Govt Chapt 12 Questions

Front 1

1. Where does the power to declare war reside?

Back 1

The House and Senate collectively

Front 2

2. In the congressional setting, what does franking refer to?

Back 2

Members' right to send mail free of charge

Front 3

3. What is the House Judiciary Committee?

Back 3

a standing committee

Front 4

4. Which of the following is another name for informal deal making between members?

Back 4

Logrolling

Front 5

5. Which of the following characterizes trustee behavior?

Back 5

Following the view he or she thinks is correct

Front 6

6. Any two-house legislature is also referred to as

Back 6

bicameral.

Front 7

7. Under the Constitution, senators serve a __________ year term.

Back 7

6

Front 8

8. State legislatures lost their control over the selection of senators through the __________ Amendment in 1913, which provides for the direct election of senators.

Back 8

17th

Front 9

9. Under the Constitution, members of the House of Representatives are directly elected for a __________ year term.

Back 9

2

Front 10

10. The formal and enumerated powers of Congress are found in

Back 10

Article I, section 8.

Front 11

11. The most important power that Congress has is the power to

Back 11

make laws

Front 12

12. Lawmaking powers are exercised by

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A. the president.

B. bureaucrats.

C. Congress.

D. all of the above.

Front 13

13. The Congress has managed to increase the scope of its enumerated powers through the interpretation of the

Back 13

necessary and proper clause.

Front 14

14. The House of Representatives has the sole power to

Back 14

. initiate revenue bills.

Front 15

15. Throughout history, the House of Representatives has impeached how many presidents?

Back 15

2

Front 16

16. The Senate has the sole power to

Back 16

advise and consent on major presidential appointments

Front 17

17. In general, the House is/has __________ than the Senate.

Back 17

more centralized and formal

Front 18

18. The House of Representatives and the Senate combined have __________ members.

Back 18

535

Front 19

19. The average representative makes __________ of trips home per year.

Back 19

35

Front 20

20. The process of solving constituent's problems dealing with the bureaucracy is called

Back 20

casework

Front 21

21. The President performs his function as "symbol of the nation" when he:

Back 21

a. delivers his State of the Union Address.b. toasts foreign dignitaries.c. dedicates a National arts Center.d. all of the above.

Front 22

22. One of the three most important standing Committees in the House is the

Back 22

Ways and Means Committee

Front 23

23. Congressional STANDING COMMITTEES are formed to:

Back 23

hold hearings on bills and draft them.

Front 24

24. Congressional CONFERENCE COMMITTEES are formed to:

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reconcile differences between House and Senate versions of a bill.

Front 25

25. The presiding officer of the Senate is: (According to the Constitution)

Back 25

. the vice president of the United States.

Front 26

26. The term FILIBUSTER refers to:

Back 26

c. prolonged debate in the Senate to prevent passage of a bill.

Front 27

27. Age requirements for Senators and Representatives are

Back 27

30 and 25

Front 28

28. The reelection rate of incumbents in the House is around

Back 28

90%

Front 29

29. With gerrymandering, legislative districts are formed to benefit the majority parties in

Back 29

State legislatures.

Front 30

30. The functions of Congress include:

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a. representation and consensus-building.

b. lawmaking and policy clarification.

c. overseeing and legitimizing.

d. all of the above

Front 31

31. Baker v. Carr was the first of several court rulings leading to the conclusion that

Back 31

Federal courts have jurisdiction over malapportioned legislative districts

Front 32

32. Congressional oversight means:

Back 32

Congress supervises bureaucratic agencies.

Front 33

33. The age requirement for election to the House and Senate are

Back 33

greater for the Senate

Front 34

34. Leaders of the House include all but

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President pro temp

Front 35

35. Congressional district lines in each state are drawn by

Back 35

state legislature

Front 36

36. It is not one of the major functions of Congress to

Back 36

delegate authority to the states to draw district lines for the House seats

Front 37

37. A bill can be forced out of a House committee by

Back 37

discharge petition

Front 38

38. The Senate Committee responsible for legislation raising revenue is the

Back 38

Finance Committee

Front 39

39. In the House floor debate is

Back 39

limited by the Rules Committee

Front 40

40. Taxation and other bills to raise money must be

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b. introduced in the House

Front 41

41. Has a six year term of office

Back 41

senate only

Front 42

42. Has four year term of office

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neither house

Front 43

43. Has possibility of filibusters

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senate only

Front 44

44. The majority leader of the House

Back 44

acts as the chief supporter of the Speaker.

