AP Gov Unit 3

What happens when the Senate and the House of Representatives produce different versions of the same bill? A. The Supreme Court mediates between the two versions of the bill. B. A Conference Committee from both chambers must settle the differences between the two bills. C. Both versions are sent to the president, who must then decide which to sign. D. The president considers the two bills separately, and may even choose to sign both.

A Conference Committee from both chambers must settle the differences between the two bills.

Which of the following activities by a Senator might be considered "pork barrel spending"? A. A Senator running for re-election uses campaign funds for a family vacation. B. A Senator votes for a tax increase in order to raise the salaries of public officials. C. A Senator from New York votes in favor of a farm subsidy bill that will benefit farmers in multiple states. D. A Senator from California votes to allocate federal money to reinforce the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

A Senator from California votes to allocate federal money to reinforce the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

When an executive agency is first created, how is its maximum budget determined? A. The House Appropriations Committee determines its budget. B. The president determines what the initial budget will be. C. A legislative committee authorizes a maximum budget for the agency. D. The head of the executive agency informs Congress of the maximum budget needs.

A legislative committee authorizes a maximum budget for the agency.

According to the Supreme Court Case Baker v. Carr, which statement is true? A. States cannot use race as a determining factor in creating legislative districts. B. State legislatures may not use political considerations in creating legislative districts. C. Congressional representation should be established by a national census, to be taken every ten years. D. Changes in legislative districts must reflect changes in population.

Changes in legislative districts must reflect changes in population.

The term "divided government" refers to a situation in which ________. A. Congress is controlled by one party, and the Supreme Court by another party B. the House of Representatives contains both Republicans and Democrats. C. the House is controlled by one party and the Senate is controlled by another party D. Congress is controlled by one party and the White House is controlled by another party

Congress is controlled by one party and the White House is controlled by another party

If the president is at the end of his or her second term of service, and Congress is controlled by the opposite party, why might that president have difficulty accomplishing very much? A. Congress will consider the president a "lame duck," and will be unlikely to compromise or work together. B. The president will be unwilling to work with Congress for fear of losing political support. C. The Constitution prohibits the president from making appointments during his or her last three months in office. D. Members of Congress will see themselves as "lame ducks" and will be reluctant to act until after they are joined by new members of Congress.

Congress will consider the president a "lame duck," and will be unlikely to compromise or work together.

The Necessary and Proper clause of the Constitution does which of the following? A. Empowers Congress to take necessary action to fulfill its duties. B. Ensures that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. C. Gives Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce. D. Guarantees that powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states.

Empowers Congress to take necessary action to fulfill its duties.

How often does reapportionment and redistricting occur for Congressional districts? A. Every 5 years B. Every 10 years C. Every 25 years D. It is up to each individual state.

Every 10 years

Why might a state legislature create gerrymandered congressional districts? A. Gerrymandering is sometimes necessary because of natural barriers such as mountains or rivers. B. Gerrymandering ensures that each political party will have equal representation in Congress. C. The Supreme Court has ruled that gerrymandering is always permissible. D. Gerrymandering gives one political party an advantage over the other.

Gerrymandering gives one political party an advantage over the other.

How is the Speaker of the House selected? A. He or she is elected by members of the House of Representatives. B. He or she is appointed by the president of the United States. C. He or she is the senior member of the party that holds the majority. D. He or she is elected by members of the majority party.

He or she is elected by members of the House of Representatives.

Where does the legislative process officially begin? A. It begins when a law is challenged in federal court. B. It begins with the President's State of the Union Address. C. It must begin in the House of Representatives. D. It can begin in either chamber of Congress.

It can begin in either chamber of Congress.

Which of the following statements about governmental gridlock is true? A. It can lead to a temporary government shut down in some circumstances. B. Gridlock is always the fault of a president from one party who refuses to work with Congressional leaders from another party. C. Gridlock results in an ineffective government, which generally leads to slow economic growth for the nation. D. It does not happen when the same party controls Congress and the White House.

