American Government - C12

As of 2020, how many African Americans had been elected to the U.S. Senate?

10

According to analysis, most legislators use _____ of representation

A combination of trustee and instructed delegate models

Which of the following most accurately describes a congressional subcommittee? A committee that typically handles specific areas of a standing committee's jurisdiction A congressional committee created to consider specific policy issues or address a specific concern A bicameral committee composed of members of both chambers of Congress A permanent committee in Congress with a defined legislative jurisdiction

A committee that typically handles specific areas of a standing committee's jurisdiction

A procedural move in which a member or members of the Senate speaks for an unlimited amount of time on the Senate floor in order to prevent a vote on a bill is known as....

A fillibuster

How is legislation proposed in the House of Representatives?

A staff member places legislation in a wooden box on a desk at the front of the House chamber

Congress continuously engages in _____, which relieves the pressure parties face in getting their members to vote with their particular party

Agenda setting

Unanimous consent agreements require that _____ agree to the terms of debate on a given piece of legislation

All senators

Majority-minority districts are...

An attempt to increase diversity in Congress.

Which of the following accurately describe the position of Speaker of the House? An elected member of the House Second to only the vice president in power in the House Leader of his or her party in the House Second in line of presidential succession Acts as president pro tempore

An elected member of the House Leader of his or her party in the House Second in line of presidential succession

Why is the Rules Committee considered one of the most important committees in the House?

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 to raise money and win an election? Being an incumbent Being new to the political scene Having business experience Being a lawyer

Being an incumbent

To balance the desire for representation at different levels, the framers made Congress a(n) _____ institution

Bicameral

A(n) _____ is a proposed piece of legislation that is considered by Congress

Bill

The framers wanted a legislative branch that could govern...

But not exercise tyrannical rule

One consequence of having a congressional "safe seat" is that a House member...

Can generally be partisan without an unfavorable political outcome

Interest groups can be a valuable resource to legislators because they...

Can provide financial and electoral support

Congressional oversight is an example of what essential component of American democracy?

Checks and balances

If the House and Senate pass different versions of a bill, it must first go to a ______ committee to have any differences reconciled before it can be voted on again by both chambers and sent to the president.

Conference

If the president chooses to veto a bill...

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

Which of the following generally exerts the strongest influence on congressional decision making?

Congressional constituents

Members of Congress are attentive to the concerns of constituents because constituents...

Determine whether or not they stay in office

Congressional oversight of the federal bureaucracy is a way to check the president's power because the bureaucracy is a part of the _____ branch

Executive

(T/F) In any given election, two-thirds of the members of the House of Representatives are up for reelection

False

(T/F) Personal experiences play no role in legislative decision making

False

(T/F) The demographics of Congress are roughly equivalent to those of the American public at large

False

Which of the following statements describes the Supreme Court's most recent position on the issue of gerrymandering? All forms of gerrymandering are within the constitutional rights of state legislators. Federal courts cannot make a blanket determination on whether gerrymandered maps violate the Constitution. Any gerrymandering plan is unconstitutional on its face. Gerrymandering is unconstitutional if it leads to permanent minority status for one party.

Federal courts cannot make a blanket determination on whether gerrymandered maps violate the Constitution.

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

Fillibuster

Which of the following are duties of the Speaker of the House? Make minority party committee assignments Guide legislation through the chamber End filibusters in the House Make majority party committee assignments

Guide legislation through the chamber Make majority party committee assignments

If the majority of the members of the House of Representatives are Republican, then every committee and subcommittee in the House will...

Have a majority of Republican members

In more populated areas, congressional districts in the House of Representatives are often...

Homogeneous, cohesive units

Which of the following statements about Congress and congressional representatives are true as a result of partisan redistricting? House members are less likely to compromise with the opposition. Congress, on the whole, has become more effective. Congress as an institution has become more revered. Congress has become more politically polarized. House members must be more moderate in their views in order to placate their constituency.

House members are less likely to compromise with the opposition. Congress has become more politically polarized.

A bill must pass both the House and Senate in _____ form before in can be sent to the president

Identical

Which of the following has most hampered the ability of Congress to manage social conflict in recent years? Decreased differences in the policy desires between rural and urban communities Decreased need to seek congressional action on issues of social importance Increased polarization caused by partisan redistricting Increased incidence of citizen and interest group activism

Increased polarization caused by partisan redistricting

In the large majority of cases, the winner of a congressional campaign is the...