Front 45

45. One-third of the Senate is elected every

Back 45

2 years

Front 46

46. Until 1913, U.S. senators were selected by

Back 46

state legistlatures

Front 47

47. How many of the House seats are up for re-election every two years?

Back 47

all seats

Front 48

48. The top leadership in the U.S. Congress is selected by

Back 48

a. party vote in the legislature.

Front 49

49. Which is true about membership in Congress?

Back 49

Lawyers outnumber other occupations.

Front 50

50. The concept of logrolling refers to

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a congressman offering to support a bill now in return for support for another bill in the future

Front 51

51. Individual members of Congress are expected by their constituents to

Back 51

act as brokers between the needs of private citizens and the needs of the federal government.

Front 52

52. Among Congress's explicit powers is the power to

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Raise an army and navy.

Front 53

53. Which of the following has prime constitutional responsibility for foreign policy

Back 53

President

Front 54

54. The most important officer in the House is the

Back 54

speaker

Front 55

55. What is the tendency for sitting members of Congress to win reelection called?

Back 55

incumbency effect

Front 56

56. The redrawing of congressional districts is called

Back 56

redistricting

Front 57

57. The traditional weapon of obstruction and delay in the Senate is

Back 57

filibuster

Front 58

58. Which of the following was an important attempt by Congress to assert its authority in the field of foreign affairs?

Back 58

the war powers resolution of 1973

Front 59

59. When the vice president is absent and the Senate is in session, which Senate officer presides?

Back 59

the president pro tempore

Front 60

60. The Senate committee that investigated the Watergate affair in 1973 is an example of

Back 60

a select committee

Front 61

61. Public confidence in Congress is quite low; about 50% of the public believe Congress is doing a good job. What percent of people believe that their representative is doing a good job?

Back 61

65%

Front 62

62. The rate at which incumbents are reelected to the House of Representatives is __________%.

Back 62

97

Front 63

63. The first truly national legislature in the colonies was the

Back 63

the first continental congress

Front 64

64. The Articles of Confederation were ratified by the states in

Back 64

1781

Front 65

65. Under the Articles of Confederation, the legislative branch was unsuccessful because it had

Back 65

no independent source of income

Front 66

66. Which of the following characterizes delegate behavior?

Back 66

following the view of the district

Front 67

67. In the House of Representatives, the states with the most power are those

Back 67

that have the largest population.

Front 68

68. In Congress, a major reason for the use of committees is that they

Back 68

allow members of Congress to specialize in certain policy areas.

Front 69

69. Congressional oversight refers to

Back 69

Checking on the administration of congressional policy.

Front 70

70. According to the Constitution, which of the following can initiate bills dealing with taxes?

Back 70

any member of the house

Front 71

71. Powers of Congress that are explicitly stated in the Constitution are called

Back 71

Enumerated powers

Front 72

72. Congress's implied powers are based on the

Back 72

Necessary and proper clause.

Front 73

73. Presided over by the Speaker

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House only

Front 74

74. Bills are referred to standing committees

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both Houses

Front 75

75. Membership is affected by gerrymandering

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House only

Front 76

76. The real leadership power in the Senate rests in the hands of

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the majority leader of the Senate.

Front 77

77. The apportionment of committee seats in each house is determined by:

Back 77

the relative strength of the parties in each house.

Front 78

78. The committee that works out a compromise bill from different versions of a bill passed by the house and the Senate is:

Back 78

a conference committee.

Front 79

79. Since 1975, the Senate can shut off filibustering by a vote of:

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three-fifths of the full Senate.

Front 80

80. Getting money added to the budget for a new post office back home is an example of

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A pork barrel project.

Front 81

82. One of the advantages of being an incumbent is

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the franking privilege.

Front 82

83. In general, Congress is __________ than the rest of the United States.

Back 82

A. better educated

B. older and whiter

C. more male and richer

D. all of the above

Front 83

84. The Senate has often been referred to as the

Back 83

Millionaire's Club.