It can lead to a temporary government shut down in some circumstances.

Why did the Elastic Clause receive this nickname? A. It is used to justify the expansion of American Territory. B. It gives Congress flexibility to stretch its power into areas not specified in the Constitution. C. It allows state governments to stretch or expand their power into areas not specified in the Constitution. D. It limits federal power by requiring a very strict interpretation of the Constitution by Congress.

It gives Congress flexibility to stretch its power into areas not specified in the Constitution.

What happens if the president vetoes a bill? A. It will be considered by the next Congress. B. It has no chance of ever becoming a law. C. It goes to the Supreme Court. D. It may still become a law if 2/3 of both houses vote to override the veto.

It may still become a law if 2/3 of both houses vote to override the veto.

Which of the following is true of divided government? A. It occurs when the White House is controlled by one party, and Congress by another. B. It always produces an economic downturn. C. It makes the federal government less productive. D. It always produces gridlock because politicians are unwilling to compromise.

It occurs when the White House is controlled by one party, and Congress by another.

Which of the following is a major difference between the House of Representatives and the Senate? A. Bills are more likely to be amended in the House. B. Junior members generally have more influence than senior members in the Senate. C. Legislative activity in the House is more constrained by rules. D. Committees are an important part of the decision making process in the House.

Legislative activity in the House is more constrained by rules.

Which of the following factors is probably most responsible for keeping members of the House of Representatives accountable to their constituents? A. The House Majority and Minority Whips encourage members to vote based on popular opinion. B. Representatives serve for a term of six years. C. Members of the House are up for re-election every two years. D. Representatives are required to meet with their constituents regularly.

Members of the House are up for re-election every two years.

allows Congress to take any action it deems necessary to carry out its specifically listed powers and duties; gives Congress considerable flexibility in the scope of its power; aka Elastic Clause

Necessary and Proper Clause

Which of the following is NOT a Constitutional power of Congress? A. Forming federal budget policy B. Declaring war C. Negotiating treaties with other nations. D. Raising federal taxes

Negotiating foreign treaties

A nominee for the Supreme Court would most likely appear before the ________ Committee before a vote would be taken for his or her confirmation. A. House Ethics B. House Judiciary C. Senate Judiciary D. Senate Intelligence

Senate Judiciary

In which Supreme Court case did the court prohibit legislative districts designed to create an advantage for one racial group? A. U.S. v. Lopez B. Shaw v. Reno C. Baker v. Carr D. Gibbons v. Ogden

Shaw v. Reno

If the Secretary of Education initiates a program to improve schools that turns out to be a complete disaster, who is most likely to investigate? A. The House Committee on Education and the Workforce B. The Attorney General of the United States C. The House Investigations Committee D. The House Ethics Committee

The House Committee on Education and the Workforce

Who presides over regular Senate sessions? A. The Senate majority leader B. The Speaker of the House C. The President pro tempore D. The vice president of the United States

The President por tempore

A lobbyist for a large weapons manufacturer spends a lot of time with the Senate Armed Services Committee to ensure that spending on a new weapons program will be authorized. Which other committee should the lobbyist also develop a relationship with? A. The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee B. The Senate Rules Committee C. The Senate Appropriations Committee D. the House Ethics Committee

The Senate Appropriations Committee

If the military wants to create a new cyber-warfare department, which committee would most likely initially authorize spending money on it? A. The House Rules Committee B. The Senate Armed Services Committee C. The Senate Information Technology Committee D. The House Information Technology Committee

The Senate Armed Services Committee

If the director of the FBI is subpoenaed to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee, and he refuses to appear, what would most likely be the consequence? A. The Senate may vote to jail or fine the FBI Director. B. The president will fire the FBI Director. C. The FBI Director would likely not be re-elected. D. The Senate Intelligence Committee will be forced to suspend its investigation.

The Senate may vote or fine the FBI Director.

What happens to the majority of bills that are introduced in Congress? A. They pass in the Senate but are killed in the House. B. They die in committee. C. They pass through Congress and become law. D. They are vetoed by the president.

