POLIT CH-11

25. As of 2012, the salary for a rank-and-file member of Congress was ______________. a. $174,000 b. $215,000 c. $198,000 d. $147,000 e. $98,000

a. $174,000

10. In ______, Congress passed an act that required all states to send representatives to Congress from single-member districts. a. 1842 b. 1852 c. 1862 d. 1872 e. 1882

a. 1842

16. __________ occurs when a legislative district's boundaries are drawn to maximize the influence of a certain group or political party. a. Gerrymandering b. Apportionment c. Reapportionment d. Redistricting e. Malapportionment

a. Gerrymandering

39. The House __________ Committee normally proposes time limits on debate for any bill. a. Rules b. Judiciary c. Oversight and Government Reform d. Administration e. Standards of Official Conduct

a. Rules

49. Typically, in the House the ____________ plays a major role in the scheduling process for bills. a. Rules committee b. conference committee c. special committee d. standing committee e. select

a. Rules committee

45. As soon as a bill is introduced in either the House or the Senate, it is sent to the a. appropriate standing committee. b. Rules Committee. c. conference committee. d. floor of the chamber. e. president of the United States for review.

a. appropriate standing committee

59. When Congress is unable to pass a complete budget by the beginning of the fiscal year, it usually passes __________, which enable the executive agencies to keep on doing whatever they were doing the previous year with the same amount of funding. a. continuing resolutions b. second budget resolutions c. tax increases d. first budget resolutions e. outlays and obligations bills

a. continuing resolutions

5. The framers of the Constitution a. designed the House of Representatives to represent the people. b. agreed that the executive should be, as James Madison said, the "first branch of the government." c. designed the House of Representatives to represent the states. d. designed the Senate to represent the people. e. agreed that the judiciary should be, as James Madison said, the "first branch of the government."

a. designed the House of Representatives to represent the people.

48. When a congressional subcommittee completes its work on a bill, the bill goes to the a. full standing committee. b. Rules Committee. c. conference committee. d. floor of the chamber e. president of the United States

a. full standing committee

41. The Senate a. has the power of "advice and consent" on presidential appointments and treaties. b. may impeach federal officials. c. originates bills for raising revenues. d. provides less opportunity for prestige and media attention than the House. e. ended the practice of unlimited debate in 1811

a. has the power of "advice and consent" on presidential appointments and treaties.

54. The Congressional Budget Office a. offers a scoring system that rates the impact of proposed legislation on the federal budget. b. may veto legislation that adversely affects the national deficit. c. is an important player in the impeachment process. d. is answerable to the president and supervises congressional spending. e. prepares opinions, reports, and assessments on a broad range of issues

a. offers a scoring system that rates the impact of proposed legislation on the federal budget.

7. Each state is guaranteed at least __________ seat(s) in the House of Representatives, no matter what its population a. one b. two c. three d. four e. five

a. one

19. Sophisticated computer programs allow states to draw district lines to concentrate one party's strength and dilute the opposing party's strength. This process is known as _____________. a. packing and cracking b. reapportionment c. racial gerrymandering d. minority-majority districting e. malapportionment

a. packing and cracking

47. When a committee chairperson sets a bill aside to ignore it rather than assign it to a subcommittee, the bill has been ____________. a. pigeonholed b. vetoed c. marked up d. reported e. referred

a. pigeonholed

53. A ___________ occurs when the president does nothing and Congress adjourns before the ten-day period expires. a. pocket veto b. regular veto c. lame duck veto d. overriding veto e. pigeonhole veto

a. pocket veto

34. The __________ is ordinarily the member of the majority party with the longest continuous term of service in the Senate. a. president pro tempore ("pro tem") b. Speaker c. president of the Senate d. majority leader e. majority whip

a. president pro tempore ("pro tem")

22. The U.S. Constitution requires that members of the House of Representatives be elected every a. second year by popular vote. b. six years by popular vote. c. second year by state legislatures. d. year. e. third year by the electoral college.

a. second year by popular vote

38. The House Homeland Security Committee is an example of a __________ committee in Congress. a. standing b. joint c. conference d. special e. select

a. standing

21. A representative who acts as a(n)__________is one who tries to serve the broad interests of the entire society. a. trustee b. instructed delegate c. partisan d. politico e. party member

a. trustee

3. If one party can elect _____ or more U.S. Senators, assuming they all follow the party line and vote as a bloc, they can force through any legislation they want. a. 60 b. 50 c. 51 d. 67 e. 100

a.60

23. Which of the following is a qualification to become a member of the House of Representatives? a. A person must be at least thirty years of age. b. A person must be at least twenty-five years of age. c. A person must be a natural born citizen of the United States. d. A person must have been a citizen of the United States for at least nine years prior to his or her election. e. A person must be a Democrat or a Republican.

b. A person must be at least twenty-five years of age

43. __________ is a method for closing debate and bringing the matter under consideration to a vote in the Senate. a. The senatorial hold b. Cloture c. "Advice and consent" d. "Unanimous consent" e. Authorization

b. Cloture

29. The presiding officer in the House of Representatives is the a. majority whip. b. Speaker of the House. c. majority leader. d. president pro tempore. e. Clerk of the House

b. Speaker of the House.

