Unit 5 Review (Chapters 12-14)

A mid term election is a) a Congressional election that is not accompanied by a presidential election b) held every 2 years c) one in which the incumbent is running for reelection d) a special election that may remove an official from office in the middle of their term e) a presidential election that occurs during a session of Congress

A

Bicameralism means that a legislative body is one a) with two houses, providing checks and balances on policy making b) in which each state has two senators, providing equal representation of the states c) in which incumbents have a better chance of being re-elected, providing continuity in policymaking d) in which there are only two political parties e) that has two camerals

A

Incumbents are those a) already holding office b) running for office for the first time c) who have been defeated in an election d) retired members of Congress

A

Legislators who use their best judgement to make policy in the interests of the people are called a) trustees b) instructed delegates c) politicos d) attentive leaders e) opinion leaders

A

Nominees to the United States Supreme Court must be confirmed by a) the Senate b) the House c) Both the House and the Senate d) the president

A

Overall, members of Congress can _____ of the American people. a) possible claim substantive representation, but not descriptive representation b) possible claim descriptive representation, but not substantive representation c) claim both substantive and descriptive representation d) claim neither substantive nor descriptive representation e) possibly claim both substantive and descriptive representation

A

The President has the constitutional authority to make treaties with other nations, subject to the agreement of a) two thirds of the Senate b) two thirds of the House c) a majority of both the House and the Senate d) a majority of the Senate

A

The federal debt a) consists of all the money borrowed over the years by the national government that is still outstanding b) is money owed to foreign nations by the US government c) is all the money borrowed over the years by the federal government and owed to state governments d) is the difference between the amount of annual tax recipts e) is money owed by taxpayers to the US government but never paid

A

The pork barrel and casework are examples of a) opportunities for credit claiming by members of Congress b) advertising techniques c) descriptive representation d) position taking

A

Which of the following ends debate in the Senate? a) cloture b) vote by the Rules Committee c) conference committee d) markup

A

Which of the following is not one of the president's powers as the nation's chief diplomat? a) declaring war against an adversary b) extending diplomatic recognition to a nation c) mediating disputes between nations other than the US d) negotiating treaties with other nations e) negotiating executive agreements which do not require Congressional approval

A

Which of the following statements about the president as commander in chief is true? a) The president has the authority to declare war for up to 60 days without consulting Congress. b) The president decides if and when to use weapons of mass destruction in times of war. c) Presidents with no prior military experience are not allowed to make major military decisions alone. d) The president is required by law to consult with the Joint Chiefs of Staff before deploying the military. e) The president is a nonvoting member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

A

A first term member of the House of Representatives from North Dakota who wished to maximize opportunities for constituent would most likely seek placement on the _____ committee. a) Judiciary b) Agriculture c) Rules d) Foreign Affairs e) Science and Technology

B

A senator can effectively prevent the Senate from voting by a) conducting oversight b) filibustering c) introducing another bill d) holding hearings e) no known process, because the rules are very structured

B

All of the following are true statements about the impeachment process except a) the chief justice of the US presides over the trial b) the Supreme Court decides guilt or innocence c) the trial must be held in public d) the Senate serves as the jury e) the House of Representatives brings the formal charges against the president

B

An especially important asset for incumbents running for reelection is their a) voting records b) service to constituents c) support by party leaders in Congress d) presidential support

B

An excess of federal expenditures over federal revenues is called a a) budget b) deficit c) tax d) debt e) tax expenditure

B

Congress's authority to levy an income tax comes from which of the following? a) interstate commerce clause b) Sixteenth Amendment c) Budget Act (1974) d) Bill of Rights e) Bradley v. Camp

B

Most important congressional activity is done a) on legislators' visits to their home districts b) in meetings of standing committees and their subcommittees c) on the House floor d) on the Senate floor e) in the White House

B

National Defense Spending a) decreased under Reagan b) is currently higher than it has ever been c) has decreased since Obama took office in 2008 d) is currently at the same level as it was under Reagan e) has never been as high as it was under Reagan

B

Presidential coattails refers to a) withholding of presidential favors from those who oppose the president's policies b) voters casting their ballots for congressional candidates of the president's party who will support the president c) the ability of members of Congress to hide behind the president on though issues d) the formal constitutional powers of the president e) presidential favors to those who support the president

