Question 1

What is the best explanation for liberal representatives largely coming from liberal districts and conservative representatives from conservative districts?

Accepted Answer

A)  Citizens vote for candidates that are most like them, thus producing representatives who share the general majority opinion in districts. 
B)  Representatives poll on most issues and typically vote in accordance with the majority opinion from these polls. 
C)  Political parties perfectly match the liberal-conservative dimension, and thus members vote with their party on all votes. 
D)  State legislators know the preferences of citizens in their states and draw district boundaries to match these preferences. 
E)  Representation is inconsistent, and members simply vote their conscience on every issue in the chamber. 
A)  Citizens vote for candidates that are most like them, thus producing representatives who share the general majority opinion in districts. 
B)  Representatives poll on most issues and typically vote in accordance with the majority opinion from these polls. 
C)  Political parties perfectly match the liberal-conservative dimension, and thus members vote with their party on all votes. 
D)  State legislators know the preferences of citizens in their states and draw district boundaries to match these preferences. 
E)  Representation is inconsistent, and members simply vote their conscience on every issue in the chamber.

Question 2

What is the most limiting factor for the power of congressional party leaders?

Accepted Answer

A)  size of the chamber 
B)  level of campaigning of representatives 
C)  coordination of fellow partisans 
D)  number of committees 
E)  number of parties in the electorate 
A)  size of the chamber 
B)  level of campaigning of representatives 
C)  coordination of fellow partisans 
D)  number of committees 
E)  number of parties in the electorate

Question 3

Why is the inability of a party leader to control a candidate's usage of a party label in elections important?

Accepted Answer

A)  Election monitors have a more difficult time differentiating fake ballots. 
B)  Women candidates have a more difficult time being nominated in primary elections. 
C)  Candidates run individualistic campaigns and not partywide plans. 
D)  Parties do have the ability to control the usage of their label. 
E)  Presidents can utilize this feature to generate more institutional strength. 
A)  Election monitors have a more difficult time differentiating fake ballots. 
B)  Women candidates have a more difficult time being nominated in primary elections. 
C)  Candidates run individualistic campaigns and not partywide plans. 
D)  Parties do have the ability to control the usage of their label. 
E)  Presidents can utilize this feature to generate more institutional strength.

Question 4

How do parties exercise control over the functioning of committees?

Accepted Answer

A)  Leaders function as committee chairs. 
B)  Leaders appoint committee chairs. 
C)  Parties approve all members of committees. 
D)  Parties are constitutionally bound to committees. 
E)  Parties exist wholly outside committees. 
A)  Leaders function as committee chairs. 
B)  Leaders appoint committee chairs. 
C)  Parties approve all members of committees. 
D)  Parties are constitutionally bound to committees. 
E)  Parties exist wholly outside committees.

Question 5

Which of these is an allowable gerrymander?

Accepted Answer

A)  two completely separated portions of one district 
B)  income-based distribution of constituents 
C)  minority-heavy districts relative to the general population 
D)  preference for individual business interests 
E)  decreasing the population of the district relative to other districts in the state 
A)  two completely separated portions of one district 
B)  income-based distribution of constituents 
C)  minority-heavy districts relative to the general population 
D)  preference for individual business interests 
E)  decreasing the population of the district relative to other districts in the state

Question 6

Why would free riding occur in congressional politics?

Accepted Answer

A)  Representatives utilize air travel to visit their constituents as often as possible. 
B)  Writing legislation is difficult, and members will let other members do it. 
C)  Being a representative is difficult, and members do not put effort into their tasks. 
D)  Committees are not valuable, and members do not want to be on difficult ones. 
E)  Parties allow members to not work in order to advance. 
A)  Representatives utilize air travel to visit their constituents as often as possible. 
B)  Writing legislation is difficult, and members will let other members do it. 
C)  Being a representative is difficult, and members do not put effort into their tasks. 
D)  Committees are not valuable, and members do not want to be on difficult ones. 
E)  Parties allow members to not work in order to advance.

Question 7

Compared to the other two branches of the federal government, the Constitution grants Congress ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  far less power in lawmaking 
B)  about the same amount of power in lawmaking 
C)  substantially more power than the Supreme Court, but less power than the president in lawmaking 
D)  near blanket authority to make laws in the national interest 
E)  substantially more power than the president, but less power than the Supreme Court in lawmaking 
A)  far less power in lawmaking 
B)  about the same amount of power in lawmaking 
C)  substantially more power than the Supreme Court, but less power than the president in lawmaking 
D)  near blanket authority to make laws in the national interest 
E)  substantially more power than the president, but less power than the Supreme Court in lawmaking

Question 8

Which is a type of congressional committee?

