ agree to the terms of debate on a given piece of legislation.

all senators

Majority-minority districts are

an attempt to increase diversity in Congress

A designation within a spending bill that provides for a specific expenditure is called

an earmark.

Those who pay careful attention to political issues are sometimes referred to as the __ public.

attentive

The segment of voters who pay careful attention to political issues are referred to as the

attentive public.

The power of taxation, among other powers, was given to Congress

because it is more representative of the people to limit the power of the president

To balance the desire for representation at different levels, the framers made Congress a(n) institution

bicameral or two-house

One consequence of having a congressional "safe seat" is that a House member

can generally be partisan without an unfavorable political outcome

An elderly person deciding to vote to reelect a House representative after the representative has tracked down the constituent's Social Security check is an example of how __ can benefit an incumbent.

casework

When an incumbent personally helps constituents solve problems with the federal bureaucracy, the practice is known as

casework

If the House and Senate pass different versions of a bill, it must first go to a ______ committee to have any differences reconciled before it can be voted on again by both chambers and sent to the president.

conference

A(n) __ petition is a tactic used to extract a bill from a committee in order to have it considered by the entire House.

discharge

Partisan voting is most apparent when members are voting on major ______ issues.

domestic policy

Constituents influence the legislative process by

ensuring that their representatives in Congress work hard to present their perspectives and policy interests

A lead committee is the

first committee a bill is referred to.

The ability to use ______ to communicate with voters free of charge is a benefit exclusive to incumbents.

franking

In more populated areas, congressional districts in the House of Representatives are often

homogeneous, cohesive units.

The term ______ referral designates the former practice of referring a bill simultaneously to two different committees in the House of Representatives for consideration.

joint

The practice in which members of Congress agree to vote for a bill in exchange for their colleague's vote on another bill is called __.

logrolling

If Congressperson A agrees to vote for a defense bill that has funding for a project in Congressperson B's district in exchange for Congressperson B's vote in favor of farming subsidies that benefit Congressperson A's district, the action is referred to as

logrolling.

The framers structured Congress in a way that

made it an effective check on the president. kept it from becoming too powerful. made it powerful enough to govern.

In the 2020 elections, Latinx continued to see

marked success in gaining congressional representation.

A legislative committee recommends changes to the full chamber concerning a particular bill during

markup.

With regard to representation, members of Congress

may speak for several constituencies

Although voters tend to reelect their senators and House members, their opinion of Congress as a whole tends to be

negative.

Members of Congress frequently use ______ as a means of appropriating funds for projects within their districts.

pork barrel politics

Congress has a number of functions other than lawmaking. These include

setting the national agenda. representing constituents. overseeing presidential actions.

Compared to other industrialized democracies, the United States has a(n) ______ proportion of women serving in the national legislature.

smaller

In the original version of the Constitution, members of the House were to be elected by the ______, while senators were to be chosen by ______.

the citizenry; state legislatures

Since the Senate is smaller than the House, it does not require a Rules Committee. Instead, the Senate utilizes ______ consent agreements to limit debate on the floor.

unanimous

Compared with their percentage of the overall population of the United States, women and minorities are ______ in Congress.

underrepresented

To reflect the variety of national and state interests, Congress

was made a bicameral institution

Both political parties in the House have a ______, who acts as a go-between with the leadership and the party members in the House.

whip