Question 1

Who is the Speaker of the House?

Accepted Answer

A)  The vice president of the United States is also Speaker of the House. 
B)  The representative with the longest tenure in the House is the Speaker of the House. 
C)  The elected leader of the majority party in the House is the Speaker. 
D)  An employee of Congress who formally brings the House into session each day is the Speaker. 
E)  The president selects the Speaker of the House from the majority party in the House. 
A)  The vice president of the United States is also Speaker of the House. 
B)  The representative with the longest tenure in the House is the Speaker of the House. 
C)  The elected leader of the majority party in the House is the Speaker. 
D)  An employee of Congress who formally brings the House into session each day is the Speaker. 
E)  The president selects the Speaker of the House from the majority party in the House.

Question 2

The Senate's constitutional power of advice and consent extends to which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)  the president's power to make treaties with foreign nations 
B)  the president's power to make executive agreements 
C)  the president's power to issue executive orders 
D)  the president's power to issue pardons 
E)  all federal court decisions regarding the separation of powers 
A)  the president's power to make treaties with foreign nations 
B)  the president's power to make executive agreements 
C)  the president's power to issue executive orders 
D)  the president's power to issue pardons 
E)  all federal court decisions regarding the separation of powers

Question 3

Over the past several decades, the ________ and the ________ have benefited most from apportionment.

Accepted Answer

A)  Northeast; Midwest 
B)  Northeast; South 
C)  Northeast; West 
D)  South; West 
E)  South; Midwest 
A)  Northeast; Midwest 
B)  Northeast; South 
C)  Northeast; West 
D)  South; West 
E)  South; Midwest

Question 4

A bill's supporters in the House of Representatives generally prefer ________ while opponents generally prefer ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  an open rule; a closed rule 
B)  a closed rule; an open rule 
C)  a filibuster; cloture 
D)  cloture; a filibuster 
E)  a committee markup; a closed rule 
A)  an open rule; a closed rule 
B)  a closed rule; an open rule 
C)  a filibuster; cloture 
D)  cloture; a filibuster 
E)  a committee markup; a closed rule

Question 5

Who decides which committee assignments members of the House of Representatives receive?

Accepted Answer

A)  the Speaker of the House 
B)  each party's own steering and policy committee 
C)  the president selects for members of his own party, and either the House majority or minority leader selects for opposition members 
D)  each party's National Committee 
E)  each party's whip 
A)  the Speaker of the House 
B)  each party's own steering and policy committee 
C)  the president selects for members of his own party, and either the House majority or minority leader selects for opposition members 
D)  each party's National Committee 
E)  each party's whip

Question 6

Conference committees are

Accepted Answer

A)  permanent and involve members from both the House and the Senate. 
B)  temporary and are created to take up an issue that falls between the jurisdiction of existing committees, to highlight an issue, or to investigate a particular problem. 
C)  permanent and have the power to write and propose legislation. 
D)  temporary, involve members from both houses of Congress, and are charged with reaching a compromise on legislation once it has been passed by both the House and the Senate. 
E)  informal committees composed of members from both political parties and both houses of Congress that are designed to promote bipartisanship. 
A)  permanent and involve members from both the House and the Senate. 
B)  temporary and are created to take up an issue that falls between the jurisdiction of existing committees, to highlight an issue, or to investigate a particular problem. 
C)  permanent and have the power to write and propose legislation. 
D)  temporary, involve members from both houses of Congress, and are charged with reaching a compromise on legislation once it has been passed by both the House and the Senate. 
E)  informal committees composed of members from both political parties and both houses of Congress that are designed to promote bipartisanship.

Question 7

How can a president's veto be overridden by Congress?

Accepted Answer

A)  by a two-thirds vote in either chamber 
B)  by a two-thirds vote in both chambers 
C)  by a simple majority vote in both chambers 
D)  by a majority vote in the Veto Override Committee in the House and the Senate 
E)  A president's veto cannot be overridden according to the U.S. Constitution. 
A)  by a two-thirds vote in either chamber 
B)  by a two-thirds vote in both chambers 
C)  by a simple majority vote in both chambers 
D)  by a majority vote in the Veto Override Committee in the House and the Senate 
E)  A president's veto cannot be overridden according to the U.S. Constitution.

Question 8

Congress is a ________ legislature with ________ members.