32. In Congress, whips a. are responsible for preventing action on bills by engaging in filibusters. b. assist the majority or minority leader in the House or in the Senate in managing the party's legislative program. c. exercise the power of "advice and consent" in the House of Representatives. d. must sign the petitions requesting cloture. e. are the only members who can place a "hold" on a particular bill

b. assist the majority or minority leader in the House or in the Senate in managing the party's legislative program

24. To be elected to the Senate, a person must be a. at least twenty-five years of age b. at least thirty years of age and must have been a citizen of the United States for at least nine years prior to his or her election. c. at least thirty years of age and a natural born citizen of the United States. d. a natural born citizen of the United States and a legal resident of the state from which he or she is to be elected. e. at least thirty-five years of age and a legal resident of the state from which he or she is to be elected.

b. at least thirty years of age and must have been a citizen of the United States for at least nine years prior to his or her election.

56. The first part of the congressional budgeting process, involving the creation of the legal basis for government programs, is called a. the franking privilege. b. authorization. c. apportionment. d. appropriation. e. cloture.

b. authorization.

50. The Senate brings a bill to the floor a. after the Rules Committee specifies the amount of time to be spent on debate. b. by "unanimous consent." c. after the Speaker of the House has agreed to all amendments. d. after the Rules Committee specifies whether amendments can be made by a floor vote. e. before the standing committees hold markup sessions.

b. by "unanimous consent."

13. Malapportionment is a condition in which the voting power of __________in one legislative district is greater than the voting power of __________in another legislative district. a. minority groups; the white majority b. citizens; citizens c. women; men d. Republicans; Democrats e. liberals; conservatives

b. citizens; citizens

20. A representative who acts as an instructed delegate a. conveys the views of his or her political party when casting votes. b. deliberately mirrors the views of the majority of his or her constituents. c. actively seeks to faithfully follow a political philosophy or ideology. d. has been heavily influenced by the lobbying of interest groups. e. is a newly elected member of Congress, who has recently been tutored in parliamentary procedure

b. deliberately mirrors the views of the majority of his or her constituents

60. Formally, an item of pork barrel spending is known as a(n) ______________. a. sow's ear b. earmark c. special project d. appropriation e. authorization

b. earmark

27. A "new" Congress convenes a. every year. b. in January of every odd-numbered year. c. in November of every odd-numbered year. d. if fewer than 90 percent of House incumbents are reelected. e. if fewer than 85 percent of Senate incumbents are reelected.

b. in January of every odd-numbered year.

40. The House of Representatives a. may convict federal officials of impeachable offenses. b. originates bills for raising revenues. c. has fewer rules and restrictions than the Senate. d. allows members to place holds on nominees for executive or judicial positions. e. normally permits extended debate on all issues that arise before it

b. originates bills for raising revenues.

58. The __________ resolution, which sets "binding" limits on taxes and spending, is supposed to be passed in September. a. first budget b. second budget c. continuing d. entitlement e. earmark

b. second budget

57. The president submits a proposed federal budget for the next fiscal year beginning on October 1 _____________. a. in September b. in June c. about eighteen months prior to October 1 d. in January e. in October of the previous year

c. about eighteen months prior to October 1

26. Every two years, ________ of the House of Representatives and ________ of the Senate are up for reelection. a. half; all b. all; half c. all; one-third d. all; all e. one-third; half

c. all; one-third

30. Under the House rules, a vote that results in a tie a. automatically passes a bill. b. sends a bill to the vice president for action. c. automatically defeats a bill. d. sends a bill to the Senate for a vote. e. must be taken again

c. automatically defeats a bill.

15. The "one person, one vote" rule that emerged from the Supreme Court's decision in Wesberry v. Sanders (1964) means that a. everyone has the right to cast one vote in presidential elections. b. all votes will be counted. c. congressional districts must have equal populations so that one person's vote counts as much as another's vote. d. voters must cast one vote for president and one vote for vice president. e. the number of electoral votes each state has will be determined by each state's population.

c. congressional districts must have equal populations so that one person's vote counts as much as another's vote.

28. Leadership and organization in both chambers of Congress are based on a. provisions in Article II of the Constitution. b. rules established by the federal judiciary. c. membership in the two major political parties. d. party control of the White House. e. the "one person, one vote" rule

c. membership in the two major political parties.