Incumbent

What model of representation are legislators most likely to follow in important or high-profile issues?

Instructed delegate

Members of Congress might make policy decisions that lead to an endorsement from which external source?

Interest groups

Which of the following have a significant influence on the decisions of legislators? Interest groups Foreign populations Constituents Political parties

Interest groups Constituents Political parties

The purpose of the pork barrel projects is to show constituents that their representative...

Is actively working for them in Congress

Which of the following is an accurate statement about the use of the seniority system to choose committee chairs in Congress? It does not always mean that the person with the longest tenure will become chair. It is a formalized way to pick committee chairs in the Senate but not in the House. It is considered antiquated and has not been in use since the 104th Congress. It has been overruled by floor votes in both chambers in the last two sessions of Congress.

It does not always mean that the person with the longest tenure will become chair.

The "necessary and proper" clause was also called the elastic clause because...

It increased the powers of Congress beyond the language of the Constitution

Which of the following statements best describes a majority-minority district? It is a district where minority members are clustered together, creating a majority of voters. It is a district in which members of a minority group are packed together in order to dilute their voting strength in other districts. It is a district where minority voters make up a large enough percentage to influence but not dominate elections. It is a district that coincidentally contains a majority of minority voters.

It is a district where minority members are clustered together, creating a majority of voters.

Which of the following statements about gerrymandering is true? It is only allowed in Arizona and California. It is forbidden by the Constitution because it undermines the ideals of the founders. It is a legal redrawing of political districts to benefit a specific political party. It is an old political tool for gaining power that is no longer used.

It is a legal redrawing of political districts to benefit a specific political party.

Which of the following statements about redistricting is true? It always helps incumbents. It sometimes makes incumbency less important in elections. It happens after the majority party changes in Congress. It is constitutionally forbidden.

It sometimes makes incumbency less important in elections.

A committee that is composed of members of both chambers of Congress is known as a _____ committee

Joint

The framers' vision of the Senate was at the...

Legislative body that safeguards the rights of states and minorities against mass opinion

Because congressional districts in the House are often homogeneous, cohesive units, a House member's constituency is...

Likely to share a fairly unified position on many issues

The practice in which members of Congress agree to vote for a bill in exchange for their colleague's vote on another bill is called _____

Logrolling

The Speaker of the House is effectively chosen by the...

Majority party

In the 2020 elections, Latinx continued to see...

Marked success in gaining congressional representation.

A legislative committee recommends changes to the full chamber concerning a particular bill during...

Markup

With regard to representation, members of Congress...

May speak for several constituencies

If Democrats hold a majority of the seats in the Senate, each committee and subcommittee will have a(n) _____ of Republicans as members

Minority

Which of the following is true of current African American representation in the U.S. Congress? African Americans are hardly represented in the U.S. Congress. African Americans have become less successful at winning congressional seats since 2007. The percentage of African Americans in Congress is equal to their percentage in the U.S. population. More African Americans serve in Congress than at any other point.

More African Americans serve in Congress than at any other point.

Although voters tend to reelect their senators and House members, their opinion of Congress as a whole tends to be...

Negative

Political polarization in the Senate is _____ when compared to the House

Not as apparent

Which of the following best accounts for instances where members of the president's party fail to vote in favor of one his/her favored policy initiatives? The party members are unclear about the president's favored initiatives. Other entities have pressured the party members to oppose the measure. Certain party members are considering switching parties. The minority party in Congress has a lot of political power.

Other entities have pressured the party members to oppose the measure.

Congress has a number of functions other than lawmaking, including...

Oversight and agenda seting

Which function is the main responsibility of Congress, to which all other functions of Congress are related to?

Policy making

Congress exercises its _____ power when it passes laws creating incentives for the development of alternative energy sources

Policy-making

Members of Congress frequently use _____ as a means of appropriating funds for projects within their districts

Pork barrel politics

Which of the following influence agenda setting in Congress? Public discourse State boards and commissions Municipal government leaders House and Senate leaders' goals

Public discourse House and Senate leaders' goals

The main purpose of a conference committee is to....

Reconcile differences in the House and Senate versions of a bill

Redistricting is the process of...

Redrawing congressional district boundaries within a state

What is the function members of Congress fulfill when they articulate and vote for the position that best reflects the views of their constituents?

Represenation

Which two of the following were major factors in the record number of women running for Congress in 2018?

