POSI 2310 Congress: Balancing National Goals and Local Interests

At present there are ______ standing committees in the House of Representatives. Multiple choice question. 8 16 20 10

20

In order to become a member of the Senate, a person must be at least _____ years of age and have been a citizen for at least _____ years.

30, 9

If the president chooses to veto a bill, ______. Multiple choice question. Congress can override the veto by a two-thirds vote in each chamber there is nothing Congress can do to bring the bill back to the table Congress can override the veto by a simple majority vote in each chamber Congress has to wait until the next session before it can take up the bill again

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

True or false: Most congressional bills survive committee scrutiny and are voted upon by the House and Senate. True False

False

What shift brought the president to a more central role in the legislative process? Multiple choice question. The firm establishment of a two-party system necessitated presidential involvement in the process. The Civil War demanded that Lincoln play a large role in the legislative process, and it has remained so ever since. Andrew Jackson's term as president forever cemented the presidency at the heart of the legislative process. National and international forces combined to place greater policy demands on the federal government.

National and international forces combined to place greater policy demands on the federal government.

Which of the following are duties of the Speaker of the House? Multiple select question. Ending filibusters in the House Recognizing members who will be allowed to speak on the floor Choosing leadership of the House Rules Committee Making minority party committee assignments

Recognizing members who will be allowed to speak on the floor Choosing leadership of the House Rules Committee

Which of the following is true of bills that emerge from committee with the full support of the committee members? Multiple choice question. They are typically passed by an overwhelming majority. They are usually treated with distrust by those not on the committee. Members typically want to give the bill a close look before voting. They are required to undergo a full debate on the floor.

They are typically passed by an overwhelming majority.

What holds party lawmakers together? Multiple choice question. They have far more in common with each other than they do with lawmakers of the other party. They're loyal to the party leadership. They're loyal to the party ideology. They're loyal to the ideals of democracy.

They have far more in common with each other than they do with lawmakers of the other party.

Polls indicate that voters' opinions of Donald Trump's performance had what effect in the 2018 midterms? Multiple choice question. Those who supported Trump helped Republicans retake control of the House. Those who were discontented with Trump helped Democrats retake control of the House. Trump was not on the ballot in the 2018 midterms; voters' opinions of him were not a factor.

Those who were discontented with Trump helped Democrats retake control of the House.

Which of the following are true concerning women and minorities who run for congressional office? (Choose every correct answer.) Multiple select question. Women and minorities are more likely to run for congressional office than for local or state legislative positions. Women and minorities are less likely to run for Congress than white males. Women and minorities account for approximately half of the membership of Congress. There are more women than there are minorities in Congress.

Women and minorities are less likely to run for Congress than white males. There are more women than there are minorities in Congress.

The U.S. Congress is a(n) _________ legislature with two chambers, the House and the Senate.

bicameral

Which of the following oversight tools help Congress to ensure that the executive branch is administering the laws properly? (Choose every correct answer.) Multiple select question. budgetary appropriations redistricting and reapportionment congressional hearings apportionment

budgetary appropriations congressional hearings

Which of the following is not a direct power of the committee chair? Multiple choice question. schedules committee meetings determines which bills are considered in which order directs the committee's majority staff changes party affiliation at will

changes party affiliation at will

Members of Congress are most indebted to which of the following? Multiple select question. hardcore partisan voters in their state or district party ideology the wealthy donors who fund their campaigns party leadership

hardcore partisan voters in their state or district the wealthy donors who fund their campaigns

When a committee or subcommittee holds a(n) ________ , they are trying to gather information about a proposed bill.

hearing

Every bill must be approved by both the House and the Senate in _________ form before it can be sent to the president.

identical, same, like, or exact

When a bill falls into the area in which a committee is authorized to act, that committee is said to have ______. Multiple choice question. selection caucus rights legislative rights jurisdiction

jurisdiction

The framers of the Constitution granted Congress the power to ______, the greatest of all powers of government. Multiple choice question. elect the president oversee the government represent states make laws

make laws

In Insecure Majorities, Frances Lee noted that, in the currently closely matched parties, members of Congress are engaged in "______" rather than "governing." Multiple choice question. debating messaging rhetoric dog fighting

messaging

Elections held two years after presidential elections are called ______ elections. Multiple choice question. midterm November local primary

midterm

If the Rules Committee places a "closed rule" on a piece of legislation, ______ amendments are permitted. Multiple choice question. any no many some

no

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

The partisan divide in Congress has grown in recent years, to the point where each party has a high level of ______, which is when party members band together on legislation and oppose the other party. Multiple choice question. pork-barrel politics coalition building party unity back-tracking

party unity

The increase in party polarization in Congress has led to increased ______. Multiple choice question. emphasis on oversight emphasis on local issues cooperation between the parties policy deadlock

