PLS Ch 5
Rank the House leadership by level of power, starting with the most powerful.
1) Speaker of the House 2) House majority leader 3) majority whip
match each committee to the profile of the district whose representative would want a seat on it
Agriculture Committee: KS01, a district with farms and ranches Armed Services Committee:CO-05, a district with multiple military installations Financial Services Committee:NY-12, a district that is home to several prominent banks
who is allowed to introduce a bill on military policy in the Senate, and who is not allowed?
Can introduce Bills in the Senate: any senator Cannot introduce Bills in the Senate - the secretary of defense - the president - any member of the house
If you are a new member in Congress and are undecided on how to vote on a particular bill, what could your party leadership do to sway your vote?
Correct Answer: - offer you a more favorable committee assignment - offer access to leadership PAC funds - take away your access to speak on the floor Incorrect answers: - threaten to remove you from office
You are a new member of the House of representatives, wishing to speak out in favor of a bill on student loans. What would need to happen next for you to be able to do so?
Correct Answers" - you get recognized by the Speaker of the House - You get designated time by the bill's sponsor Incorrect Answers: - nothing - your district does not have any major universities in it and thus is less affected by the legislation - noting - you may speak at any time
why do lobbyists pay more attention to activity in congressional committee than activity on the floor of Congress?
Correct Answers: - It is harder to shape legislative language on the floor than in committee - blocking legislation is easier in committee than on the floor - behavior on the floor is more visible than behavior in committee Incorrect Answers: - Members of Congress require bigger donations to change their voting behavior on the floor
The rate at which incumbents are reelected has changed over time and also depends on whether the incumbent is in the House or the Senate. Which statements accurately characterized these trends?
Correct Answers: - house incumbents are typically reelected at higher rates than senate incumbents - house reelection rates have smaller year-to- year swings than Senate reelection rates Incorrect Answers: - years that have lower senate reelection rates are also years of lower house reelection rates - the senate's reelection rate has not changed much since 1980
What are some reasons that members of Congress have an electoral advantage over their challengers?
Correct Answers: - incumbents can sponsor legislation that brings federal projects to the districts - committees help incumbents develop a track record of accomplishments - incumbents can perform constituency service Incorrect answers: - voters naturally support the incumbent's policy positions - incumbents spend more time in Washington, D.C, and less time at home than challengers do
You work with an interest group that represents small business owners, and a bill is coming through in Congress that you think will hurt your members. What effective strategies could you use to kill the bill?
Correct Answers: - provide information to members of Congress about how this bill will hurt the small businesses in their districts - urge the small business owners in your group to contact their members of Congress - work with the congressional committee to change the provisions affecting small businesses Incorrect Answers: - promise to give campaign contributions to members who vote against the bill
Which of the following are true about a bill's future once it is sent to the president?
Correct Answers: - the bill can automatically become law after 10 days - the president can veto the bill - congress can override a veto - the president can sign it into law Incorrect answers: - the president gets the final word on whether a bill will become law - the supreme court can force the president to implement the law
what roles do parties serve in Congress?
Correct answer: - they encourage cooperation among diverse coalitions - they provide a vehicle for contesting elections Incorrect answers: - they are the constitutional foundation of the committee system - the media typically overstates the importance of parties in Congress
How do party leaders attempt to influence their party's members?
Correct answer: -by offering campaign funds to the party's candidates - by controlling committee assignments for the party's members Incorrect answer: - by making members vote against their district interests - by making members sponsor particular legislation
which of the following presidents have been impeached?
Correct answers: - Bill Clinton - Andrew Johnson Incorrect answers: - lyndon johnson -james garfiled - grover cleveland - richard nixon
Which of the following are examples of logrolling?
Correct answers: - a representative from a coastal district supports an education bill in exchange for support on a fishing bill - a representative from an agricultural district supports a tobacco bill in exchange for future support on dairy priced supports Incorrect answers: - a representative from a banking district supports a financial regulation bill because it is popular with her constituents - a representative from an urban district votes with party leadership on a tax bill
Which of the following statements about Congress's oversight are accurate?
Correct answers: - active congressional oversight helps reduce problems in government - congressional committees may investigate a program and choose to eliminate it Incorrect answers: - Committees can compel testimony from witnesses, but they do not have the power to bring criminal charges for contempt - most investigations are concerned with a specific bill
In which of the following stages can a bill die?
Correct answers: - conference committee - senate floor - house committee - president's desk Incorrect answers: none
Which of the following statements about what congressional staff do are accurate?
Correct answers: - congressional staff organize hearings - congressional staff negotiate with lobbyists - congressional staff help draft legislation - congressional staff develop policy proposals Incorrect answers: - congressional staff vote for a member by proxy
Which of the following statements about campaign finance and the incumbency advantage are accurate?
Correct answers: - incumbents are often able to scare off potential challengers with their fund-raising - incumbents are typically able to outspend challengers in the campaign Incorrect answers: - challengers are often able to overcome the fund-raising gap - campaign finance regulations are beginning to level the playing field
Which of the following statements are accurate about the demographics of the 115th Congress?
Correct answers: - more members are protestant than any other religion - there are more white members of Congress than nonwhite members - most members have at least a college degree Incorrect answer: - there are more women than men
Which of the following statements about the committee system are accurate?