B

The founding fathers envisioned a presidency that would a) be better organized than today's presidency b) have fewer responsibilities than today's presidency c) have greater control over the Congress than today's presidency d) have greater powers than today's presidency e) clearly be the dominant branch of government

B

The income tax is generally progressive, meaning that a) it increases incrementally on an annual basis b) those with more income pay higher rates of tax on their income c) those with more income pay fewer taxes than those with less income d) it is a newer form of taxation than the sales taxes e) it is better than a flat tax

B

Under the terms of the 25th Amendment, while the vice president is serving as acting president a) a new election must be held within 6 months b) the recuperated president can reclaim the Oval Office through a set procedure c) the electoral college determines when the incapacitated president can reclaim the presidency d) the recuperated president cannot reclaim his former job e) the Senate and the House must vote in a secret ballot on whether or not to reinstate the recuperated president

B

Which of the following is most likely to determine a candidate's chance of getting elected to Congress? a) their personal wealth b) their incumbency status c) their campaign style d) promises they make the their constituents

B

After each federal census a) the office of the Speaker of the House changes hands b) the size of Congress increases c) the membership of the House is reapportioned d) the Senate reapportions its membership e) all of the above

C

All of the following are examples of entitlement programs except a) Social Security b) Medicare c) defense contracts d) veterans' benefits e) agricultural subsidies

C

Descriptive representation refers to a) representing the interests of groups b) serving constituents through pork barrel projects c) representing constituents by mirroring their personal, politically relevant characteristics living in the geographical area of one's constituents e) all of the above

C

Expenditures that are determined by how many eligible beneficiaries there are for a program, making them hard for Congress to control, are called a) political pork b) incremental policies c) uncontrollable expenditures d) progressive taxes e) regressive

C

Most members of Congress would be considered a) trustees b) instructed delegates c) politicos d) ambassadors

C

Policies for which Congress has obligates itself to pay a certain level of benefits based on certain number of recipients are known as a) earmarks b) pork c) entitlements d) incremental expenditures e) welfare

C

The income and occupations of members of Congress a) typically reflect the pluralistic nature of American society b) are very close to the average found among their consituency c) would, for the most part. make them members of the elite in American society d) have no real impact on public policymaking e) places over 90% of them in the millionaire businessperson class

C

The presidential cabinet a) can veto actions by the president b) is given tremendous power under the Constitution c) consists of the head of each executive department, plus any additional government officials the president designates d) is electronically locked vault where the president keeps his top secret papers e) includes, by law, a minimum of two sitting members of Congress at all times

C

The statement "the largest determining factor of the size and content of the year's budget is last year's" is an expression of a) earmarks b) welfare c) incrementalism d) entitlement

C

When members of Congress hold a hearing to question a cabinet member on how a law is being carried out, they are engaging in a) agenda setting b) filibustering c) legislative oversight d) casework e) Congressional administration

C

When the House and the Senate pass different version of the same bill a) the House bill is changed to conform with the Senate bill b) the Senate bill is changed to conform with the House c) a conference committee is appointed to resolve differences d) a select committee is appointed to resolve differences e) the president may select which bill to enact into law

C

A presidential veto of legislation passed by Congress a) can be overturned by a two thirds vote of either the House or the Senate to override the veto b) can be overturned only by a majority vote of the Supreme Court c) cannot be overturned d) can be overturned by a two thirds vote of both the House and the Senate to override the veto e) can be overturned by a majority vote of both the House and the Senate to override the veto

D

Congressmen who believe they should serve as delegates to their constituents are more likely to a) support unpopular causes b) vote in the best interest of the nation c) support the party leadership in Congress d) follow the opinion polls in their districts

D

Once the House votes for impeachment, the President a) is tried by the Supreme Court b) must be indicted by a Grand Jury before being removed from office c) is fined or sentenced to prison d) is tried by the Senate e) must leave office

D

Tax expenditures are a) sales paid when goods and services are purchased b) money spent by the IRS collecting taxes c) rebates provided to individuals who have overpaid federal taxes d) revenue losses that result from special exemptions, exclusions, or deductions on federal tax law e) income that is taxable by the federal government