Accepted Answer

A)  separate 
B)  regular 
C)  national 
D)  agriculture 
E)  standing 
A)  separate 
B)  regular 
C)  national 
D)  agriculture 
E)  standing

Question 9

The ________ is less responsive to constituents than the ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  House; Senate 
B)  House; Supreme Court 
C)  bureaucracy; Senate 
D)  president; Supreme Court 
E)  Senate; House 
A)  House; Senate 
B)  House; Supreme Court 
C)  bureaucracy; Senate 
D)  president; Supreme Court 
E)  Senate; House

Question 10

In 2013, President Obama signed the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act into law, a bill providing $60 billion for areas affected by storms, including Hurricane Sandy. Many representatives and senators added their own spending items unrelated to disaster relief to the bill. These additions are examples of ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  pork barrel 
B)  carrots and sticks 
C)  bicameral legislation 
D)  proportional legislation 
E)  gerrymandering 
A)  pork barrel 
B)  carrots and sticks 
C)  bicameral legislation 
D)  proportional legislation 
E)  gerrymandering

Question 11

Which of these is the best explanation for why logrolling works?

Accepted Answer

A)  Representatives will vote together to get their own pet projects passed as well. 
B)  Representatives desire to work together in drafting and passing legislation. 
C)  Committees require that members draft legislation together. 
D)  Representatives pick which committees their bills go to. 
E)  Presidents appreciate the work that logrolling takes and pass these bills. 
A)  Representatives will vote together to get their own pet projects passed as well. 
B)  Representatives desire to work together in drafting and passing legislation. 
C)  Committees require that members draft legislation together. 
D)  Representatives pick which committees their bills go to. 
E)  Presidents appreciate the work that logrolling takes and pass these bills.

Question 12

Why are laws passed by Congress often in line with the status quo?

Accepted Answer

A)  The Supreme Court will strike down extreme legislation. 
B)  Most representatives are close to the center of the ideological distribution. 
C)  Presidents favor the status quo and will only sign bills close to it. 
D)  The type of broad support needed to pass legislation generates moderate legislation. 
E)  Most laws passed by Congress are far from the status quo. 
A)  The Supreme Court will strike down extreme legislation. 
B)  Most representatives are close to the center of the ideological distribution. 
C)  Presidents favor the status quo and will only sign bills close to it. 
D)  The type of broad support needed to pass legislation generates moderate legislation. 
E)  Most laws passed by Congress are far from the status quo.

Question 13

In what way are committees a central feature of the distributional model?

Accepted Answer

A)  Members pay party leaders to be assigned to committees. 
B)  Committees are not a central feature of the distributional model. 
C)  Parties control access to committees in the referral process. 
D)  Members do not value committees independently of monetary gain. 
E)  Committees allow members to insert specialized allocations into bills. 
A)  Members pay party leaders to be assigned to committees. 
B)  Committees are not a central feature of the distributional model. 
C)  Parties control access to committees in the referral process. 
D)  Members do not value committees independently of monetary gain. 
E)  Committees allow members to insert specialized allocations into bills.

Question 14

Where does the informational model place the most emphasis?

Accepted Answer

A)  drafting legislation 
B)  referring legislation 
C)  committee deliberation 
D)  floor debate 
E)  presidential vetoes 
A)  drafting legislation 
B)  referring legislation 
C)  committee deliberation 
D)  floor debate 
E)  presidential vetoes

Question 15

According to the partisan model, why are minority-party members at a disadvantage?

Accepted Answer

A)  Party leaders of the majority party make almost all of the important legislative decisions. 
B)  Majority party leaders tend to put their fellow party members on important committees. 
C)  Majority party leaders control the agenda. 
D)  None of these is correct. 
E)  All of these are correct. 
A)  Party leaders of the majority party make almost all of the important legislative decisions. 
B)  Majority party leaders tend to put their fellow party members on important committees. 
C)  Majority party leaders control the agenda. 
D)  None of these is correct. 
E)  All of these are correct.

Question 16

How do campaign finance laws advantage incumbents?

Accepted Answer

A)  Incumbents are allowed to take unlimited donations from private groups and challengers are not. 
B)  Incumbents are allowed to give an unlimited number of speeches, and challengers are not. 
C)  Incumbents are allowed to accept new donations from political action committees before their official campaign announcements, and challengers are not. 
D)  Incumbents are allowed to change their tax statuses, and challengers are not. 
E)  Incumbents are allowed to roll over funds from previous elections, and challengers cannot. 
A)  Incumbents are allowed to take unlimited donations from private groups and challengers are not. 
B)  Incumbents are allowed to give an unlimited number of speeches, and challengers are not. 
C)  Incumbents are allowed to accept new donations from political action committees before their official campaign announcements, and challengers are not. 
D)  Incumbents are allowed to change their tax statuses, and challengers are not. 
E)  Incumbents are allowed to roll over funds from previous elections, and challengers cannot.

