EXAM 3 POSI

The speaker of the house has the right to ...

- Speaks first during House debate on legislation - Choose who may speak on House floor - Select the chair person of the House of Rules Committee

What is considered policy misconduct that might lead to a congressional incumbent losing a bid for re-elction?

- engaging in bribery - being involved in a sex scandal

Incumbents have _____ over challengers.

substantial advantages

What is a legislative power the president does not possess

the power to sign only a part of the bill/ law

What are activities that take place in the party Caucus?

-Adopting a single policy message -Developing Issues

Reasons why Congress has difficulty taking the lead on broad issues or facts...

-Congress has two chambers and they are always not in agreement on policy issues members of Congress come from different -Districts & often have conflicting views on national policies

What makes a Senate challenger more likely to be successful?

-Having a strong public recognition -Having an existing campaign organization -Having access to large sums of money to fund the campaign

Which of the following is true about women and minorities who run for congressional office?

-Less likely to run for congress than white males - Have a winning percentage that is roughly the same as non incumbent white males

Which of the following about midterm elections are true?

-There is less media coverage of canidates and issues than in a presidential election -Voter turnout is lower than for presidential elections - The president's party usually loses seats

What is true of bills killed in the committee?

-They can be brought back to life by vote of house and senate -Most are poorly conceived or of little interest to everyone -Some bills are not supportive by the members who introduced them

What about Congressional Committees is true?

-They each specialize in a certain area of legislation -They make it possible for congress to consider a high volume of bills

Which is true of joint committees?

-They perform advisory functions - They are composed of members of both houses

When did a bill become a law..

-When congress over rides a presidential veto - When the president signs it

When is congressional oversight exercised vigorously?

-When members are annoyed with an agency -When members are intending to modify an agency program

Common threats to Incumbents..

-personal misconduct -disruptive issues -strong challengers

Order of steps bill has to pass to become a law:

1. A member of the house of representatives or the senate formally proposes the bill 2. The bill is submitted to a committee for consideration 3. A majority of people in the house and senate approve the bill. 4. The president signs the bill

Incumbents to the United States are only defeated in _____ of re-elections races?

16%

In order to be a member of the Senate you must be ___ years old and a citizen for at least ____ years.

30 years & 9 years

The cost of running for Senate rose by more than ____ between 1990 and 2010.

300%

The framers of the Constitution intended the lawmakers _____, something which has become increasingly difficult in today's partisan congress.

Act in the spirit of Compromise

In Congress, a disagreement over national policy usually occurs....

Along partisan divides

When there is no incumbent running in an election it is called an ______ election and usually sparks heavier spending by two political parties.

An open-seat election

To plan a strategy and resolve policy issues , party members in congress typically meet behind closed doors in a session called a party _______ .

Caucus

To end a filibuster, 60 senators must agree to invoke _____ and end the debate

Cloture

If the president chooses to veto a bill....

Congress can vote it back with a 2/3 vote in each chamber

Partisan voting occurs more often when members are voting on _____ issues that involve intense partisan differences?

Domestic Policy

Most congressional bills survive committee scrutiny and are voted upon by the house and senate? T or F

False

When members of the Senate wish to halt or delay the passage of a bill , a _____ may take place.

Filibuster

The Privilege of incumbents to send mail to their constituencies at the government's expense is known as the _____ privilege.

Franking Privilege

Donors are more willing o make donations to...

Incumbents

When a bill falls into the area in which a committee is authorized to act , that committee is said to have...

Jurisdiction

What function is the main responsibility of Congress, which all of other functions of Congress are related to...

Lawmaking Function

What is the most powerful leadership position in the Senate?

Majority Leader

The party that controls the rules and has the most powerful leadership position in the house is the ____ party.

Majority Party

The framers of the Constitution granted congress the power to ______, the greatest of all powers of government.

Make laws

Describe the powers of congress relative to the other branches of government...

No executive agency or lower court can exist without congressional authorization

Members of Congress may experience conflict between their lawmaking experience and their responsibility to represent their constituency because?

Not all policies that are good for the nation as a whole coincide with the needs of their constituency

An _____ rule allows members to propose amendments that are relevant to any section of the bill.

Open Rule

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

Oversight Function

Rights of the President Pro Tempore ...

Preside over the Senate in absence of the Vice President

When congressional district boundaries are redrawn within a state , it is known as...

Redistricting

The trend towards 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

Choosing committee chairs based on which member has the longest continuous tenure on a standing committee is an example of the ________.

Seniority System

On Major Bills , It is increasingly typical for the majority parties leaders.

Shape the bills broad content Direct the floor debate after the bill leaves the committee

A permanent committee in congress is known as _____ committee.

Standing Committee

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

The bill goes back to both chambers for a vote

What is true about congressional committees?

They make it possible for congress to consider a high volume of bills They each specialize in a certain area of legislation

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

Vice President

Why are incumbents at risk when elections are being waged in the context of disruptive issues...

Voters are most likely to believe those in power should be removed from office

When does a bill become a law?

When the president signs it When congress over rides a presidential veto

Why is the rules committee so important ?

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

The U.S. congress is a _____ legislature with two chambers, the House and the Senate.

bicameral

Members of congress usually serve on congressional committees that concentrate on policy areas that affect members ______ .

constituency

Reapportionment takes place every ___ years following a census.

every 10 years

The redrawing of congressional boundaries to benefit a political party is called ...

gerrymandering

When the committee tries to hold a meeting for the bill...

hearing

What is true about bills that have full support from committee members?

typically passed by an overwhelming majority

What are functions of Congress?

lawmaking, representation, oversight

The practice in which members of Congress agree to vote for a bill in exchange for their colleagues vote on another bill is called_____.

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