Unit 2 AP gov
In which year did Congress pass all stand-alone appropriations (spending) bills on time?
1977
Which of the following scenarios is an example of the trustee model of representation?
A member of Congress votes to close a popular tax loophole based on the belief that the money would be better spent paying down the national debt.
The Supreme Court's decision in Shaw v. Reno (1993) is most applicable to which of the following scenarios?
A state legislature approves a redistricting plan that draws district lines on basis of race.
The details of legislation are usually worked out in which of the following settings?
A subcommittee
Which of the following statements accurately summarizes the reasoning for the decision in Baker v. Carr (1962) ?
Because rural districts had fewer people, representation was unevenly distributed; thus, Baker was denied equal protection under the law.
Which of the following accurately describes the composition of congressional committees?
Committees are organized by the majority party to maintain control of the policy-making process.
Which of the following is an example of Congress using its implied powers?
Congress passing occupational safety regulations for the private sector
Which of the following is the most likely consequence of divided government?
Delays in confirmation of federal court nominees
Federal spending for which of the following is determined by laws that lie outside the regular budgetary process?
Entitlement programs such as Social Security
Which of the following powers is shared by the House of Representatives and the Senate?
Establishing federal courts
Which of the following is the most accurate comparison of the processes that generally facilitate gridlock and those that facilitate governmental action?
Facilities gridlock - checks and balances, facilities actions - executive orders
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of procedures in the House of Representatives and procedures in the Senate?
HOR - Rules Committee how long debate will be on most bills Senate - the minority can use the filibuster to defeat a bill
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the rules for debate used by the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate?
HOR - debate is limited Senate - members can filibuster
Which of the following is an accurate description of the powers of the House of Representatives and the Senate?
HOR - initiates all revenue bills Senate - confirms presidential appointments
In 2013 a parliamentary procedure was implemented in the Senate that allowed a simple majority vote to end debate on Cabinet member confirmations. Which of the following best explains how the procedural change relates to the information in the graphic?
If the procedural change had not occurred, Republican senators would not have been able to immediately invoke cloture of a filibuster.
Which of the following statements about the Senate is true?
Individual senators can exercise substantial influence over the legislative process.
Which of the following is generally true of the gerrymandering of congressional districts?
It creates districts that favor one political party over another.
A person claiming that the House can pass legislation with a simple majority, but the Senate is unlikely to pass legislation unless a bill has the support of a 60-vote supermajority is most likely to cite which of the following institutional differences as the cause of this trend?
The House has strict limits on debate, while the Senate allows unlimited debate.
If a bill reaches the floor for debate and a member of the minority party opposes the bill, which of the following provides greater leverage to a senator than to a member of the House to block passage of the bill?
The Senate allows for unlimited floor debate that can hold up a vote, while the House has strict limits on debate.
Which of the following is true of the seniority system of Congress in relation to committee leadership and committee staffing?
The chairs of congressional committees tend to be senior members of the body's majority party.
Which of the following situations best illustrates the meaning of divided government in the United States political system?
The majority of senators and the majority of representatives are from one party, but the president is from another.
Members of Congress who have adopted the delegate role of representation normally cast their votes based on which of the following?
The preferences of the majority of their constituents
Based on your knowledge and the diagram, which of the following is true regarding the leadership structure of Congress?
The role of the minority leader in both the House of Representatives and the Senate is to coordinate a strategy for the minority party.
Elections for the House of Representative provide
a system in which only those candidates who receive a majority of the votes cast win on the first ballot
The United States Constitution says that Congress has the power to coin money.This is an example of
an enumerated power
Which of the following Supreme Court cases involved the principle of "one person, one vote"?
baker v carr
When a bill passes the House and the Senate in different versions, the bill is resolved by which of the following types of committee?
conference
A member of Congress votes in favor of a bill as a result of receiving many letters of support for the bill from constituents. Which form of democratic representation best describes this voting decision?
delegate
The congressional system of standing committees is significant because it
fosters the development of expertise by members
To which of the following congressional committees would a proposal to reform the national income-tax system initially be sent?
house Ways and Means Committee
Federal benefits that must be funded by Congress and must be paid to all citizens who meet eligibility criteria are called
individual entitlements
The practice in Congress whereby Representative A promises to vote for Representative B's legislation, provided that Representative B will support Representative A's legislation, is referred to as
logrolling
Congressional legislative powers include all of the following EXCEPT
pardoning felons
The term "pork barrel" refers to legislation specifically designed to
provide funding for local projects that are intended to benefit constituents
Enumerated powers of the federal government include all of the following EXCEPT the power to
regulate intrastate commerce
The Constitution states that all revenue bills must originate in
the United States House of Representatives
The House Appropriations Committee disagrees with a proposal in the president's annual budget request to increase the number of people eligible for food stamps, consequently leading to the House of Representatives passing a budget that does not increase funding for the program. This ability to check presidential actions is best described as
the power of the purse
Of the following, which is the most powerful figure in Congress?
the speaker of the house
The voting patterns of members of Congress correlate most strongly with
their political party affiliation
A major difference between the House of Representatives and the Senate is that
there is unlimited debate in the Senate but not in the House
