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For every dollar an American citizen earns, the US government takes _____ and decides how to spend it |
28 cents |
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One way for citizens to kkeep a watch on what Congress is doing is by reading _____ , the official source of information on everything that has happened in Congress |
The Congressional Record |
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The people that a legislator spends considerable time and effort serving are called |
constituents |
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The founders of the American republic believed that most of the power that would be exercised by a national government should be in the hands of |
the legislature |
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The logic of separate constituencies and separate interests underlying the bicameral Congress was reinforced by |
differences in length of tenure |
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The principal and most obvious function of any legislature is |
lawmaking |
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The concept of logrolling refers to |
an arrangement by which two or more members of Congress agree in advance to support each other’s bills |
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A representative who is performing the role of a trustee is |
Acting on conscience or representing the broad interests of the entire society |
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A representative who acts on conscience or to represent the broad interests of teh entire society is acting as a |
trustee |
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A representative who is performing the role of an instructed delegate is |
primarily representing the wishes of his or her constituents |
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A representative who primarily represents the wishes of his or her constituents is acting as a |
instructed delegate |
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One major problem with the role of the instructed delegate is that |
the constituents may not actually have well-formed views on many issues |
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Casework is |
constituent service |
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When gasoline prices increased to more than $3 a gallon in 2006 |
in private, members of congress acknowledged that their actions would have little effect on gasoline prices but wanted to show their constituents that they were doing something about a problem |
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Incumbents develop a hillstyle in order to |
promote policies and their career aspirations |
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Oversight is the process by which Congress |
follows up on the laws it has enacted |
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When Congress follows up on the laws it has enacted, it is exercising |
oversight |
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The House of Representatives is checked by all except |
the states |
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The enumerated powers of Congress are powers |
expressly given to the body in the Constitution |
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After the Supreme Court underwent extraordinary change in 2005, George W. Bush nominated, and teh Senate confirmed, the nominaitons of _____ to become the newest members of the Court |
John Robers and Samuel Alito |
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The necessary and propwer clause |
has expanded the role of the national government relative to the states |
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One major difference between the House and Senate is the total number of members, a difference that has meant |
a greater number of formal rules are needed to govern activity in the House |
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An attempt in teh Senate to prevent the passage of a bill through the use of unlimited debate is known as |
a filibuster |
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A filibuster is |
an attempt to prevent the passage of a bill through the use of unlimted debate |
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The concept of cloture refers to |
a process that attempts to limit debate on a bill in the Senate |
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When Senate Democrats made use of the filibuster to block some of President Bush’s nominees to the federal bench in 2005, Senate Republicans responded by threatening "the nuclear option, in which |
the Senate rules would be revised to disallow dilibusters against judicial nominees |
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The largest occupational group among members of Congress is |
lawyers |
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The median age of members of Congress is |
higher than the median age of the US population |
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Most major-party condiddates for Congress are placed on the general-election ballot as the result of |
a direct primary |
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Incombents develop a homestyle in order to |
produce a favorable image with constituents |
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In mid-term congressional elections, those held between presidential contests |
voter turnout falls sharply |
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Common tactics of winning reelection include all except |
changing one’s political party |
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The allocation of seats in the House to each state after each census is known as |
reapportionment |
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Reapportionment is |
the allocation seats in teh House to each state after each census |
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Redistricing is |
the redrawing district boudaries within each state to ensure equal district populations |
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Gerrymandering is |
the drawing of legislative district boundariws for the purpose of gaining partisan advantage |
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Although the Supreme Court has been willing to review the constitutionality of redistricting plans, its most recent decisions have upheld redistricting plans in |
Pennsylvania and Texas |
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Members of Congress are granted generout franking privileges that |
permit them to mail letters to their constituents without charge |
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the average Senate office on Capitol Hill employes about |
30 people |
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The "speech or debate" clause in Article I, Section6, of the Constitution means that a member of Congress |
is normally immune from libel or slander charges when conducting official duties |
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the most important committees in Congress are _____ committees, permanent bodies that possess an expertise resulting from their jurisdiction over certain policy areas |
standing |
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Most of the actual work of ligistating is |
performed by the committees and subcommittees within Congress |
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In the House of Representatives, the dischage petition is used to |
force a bill out of committee so that the entire House can vote on it |
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the seniority system provedes that |
the committee member of the majority party with the longest continuous service normally becomes the committee chairperson |
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The foremost pwer holder in the House of Representatives is the |
Speaker of the House |
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The Speaker of the House |
Is the leader of the majority party |
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The House majority leader |
fosters cohesion among party members |
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An important function of the House majority leader is to |
act as spokesperson for the majority party in the House |
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The whips assist the party leaders by |
passing information to members of Congress from the leadership of the party |
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The president of the Senate is |
the vice-president of the United States |
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Generally, leaders in the House of Representatives |
have more control over the agenda of the body than leaders in the Senate |
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The real leadership power in the Senate rests in the hands of the |
Senate majority leader |
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Democratic members of Congress from moderate districts who sometimes vote with Republicans and who are frequently pursued by Republican leaders are known as |
Blue Dog Democrats |
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When a member "trades" his or her vote on a particular bill with another member in exchange for their votes on other legislation, it is known as |
logrolling |
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Logrolling is when a |
member "trades" his or her vote on a particular bill with another member in exchange for their votes on other legislation |
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A member’s request for a special appropriation for projects back home that are attached to a bill to gain votes is known as |
earmark |
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An earmark is |
a member’s request for a special appropriation that is attached to a bill to gain votes |
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When a senator says, " One man’s pork is another man’s job" that senator is probably referring to a |
earmark |
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Most people who study the decision-making process in Congress agree that the single best predictor for how a member will vote is his or her |
party affiliation |
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The conservative coalition |
is weakened because most southern conservative congresspersons are now republican |
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According to the cue-taking model |
members of congress make decisions by checking how key colleagues intend to vote on a bill |
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"Money bills" |
must originate in the House |
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After a bill has been introduced and referred to a committee |
the committee may hold hearings to explore the merits of the bill |
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After being reported by a committee byt before being sent to the House floor, bills are given to the _____ committee, which defines the conditions under which the bills are to be considered by teh House |
rules |
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The job of a conference committee is to |
reconcile House and Senate versions of a bill |
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The Budget and impoundment Control Act of 1974 requires |
the president to spend the funds that congress has appropriated |
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One of the most powerful agencies in Washington, the _____ assists in the preparation of the federal budget and monitors federal agencies throughtout the year |
Office of management and budget |
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The actual passage of a bill setting the funds that an agency can spend is called a |
appropriation |
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A temporary law that Congress passes when an appropriations bill has not been decided by the beginning of the fiscal year is |
a continuing resolution |
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The US Congress differs from most other world legislatures except in the following way |
it is hopelessly deadlocked |
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When a political party wins a majority of seats in a parliamentary system, that party |
selects the prime minister, who is also the party leader |
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Incumbents running for reelection are successful approximately _____ percent of the time |
95 |
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If nonpartisan panels drew congressional destricts, it is likely that |
there would be an increase in the spending on television and internet ads |
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