American Gov Study Guide M05
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
In the 1980s, before partisan deadlock, congressional approval ratings were about ______ percent.
60
To plan strategy and resolve policy issues, party members in Congress typically meet behind closed doors in a session called a party _____.
Caucus
The president who redefined the role of the vice president was ______.
Jimmy Carter
A committee that is composed of members of both chambers of Congress is known as a _____.
Joint
The president's top advisers on matters related to foreign policy make up part of the ______.
National Security Council
What are conference committees?
Temporary joint committees formed to work out differences in bills
What holds party lawmakers together?
They have far more in common with each other than they do with lawmakers of the other party.
After Vietnam, Congress sought to limit the ability of presidents to commit the United States to war by passing the ______.
War Powers Act
Both political parties in the House we have a _____, who acts as a go-between with the leadership and the party members in the House.
Whip
Which of the following are true concerning women and minorities who run for congressional office?
Women and minorities are less likely to run for Congress than white males. There are more women than there are minorities in Congress.
Since the Truman administration, the number of bureaucratic agencies has ______.
doubled
When, during a term of office, should the president expect to experience the highest level of public approval?
early in a new president's administration
The beginning of a new presidential administration, which is often characterized by higher levels of public approval, is known as a ______.
honeymoon period
Every bill must be approved by both the House and the Senate in _____ form before it can be sent to the president.
identical
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
If the Rules Committee places a "closed rule" on a piece of legislation, ______ amendments are permitted.
no
In the 2018 Senate race in Missouri, incumbent Claire McCaskill lost to challenger Josh Hawley in part because ______.
outside groups spent $40 million to defeat her
If a "turf war" erupts as different committees vie for jurisdiction over a bill, who or what decides the committee assignment?
party leaders
The blurring of the line between campaigning and governing has come to be known as the _____ campaign.
permanent
The president's executive power can be used to both ______ and ______ the use of federal funds for certain purposes.
permit; prohibit
The minority party's committee and subcommittee leaders are its _____ members.
ranking
The sole purpose of a conference committee is to ______.
reconcile differences in the House and Senate versions of a bill
Members of Congress give various interests to a voice in the legislative process as part of Congress's ______ function.
representative
A permanent committee in Congress is known as a(n) _____ committee.
standing
Who is more likely to vote in a primary election?
strong partisans
Who works together to achieve legislative goals?
the Congress the president
During which of these major events was there an enormous expansion of presidential authority?
the Great Depression
Which of the following documents revealed that President Lyndon Johnson had presented a falsely optimistic picture of the Vietnam War?
the Pentagon Papers
In the House of Representatives, debate is limited on the congressional floor by ______.
the Rules Committee
The president's cabinet consists of ______.
the leaders of the top executive departments
Andrew Jackson was the first president to forcefully assert the idea that ______.
the president rather than Congress should take the lead on national policy issues
Positive aspects of party polarization include the fact that ______.
voters can more clearly see and understand party differences
Political scientist Richard Neustadt contended that an effective president is successful in using ______.
"the power to persuade"
Reapportionment takes place every _____ years following a census.
10
At present there are _____ standing committees in the House of Representatives.
20
Today, in the grip of partisan deadlock, congressional approval ratings are about ______ percent
20
The president appoints approximately how many ambassadors?
200
In order to be a member of the House of Representatives, a person must be ______ years of age.
25
Which of the following are activities that typically take place in a party caucus?
Adopting a single policy message Developing issues
Economic problems usually affect the public's confidence in ______.
American presidents
To end a filibuster, sixty senators must agree to invoke _____ and the debate.
Cloture
If the president chooses to veto a bill, ______.
Congress can override the veto by a two-thirds vote in each chamber
True or false: It is more common for House incumbents than Senate incumbents to face challengers in the form of prominent local politicians.
False
If the majority of the members of the House of Representatives are Republican, then every committee and subcommittees in the House will _____.
Have a majority of Republican members
Why was President Hoover slow to respond to the Great Depression?
He claimed he lacked the constitutional authority to take strong action.
The difference between amendments that can be offered to a bill under consideration in the House and Senate is that in the _____.
House, amendments must directly relate to a bill's contents
Donors are more willing to make campaign contributions to
Incumbents
When a bill falls into the area in which a committee is authorized to act, that committee is said to have _____.
Jurisdiction
How has the importance of local issues changed in Congress as party polarization has taken hold?
Local issues are less important.
Which of the following positions in the Senate schedules debates on legislation?
Majority leader
The framers of the Constitution granted Congress the power to _____, the greatest of all powers of government.
Make laws
The Executive Office of the President includes which of the following components?
National Economic Council Office of Management and Budget White House Office National Security Council
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.
The partisan divide in Congress has grown in recent years, to the point where each party has a high level of ______, which is when party members band together on legislation and oppose the other party.
Party unity
Which cabinet member can be described as a close advisor to the president in most administrations?
Secretary of State
What happened in the 1830s that helped to strengthen the power of voters as well as the presidency itself?
States decided to award their electoral votes to the winner of the state's popular vote.
Which of the following descriptions of the U.S. presidency are true?
