POLS 150 FINAL
b
In the last 50 years, which president issued the most vetoes a. George Bush b. Reagan c. Kennedy d. Obama
c
From 2000 to 2010, the state of TX a. gained only one seat b. stayed the same c. gained the most seats d. lost seats
a
Generally, the process of reviewing legislation begins in the a. subcommittee of both chambers where about 5-10 people work on the bill b. Committee-of-the-Whole c. Major committees w/ 20-50 members d. House first, then in the Senate
b
Gerrymandering a. is the process of redistributing that happens every 10 years b. is the process of creating districts that heavily favor one party over th eother c. is carried out exclusively by the Republican party d. was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court
a
A state has a majority of citizens registered w/ a party and a. it's possible through gerrymandering to create more congressional seats for the opposite party b. it's not possible to create more seats for the opposite party, but it can be brought into closer ranger c. it's only possible to create an even balance of seats but not a majority for the opposite party d. none of these
c
Gerrymandering is so effective, when a state legislature is controlled by a political party, the Congressional candidates will win a. 100% of the seats in that state b. more than 90% of the seats in that state c. 70% of the seats in that state d. 50% of the seats in that state
a
A filibuster in Congress has never lasted more than 12 hrs a. false b. true
d
A rep acting as a delegate a. votes his or her constituents' positions only when they believe the constituents understand the issue b. hardly considers the views of his or her constituents, but assumes that they don't understand the complexity of the issues c. supports issues based on his or her own positions on behalf of his constituents d. reflects in his or voters the positions of his constituents
c
A rep acting as a trustee a. votes his or her constituents' positions only when they believe the constituents understand the issue b. hardly considers the views of his constituents, but assumes that they don't understand the complexity of the issues c. supports issues based on his own positions on behalf of his constituents d. reflects the positions of the constituents
c
According to Dolan, committees a. are a recent invitation b. are a bane to the democratic process c. have been called the 'workhorses' of Congress d. often make the political process seem more inflammatory
c
According to Dolan, members of Congress are charged w/ 2 main jobs. What are they? a. pork-barreling and overriding vetoes b. supporting a strong economy and national defense c . representation and lawmaking d. checking the power of the president and lawmaking
c
According to Dolan, one of the areas where the president and the Congress have struggled the most is a. the size of the judiciary b. the relationship of the govt w/ the states c. War powers, or the use of the military d. the financing of some of the offices in the executive branch
d
According to Dolan, the legislative process as set up in the Constitution is a. advantageous bc it requires a true deliberative process b. advantageous bc it requires a majority at several levels c. disadvantageous bc it's easily disrupted by determined minorities leading to gridlock d. all of these
a
According to Dolan, three factors that influence the election of a candidate are a. money, incumbency, and political party b. money, money and money c. incumbency, political party, and endorsements d. the political party of the presidents, incumbency and money
b
According to Dolan, today it's relatively easy to be a member of the House but more difficulty to be a senator a. true b. false
b
According to Dolan, what's the downside of the current legislative process a. it may not be perfect, but it does better than other democracies around the world b. it's too slow and unwieldy, making it hard for Congress to act swiftly to fix a problem c. too much for Congress d. too much pork-barreling
b
According to Dolan, what's the order of the 3 broad compromises usually needed to enact legislation a. Bill passes in the House; bill passes in the Senate; signed into law by the president b. House and Senate individually pass bills; both chambers agree to a final version of the bill; signed into law by the president c. president introduces bill into Congress; Congress passes bill; president signs into law d. Congress passes bill; president vetoes bill; Congress overrides veto
c
According to author Dolan, when a constituent is served well by a member of Congress, the constituent a. all of these b. understands that the member is probably doing something corrupt c. believes that they're being treated in a special way and is more likely to vote for the member d. believes that the member owes it to them
a
According to the author Dolan, why did the Framers design such a difficult process of lawmaking a. so that changes couldn't be made too easily or abruptly b. to make sure the Constitution couldn't changed easily c. law making wasn't intended to be difficulty; political parties made it difficult d. to allow the president greater informal power over law making