35. In the Senate, the __________ leads the opposition to the majority party's policies. a. vice president b. minority whip c. minority leader d. president pro tempore e. Speaker pro tempore

c. minority leader

14. To ensure equal representation in the House, congressional districts in a given state must contain, as nearly as possible, equal numbers of a. men and women. b. Republicans and Democrats. c. people. d. cities and rural areas. e. liberals and conservatives

c. people

33. The Constitution makes the vice president of the United States the a. president pro tempore of the Senate. b. Speaker of the House. c. president of the Senate. d. presiding officer of the House. e. majority leader of the Senate

c. president of the Senate.

52. The president has __________ to decide whether to sign a bill or veto it. a. twenty-four hours b. seven days c. ten days d. one month e. one year

c. ten days

44. Most bills are proposed by a. the House of Representatives. b. the Senate. c. the executive branch. d. citizens. e. lobbying groups

c. the executive branch.

6. Every ten years, seats in the House of Representatives are reapportioned based on a. the outcome of the previous off-year elections. b. the results of the two most recent presidential elections. c. the outcome of the decennial census conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. d. calculations of political party strength made by the Center for Responsive Politics. e. the assignment of electors to each state made by the electoral college.

c. the outcome of the decennial census conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau.

4. A congress consisting of two chambers is called a(n) ______________. a. separation of powers b. apportioned assembly c. bicameral legislature d. divided government e. bipartisan congress

c.bicameral government

2. The number of Senate votes required to force an end to a filibuster is a. fifty. b. fifty-one. c. sixty. d. sixty-seven. e. one hundred

c.sixty

17. Gerrymandering was evident following the 2010 census. District lines were drawn to a. "stack" the opposing party's voters into the smallest numbers of districts or "store" the opposing party's voters in several different states. b. "credit" the opposing party's voters with a small number of districts, while "banking" a large number of districts in the account of the majority party. c. accept the "pain" of losing most congressional districts to the opposing party while hoping to "gain" most of them back in the next election. d. "pack" the opposing party's voters into the smallest numbers of districts or "crack" the opposing party's voters into several different districts. e. "sack" the opposing party's voters while preventing a "fumble" of voters who are loyal to the majority party

d. "pack" the opposing party's voters into the smallest numbers of districts or "crack" the opposing party's voters into several different districts.

1. Who stated that supermajorities could reverse "the fundamental principles of government"? a. George Washington b. Thomas Jefferson c. John Adams d. James Madison e. Alexander Hamilton

d. James Madison

9. Puerto Rico, a self-governing possession of the United States, is represented in Congress by _______________. a. two voting senators b. two nonvoting senators c. one voting member of the House of Representatives d. a nonvoting resident commissioner e. three nonvitng delegates to the House of Representatives

d. a nonvoting resident commissioner

42. The use of unlimited debate in the Senate to obstruct legislation is called a. "advice and consent." b. cloture. c. gerrymandering d. filibustering. e. pigeonholing

d. filibustering

18. A__________ congressional district is one in which minority groups make up a majority of the population a. single-member b. "stacked" c. multi-member d. minority-majority e. "salamander"

d. minority-majority

8. The District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands all send __________ to the House of Representatives. a. one representative b. two representatives c. three voting commissioners d. nonvoting delegates e. resident commissioners

d. nonvoting delegates

51. To be submitted to the President for approval or veto, a bill must be a. voted on electronically in the Senate. b. formally introduced in Congress by the president. c. pigeonholed. d. passed in identical form by both the House and the Senate. e. signed by the president

d. passed in identical form by both the House and the Senate.

31. All of the following are primary duties of the House Majority Leader EXCEPT a. plan the party's legislative program. b. organize other party members to support legislation favored by the party. c. make sure chairpersons of committees finish work important to the party. d. preside over sessions of the House, recognizing and ignoring members who wish to speak. e. makes speeches on important bills, stating the party's position

d. preside over sessions of the House, recognizing and ignoring members who wish to speak.

36. The permanent and most powerful committees of Congress are called __________ committees. a. select b. joint c. conference d. standing e. special

d. standing

37. A __________ is a division of a larger committee that deals with a particular part of a policy area. a. select committee b. standing committee c. conference committee d. subcommittee e. special committee

d. subcommittee

12. U.S. congressional districts on average now have about__________ people. a. 95,000 b. 140,000 c. 335,000 d. 515,000 e. 730,000

e. 730,000

46. Standing committees and their subcommittees hold markup sessions to a. pigeonhole a bill. b. determine the time limit on debate. c. determine who will become the committee chairperson. d. decide if a bill should be introduced. e. approve, amend, or redraft a bill.

e. approve, amend, or redraft a bill

55. The Senate a. voted to impeach Richard Nixon. b. convicted Bill Clinton of impeachable offenses by a two-thirds vote. c. tries officials who have been impeached in the House of Representatives. d. convicted Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase of impeachable offenses in the 1800s. e. impeached Andrew Johnson in 1868.

e. impeached Andrew Johnson in 1868.

11. If a state has thirty-two congressional districts, it sends __________ representatives to the House. a. two b. eight c. sixteen d. eighteen e. thirty-two

e. thirty-two