Accepted Answer

A)  unicameral; 342 
B)  bicameral; 535 
C)  bicameral; 100 
D)  bicameral; 442 
E)  unicameral; 750 
A)  unicameral; 342 
B)  bicameral; 535 
C)  bicameral; 100 
D)  bicameral; 442 
E)  unicameral; 750

Question 9

Which of the following statements about party unity is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  Party unity is not based on ideology and background. 
B)  Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives tend to represent urban districts. 
C)  Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives tend to represent rural areas. 
D)  Party unity has been on the rise in recent years. 
E)  Party unity has been on the decline in recent years. 
A)  Party unity is not based on ideology and background. 
B)  Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives tend to represent urban districts. 
C)  Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives tend to represent rural areas. 
D)  Party unity has been on the rise in recent years. 
E)  Party unity has been on the decline in recent years.

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT a resource congressional party leaders have at their disposal to secure the unity and cooperation of their members?

Accepted Answer

A)  committee assignments 
B)  access to the floor 
C)  constituency service 
D)  access to leadership PACs 
E)  the whip system 
A)  committee assignments 
B)  access to the floor 
C)  constituency service 
D)  access to leadership PACs 
E)  the whip system

Question 11

The idea of ________ representation identifies the best representative as the one who shares a similar racial, ethnic, religious, or occupational background with those he or she represents.

Accepted Answer

A)  agency 
B)  sociological 
C)  mirroring 
D)  trustee 
E)  delegate 
A)  agency 
B)  sociological 
C)  mirroring 
D)  trustee 
E)  delegate

Question 12

Who has the most real power in the Senate?

Accepted Answer

A)  the president of the Senate 
B)  the majority and minority leaders 
C)  the Senate president pro tempore 
D)  the chair of the Rules Committee 
E)  unlike the House, all senators are equal in power 
A)  the president of the Senate 
B)  the majority and minority leaders 
C)  the Senate president pro tempore 
D)  the chair of the Rules Committee 
E)  unlike the House, all senators are equal in power

Question 13

Which of the following statements concerning the representation of women and minorities in the U.S. Congress is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  Representation of women and minorities has decreased by one-third since the 1970s. 
B)  Representation of women and minorities has increased over the past two decades but is not comparable to their proportions in the general population. 
C)  Women are underrepresented in Congress, but there is a disproportionate representation of minorities in Congress. 
D)  Since the mid-1990s, the number of women and minorities in Congress roughly reflects their proportions in the general population. 
E)  Women and minorities are overrepresented in the House but underrepresented in the Senate. 
A)  Representation of women and minorities has decreased by one-third since the 1970s. 
B)  Representation of women and minorities has increased over the past two decades but is not comparable to their proportions in the general population. 
C)  Women are underrepresented in Congress, but there is a disproportionate representation of minorities in Congress. 
D)  Since the mid-1990s, the number of women and minorities in Congress roughly reflects their proportions in the general population. 
E)  Women and minorities are overrepresented in the House but underrepresented in the Senate.

Question 14

The terms of the floor debate on a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives are dictated by the ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  sponsors of the bill 
B)  Rules Committee 
C)  Ways and Means Committee 
D)  majority leader 
E)  majority whip 
A)  sponsors of the bill 
B)  Rules Committee 
C)  Ways and Means Committee 
D)  majority leader 
E)  majority whip

Question 15

Which of the following best describes a way in which the House differs from the Senate?

Accepted Answer

A)  The House is more centralized and organized than the Senate. 
B)  The House is a looser and more deliberative body than the Senate. 
C)  The members of the House are much less specialized than the members of the Senate. 
D)  The House has a much greater level of turnover in its membership than the Senate. 
E)  Only the House has the authority to approve the president's appointments to the federal judiciary. 
A)  The House is more centralized and organized than the Senate. 
B)  The House is a looser and more deliberative body than the Senate. 
C)  The members of the House are much less specialized than the members of the Senate. 
D)  The House has a much greater level of turnover in its membership than the Senate. 
E)  Only the House has the authority to approve the president's appointments to the federal judiciary.

Question 16

The House Ways and Means Committee has jurisdiction over ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  taxes, trade, and entitlement programs 
B)  foreign relations and national security 
C)  rules governing debate on the floor and committee assignments 
D)  highways and waterways 
E)  agricultural and food issues 
A)  taxes, trade, and entitlement programs 
B)  foreign relations and national security 
C)  rules governing debate on the floor and committee assignments 
D)  highways and waterways 
E)  agricultural and food issues

Question 17

Describe the process by which a bill becomes a law. What are the major steps in the process? What are the main differences in the legislative process between the two houses of Congress?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the process by which a bill...