b
An area of the country that gained seats in the 2010 Census is a. California b. the Southeast c. California d. the Midwest
a
An ex. of Congressional case work is a. all of these b. obtaining an exception to a rule about water rights regulation by the EPA c. assistance w/ getting veterans' benefits d. getting a quick passport for an adopted baby from a foreign country
c
Another name for apportionment at the start of each decade is a. Reorganization b. Divisive consideration c. redistricting d. selective consideration
a
As the population of the US grew, districts had to be reapportioned and a. all of these b. by 1900 a House member had to represent six times the number of people as the first 65 members of the House c. the relationship between the people and their representatives became more distant d. each representative gained a considerable number of constituents
c
Because Congressional elections are not as visible as presidential elections, voters tend to a. vote for candidate personalities b. choose the candidate who spends the most money c. vote for the candidate of their own political party d. select the candidate of the president's party
a
Capping the House has led to a situation where each representative has so many members that it's difficult for him or her to understand their needs and represent them well a. true b. false
a
Changes in the way of House of Reps is structured have led to changes in how the people are represented a. true b. false
a
Congress can decide w/ regard to the judiciary a. how many supreme court justices there are b. how the supreme court organizes its business c. whether a law made by Congress is heard in the Supreme Court or a lower court d. when the court hears cases
b
Even if a Rep disagrees w/ a majority of his or her constituents, the rep is required to vote for what their constituents want a. true b. false
d
How can the Census affect representation a. states gain reps b. states lose reps c. states may neither lose nor gain reps d. all of these
c
How important are political parties to the organizing of Congress a. difficult to determine; committees obscure so much of the politicking b. difficult to determine; members often vote outside their party c. political parties are the major organizing principle of Congress d. not very important, the parties are so centrist, they often overlap on ideology scales
c
How often do we hold Congressional elections a. every 4 years b. every 6 years c. every 2 years d. whenever the president calls for an election
b
If the Senate passes one version of a bill and the House another, the bill a. has failed b. must go to a joint conference to work out the differences c. must go to the president so he can work out the differences d. can only be taken up in the next legislative session
d
In the most recent apportionment of the House in 2010 a. there was no shift in the population in the Northeast b. there was a significant loss of seats in the South c. there was a major increase in seats in California d. none of these
b
In what way is the Senate different from the House a. the Senate focuses on efficiency, the House on the participation of all members b. For a bill to be approved there must be 'unanimous consent' in the Senate but not in the House c. the Senate was designed to focus on the day to day business of politics d. the majority party is stronger in the Senate
b
In our bicameral system a. all of these b. the House is the people's chamber, based on population, while the Senate represents each state, w/ two elected members from each one c. the Senate is based on population d. the House and Senate are overseen by the President of the Senate
b
Members of Congress are not particularly good at communicating to their constituents, according to Dolan a. true b. false
d
Members of the Senate represent a. about 30,000 constituents b. about 700,000 constituents c. about 350,000 constituents d. hundreds of thousands to millions of constituents
b
Members of the house represent, on avg, a. about 30,000 constituents b. about 700,000 constituents c. about 350,000 constituents d. millions of constituents
d
Members on the Agricultural Committee of both the House and Senate tend to come from a. states like Michigan b. states like New Mexico and Arizona c. states like NY and Delaware d. states like Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri
d
Of those incumbents who run for reelection a. only 20% win b. about 50% win c. have no advantage or disadvantage against challengers d. at least 80% win
b
On avg House Republicans are more conservative than House Democrats are liberal a. false b. true
a
Our representative system has moved away from one built on close connections between the people and their reps a. true b. false
c
Overall, elections are a. currently less expensive than they were between 2004-08 b. unchanged since 1998 c. becoming more expensive d. becoming cheaper
d
