By and large, partisanship is |
a huge source of both cohesion and division within Congress. |
Congressional oversight is MOST likely to occur when it involves |
White House activities with the opposition party in control of one or both chambers of Congress. |
What is the BIGGEST reason that Congress does not vigorously pursue its oversight function? |
the sheer magnitude of the task |
The oversight responsibility of Congress is |
empowered by control of yearly budgets. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE about congressional members over the last three decades? |
Republicans have become more conservative. |
The trading of votes between members of Congress so that each gets the legislation he or she wants is called |
logrolling |
Since the founding of the United States, the debate over the representation function of Congress has centered on whether |
the primary concern of a representative should be the interests of the nation or of his or her constituency. |
Congress typically takes presidential proposals |
only as a starting point |
Most members of Congress are |
concerned with national issues, but even more concerned with local ones. |
In initiating broad legislative proposals, the president enjoys all of the following advantages over Congress EXCEPT |
being granted more authority by the Constitution in the area of lawmaking |
There are currently ________ voting members of the U.S. House of Representatives and ________ voting members of the U.S. Senate. |
435; 100 |
Congress’s inability to consistently provide leadership on broad national issues is primarily due to |
the fragmented nature of Congress |
Which of the following is one of the three major functions of Congress’s policymaking role? |
lawmaking |
The dominant policymaking political institution during most of the nineteenth century was |
Congress |
A pocket veto differs from a regular presidential veto, in that the pocket veto |
can take effect only when Congress is not in session |
To override a presidential veto, Congress must vote at a minimum by a |
two-thirds majority in each chamber. |
For a bill to pass in either chamber of Congress, it must |
receive the support of a simple majority of its members. |
Through a vote for cloture, the Senate |
can end a filibuster |
What is the procedural tactic employed in the Senate to prevent a bill from coming to a vote? |
filibuster |
The scheduling of bills in the Senate is left up to |
the Senate majority leader |
If the Rules Committee applies the "closed rule" to a bill, |
no amendments will be permitted. |
Defining the conditions and scheduling a bill for floor debate in the House of Representatives is the responsibility of the |
Rules Committee. |
"Mark up" of a bill means that |
None of these answers is correct. |
Committees kill more than ________ percent of the bills submitted in Congress. |
90 |
Most of the work on legislation in Congress is done |
by committees and their respective subcommittees. |
Bills are formally introduced in Congress by |
members of Congress only |
Which one of the following statements about the seniority principle is MOST accurate? |
Seniority is no longer absolute in the selection of committee chairs, but it is usually followed. |
A bill has been approved in the House and Senate, albeit in slightly different versions. The bill now goes to |
a conference committee. |
When the House and Senate pass different versions of a bill, the differences are resolved by a |
conference committee. |
Committee staffs within Congress |
perform an almost entirely legislative function |
Most of the legislative work of Congress is performed by |
the standing committees and their subcommittees with jurisdiction over particular policy areas. |
A standing committee in the House or Senate |
All these answers are correct. |
Senators are generally less likely to take directions from their leaders than House members because |
senators think of themselves as being equals and are only willing to be led by persuasion. |
In contrast with the Speaker of the House, the Senate majority leader |
is not the presiding officer of his/her chamber. |
The most powerful person from the minority party in the House is the |
minority leader |
Compared with the Senate majority leader, the Speaker of the House has more power because |
All of these answers are correct |
The second-most powerful federal official (after the president) is often said to be the |
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. |
What percentage of state legislators are women? |
more than 20 percent |
In the 1970s, roll-call votes |
generally did not pit most Republicans against most Democrats. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE? |
Party-line voting has increased in recent years. |
In which of the following legislative sessions did Democrats have the majority in the House of Representatives? |
2009-2010 |
Which of the following groups is over represented in Congress? |
lawyers |
One must be ________ years of age to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, and ________ years of age to serve in the U.S. Senate. |
25; 30 |
Compared to House incumbents, Senate incumbents are more likely to face the problem of |
a strong challenger |
In midterm elections, |
the president’s party usually loses seats. |
Incumbents may have some problems in reelection campaigns if |
All of these answers are correct. |
Redistricting |
is conducted by state legislatures. |
Redistricting happens after the census, which is conducted every ________ years. |
10 |
Nearly ________ percent of all PAC contributions go to the incumbents. |
85 |
In 2010, the average Senate race saw about ________ dollars in campaign spending. |
15 million |
Campaign spending tends to be a much greater task for |
challengers than for incumbents. |
Congressional staffers spend most of their time on |
constituency service and legislative matters. |
Legislation whose tangible benefits are targeted solely at a particular legislator’s constituency is often criticized as |
pork |
In an average election, about 1 in ________ House seats is a truly competitive election. |
6 |
Approximately ________ percent of Senate incumbents win reelection. |
84 |
Approximately ________ percent of House incumbents win reelection. |
92 |
The modern Congress is different from the nineteenth-century Congress in that most members |
are now professional politicians who want to stay in Congress. |
In the nation’s first century, |
service in Congress was not seen as a lifetime career for most of its members. |
The framers of the Constitution saw the ________ as the preeminent component of the federal government. |
Congress |
Chapter 11 Political Science
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