Political Science Exam 2

In terms of the budget to hire office staff,

- House members receive identical amounts of money. - senators receive varying amounts of money, depending on the population of their state.

Which of the following correctly describes the role that televised debates play in presidential elections?

- Most voters have made their choice by the time of the debates. - If their candidate does badly, supporters are likely to waiver.

Which of the following statements about congressional committees are true?

- They make it possible for Congress to consider a high volume of bills. - They each specialize in a certain area of legislation.

Which of the following oversight tools help Congress to ensure that the executive branch is administering the laws properly?

- budgetary appropriations - congressional hearings

Which of the following makes a challenger to a Senate incumbent more likely to be successful?

- having strong public recognition - having access to large sums of money to fund the campaign - having an existing campaign organization

Which of the following correctly describes protocol for committee membership?

- most vacancies occur after elections, either from retirements or incumbent defeats. - most newly elected members of Congress request committee assignments.

The Executive Office of the President includes which of the following compartments?

- office of management and budget - national economic council - national security council -white house office

Which of the following are the functions of Congress?

- oversight - lawmaking - representation

On major bills, it is increasingly typical for the majority party's leaders to

- shape the bill's broad content. - direct the floor debate after the bill leaves the committee.

Which of the following are common threats to incumbency?

- strong challengers - personal misconduct - disruptive issues

Which of the following statements about midterm elections are generally true?

- the president's party usually loses seats. - voter turnout is lower than for presidential elections. - there is less media coverage of candidates and issues than in a presidential election.

Members of Congress are most indebted to which of the following?

- the wealthy donors who fund their campaigns - hardcore partisan voters in their state or district

Why do Republican and Democratic lawmakers generally have different perspectives on national issues?

- their parties differ politically. - their parties differ philosophically.

On major bills, it is increasingly typical for the majority party's leaders to

-direct the floor debate after the bill leaves the committee. -shape the bill's broad content.

At present there are _____ standing committees in the House of Representatives.

20

Today, in the grips of partisan deadlock, congressional approval ratings are about _____ percent.

20

In order to become a member of the Senate, a person must be at least _____ years of age and have been a citizen for at least _____ years.

30; 9

T/F: Today, nearly every foreign policy initiative originates with Congress.

False (originates with the president)

The president's top advisers on matters related to foreign policy make up part of the

National Security Council.

Imagine that a major event such as the September 11, 2001, attacks again took place on American soil. What would likely happen to the power of the president?

The president's power would grow.

Polls indicate that voters' opinions of Donald Trump's performance had what effect in the 2018 midterms?

Those who were discontented with Trump helped Democrats retake control of the House.

In Congress, disagreement over national policy usually occurs

along partisan divisions

Which of the following strongly and positively effects a congressional candidate's ability to raise money and win an election?

being an incumbent

Congress's structure makes it easier to

block legislation than enact it.

Most members of Congress are

career politicians who want to stay in Congress and put themselves in position for reelection.

The president shapes and administers the nation's foreign policy while acting in the role of

chief diplomat.

To end a filibuster, sixty senators must agree to invoke _____ and end the debate.

cloture

Members on Congress usually serve on congressional committees that concentrate on policy areas that affect the members'

constituency

How does the public generally feel about Congress?

dissatisfied

Most of the bills Congress passes are _______ in nature which means they provide benefits to a particular group in society while spreading the costs across the taxpaying public as a whole.

distributive

Which of the following problems is most likely to jeopardize an incumbent's chances of reelection?

getting caught in a scandal

When a committee or subcommittee holds a __________, they are trying to gather information about a proposed bill.

hearing

When a bill falls into the area in which a committee is authorized to act, that committee is said to have

jurisdiction

An example of Congress's _____ is when Congress passes legislation that creates incentives for the development of alternative energy sources.

lawmaking function

Which of the following is the most powerful party leadership position in the Senate?

majority leader

As political scientist James Sundquist noted, "Congress is organized to deal with _____ problems but not with _____ ones."

narrow; broad

What term describes the situation in which Republican and Democratic lawmakers vote in the same way as their fellow partisans, regardless of constituency differences?

nationalization

An open-seat is one in which

no incumbent is running.

An _____ rule allows members to propose amendments that are relevant to any section of the bill.

open

When a foreign countries look to the United States for leadership, they direct their attention to the

president.

The term that describes the minority party's committee and subcommittee leaders is _____ members.

ranking

The sole purpose of a conference committee is to

reconcile differences in the House and Senate versions of a bill.

When congressional district boundaries are redrawn with a state, it is known as _____.

redistricting

Members of Congress give various interests a voice in the legislative process as part of congress's _____ function.

representative

The trend toward party unity in Congress can clearly be seen in voting records of members of Congress when their votes are officially recorded during a _____ vote.

roll call

What is the title of the person who heads an executive department?

secretary

Choosing committee chairs based on which member has the longest continuous tenure on a standing committee is an example of the _____ system.

seniority

A permanent committee in Congress is known as a _____ committee.

standing

The emergence of _______, groups that can pour money into a political campaign with few limits, has given challengers a better opportunity to unseat congressional incumbents.

super PACs

Whether or not Congress takes the lead in the making of laws usually depends on

the type of policy at issue.

According to political scientist Richard Neustadt, a sign of presidential weakness is the

veto

Positive aspects of party polarization include the fact that

voters can more clearly see and understand party differences.

Among the reasons why Congress has difficulty taking the lead on broad issues are the facts that

- congress has two chambers, and they are not always in agreement on policy issues. - members of Congress come from different districts and often have conflicting views on national policy.

Which of the following are duties of the Speaker of the House?

- recognizing members who will be allowed to speak on the floor - choosing leadership of the House Rules Committee

Which of the following are true of joint committees?

- they are composed of members of both houses - they perform advisory functions

Which of the following describe the irony of the presidency?

-Presidents get too much blame when things go poorly. -Presidents get too much credit when things go right.

In his role as chief diplomat, the president

-appoints ambassadors. -negotiates treaties with other nations.

Which of the following describes the power of Congress relative to the other branches of government?

No executive agency or lower court can exist without congressional authorization.

During the general election, presidential candidates focus most of their money and attention on which two of the following?

States that are competitive enough that either candidate has a chance of winning the state.

To plan strategy and resolve policy issues, party members in Congress typically meet behind closed doors in a session called a party _______.

caucus