Question 17

The term quid pro quo, which means "something for something" in Latin, fits best with which model of understanding Congress?

Accepted Answer

A)  the informational model 
B)  The partisan model 
C)  The distributional model 
D)  The logrolling model 
E)  The principal agent model 
A)  the informational model 
B)  The partisan model 
C)  The distributional model 
D)  The logrolling model 
E)  The principal agent model

Question 18

What is the best explanation for why Congress bears ultimate responsibility in lawmaking?

Accepted Answer

A)  The Supreme Court cannot rule congressionally generated laws unconstitutional. 
B)  The president cannot be trusted to make wise decisions. 
C)  The bureaucracy cannot make decisions. 
D)  The creation of laws occurs within Congress. 
E)  The veto override ability of Congress is guaranteed to work. 
A)  The Supreme Court cannot rule congressionally generated laws unconstitutional. 
B)  The president cannot be trusted to make wise decisions. 
C)  The bureaucracy cannot make decisions. 
D)  The creation of laws occurs within Congress. 
E)  The veto override ability of Congress is guaranteed to work.

Question 19

What presidential tool is most useful at the end of a congressional session?

Accepted Answer

A)  appointment powers 
B)  signing statements 
C)  executive orders 
D)  pocket vetoes 
E)  advertisements 
A)  appointment powers 
B)  signing statements 
C)  executive orders 
D)  pocket vetoes 
E)  advertisements

Question 20

________ rules allow no amendments while ________ rules allow specified amendments.

Accepted Answer

A)  Open; closed 
B)  Closed; open 
C)  Open; restricted 
D)  Closed; restricted 
E)  Restricted; closed 
A)  Open; closed 
B)  Closed; open 
C)  Open; restricted 
D)  Closed; restricted 
E)  Restricted; closed

What is the best explanation for liberal representatives largely coming from liberal districts and conservative representatives from conservative districts?

What is the most limiting factor for the power of congressional party leaders?

Why is the inability of a party leader to control a candidate's usage of a party label in elections important?

How do parties exercise control over the functioning of committees?

Which of these is an allowable gerrymander?

Why would free riding occur in congressional politics?

Compared to the other two branches of the federal government, the Constitution grants Congress ________.

Which is a type of congressional committee?

The is less responsive to constituents than the .

Which of these is the best explanation for why logrolling works?

Why are laws passed by Congress often in line with the status quo?

In what way are committees a central feature of the distributional model?

Where does the informational model place the most emphasis?

According to the partisan model, why are minority-party members at a disadvantage?

How do campaign finance laws advantage incumbents?

The term quid pro quo, which means "something for something" in Latin, fits best with which model of understanding Congress?

What is the best explanation for why Congress bears ultimate responsibility in lawmaking?

What presidential tool is most useful at the end of a congressional session?

rules allow no amendments while rules allow specified amendments.

Introduction

The Constitution

Federalism

Civil Rights and Liberties

The Presidency

The Bureaucracy

The Judiciary

Public Opinion

Political Participation

Interest Groups and Social Movements

Political Parties

Elections and Campaigns

Mass Media and the Press

Economic Policy

Social Policy

Foreign Policy

Filters

Exam 5: Congress

What is the best explanation for liberal representatives largely coming from liberal districts and conservative representatives from conservative districts?

What is the most limiting factor for the power of congressional party leaders?

Why is the inability of a party leader to control a candidate's usage of a party label in elections important?

How do parties exercise control over the functioning of committees?

Which of these is an allowable gerrymander?

Why would free riding occur in congressional politics?

Compared to the other two branches of the federal government, the Constitution grants Congress ________.

Which is a type of congressional committee?

The ________ is less responsive to constituents than the ________.

Which of these is the best explanation for why logrolling works?

Why are laws passed by Congress often in line with the status quo?

In what way are committees a central feature of the distributional model?

Where does the informational model place the most emphasis?

According to the partisan model, why are minority-party members at a disadvantage?

How do campaign finance laws advantage incumbents?

The term quid pro quo, which means "something for something" in Latin, fits best with which model of understanding Congress?

What is the best explanation for why Congress bears ultimate responsibility in lawmaking?

What presidential tool is most useful at the end of a congressional session?

________ rules allow no amendments while ________ rules allow specified amendments.

Introduction

The Constitution

Federalism

Civil Rights and Liberties

The Presidency

The Bureaucracy

The Judiciary

Public Opinion

Political Participation

Interest Groups and Social Movements

Political Parties

Elections and Campaigns

Mass Media and the Press

Economic Policy

Social Policy

Foreign Policy

Filters

The is less responsive to constituents than the .

rules allow no amendments while rules allow specified amendments.