The degree of leadership the president can exert largely depends on circumstances. The formal powers of the presidency are modest. It operates in a system of divided powers.
How much control does the president actually have in managing the national economy?
The president has limited control over the national economy but can set some economic priorities.
The text uses the immigration issue as an example of a national issue on which Republican and Democratic lawmakers cannot agree. What is the sticking point?
The two parties have different solutions to the same problem.
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.
True or false: After clearing the committee stage, floor debate on a bill is usually led by the majority party's leadership in the House.
True
True or false: The fact that presidential candidates are now chosen by voters in primary elections has enhanced the authority of the president who is ultimately elected.
True
Members of the House of Representatives typically serve on _____ committees, while members of the Senate serve on _____.
Two, four
A procedural move in which a member or members of the Senate speak for an unlimited amount of time on the Senate floor in order to prevent a vote on a bill is known as ______.
a filibuster
Partisan divisions have become more ______ as a result of party polarization.
acute
In Congress, disagreement over national policy usually occurs ______.
along partisan divisions
In the Whig theory of leadership, the president serves mainly as ______.
an administrator of the will of Congress
If congressional representatives find themselves having to choose between angering voters and donors or angering party leadership by refusing to go along with a vote, which will they likely choose?
angering leadership by voting the way their donors and voters want them to
In his role as chief diplomat, the president ______.
appoints ambassadors negotiates treaties with other nations
In his role as chief diplomat, the president ______. Multiple select question.
appoints ambassadors negotiates treaties with other nations
The percentage of survey respondents who say that they support the work the president is doing is known as the president's ______ rating.
approval
A(n) _____ is a proposed legislative act that if passed by both chambers of Congress and signed by the president becomes law.
bill
To plan strategy and resolve policy issues, party members in Congress typically meet behind closed doors in a session called a party _____.
caucus
Which of the following is not a direct power of the committee chair?
changes party affiliation at will
Members of Congress usually serve on congressional committees that concentrate on policy areas that affect the members' ______.
constituency
Members of Congress are attentive to the concerns of constituents because constituents ______.
determine whether or not they stay in office
The scenario in which the president belongs to one political party while the opposition party has majority control of at least one chamber of Congress is known as ______.
divided government
Which of the following could be considered personal misconduct that might lead to a congressional incumbent losing a bid for reelection?
engaging in bribery being involved in a sex scandal
The president's ______ power includes the responsibility to faithfully execute the laws of the nation and to appoint major administrators.
executive
In general, presidents have more power to act on their own in which policy area?
foreign policy
Article I of the Constitution lists the powers of Congress and Article II lists the powers of the presidency. Compared to Article I, the wording of Article II is more ______.
general
The redrawing of congressional boundaries to benefit a political party is called _____.
gerrymandering
The redrawing of congressional boundaries to benefit a political party is called ______.
gerrymandering
Since the 1790s, the power of the presidency has evolved owing to the ______.
increased involvement of the presidency in a range of policy areas
As a result of the increased level of party polarization in the United States, which candidates face the greatest risk of losing a primary election?
incumbent moderates
The purpose of pork barrel projects is to show constituents that their representative
is actively working for them in Congress
Which function is the main responsibility of Congress, to which all other functions of Congress are related?
lawmaking
In the House, both the full committee and a subcommittee may ______, or propose changes to, a bill.
mark up
When major disruptive issues occur, incumbents are ______.
more likely to lose
Presidents can use their authority as _____ to work with their allies in Congress.
party leader
Which of the following are common threats to incumbency?
personal misconduct strong challengers disruptive issues
Going into the 2018 election, the Democratic Party was able to field an unusually strong set of candidates because ______.
polls showed that voters were trending toward the Democrats
When foreign countries look to the United States for leadership, they direct their attention to the ______.
president
The process of determining how many House seats each state is allowed as a result of population change since the last census is known as ______.
reapportionment
Redistricting consists of _____.
redrawing congressional district boundaries within a state
Political scientist John Hibbing advises that the "first thing to being reelected is to stay away from ______."
scandal
The Speaker of the House has the right to do which of the following?
select the chairperson of the House Rules Committee choose who may speak on the House floor speak first during House debate on legislation
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.
Incumbents have ______ over challengers.
substantial advantages
Which of these communication strategies have presidents used to promote their agenda to the general public?
televised press conferences posts on social media "fireside chats" on the radio
Who helps the Speaker set the party's legislative agenda in the House?
the majority leader
Members of the president's party in Congress have a stake in the president's success because ______.
their ability to win reelection can depend on it
The scenario in which the president belongs to the same political party that controls the House and Senate is called ______.
unified government
Candidates challenging an incumbent in a House election _____ fall short of their fundraising needs.
usually
In terms of their careers, most members of Congress _____.
want to stay in Congress and put themselves in position for reelection
Which of the following are duties of the Secretary of State?
protecting U.S. citizens abroad overseeing the diplomatic corps participating in international conferences providing advice to the president on foreign policy
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
True or False: The Senate majority leader's position is more powerful than that of the House Speaker.
False
True or false: An executive agreement made by the president with another country has the same force of law as a formal treaty and cannot be rescinded.
