Question 1

For a bill to pass in either chamber of Congress,it must

Accepted Answer

A)   receive the support of a third of its members.
B)   receive the support of a simple majority of its members.
C)   receive the support of two-thirds of its members.
D)   be passed within two weeks of its passage by the other chamber.
E)   be passed within a month of its passage by the other chamber.F) D) and E)
G) A) and D)

Question 2

"Mark up" of a bill means that

Accepted Answer

A)   a president has crossed out sections of the bill that he or she finds personally objectionable.
B)   a bill has been approved after floor debate has finished.
C)   witnesses at committee hearings suggest modifications of the bill.
D)   the House Speaker and Senate majority leader have written a bill in a way that they favor.
E)   None of these answers is correct.F) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 3

When the House and Senate pass different versions of a bill,the differences are resolved by a

Accepted Answer

A)   conference committee.
B)   standing committee.
C)   select committee.
D)   rules committee.
E)   joint committee.F) A) and B)
G) B) and E)

Question 4

In initiating broad legislative proposals,the president enjoys all the following advantages over Congress EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)   the president being more likely to take a national perspective on policy issues.
B)   the president being granted more authority by the Constitution in the area of lawmaking.
C)   the president's actions receiving more attention from the national media.
D)   the president having the authority to make policy decisions even when there are conflicting views within the executive branch, while congressional leaders cannot impose their views on other members who disagree with them.
E)   a lack of fragmentation.F) C) and D)
G) A) and B)

Question 5

The dominant policymaking political institution during most of the nineteenth century was

Accepted Answer

A)   the president and the executive branch.
B)   Congress.
C)   the Supreme Court.
D)   the bureaucracy.
E)   the mass media.F) A) and C)
G) C) and E)

Question 6

What is congressional oversight and how strongly is it pursued by Congress?

Accepted Answer

Congressional oversight is the responsib...

Question 7

In Beyond Ideology,political scientist Frances Lee shows that

Accepted Answer

A)   the number of bills passed each year by Congress has dropped dramatically from year to year because of partisan gridlock.
B)   lawmakers generally avoid partisan negotiations or attacks when dealing with low-stakes issues in order to get more business done.
C)   the congressional agenda is less and less shaped by partisan consideration rather than reelection priorities.
D)   even on low-stake issues, lawmakers exploit negotiation and floor debate to attack opponents and promote their party's image.
E)   the congressional agenda is increasingly shaped by policy priorities rather than partisan consideration.F) A) and B)
G) A) and D)

Question 8

The modern Congress is different from the nineteenth century Congress in that most members

Accepted Answer

A)   are now professional politicians who want to stay in Congress.
B)   are now amateur politicians who want only to spend a short time in Congress.
C)   are now minorities or women.
D)   now have previously been governors of their home states.
E)   return to their respective state legislatures after their congressional service is over.F) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 9

What percentage of state legislators are women?

Accepted Answer

A)   less than 5 percent
B)   more than 20 percent
C)   about 50 percent
D)   about 60 percent
E)   more than 40 percentF) A) and C)
G) A) and E)

Question 10

The oversight responsibility of Congress is

Accepted Answer

A)   relatively easy to carry out.
B)   becoming less and less important to the nation.
C)   more interesting to most legislators than policy making responsibilities.
D)   the most time consuming task for most legislators.
E)   None of these answers is correct.F) All of the above
G) A) and B)

Question 11

Why do congressional incumbents have such a high rate of reelection?

Accepted Answer

Incumbents have a great advantage in con...

Question 12

The second-most powerful federal official (after the president) is often said to be the

Accepted Answer

A)   chair of the House Appropriations Committee.
B)   president pro tempore of the U.S. Senate.
C)   Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
D)   chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
E)   Senate majority leader.F) A) and E)
G) All of the above

Question 13

Senators are generally less likely to take directions from their leaders than House members because

Accepted Answer

A)   senators are prohibited by their state legislatures from taking orders from others.
B)   senators think of themselves as being equals and are only willing to be led by persuasion.
C)   senators are more highly paid than House members and are thus immune from financial threats.
D)   House rules mandate that all party members on major bills must vote according to the directions of their leaders.
E)   All these answers are correct.F) A) and C)
G) A) and D)

Question 14

Most of the work on legislation in Congress is done

Accepted Answer

A)   by committees and their respective subcommittees.
B)   on the floor of the House and Senate.
C)   by conference committees.
D)   by the president.
E)   by bureaucratic agencies.F) C) and D)
G) B) and E)

Question 15

In contrast with the Speaker of the House,the Senate majority leader

Accepted Answer

A)   plays a key role in formulating the majority party's legislative positions.
B)   seeks to develop influential relationships with his/her colleagues.
C)   is not the presiding officer of his/her chamber.
D)   holds a position that is defined in the Constitution.
E)   None of these answers is correct.F) B) and C)
G) B) and D)

Question 16

Nearly ________ percent of all PAC contributions go to the incumbents.

Accepted Answer

A)   10
B)   30
C)   50
D)   70
E)   90F) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 17

Explain the difficulties involving the representation function of Congress.How does the representation function conflict with the lawmaking function of Congress?

Accepted Answer

The representation function of Congress ...

Question 18

Through a vote for cloture,the Senate

Accepted Answer

A)   confirms presidential appointees.
B)   can end a filibuster.
C)   overrides a presidential pocket veto.
D)   accepts the House version of a bill.
E)   closes its legislative session for the year.F) A) and E)
G) B) and D)

Question 19

The trading of votes between members of Congress so that each gets the legislation he or she wants is called

Accepted Answer

A)   gerrymandering.
B)   pandering.
C)   logrolling.
D)   pork-barreling.
E)   cloturing.F) C) and D)
G) All of the above

Question 20

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.

Accepted Answer

A)   18; 21
B)   21; 25
C)   25; 30
D)   35; 45
E)   40; 50F) A) and C)
G) A) and E)

Exam 11: Congress: Balancing National Goals and Local Interests

What is congressional oversight and how strongly is it pursued by Congress?

Correct AnswerverifiedCongressional oversight is the responsib...View AnswerShow Answer

Nearly ________ percent of all PAC contributions go to the incumbents.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In initiating broad legislative proposals,the president enjoys all the following advantages over Congress EXCEPT

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

"Mark up" of a bill means that

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

When the House and Senate pass different versions of a bill,the differences are resolved by a

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In Beyond Ideology,political scientist Frances Lee shows that

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Most of the work on legislation in Congress is done

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What percentage of state legislators are women?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The oversight responsibility of Congress is

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The dominant policymaking political institution during most of the nineteenth century was

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Why do congressional incumbents have such a high rate of reelection?

Correct AnswerverifiedIncumbents have a great advantage in con...View AnswerShow Answer

The trading of votes between members of Congress so that each gets the legislation he or she wants is called

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Senators are generally less likely to take directions from their leaders than House members because

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Explain the difficulties involving the representation function of Congress.How does the representation function conflict with the lawmaking function of Congress?

Correct AnswerverifiedThe representation function of Congress ...View AnswerShow Answer

In contrast with the Speaker of the House,the Senate majority leader

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Through a vote for cloture,the Senate

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The modern Congress is different from the nineteenth century Congress in that most members

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The second-most powerful federal official (after the president) is often said to be the

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

For a bill to pass in either chamber of Congress,it must

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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Congressional oversight is the responsib...
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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.

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Incumbents have a great advantage in con...
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The representation function of Congress ...
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