Question 18

________ occurs when a member of Congress makes resources available to government officials.

Accepted Answer

A)  A trusteeship 
B)  Expendituring 
C)  Patronage 
D)  Cloturing 
E)  Filibustering 
A)  A trusteeship 
B)  Expendituring 
C)  Patronage 
D)  Cloturing 
E)  Filibustering

Question 19

Which of the following best explains the small number of women in Congress?

Accepted Answer

A)  More men than women vote, and men tend not to vote for women candidates. 
B)  Women do not have organizations or PACs supporting their candidacies. 
C)  Incumbency is a very powerful resource, and most incumbents have been men. 
D)  Women do not make very effective representatives. 
E)  Women do not want to run for Congress. 
A)  More men than women vote, and men tend not to vote for women candidates. 
B)  Women do not have organizations or PACs supporting their candidacies. 
C)  Incumbency is a very powerful resource, and most incumbents have been men. 
D)  Women do not make very effective representatives. 
E)  Women do not want to run for Congress.

Question 20

Describe some of the different ways members of Congress can represent the American people. What are the principles behind sociological and agency representation? What are some examples of each type? Describe the difference between a trustee and a delegate. Which type of representation do you believe is the most optimum? Why? Explain.

Accepted Answer

Members of Congress can represent the Am

Who is the Speaker of the House?

The Senate's constitutional power of advice and consent extends to which of the following?

Over the past several decades, the and the have benefited most from apportionment.

A bill's supporters in the House of Representatives generally prefer while opponents generally prefer .

Who decides which committee assignments members of the House of Representatives receive?

Conference committees are

How can a president's veto be overridden by Congress?

Congress is a legislature with members.

Which of the following statements about party unity is true?

Which of the following is NOT a resource congressional party leaders have at their disposal to secure the unity and cooperation of their members?

The idea of ________ representation identifies the best representative as the one who shares a similar racial, ethnic, religious, or occupational background with those he or she represents.

Who has the most real power in the Senate?

Which of the following statements concerning the representation of women and minorities in the U.S. Congress is true?

The terms of the floor debate on a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives are dictated by the ________.

Which of the following best describes a way in which the House differs from the Senate?

The House Ways and Means Committee has jurisdiction over ________.

Describe the process by which a bill becomes a law. What are the major steps in the process? What are the main differences in the legislative process between the two houses of Congress?

________ occurs when a member of Congress makes resources available to government officials.

Which of the following best explains the small number of women in Congress?

American Political Culture

The Founding and the Constitution

Federalism

Civil Liberties

Civil Rights

Public Opinion

The Media

Political Participation and Voting

Political Parties

Campaigns and Elections

Groups and Interests

The Presidency

Bureaucracy in a Democracy

The Federal Courts

Government and the Economy

Social Policy

Foreign Policy and Democracy

Filters

Exam 12: Congress

Who is the Speaker of the House?

The Senate's constitutional power of advice and consent extends to which of the following?

Over the past several decades, the ________ and the ________ have benefited most from apportionment.

A bill's supporters in the House of Representatives generally prefer ________ while opponents generally prefer ________.

Who decides which committee assignments members of the House of Representatives receive?

Conference committees are

How can a president's veto be overridden by Congress?

Congress is a ________ legislature with ________ members.

Which of the following statements about party unity is true?

Which of the following is NOT a resource congressional party leaders have at their disposal to secure the unity and cooperation of their members?

The idea of ________ representation identifies the best representative as the one who shares a similar racial, ethnic, religious, or occupational background with those he or she represents.

Who has the most real power in the Senate?

Which of the following statements concerning the representation of women and minorities in the U.S. Congress is true?

The terms of the floor debate on a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives are dictated by the ________.

Which of the following best describes a way in which the House differs from the Senate?

The House Ways and Means Committee has jurisdiction over ________.

Describe the process by which a bill becomes a law. What are the major steps in the process? What are the main differences in the legislative process between the two houses of Congress?

________ occurs when a member of Congress makes resources available to government officials.

Which of the following best explains the small number of women in Congress?

American Political Culture

The Founding and the Constitution

Federalism

Civil Liberties

Civil Rights

Public Opinion

The Media

Political Participation and Voting

Political Parties

Campaigns and Elections

Groups and Interests

The Presidency

Bureaucracy in a Democracy

The Federal Courts

Government and the Economy

Social Policy

Foreign Policy and Democracy

Filters

Over the past several decades, the and the have benefited most from apportionment.

A bill's supporters in the House of Representatives generally prefer while opponents generally prefer .

Congress is a legislature with members.