Polisci102 Final

Front 1

The provision that gives Congress broad powers to legislate beyond its enumerated powers is called the

Back 1

elastic clause.

Front 2

The Constitution's Article I, Section 9 prohibits all of these EXCEPT

Back 2

the use of enumerated powers

Front 3

The Supreme Court ruling United States v. Lopez (1995) overturned a law banning firearms in and around schools because

Back 3

Congress had overstepped its authority in a matter that should be decided by the states.

Front 4

Which of these powers is unique to the House of Representatives?

Back 4

the origination of revenue bills

Front 5

Because members of the Senate and the House come to Washington as representatives of states and districts, the federal system infuses ________ into congressional affairs.

Back 5

localism

Front 6

How often does reapportionment of House seats occur?

Back 6

every ten years

Front 7

Who is largely responsible for redrawing congressional district lines?

Back 7

state legislatures

Front 8

What is one of the results of the Supreme Court decisions allowing districts to be redrawn along racial lines as long as it is not the only criteria used?

Back 8

Policies favored by a majority of African Americans are less likely to be enacted because of the decreased strength of Democrats in the House.

Front 9

Which is NOT a reason why Republicans have been historically able to raise more money than Democrats?

Back 9

The Republicans have made major inroads with Hispanics and African Americans.

Front 10

What is the best predictor of voting behaviors of members of Congress?

Back 10

party affiliation

Front 11

Partisanship has ______ since the 1970s

Back 11

been on the rise

Front 12

What are David and Oleszek measuring when they track the way a member of a Congress votes in terms of his or her party?

Back 12

partisanship

Front 13

How has it been possible for Republicans to control the congressional agenda virtually unopposed from 1995 to 2006?

Back 13

Despite their small majority, the GOP had enjoyed unprecedented unity, which enabled them to pass nearly all of their bills during this period

Front 14

What type of committee, specified in the House and Senate rules, is relatively permanent?

Back 14

a standing committee

Front 15

What is the only way a bill that has been killed in committee can reach the floor?

Back 15

through a discharge petition

Front 16

In the Great Compromise, the framers decided to apportion the House of Representatives on the basis of population and the Senate on the basis of equal representation.

Back 16

true

Front 17

By all accounts, the U.S. Congress is highly representative of the population it serves.

Back 17

false

Front 18

African-American representation in the Congress reached its peak during the post-Civil War Reconstruction period.

Back 18

true

Front 19

Today, all congressional districts are roughly equal in population.

Back 19

true

Front 20

Incumbents have a harder time raising money and so tend to spend less than their challengers.

Back 20

false

Front 21

Open seat elections are those in which the incumbent does not run for reelection.

Back 21

true

Front 22

Due to the short Congressional term, there are very few "safe" seats and most are contested at each election.

Back 22

false

Front 23

Because of the candidate-centered nature of our parties, senators and representatives can and do stray from the party line, something that is exceedingly rare in parliamentary systems.

Back 23

true

Front 24

The path by which a bill becomes a law is so strewn with obstacles that few bills survive.

Back 24

true

Front 25

Although Americans generally approve of Congress as an institution, they tend to have low opinions of their own senators and representatives.

Back 25

false

Front 26

Congressional districts are redrawn by _________ every _________ years.

Back 26

state governments; ten

Front 27

When compared with the Senate, the organizational structure of the House is more

Back 27

hierarchial

Front 28

How is the Speaker of the House selected?

Back 28

By election of the members of the House .

Front 29

Those who act as intermediaries between the leaders and the rank-and-file members and who keep track of support for various proposals are known as

Back 29

whips

Front 30

Legislation that spends federal money in specific districts at the bequest of that district's representative is known as

Back 30

pork

Front 31

Which of the following best describes public opinion toward Congress?

Back 31

Americans dislike Congress, but like their own representatives.

Front 32

The trustee view of representation states that members of Congress

Back 32

should do what they think is best, after listening to the public.

Front 33

Logrolling occurs when

Back 33

members of Congress vote for each other’s projects.

Front 34

What happens after a bill is reported out of the full committee in the House?

Back 34

It goes to the Rules Committee.

Front 35

A pocket veto occurs when a bill

Back 35

sits on the president's desk for ten days, while Congress is no longer in session.

Front 36

Which of the following is a delay tactic used in the Senate?

Back 36

the hold

Front 37

A presidential veto can be overridden by

Back 37

a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate.

Front 38

A filibuster can be stopped

Back 38

by invoking cloture

Front 39

The most common profession for members of Congress is

Back 39

law

Front 40

Congressional review of agency decisions is known as

Back 40

oversight

Front 41

The U.S. Congress is

Back 41

bicameral

Front 42

Congress has the power to

Back 42

declare war

Front 43

Who is the presiding officer of the Senate?

Back 43

the vicepresident of the US

Front 44

Who is overrepresented in the U.S. Senate?

Back 44

caucasians

Front 45

What is the job of a conference committee?

Back 45

To reach a compromise between House and Senate versions of a bill.

Front 46

All revenue bills originate in the House

Back 46

true

Front 47

The Senate majority leader has about the same amount of power as the Speaker of the House.

Back 47

false

Front 48

Over time, the number of female members of Congress has declined.