Front 84

85. The 106th Congress has a record number of minorities including __________ African Americans, __________ Hispanics, __________ Asians, and __________ Native Americans.

Back 84

36, 19, 6, 2

Front 85

86. The 107th Congress has __________ women in it.

Back 85

72

Front 86

87. The idea that elected representatives should listen to their constituents' opinions and then use their best judgment to make decisions is called behaving as a

Back 86

politico

Front 87

88. A new Congress is seated every __________ years.

Back 87

2

Front 88

89. The leader of the House of Representatives is called the

Back 88

speaker

Front 89

90. The only officer of House of Representatives specifically mentioned in the Constitution is the

Back 89

speaker of the house

Front 90

91. The current Speaker of the House is

Back 90

none of the above

Front 91

92. The most powerful Speaker of the House in since Joe Cannon was

Back 91

Newt Gingrich.

Front 92

93. The congressional leaders who do vote counts and line up members on partisan issues are called

Back 92

whips

Front 93

94. The presiding officer of the Senate who can vote only in the case of a tie is

Back 93

the vice president

Front 94

95. The Senate is usually presided over by

Back 94

junior members.

Front 95

96. The true leader of the Senate is the

Back 95

Majority Leader.

Front 96

97. Committees to which proposed bills are referred are called __________ committees.

Back 96

standing

Front 97

98. A committee that is established on a temporary basis is called a(n) __________ committee.

Back 97

ad hoc

Front 98

99. Committees are controlled by the

Back 98

majority party.

Front 99

100. The "traffic cop" of the House is also known as the

Back 99

Rules Committee.

Front 100

101. In the House, a bill receives a __________ that determines the date a bill will be discussed, the time allotted for discussion, and what types of amendments can be offered.

Back 100

rule

Front 101

102. The chair of a committee can prevent action on a bill, but the full House can force a bill to be reported to the floor through the use of a

Back 101

discharge petition.

Front 102

103. In the 107th Congress, the Senate has __________ committees and __________ subcommittees.

Back 102

16,68

Front 103

104. The average Senator serves on __________ committees.

Back 103

3 to 4

Front 104

105. The average House member serves on __________ standing committees.

Back 104

1

Front 105

106. Members of Congress often seek committee assignments based upon

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A. their own interests or expertise.B. party preference.C. opportunities for pork barrel legislation.D. all of the above.

Front 106

107. During the average congressional session, __________ bills are introduced.

Back 106

9000

Front 107

108. Of those bills introduced in Congress, __________ percent are enacted.

Back 107

5-10

Front 108

109. The first action on a bill takes place on/in

Back 108

committee

Front 109

110. The House can deliberate with only 100 members present or can expedite a bill by using a/the

Back 109

Committee of the Whole.

Front 110

111. A tactic by which a senator asks to be informed before a bill is brought to the floor that effectively stops it from floor consideration is called a

Back 110

hold

Front 111

112. Unlimited debate is allowed in the Senate and is called

Back 111

filibuster

Front 112

113. On issues of little interest to a legislator, they often trade votes, which is called

Back 112

logrolling

Front 113

114. When making decisions about complicated bills, legislators often look to a variety of sources for cues on how to vote, including

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A. constituents.B. their own personal beliefs.C. colleagues and party members.D. all of the above.

Front 114

115. Political Action Committees are a major source of congressional campaign funding. There are about __________ PACs organized by interest groups today.

Back 114

4,000

Front 115

116. Congressional review of the activities of an agency, department, or office is called

Back 115

oversight

Front 116

117. Congress's most visible and dramatic action is the

Back 116

televised hearing.

Front 117

118. Congress can also exercise its oversight function by allowing citizens to appeal adverse bureaucratic decisions, in a process adopted by the 104th Congress called

Back 117

congressional review.

Front 118

119. In Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Chadha (1983), the Supreme Court ruled that the __________ veto was unconstitutional.

Back 118

legislative

Front 119

120. A process by which presidents generally defer selection of district court judges to the choice of senators of their own party who represent the state in which the vacancy occurs, is called

Back 119

senatorial courtesy.

Front 120

121. The impeachment process

Back 120

A. is rarely used.B. has few hard and fast rules.C. is discussed only vaguely in the Constitution.D. all of the above.