Perfect representation in the redistributing of a state would be a. making sure that the districts are drawn in such a way that the party registrations are equal throughout the state b. making sure that the governor in each state gets to review the redistricting before it's passed c. making sure the districts correspond w/ the majority in the state legislature d. making sure the party registration in each district are proportional to the total state
a
Public opinion in 2015 shows that a. all of these b. citizens have the least confidence in the legislative branch c. less than half of Americans have a 'great deal' or 'fair amount' of trust in the executive branch d. citizens have the most confidence in the court system
a
Representation in the House a. depends on changes in state population every 10 yrs b. is permanently established in the 50 states c. depends on state income d. is determined by the president
c
Representation in the Senate a. is determined by the president b. depends on state income c. is permanently established in the 50 states d. depends on changes in state population every 10 yrs
c
What does credit claiming mean a. it's when a member of Congress raises funds for a political action committee (PAC) b. it means that the member of Congress assists a fellow member in getting reelected c. it means a member of Congress is constantly telling his or her constituents what he or she has done for them lately d. it means a candidate takes credit for anything a president of his own party has done
d
Since the Census is only taken every 10 yrs a. all of these b. Reps get to stay in office for 10 years c. the apportionment of senators can only happen in the yr after the Census d. the apportionment of reps can only happen in the year after the Census
d
Since the capping of the House, the limited number of seats has meant a. that there's little turnover in the House b. that members of Congress have had to engage in gerrymandering of apportionment c. it requires that members spend more time in DC d. it's very expensive to get elected
a
What happened in the early 2000s that caused a sharp increase of money into political campaigns a. changes in campaign finance laws b. a greater interest in politics by the general public c. an improving economy d. an increase in international conflicts
a
Why do members of Congress consider the Appropriations, Ways and Means, and Budget Committees most important a. they all deal w/ money b. they're the oldest committees c. they all deal w/ commerce d. they have the least number of members
d
What is 'pork barrel spending' a. money in political action committees to reelect incumbent members of Congress b. federal $ that's spent in Congressional districts where the domestic meat packing industry is prominent c. $ that members of Congress in the Midwest attract to support the pork industry d. Fed $ that's spent only in the district of a member of Congress in order to keep his or her constituents happy
b
The state legislative elections in 2010 helped a. create a divided legislature b. the Republican Party maintain their majority in Congress c. the Democratic Party capture Congress d. Obama's presidential win in 2012
c
The two forces that have shaped the size of the House are a. the combined forces of executive power and Supreme Court intervention b. the debate between partisanship and ideology c. the addition of new states to the Union and the increase in population d. limited immigration and territorial restriction
d
To become law, a bill has to a. pass the House only b. pass only the House if it's a bill about taxation c. pass only the Senate if it has to do w/ foreign aid d. pass both the House and the Senate
c
What is a tactic a senator may use to kill a bill a. veto b. add an amendment c. Filibuster d. cane an opposing senator
c
To override a veto, Congress a. needs unanimous consent from both chambers b. need a 2/3 majority of a single chamber c. needs a 2/3 majority of both chambers d. can't override a veto
a
The Constitution designed the three branches so that there would be little to no tensions among them and law making would be streamlined a. false b. true
b
The Framers of the Constitution created the House of Reps a. to unilaterally place restrictions on citizens b. to develop a closer bond between the people and govt that would serve as 'the people's' branch of govt c. to maintain distance between the electorate and the govt d. to keep the American elite separated from the common everyday American
b
The Freedom Caucus is a group of a. Republicans trying to push their party to the center and not following their more conservative leaders b. Republicans trying to push their party to the right and not following their leadership c. Democrats trying to push their party to the left and not following their leadership d. Independent members of Congress
b
The House is a place where minority viewpoints have a greater chance of expression a. true b. false
b
The House of Reps has remained true to Madison's intentions. Reps are always a close reflection of the social classes they represent within their constituency a. true b. false
d