Republican attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act President Trump's rhetoric and behavior toward women

In the House, the _____ Committee is responsible for determining the debate and amendment procedures for each bill prior to it going to the floor for debate

Rules

A committee that is created to address a specific policy issue or concern is a...

Select committee

Which of the following is true about the political advantages of the longer terms in the Senate? Senators get to know the people in their states and are thus more likely to represent the will of their constituents. Senators are more likely to have the political cover to vote according to the will of their constituents. Senators can be insulated from political fallout after unpopular votes that take place early in their terms. Senators are less likely to defy the will of the electorate to maintain long-term job security.

Senators can be insulated from political fallout after unpopular votes that take place early in their terms.

Which of the following are ways new legislation can be introduced in the Senate? Senators can propose new legislation by offering it as an amendment to an already pending piece of legislation. Senators can announce new legislation in a speech on the Senate floor. A senator's staff can draft a piece of proposed legislation for the senator to place in the hopper on the Senate floor. Senators can submit a written draft of the proposed legislation to the Senate clerk.

Senators can propose new legislation by offering it as an amendment to an already pending piece of legislation. Senators can announce new legislation in a speech on the Senate floor. Senators can submit a written draft of the proposed legislation to the Senate clerk.

Why might voting against their constituents' will on a particular issue be less significant for a member of the Senate than for a member of the House?

Senators have longer terms of service

Compared to other industrialized democracies, the United States has a(n) _____ proportion of women serving in the national legislature

Smaller

Congress manages _____ conflict by representing a wide range of views and interests

Societal

What do House and Senate members often rely upon to inform decision making on legislation due to their policy expertise? Staff members Colleagues Partisan websites Judges

Staff members Colleagues

A subcommittee is a subset of the members of a _____ committee

Standing

The Supreme Court ruled that majority-minority districting is illegal if the...

State legislature redraws majority-minority districts at the expense of other concerns

Which method is most often used to select committee chairs?

The Seniority System

The president's opinion concerning a specific bill can influence members of Congress, especially when...

The belong to the same party as the president

Which of the following are true about markup? The committee suggests language changes and amendments. The committee actually alters a bill. All changes are referred to the full chamber. The committee may eliminate a component of the bill.

The committee suggests language changes and amendments. All changes are referred to the full chamber. The committee may eliminate a component of the bill.

Which of the following accurately explains the importance of the necessary and proper (or elastic) clause in the Constitution? The necessary and proper clause governs the behavior of members of Congress when they are in session. The elastic clause is used to trigger the process of amending the Constitution when such a change is called for. The elastic clause has allowed Congress to pass legislation in areas that are not specified in the list of its enumerated powers. The necessary and proper clause grants Congress the authority to investigate the actions of the executive branch.

The elastic clause has allowed Congress to pass legislation in areas that are not specified in the list of its enumerated powers.

Which model of representation insists that legislators vote in line with their constituents' views even when the vote contradicts their personal views?

The instructed delegate model

Who schedules debates on legislation in the Senate?

The majority leader

Which of the following legislative powers does the president possess? The power to write presidential laws The power to remove people from Congress The power to veto a bill The power to sign a bill into law

The power to veto a bill The power to sign a bill into law

How do congressional committees and subcommittees gather information on issues related to proposed laws?

Through hearings

The power of taxation, among other powers, was given to Congress... To limit the power of the president. In imitation of the British parliament. Because of the large number of representatives. Because it is more representative of the people.

To limit the power of the president. Because it is more representative of the people.

(T/F) The Affordable Care Act, which reformed the U.S. health care system, was an assertion of the power Congress has under the necessary and proper clause of the Constitution

True

(T/F) The Constitution is far more explicit in defining the responsibilities of Congress than it is in defining the functions of the other branches of government

True

(T/F) The president pro tempore is third in line of presidential succession

True

Since the Senate is smaller than the House, it does not require a Rules Committee. Instead, the Senate utilizes _____ consent agreements to limit debate on the floor.

Unanimous

Compared with their percentage of the overall population of the United States, women and minorities are _____ in Congress

Underrepresented

Which of the following events resulted in an increase in partisan voting? Watergate scandal Persian Gulf War Rise of the Tea Party in 2010 Hostage situation in Iran Republican retake of Congress in 1994

Watergate scandal Rise of the Tea Party in 2010 Republican retake of Congress in 1994