American Gov Chapter 9
Following the 2006 elections, ________ became speaker of the U.S. House.
Nancy Pelosi
The term whip in discussions of Congress refers to
a party member in the House or Senate responsible for coordinating the party's legislative strategy, building support for key issues, and counting votes.
The process of allocating congressional seats among the 50 states is called
apportionment.
The term pork barrel refers to
appropriations made by legislative bodies for local projects that are often not needed but that are created so that local representatives can win reelection in their home districts.
Congress is a ________ legislature with ________ members.
bicameral; 535
What are the most common private bills proposed in Congress?
bills for permanent visas or citizenship for foreign nationals
After the 2014 elections, the Republican Party controlled
both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The so-called nuclear option refers to a
change to the filibuster rules enacted in 2013 that prevents the filibustering of nominees for positions in the executive branch and the federal courts.
The House Rules committee is important because it
decides the order in which bills come up for a vote on the House floor and determines the specific rules that govern the length of debate and opportunity for amendments.
Who decides which committee assignments members of the House of Representatives receive?
each party's own steering and policy committee
What are the four joint committees in Congress?
economic, taxation, library, and printing
Oversight can best be described as the
efforts of Congress to supervise the manner in which its laws are implemented by the executive branch.
The jurisdiction of standing committees
is defined by the subject matter of legislation, which often parallels the major cabinet departments or agencies.
What is the most common occupation among members of Congress before coming to Congress?
lawyer
Senators' longer terms of office and larger, more heterogeneous constituencies makes them more
likely to consider new ideas and better able to act as the agents for groups and interests organized on a statewide or national basis.
What is it called when two members of Congress share no common interests but agree to support each other's bill?
logrolling
Gerrymandering refers to the
manipulation of electoral districts to serve the interests of a particular group.
The frequency with which they must seek reelection makes members of the U.S. House of Representatives
more responsive to the needs of local interest groups in the districts they represent.
Compared to the rest of American history, recent congresses have been ________ polarized and ________ productive in terms of passing laws.
more; less
Congressional staff members' responsibilities include
negotiating with lobbyists, drafting legislative proposals, & handling constituent requests.
Congressional organization is influenced by which of the following?
parliamentary rules of the House and Senate, political parties, the committee system
A ________ veto occurs when Congress adjourns during a 10-day period after presenting the president with a bill and he or she takes no action.
A number of states have responded to concerns about partisan gerrymandering by
taking redistricting power away from their states' legislatures and giving it to independent citizen commissions.
Over what does the House Ways and Means Committee have jurisdiction?
taxes, trade, and entitlement programs
Conference committees are
temporary, involve members from both houses of Congress, and are charged with reaching a compromise on legislation once it has been passed by both the House and the Senate.
The "sophomore surge" refers to the
tendency for candidates to win a higher percentage of the vote when seeking future terms in office.
Race became a major factor in drawing congressional district lines as a result of
the 1982 amendments to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The framers gave the power to introduce "money bills" to the House of Representatives but not the Senate because they believed that
the chamber closest to the people should exercise greater authority over taxing and spending.
What formal structure of Congress exemplifies the need to divide the labor of legislation?
the establishment of standing committees
One reason why redistricting is controversial is that
those charged with drawing districts use sophisticated computer technologies to come up with the most favorable district boundaries.
How can congressional party leaders secure the unity and cooperation of their members?
through committee assignments, by providing access to the floor, through the whip system
The role that the U.S. Senate plays in impeachments can best be compared with that of a
trial jury.
The filibuster
was rarely used throughout most of American history but has become a frequently used tactic in the U.S. Senate during the last 20 years.
The so-called bridge to nowhere was important because it became a symbol of
wasteful congressional spending through earmarks.
Under the original Constitution, senators
were appointed by state legislatures.
A senator or representative running for reelection is called the
incumbent.
The number of seats in the House of Representatives has been fixed at ____ since ____.
435; 1929
In each House district there are approximately ________ people.
700,000
Approximately ____ percent of the ____ bills introduced in a typical congressional session die in committee.
85; 10,000
In recent years, about ________ percent of U.S. House incumbents won reelection.
95
In the House of Representatives, what is the relationship between the majority leader and the Speaker of the House?
The majority leader is subordinate to the Speaker of the House.
Who were the only two presidents to be impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives?
Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton
________ bills are one of Congress's favorite vehicles for pork-barrel spending.
Highway
Why does the House typically have greater party unity than the Senate?
House leaders have more organizational control over the actions of representatives than Senate leaders.
In 2011,
In 2011, the House and the Senate agreed to a two-year moratorium on earmarks in spending bills and renewed the ban for the 113th and 114th Congresses
What purpose does pork-barrel legislation serve?
It funds specific projects and their location within a particular congressional district
Which of the following statements about the impeachment process is most accurate?
It is a partisan exercise.
Which of the following statements best describes the representation of women and minorities in the U.S. Congress?
Representation of women and minorities has increased over the past two decades but is not comparable to their proportions in the general population.
Over the past several decades, the ________ and the ________ have benefited most from apportionment.
South; West
Which of the following best describes a way in which the House differs from the Senate?
The House is more centralized and organized than the Senate.
How is the Speaker of the House determined?
The elected leader of the majority party in the House is the Speaker.
What did the Supreme Court justices declare in Miller v. Johnson (1995)?
The racial composition of a district could not be the predominant factor when redistricting.
How can Congress override a president's veto?
a two-thirds vote in both chambers
The role that the U.S. House of Representatives plays in impeachments can best be compared with that of a
grand jury.
The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction was unique among joint committees because it
had the power to write and report legislation.
One reason some people support the establishment of term limits in the House and Senate is that it will
increase turnover and get new faces into Congress.
Between 1995 and 2006, the number of congressional earmarks
increased by a factor of 10.
Most members of the House attempt to stay on good terms with the Speaker of the House because the Speaker
possesses the power of recognition.
A filibuster allows members of the Senate to
prevent a vote on a bill by speaking continuously on the floor.
Congressional leaders form ________ committees when they want to take up an issue that falls between the jurisdiction of existing committees, to highlight an issue, or to investigate a particular problem.
select
The Senate Watergate committee of 1973 is an example of a ________ committee.
select
Republican House member Randy "Duke" Cunningham was
sent to jail in 2005 for accepting bribes by companies hoping to receive earmarks in return.
In addition to pressuring members of Congress to vote a certain way on a bill, interest groups also have substantial influence in
setting the legislative agenda.
A U.S. senator has a ________-year term.
six
Which sort of representation is based on the principle that if two individuals are similar in background, character, interests, and perspectives, then one could correctly represent the other's views?
sociological
Who has the most real power in the Senate?
the majority and minority leaders
The president pro tempore of the Senate is usually
the majority party member with the greatest seniority.
Who is responsible for communicating the leaders' wishes to members in Congress?
the party whips
The Senate's constitutional power of advice and consent extends to which of the following?
the president's power to make treaties with foreign nations
What is cloture?
the process by which three-fifths of the Senate can end a filibuster