D

The Constitution gives the President the power to influence the legislative process through his responsibility to a) direct the business of Congress and initiate impeachment b) make laws decree without the consent of Congress in some situations c) manage the economy, lead the party, and deal with national crises d) report on the state of the union and veto acts of Congress

D

The institution responsible for compiling the president's budget proposal is the a) Department of the Treasury b) Congressional Budget Office c) Senate Appropriations Committee d) Office of Management & Budget e) Council of Economic Advisors

D

The largest contribution to federal revenue comes from a) taxes on businesses b) interest on foreign debts c) entry fees at national parks d) individual income taxes

D

The principal reason that presidents have trouble getting things done is that a) they are often upstaged or undermined by their own Vice Presidents b) the presidency is mostly a ceremonial job and the president is not expected to do much c) they are frequently overruled by the Supreme Court d) other policymakers with whom they deal have their own agendas, interests, and sources of power e) most are weak and indecisive and do not try to do much

D

To place blame for politically gerrymandered districts, one needs to look at a) the majority party in Congress b) state party officials c) the White House staff d) the majority party in the state legislature

D

What is the largest social policy of the federal government? a) early childhood education b) children's health insurance c) college loans d) Social Security e) job training programs

D

Which demographic group is the most underrepresented in Congress? a) African Americans b) Latinos c) Asians d) women e) upper income

D

Which of the following is not in the line of presidential succession? a) chief justice of the Supreme Court b) Secretary of State c) Secretary of the Interior d) Tanner e) Speaker of the House

D

Which of the following is true about the Senate as compared to the House? a) more centralized with stronger leadership b) seniority more important in determining power c) more influential on the budget d) more influential in foreign affairs e) smaller in number, less powerful, and less prestigious

D

A policy document allocating taxes and expenditures, or a series of goals with price tags attached, is a(n) a) balance sheet b) procurement c) fiscal register d) appropriation e) budget

E

Congress can override a presidential veto of legislation a) by appealing to the US Supreme Court b) by negotiating a deal with the vice president c) by getting approval of the bill in three fourths of the state legislatures d) with a majority vote of the House Rules Committee e) with a two thirds vote in both houses of Congress

E

Medicare is a) given only to those who do not have private insurance b) administered separately from the Social Security system c) provided only for hospital care of poor people d) the most expensive of all welfare programs, providing basic medical care for the poor e) designated o provide both hospital and physical coverage to the elderly

E

Normally, in midterm elections, the president's party a) gains few seats in Congress b) holds its own in Congress c) gains triple the number of seats in Congress d) gains twice the number of seats in Congress e) loses seats in Congress

E

The 22nd Amendment passed in 1951 a) provided for the presidential and vice presidential candidates to run as a team b) granted 18 year olds the right to vote c) gave impeachment powers to Congress d) provided fro the direct election of the president by the people e) limited presidents to two terms of office

E

The War Powers Resolution may be considered unconstitutional because a) it violates the Congressional power to appropriate funds for the military b) it violates the president's power to declare war c) it was struck down by the Supreme Court d) it violates the president's power as Commander in Chief e) its use of the legislative veto may be considered a violation of the doctrine of separation of powers

E

The biggest category of federal expenditures is spending for a) foreign aid b) salaries and benefits for public employees c) interest on the national debt d) national defense e) aid to the elderly and the poor

E

The pocket veto can only be used a) during a presidential election year b) when a new president is about to take office c) on appropriations bills d) when Congress is in session e) when Congress is adjourned

E

The president's power can best be understood as a) very limited and largely ceremonial b) originally intended to be unlimited and absolute, but gradually weakened over time c) unlimited and absolute d) always the dominant figure in the American political system e) shared with other branches of government as part of the Madisonian system of checks and balances

E

Which federal agency was created in order to collect the federal income tax? a) the Congressional Budget Office b) the Treasury Department c) the General Accounting Office d) the Auditors General e) the Internal Revenue Service

E

Which of the following presidential appointments requires Senate confirmation? a) press secretary b) chief of staff c) White House cousel d) Council of Economic Advisors e) Secretary of State

E