Back 48

false

Front 49

Filibusters occur only in the Senate.

Back 49

true

Front 50

The Speaker of the House is appointed by the president.

Back 50

false

Front 51

Which of these offices was NOT a part of George Washington's cabinet?

Back 51

the chief of staff

Front 52

Which of the following was a result of the administration of George Washington, who set the stage for the presidency?

Back 52

The prestige of the presidency was solidified at a time when executive leadership was mistrusted.

Front 53

Which of these was NOT an example of the use of emergency powers by Abraham Lincoln?

Back 53

the passage of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments

Front 54

Which of the following presidents presided over the most significant expansion of presidential functions and activities in American history?

Back 54

Franklin Roosevelt

Front 55

How did Woodrow Wilson change the constitutionally required "state of the union?"

Back 55

He began the practice of delivering the "state of the union" as an address to a joint session of the House and Senate.

Front 56

Modern presidents typically use their annual State of the Union address to

Back 56

outline their legislative agenda.

Front 57

What changed the president's role by requiring him to submit an annual budget to Congress accompanied by rationales and justifications?

Back 57

The Budget Act of 1921

Front 58

What powers gave the president the main responsibility for fashioning American foreign policy?

Back 58

the power to receive and appoint ambassadors and to make treaties

Front 59

The organization in the executive office that is made up of a small group of economists who advise on economic policy is known as

Back 59

the Council of Economic Advisors.

Front 60

Why is direct command by the president over the executive branch seldom feasible?

Back 60

There is so much going on that presidents can't keep personal track of each one of the millions of government officials and employees.

Front 61

What was the reason for George W. Bush's success in Congress in 2003 and 2004?

Back 61

His party stuck together even though they had a slim majority.

Front 62

The term describing how the public influences the president through its judgments on presidential performance is known as

Back 62

presidential popularity

Front 63

In the analytical framework discussing George W. Bush's inability to pass Social Security reform legislation, which one of these statements would fall under the political linkage category?

Back 63

Opinion among the elderly about proposed changes becomes particularly negative.

Front 64

Over time, most presidents in office have tended to

Back 64

lose popularity

Front 65

Military actions tend to

Back 65

increase the public's support for the president only if they are successful.

Front 66

Which statement supports the argument that the presidency has evolved into a highly democratic institution that is responsive to the American people?

Back 66

It is the only nationally elected office.

Front 67

American presidents enjoy considerable freedom of action in waging war.

Back 67

true

Front 68

Presidential responsibilities, burdens, power, and impact have changed very little over the last 200 years.

Back 68

false

Front 69

Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution clearly delineates the specific powers and duties of the president as commander-in-chief.

Back 69

false

Front 70

President Nixon required congressional approval to recognize communist China.

Back 70

false

Front 71

he president is the foreign policy leader, while Congress is the domestic policy leader.

Back 71

false

Front 72

The president's cabinet is outlined in the Constitution.

Back 72

false

Front 73

Presidential vetoes are seldom overridden.

Back 73

true

Front 74

The election of 1888 was the last election where the president won the Electoral College but lost the popular vote.

Back 74

false

Front 75

The power to lead the public also implies the power to manipulate public opinion.

Back 75

true

Front 76

When creating the role of chief executive, the framers never intended it to be a democratic office.

Back 76

true

Front 77

How many vetoes did George W. Bush use?

Back 77

ten or fewer

Front 78

The congressional attempt to limit the president's authority to wage war is called

Back 78

the war powers act

Front 79

According to the Constitution, the president

Back 79

is commander-in-chief of the armed forces

Front 80

Under whose tenure did the power of the presidency expand the most?

Back 80

Franklin Roosevelt

Front 81

Who prepares economic forecasts and budget analyses for the president?

Back 81

The Office of Management and Budget.

Front 82

Which of the following is an example of an executive order?

Back 82

Integration of the military.

Front 83

Presidential approval tends to increase during

Back 83

international crises

Front 84

Presidents can be impeached by

Back 84

the House of Representatives

Front 85

Who had longest tenure as president?

Back 85

Roosevelt

Front 86

Which of the following presidents was impeached?

Back 86

Bill Clinton

Front 87

The president has the most formal power in what domain?

Back 87

foreign policy

Front 88

What is the constitutional role of the vice president?

Back 88

to preside over the Senate

Front 89

What do presidents do when they "go public"?

Back 89

They drum up support for their proposals by making appeals directly to the electorate.

Front 90

When are presidents most likely to have success with their policy proposals?

Back 90

During the first 100 days.

Front 91

U.S. presidents serve as

Back 91

all of the above

Front 92

Which of the following is a constitutional qualification to be president of the United States?

Back 92

national born citizenship

Front 93

What was Watergate?

Back 93

The events surrounding a break-in of the Democratic Party's headquarters.

Front 94

If the president resigns and the vice-president assumes the presidency, who becomes the new vice-president?

Back 94

A person appointed by the new president and confirmed by Congress.

Front 95

The formal body of presidential advisors comprised of the fifteen executive department heads is known as the

Back 95

cabinet

Front 96

Which president addressed the nation through his "fireside chats"?

Back 96

Roosevelt