The Majority Leader a. heads organization of all Democratic or Republican Party members in the House b. works w/ caucuses and as liaison to the Appropriations Committee c. assists party leadership in managing their party's legislative program d. represents the majority party on the House floor
c
The Majority/Minority Whips a. head organization of all their party members in the House b. work w/ caucuses and as liaisons to the Appropriations Committee c. Assist party leadership in managing their party's legislative program and keeping the count of the votes d. represent the Majority party on the House floor
c
The Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929 a. ended the ban on liquor b. organized the Senate c. set a cap of 435 seats on the House of Representatives d. established an income tax in the US
b
The Speaker of the House is elected by the entire House membership a. false b. true
a
The US supreme court has ruled that gerrymandering is unconstitutional a. false b. true
c
The War Powers Resolution of 1973 a. prevented presidents from using the military w/o involving Congress b. allowed presidents a free hand over the military c. revealed the contested nature of war powers between the executive and legislative branches d. was signed into law by Nixon
d
The Wyoming Rule attempts to remedy a. the problem of the Constitution prohibiting states from sharing a representative b. the problem of seven small population states having just one representative c. inequality between the House and Senate in representation d. unequal representation of people in the House of Representatives
a
The basis for Congressional representation is a. population b. race c. occupation d. income
c
The historic patterns of Independents in Congressional elections is to cast their votes a. more often for the Democrat than the Republican b. more often for the more conservative of the 2 candidates- no matter the party c. about equally between the 2 major parties d. equally among the Independent, Democratic, and Republican parties
a
The only thing that can change the number of reps a state has is population growth, which alters the number of constituents per rep a. true b. false
b
The part of the country that has lost seats in the House over the last 40 yrs is the a. West b. Industrial Belt c. Sunny Southeast d. Sunny Southwest
a
What advantage does an incumbent possess a. all of these b. free mailing to constituents c. easier fundraising d. name recognition
c
What does Congress have to do if the Senate passes a bill w/ cuts of 2% on student loans, and the Houses passes a bill w/ 5% cuts a. they have to go to the White House and work out a resolution to the impasse b. the US Supreme Court decided what's constitutional c. they must form a conference committee w/ members from both chambers and work out a compromise bill d. the leadership of the House makes a deal w/ the leadership of the Senate and they present the compromise to both chambers for a vote; then both bills can pass
c
What does a 'delegate' form of representation mean a. the representative delegates to groups of citizens in his or her district a responsibility to communicate the constituents' wants b. the representative votes as his believes is best and, therefore, is a delegate for the people c. the representative tries to vote in the way his or her constituents want d. the representative sends delegates into his or her district to explain what's going on in Congress
a
What does author Dolan mean by an 'invitation to struggle' a. she means that the Framers intended the branches of govt to be at odds w/ each other b. she means that the modern president and Congress are more interested in fighting than solving problems c. she means that the Congress accepts the president's war powers role in regards to hostile actions from foreign adversaries d. she means that the judicial hearing is a kind of invitation to struggle in the court
a
What was one of the things Congress did to try to control the president's use of his war powers a. they passed the War Powers Resolution Act b. they passed the War Engagement Act c. they passed the Temporary Hostilities Act d. they passed the Restricted War Act
c
What's Congressional 'case work' a. the work that members of Congress do to follow the US Supreme Court b. the time that members of Congress spend in their constituencies to get themselves elected c. the services that members of Congress provide for groups and individuals in their districts d. the staffs that members of Congress have to get themselves reelected
b
What's a bill a. a petition by a citizen to his or her member of Congress b. a piece of legislation moving through Congress c. a legislative proposal that only originates out of the White House d. a failed piece of legislation
a
What's most important in determining how people will vote in congressional elections a. party identification b. incumbent status c. the party of the president d. the identification of a voter's family
a
What's one of the consequences of the committee system in Congress a. members tend to over-rely on the opinion of members in the committee reviewing the legislation b. members sit on too many committees and don't have expertise c. barely anything passes on the House floor bc too many members don't know enough to vote d. the minority party can dictate what the chamber at large can vote on by holding legislation up in committee