policy deadlock

The sole purpose of a conference committee is to ______. Multiple choice question. propose new legislation to both the House and Senate end unlimited debate on the Senate floor reconcile differences in the House and Senate versions of a bill provide legislators with the opportunity to filibuster

reconcile differences in the House and Senate versions of a bill

Which of the following are the functions of Congress? (Choose every correct answer.) Multiple select question. representation watchdogging oversight lawmaking

representation oversight lawmaking

Which of the following are activities that typically take place in a party caucus? Multiple select question. filibustering resolving policy differences developing issues roll-call voting

resolving policy differences developing issues

The trend toward 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

Today, Congress and the president ______. Multiple choice question. share legislative power play the same role in the legislative effort always take opposing sides on legislation leave legislation to the people

share legislative power

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

standing

Who helps the Speaker set the party's legislative agenda in the House? Multiple choice question. the majority leader the minority whip the minority leader the president pro tempore

the majority leader

Members of the House of Representatives typically serve on ______ committees, while members of the Senate serve on ______. Multiple choice question. three, two four, two two, four one, four

two, four

In terms of their careers, most members of Congress ______. Multiple choice question. serve in Congress with an eye toward obtaining a governorship or a cabinet position use Congress as a stepping stone to a high-paying position in the private sector plan to serve in Congress for only a limited amount of time in order to allow others a chance to serve want to stay in Congress and put themselves in position for reelection

want to stay in Congress and put themselves in position for reelection

True or false: House committees have the power to make suggestions for changing a bill in a process known as mark up. True False

True

Which two of the following are aspects of the dual nature of Congress? Multiple select question. It has the responsibility to make laws for the country as a whole. Its members have a duty to serve people in their states or individual districts. Most of its members are incumbents who rarely face a serious challenger in an election. It competes with the president for the attention of the media.

It has the responsibility to make laws for the country as a whole. Its members have a duty to serve people in their states or individual districts.

Which of the following is a major reason why incumbents are reelected? Multiple choice question. Incumbents generally do a better job enacting laws that are beneficial for the nation as a whole. Many congressional districts and some states are lopsidedly Democratic or Republican. Incumbents typically receive presidential endorsements, which voters respect. Once elected, most incumbents make sure that their districts go through reapportionment to ensure homogeneity.

Many congressional districts and some states are lopsidedly Democratic or Republican.

Which of the following correctly describes how committees and subcommittees serve to decentralize power in Congress? Multiple choice question. They give the minority party's members the same power as the majority party's members. They allow more members to hold leadership positions. They dilute the power of the parties and increase bipartisan negotiations. They serve party leadership goals at the expense of individual members' power needs.

They allow more members to hold leadership positions.

True or false: After clearing the committee stage, floor debate on a bill is usually led by the majority party's leadership in the House. True False

True

Why is the Rules Committee considered one of the most important committees in the House? Multiple choice question. because it has the power to change all of the House rules, even those previously enacted into law because it decides what the decision will be on a particular bill because it decides the length of debate that will occur on a bill and whether amendments will be allowed because it decides whether a bill will be sent to the Senate

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

Which of the following strongly and positively affects a congressional candidate's ability win an election? Multiple choice question. being new to the political scene having business experience being an incumbent being a lawyer

being an incumbent

If the majority of the members of the House of Representatives are Republican, then every committee and subcommittee in the House will ______. Multiple choice question. be divided between Republican and Democratic members have a minority of Republican members have a majority of Democratic members have a majority of Republican members

have a majority of Republican members

In the large majority of cases, the winner of a congressional campaign is the ______. Multiple choice question. challenger most knowledgeable candidate youngest candidate incumbent

incumbent

An example of Congress's ______ occurs when Congress passes legislation that creates incentives for the development of alternative energy sources. Multiple choice question. checks and balances lawmaking function executive function oversight function

lawmaking function

What has been one result of the decreasing number of moderates in Congress? Multiple choice question. more hard-line legislation fewer roll-call votes legislative creativity legislative deadlock

legislative deadlock

If a "turf war" erupts as different committees vie for jurisdiction over a bill, who or what decides the committee assignment? Multiple choice question. It is assigned to the most senior of the committee chairs in question. party leaders It is assigned to the most senior of the ranking members of the committees in question. the Speaker of the House

party leaders

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. Multiple choice question. toeing-the-line bipartisan party unity roll-call

party unity

A limit of ______ exists for how long a Republican member can chair a particular committee. Multiple choice question. two years six years four years two terms

six years

Which of the following methods is most often used to select committee chairs? Multiple choice question. the minority system the committee system the lottery system the seniority system

the seniority system

Whether or not Congress takes the lead in the making of laws usually depends on ______. Multiple choice question. if the Speaker of the House feels strong or weak in his or her position the type of policy at issue how involved the president is in the legislative process

the type of policy at issue