American Government - Chapter 10 (We the People)

If a member of the House of Representatives won her first election with 52% of the vote and won her second election with 75%, it would be an example of the

"incumbency increase."

The congressional practice of "ping-ponging" refers to which of the following?

House and Senate leaders send a bill back and forth to reconcile differences between the bills in the two chambers.

Why does the House typically have greater party unity than the Senate?

House rules grant greater control over the actions of representatives than Senate leaders.

A member of Congress who votes according to the preferences of his constituency is called a

delegate.

A U.S. senator has a ________-year term.

six

A filibuster allows members of the Senate to

prevent a vote on a bill.

The kind of representation that takes place when constituents have the power to hire and fire their representatives is called

substantive representation.

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

A major risk of the delegate model of representation is that

the voices of only a few active and informed constituents will be heard because most people do not pay close attention to every issue.

A subcommittee is helpful for members of Congress because

they specialize in particular aspects of the committee's work.

The role that the U.S. Senate plays in impeachments can best be compared with that of a

trial jury.

In 2018, about ________ of U.S. House incumbents won reelection.

90%

Which of the following illustrates a member of Congress acting as a delegate?

During a town hall, constituents of Senator Ted Cruz (TX) urge him to vote in favor of an upcoming tax cut, which he does.

Which best characterizes the use of oversight powers in Congress in recent years?

It has an increasingly partisan tone.

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 during the past two decades but is not comparable to their proportions in the general population.

How is the Speaker of the House determined?

The elected leader of the majority party in the House is the Speaker.

Most programs and agencies are subject to some oversight every year during the course of hearings on

appropriations.

A proposed law that has been sponsored by a member of Congress is called a

bill.

In 2019, Democrats impeached President Trump on

charges that he sought to pressure the Ukrainian government into investigating Joe Biden and his son.

In ________, legislators rewrite bills to reflect changes discussed during hearings.

committee markup

The Senate and House Appropriations committees are important because they

decide how much funding various programs will receive and how the moneywill be spent.

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?

descriptive

If a legislative body was composed of 10% Latinos and 80% males in a state whose residents were 35% Latino and 50% male, the legislative body could be said to lack

descriptive representation.

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 bythe executive branch.

Which of the following are methods U.S. senators can use to block or delay debate on a bill?

filibustering, adding amendments to a bill, and placing a hold on a bill

Holding the political office for which one is running is known as

incumbency.

Senator Mitch McConnell is running for re-election; this means the senator is a(n)

incumbent.

Senators' longer terms of office, and larger, more heterogeneous constituencies makes them more

insulated from the pressures of individual, narrow, and immediate interests.

A bill that deals with such a diverse set of unrelated issues as environmental issues, tax issues, and criminal justice issues is likely to be a(n)

joint committee bill.

In the Senate, the most senior leadership role is ________. In the House, the most senior leadership role is ________.

majority leader; Speaker

A provision by the House Rules committee that allows debate and the addition of new amendments to a bill is called a(n)

open rule.

In 2017, Democrats called for investigations into allegations that Trump's campaign had colluded with Russian operatives to help him win in the 1016 election. This is an example of which power of Congress?

oversight

Which is an important factor in organizing the work of Congress?

parties or gerrymandering?

If a member of Congress directs a great deal of federal funding to build dams that are not really necessary in her state but create a lot of jobs, the member of Congress is engaged in which of the following?

pork barreling

Senator Mitch McConnell (KY) is running for re-election. Which of the following advantages would he have over his rivals?

All of these answer choices are correct.

A bill's supporters in the House of Representatives generally prefer ________, while opponents generally prefer a(n) ________.

a closed rule; open rule

The practice of referring a bill to more than one committee for consideration is called

a multiple referral.