c
What's the Rules Committee in the House a. all of these b. this committee is controlled by the Speaker and Minority Leader, and it decides how the two majority parties will vote on a bill c. this committee is run by the Speaker and decides whether a bill handled in committees w/ come to the floor d. it's the committee that decides what rules are for the conferences between the House and Senate
c
What's true about the ideological leanings of members of the House, based on their voting on issues a. none of these b. the Democrats are the least liberal c. the Freedom Caucus has extreme right ideological leanings d. the Freedom Caucus has leftist leanings
a
When the Framers created the House, they did so w/ the intention that a. each representative would have a relatively small constituency and would understand local needs b. it would always have a fixed number of seats c. representatives would be apportioned following the national census every 20 yrs d. Reps should be career politicians
b
Which of the following is a Congressional check on the judicial branch a. Congress may determine the dress code of the Supreme Court b. Congress sets the size and resources of the Supreme Court through legislation c. creation of 'death panels' to determine if a justice is of sound enough mind to serve d. all of these
b
Which of the following is a congressional check on the executive branch a. the sole and uncontested power to declare war b. power to enact taxes and allocate funds c. power to negotiate treaties d. all of these
a
Which of the following is a responsibility of the House Budget committee a. oversight of the fed budget process b. overseeing taxation c. controlling foreign aid d. all of these
a
Which of the following is a responsibility of the House Ways and Means Committee a. all of these b. shaping legislation through providing or limiting funds c. overseeing all taxation and tariffs d. providing legislative oversight of the federal budget process
b
Which of the following is a responsibility of the Ways and Means Committee a. oversight of the fed budget process b. overseeing all taxation and tariffs c. controlling foreign aid d. all of these
d
Which of the following is an example of a Congressional check on the judicial branch a. Senate confirmation is necessary to appoint judges b. the House may impeach and the Senate may remove judges c. Congress may rewrite laws found unconstitutional so that they don't conflict w/ a Supreme Court ruling d. all of these
a
Which of the following is true about apportionment between 1980-2000 a. all of these b. Northeastern states tended to lose seats c. Southern states tended to gain seats d. Western states tended to gain seats
a
Which of the following is true about redistributing a. all of these b. in 2012, despite the fact that Obama won reelection, Republicans maintained their majority status in the House through the redistributing that occurred after the 2010 census c. in 2010, Republicans gained control of the restricting process through successful stat legislative elections d. when a particular party is successful in state legislative elections, it often translates into success for that party's Congressional candidates
d
Which of the following statements is true about the costs of elections in the US a. none of these b. more than 6 billion c. a little over 3 billion was spent in 2000 d. less than 2 billion was spent in 1998
a
Which one of the following makes it difficult to be a Rep a. all of these b. Constituents aren't informed enough about an issues to have a position c. Constituents have a range of positions on an issue, and support for different sides of an issue are equally divided d. a majority of constituents aren't interested in an issue
d
Who controls the committee assignments a. Congressional members bc they only sit on the committees they want b. both parties, they take turns picking members for seats c. the minority party d. the majority party
c
Who is in charge of redistributing in most states a. the governor b. the Congressional caucus in that state c. the state legislature d. none of these
a
Why is it particularly important that a political party have control of a state legislature at the beginning of each decade - 2000, 2010, 2020, etc.? a. In most states, the legislature will be able to redraw the Congressional district lines in the favor of their party b. In most states, the legislature will be able to control the electors in the Electoral College c. in most states, the legislature will be able to determine who is a senator in that state d. In most states, the legislature will be able to determine which party get to select House members
d
the 114th Congress is the most diverse in history a. all of these b. but 40% are female compared to 51% of the American population c. yet about half have college degrees compared to 35% of the American population d. yet 92% are Christian compared to less than 75% of the American population