They die in committee.

What is the role of the House Appropriations Committee? A. To determine appropriate or ethical behavior for House members. B. To consider all bills related to raising revenue. C. To set maximum budgets for all executive agencies. D. To allocate money for each federal agency in the annual budget.

To allocate money for each federal agency in the annual budget.

What is the main purpose for Congressional Committees to conduct investigations? A. To give members of Congress more publicity before upcoming elections. B. To provide a check on the Executive Branch and make sure they are enforcing laws appropriately. C. To look into Communist activity in executive departments. D. To uncover criminal activities and send corrupt officials to jail.

To provide a check on the Executive Branch and make sure they are enforcing laws appropriately.

Under what circumstances would gridlock lead to a government shutdown? A. Members of Congress would never actually force the government to shut down. B. When Congress and the president cannot agree on a budget. C. When the House and the Senate cannot agree on one version of a bill. D. When the White House cannot enforce legislation because it is stuck in the Federal Court system.

When Congress and the president cannot agree on a budget.

A bill can be introduced in Congress by ________. A. the president B. governors of individual states C. a member of Congress D. a member of the Supreme Court

a member of Congress

Which of the following is the formal procedure for ending a filibuster? A. oversight B. logrolling C. Pocket Veto D. cloture

cloture

when 3/5 of the Senate votes to put a limit on speaking times for a particular bill

cloture

the power of purse; Congress is responsible for allocating funds to different executive departments and agencies

congressional oversight

A member of Congress who regularly meets with constituents and keeps their opinions in mind when voting is most likely acting as a ________. A. trustee B. delegate C. politico D. speaker

delegate

philosophy where a senator/representative votes on bills based on the opinions of their constituents rather than their personal opinion

delegate

The House Appropriations Committee exercises power over executive agencies by ________. A. appointing the heads of executive agencies B. setting the maximum budget an agency is authorized to spend C. determining how much money to set aside for that agency each year D. holding hearings to investigate the activities of an agency

determining how much money to set aside for that agency each year

when one political party controls the White House and another controls Congress; under it, it's easy for party loyalties to take precedence both for Congress and the president which results in gridlock

divided government

a senator may keep speaking indefinitely for so long as he or she doesn't sit down, stop speaking, or yield the floor to another senator; they are used to delay votes on bills they oppose; the only way to end one is through a cloture

filibuster

legislative districts are created to favor one political party or the other; usually means creating districts with odd, irregular shapes and dimensions in order to include some areas and exclude areas

gerrymandering

the inability of the government to act because of partisan division; pointed to as evidence that Congress is ineffective and incompetent; in some extreme cases, it has led to temporary government shutdowns

gridlock

To avoid testifying before a Congressional Committee, a president or high-level executive officer may A. invoke executive privilege B. send a lower-level staffer in his or her place C. simply refuse to appear D. There is no way to legally avoid testifying.

invoke executive privilege

either a president or member of Congress serving out the remainder of his or her term between the election in November and the inauguration of the next president

lame duck

the practice of trading votes on various issues; to gain support for a bill they have sponsored, a senator or representative may promise to vote in favor of another member's bill down the road

logrolling

philosophy where a senator/representative acts as a delegate in some situations and a trustee in others, depending on what seems most politically expedient

politico

attempts by members of Congress to secure federal funds for a special project in their home state or district; used to gain support from constituents but do little to benefit the nation as a whole

pork-barrel spending

The House Rules Committee is an important part of the legislative process because it A. sets the rules for debate in the House on specific bills B. negotiates with the Senate rules committee C. sets ethics rules for House members D. resolves differences between the House and Senate versions of a bill

sets the rules for debate in the House on specific bills

The last committee to work on a bill after it is debated, but before it faces a final vote in both houses and goes to the president's desk would most likely be a ________. A. the Rules Committee B. standing committee C. the conference committee D. select committee

the conference committee

philosophy where a senator/representative uses their own opinions and judgements to govern in what they see as the people's best interests

trustee