Correct answers: - most bills referred to committee are never sent to the full chamber - Standing committees have clear jurisdictional boundaries Incorrect answers: - standing committees must be renews each legislative session - each standing committee is representative of the overall chamber's interests
How might members of the House of Representatives satisfy their political ambitions?
Correct answers: - running for senate - running for governor - rising in the party's leadership Incorrect answers: - running for the state legislature
Which of the following statements are accurate?
Correct answers: - since George W. Bush's presidency, partisan and ideological divisions in the Senate have grown - for most of the 20th century, the House had more partisan and ideological divisions than the Senate Incorrect answers: - over the previous 20 years, the constituencies within House districts have grown more diverse
what is the name for the party groups in congress?
Correct answers: - the democratic group members is called a party caucus - the republican group of members is called a party conference Incorrect answers: vice versa of correct
why is party unity voting in the house typically higher than party unity voting in the Senate?
Correct answers: - the house party leadership has control over access to the floor , but Senate party leadership does not - Senate party leadership does not have as much influence over its members as does House leadership Incorrect Answers: - house leadership PACs are far more powerful than Senate leadership PACs - Senators have an obligation to be more bipartisan than House members
which statements about the power to provide "advice and consent" are accurate?
Correct answers: - the rejection rate is lower when the same party controls the Senate and the White House - the senate rarely rejects the president's treaties and appointments Incorrect answers: - the rejection rate is higher when the same party controls the Senate and White House - the senate regularly rejects the president's treaties and appointments
A republican member of Congress in a heavily Republican district does not need to worry about the effect that policy choices have on his or her reelection.
False
The primary job of a party whip is to discipline members who vote against the party.
False
The senate majority leader has more control over the legislative process than the Speaker of the House does.
False
When a bill emerges from conference committee, it is sent immediately to the president for signing.
False
Which of the following statements about the committee deliberation on a bill is accurate?
Full committees are free to use or ignore the subcommittee's recommendations on the bill
Contrast the toles that the House and Senate play in the impeachment and conviction process by matching the chamber to its action(s)
House- initiates the impeachment process Senate- votes, requiring a two-thirds majority Senate- convicts or acquits the individual charged House- votes, requiring a simple majority
Which of the following statements about party unity is true?
Part unity is high today because of shared ideological beliefs within each party
The framers structures the two houses of Congress differently so that they would serve different purposes. Label the following characteristics as belonging to either the house or the senate.
Senate- is insulated from electoral pressures senate- is more deliberative body house- is "close to the people" House- develops "money bills"
Difference between senate and house
Senate: - members face reelection less often - members are elected to six-year terms House of Representatives: - members represent more uniform constituencies - members represent smaller constituencies
What is the biggest reason that the Senate has typically been less divided than the House?
Senators represent more diverse constituencies than House members
How is the Speaker of the House formally selected?
The Speaker is selected by a vote of the whole House
Which of the following is true about the majority leader in the House of Representatives?
The majority leader is subordinate to the Speaker of the House
congress has upheld different standards for what constitutes "high crimes and misdemeanors"
True
[A] are often used by presidents as an alternative to treaties, which require Senate approval. Presidents are compelled by the Case Act to inform Congress within [B] of the action.
[A] Executive agreements [B] sixty days
[A] people pay attention to Congress, while members of Congress typically [B] worry about constituent support for policies.
[A] few [B] do
After a bill is passed out of committee in the [A], it goes to the Rules committee, which decides the rules for how the bill will be considered on the floor. Typically, a bill's opponents would prefer that the bill a (n) [B] rule.
[A] house [B] open
After the 2016 and 2018 elections, the number minority-group members of the House has [A]. At the same time, the growing number of majority-minority districts means the proportions of minority voters in other districts have [B].
[A] increased [B] decreased
The process of apportionment occurs every [A] years and may grant additional seats in the [B] to those states with [C].
[A] ten [B] House of Representatives [C] population growth
In the Senate, debate over a bill is [A] in most cases. Debate can be stopped by invoking [B] cloture, which requires a vote by at least [C] senators.
[A] unlimited [B] cloture [C] 60
Most programs are subject to oversight at least once every [A], often during hearings on [B].
[A] year [B] appropriations
In general, members of the U.S House seek committee assignments that will do which of the following?
allow them to influence decisions that are of special importance to voters in their districts
When a member of congress believes she has been selected to do the bidding of her electorate, she is acing as which of the following?
delegate
What is a senator or representative running for reelection called?
incumbent
When the house and senate pass different versions of the same bill, what happens next in the legislative process?
the bill goes to conference committee
Imagine that Congress passes a controversial bill five days before it adjourns its session. The president has quietly stated opposition to the bill and would prefer that the issue go away. What is the most likely outcome?
the president takes no action, and the bill dies
To whom are members of congress primarily responsible?
their constituency
Different models of representation lead members of Congress is acting like a trustee or a delegate.
trustee- voted to change Medicare coverage despite opposition from her constituents trustee- voted to support foreign trade deals that help manufacturing on general but devastate jobs on her district delegate- voted to increase pollution controls that she disagrees with because of the preferences of her constituents