False
True or false: Members of Congress are often willing to vote in ways that put their reelection at risk
False
______ typically benefit from gerrymandering because the majority party ensures that there are enough of the party's voters in the district to guarantee their election.
Incumbents
Which of the following correctly describes the role of the cabinet in the modern presidency?
It is made up of the heads of the executive departments. Members are important figures in an administration. Members are selected by the president, subject to Senate confirmation.
What shift brought the president to a more central role in the legislative process?
National and international forces combined to place greater policy demands on the federal government.
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
For which of the following reasons is the president better suited to oversee government activity and develop comprehensive public policy?
The president is able to direct the actions of federal agencies. Final authority rests with a single individual.
Which of the following statements about midterm elections are generally true?
Voter turnout is lower than for presidential elections. There is less media coverage of candidates and issues than in a presidential election. The president's party usually loses seats.
Members of Congress may experience conflict between their lawmaking responsibility and their responsibility to represent their constituency when ______.
a policy that is good for the nation as a whole does not coincide with the needs of their constituency
There are more than 2,000 full-time presidential appointees. How many of those are subject to Senate confirmation?
about a third
A key to understanding the power of the presidency is a recognition that presidential power ______.
depends on the occupant of the office
The duties of each vice president are ______.
determined by the particular president with whom he or she serves
Over the course of American history, the powers of the president have ______ from those envisioned by the founding fathers.
expanded
Which of the following problems is most likely to jeopardize an incumbent's chances of reelection?
getting caught in a scandal
Which of the following are the functions of Congress?
lawmaking oversight representation
An example of Congress's ______ occurs when Congress passes legislation that creates incentives for the development of alternative energy sources.
lawmaking function
What has been one result of the decreasing number of moderates in Congress?
legislative deadlock
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
In Insecure Majorities, Frances Lee noted that, in the currently closely matched parties, members of Congress are engaged in "______" rather than "governing."
messaging
The House and the Senate each elect ______ to direct their party's efforts in the chamber.
party leaders
The interdependence of the president and members of the president's party in Congress has increased in recent decades because of ______.
party polarization
The increase in party polarization in Congress has led to increased ______.
policy deadlock
The importance of an advertising style of governing emerged when candidates began to build their campaigns around which three of the following?
polling the media rallies
Going into the 2018 election, the Democratic Party was able to field an unusually strong set of candidates because
polls showed that voters were trending toward the Democrats
In terms of the budget to hire office staff, ______.
senators receive varying amounts of money, depending on the population of their state House members receive identical amounts of money
Choosing committee chairs based on which member has the longest continuous tenure on a standing committee is an example of the _____ system.
seniority
Members of Congress cannot claim to be the leader of the United States because they ______.
share power with other members of Congress are elected from different areas and not nationally
Presidents have more power in foreign policy making in part because ______.
they have more access to relevant information than Congress does
Hearings are an affective way for committees to _____.
gather information
A limit of ______ exists for how long a Republican member can chair a particular committee.
six years
Match each of the president's roles under Article II of the Constitution to its description.
Chief executive - the president makes sure that the laws are faithfully executed Commander in chief - the president is the head of all branches of the military Chief diplomat - the president appoints ambassadors to other countries and receives ambassadors from other countries Chief legislator - the president recommends measures to Congress and informs Congress about the state of the union
Match two types of actions presidents can take on their own with their descriptions.
Executive order - a directive that implements or interprets a law passed by congress Executive agreement - formal agreements made with foreign nations that are legally binding
True or false: Members of Congress are often willing to vote in ways that put their reelection at risk.
False
True or false: The president's personal advisers are subject to Senate confirmation.
False
Which two of the following are aspects of the dual nature of congress?
Its members have a duty to serve people in their states or individual districts It has the responsibility to make laws for the country as a whole
Which two of the following executive orders exceeded the president's authority?
President Trump's initial order banning entry of foreign nationals from seven Muslim countries President Obama's order granting temporary deportation relief to 4 million undocumented immigrants
Which of the following statements are true of bills that are killed in committee?
Some bills are not supported by the members who introduced them. They can be brought back to life by a vote of the full House or Senate. Most are poorly conceived or of little interest to anyone.
Many 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
Presidents encounter trouble when their executive orders ______.
go beyond the limits of the law
Which of the following strongly and positively affects a congressional candidate's ability win an election?
Being an incumbent
True or false: Today, nearly every foreign policy initiative originates with Congress.
False
True or false: The president's ability to command attention via the bully pulpit guarantees that the desired policy objectives will be achieved.
False
Among presidents remembered for rising to challenges (benefiting from circumstance) while in office are ______.
Franklin Roosevelt Lyndon Johnson Ronald Reagan
Which of the following circumstances help to create a powerful president?
a major national problem a decisive election victory
More than half of post-World War II presidents have left office with an approval rating of ______.
less than 50 percent
What is a distributive policy?
one that confers a benefit on a particular group while spreading the cost across the taxpaying public
According to the stewardship theory of the U.S. presidency, ______.
presidents are free to take any action as long as it is not against the law
Presidents are most able to get Congress to pass policy initiatives when ______.
their party controls both houses of Congress
