Question 1

There are many different ways that members of Congress can represent the American people. Define and discuss the differences between sociological and agency representation. Which type of representation do you think the U.S. Congress provides best? Why?

Accepted Answer

There are two components to this questio...

Question 2

In recent years, about ________ percent of U.S. House incumbents won reelection.

Accepted Answer

A)   50
B)   66
C)   80
D)   95

Question 3

A filibuster allows members of the Senate to

Accepted Answer

A)   refer a bill to multiple committees.
B)   avoid a conference committee.
C)   prevent a vote on a bill by speaking continuously on the floor.
D)   add amendments to any bill at any time.

Question 4

In each House district there are approximately ________ people.

Accepted Answer

A)   250,000
B)   700,000
C)   1,300,000
D)   2,500,000

Question 5

Describe how Congress exercises its checks and balances over the executive branch. Which chamber of Congress has more authority over the executive branch? Provide examples. How might partisanship help to diminish the exercise of congressional power over the presidency? Explain.

Accepted Answer

There are three components to this quest...

Question 6

Congressional leaders form ________ committees when they want to take up an issue that falls between the jurisdiction of existing committees, to highlight an issue, or to investigate a particular problem.

Accepted Answer

A)   conference
B)   joint
C)   select
D)   standing

Question 7

One reason why redistricting is controversial is that

Accepted Answer

A)   those charged with drawing districts use sophisticated computer technologies to come up with the most favorable district boundaries.
B)   incumbents never lose when districts are redrawn.
C)   it is unclear whether districts have to be drawn in such a way that each district includes roughly the same number of people.
D)   interest groups and PACs exert a great deal of influence over the specific shape of each district.

Question 8

What purpose does pork-barrel legislation serve?

Accepted Answer

A)   It funds specific projects and their location within a particular congressional district.
B)   It gives agricultural subsidies within a region.
C)   It awards special privileges to a person named in the bill.
D)   It orders state governments to implement a program without providing funding for doing so. A

Question 9

In 2011,

Accepted Answer

A)   the House of Representatives dramatically increased the number of earmarks in their spending bills while the Senate dramatically decreased the number of earmarks in their spending bills.
B)   the Senate dramatically increased the number of earmarks in their spending bills while the House of Representatives dramatically decreased the number of earmarks in their spending bills.
C)   both the House of Representatives and the Senate dramatically increased the number of earmarks in their spending bills.
D)   the House and the Senate agreed to a two-year moratorium on earmarks in spending bills.

Question 10

Between 1995 and 2006, the number of congressional earmarks

Accepted Answer

A)   remained the same.
B)   dropped to nearly zero.
C)   nearly doubled.
D)   increased by a factor of 10.

Question 11

Senators' longer terms of office and larger, more heterogeneous constituencies makes them more

Accepted Answer

A)   attuned to the needs of groups and interests organized on a city or countywide basis.
B)   likely to consider new ideas and better able to act as the agents for groups and interests organized on a statewide or national basis.
C)   likely to serve existing interests than to bring together new coalitions of interests.
D)   likely to spend their time thinking about and running for reelection.

Question 12

Who is responsible for communicating the leaders' wishes to members in Congress?

Accepted Answer

A)   the Speaker of the House and the Senate president pro tempore
B)   the party whips
C)   the party caucuses
D)   the Ways and Means Committee

Question 13

The role that the U.S. Senate plays in impeachments can best be compared with that of a

Accepted Answer

A)   trial jury.
B)   grand jury.
C)   prosecuting attorney.
D)   defense attorney. A

Question 14

The "sophomore surge" refers to the

Accepted Answer

A)   fact that many members of Congress lose their reelection campaigns after their second term in office.
B)   tendency for college students to intern with their local members of Congress during the summer between their sophomore and junior years in college.
C)   fact that most members of Congress leave office after serving only two years.
D)   tendency for candidates to win a higher percentage of the vote when seeking future terms in office.

Question 15

What did the Supreme Court justices declare in Miller v. Johnson (1995) ?

Accepted Answer

A)   Districts could not be drawn to favor the incumbent candidate.
B)   The racial composition of a district could not be the predominant factor when redistricting.
C)   It was not unconstitutional for states to use an unelected, nonpartisan committee to redistrict.
D)   The use of computer technologies to draw districts that will favor one party over another is unconstitutional.

Question 16

________ bills are one of Congress's favorite vehicles for pork-barrel spending.

Accepted Answer

A)   Education
B)   Veteran's affairs
C)   Health care
D)   Highway

Question 17

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 or her own party, and either the House majority or minority leader selects for opposition members.
D)   each party's whip

Question 18

What is the most common occupation among members of Congress before coming to Congress?

Accepted Answer

A)   business executive
B)   lobbyist
C)   college professor
D)   lawyer

Question 19

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 engage in executive oversight
C)   the president's power to issue executive orders
D)   the president's power to issue pardons

Question 20

How is the Speaker of the House determined?

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)   The president selects the Speaker of the House from the majority party in the House. C

Exam 9: Congress

There are many different ways that members of Congress can represent the American people. Define and discuss the differences between sociological and agency representation. Which type of representation do you think the U.S. Congress provides best? Why?

Correct AnswerverifiedThere are two components to this questio...View AnswerShow Answer

In recent years, about ________ percent of U.S. House incumbents won reelection.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A filibuster allows members of the Senate to

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In each House district there are approximately ________ people.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Describe how Congress exercises its checks and balances over the executive branch. Which chamber of Congress has more authority over the executive branch? Provide examples. How might partisanship help to diminish the exercise of congressional power over the presidency? Explain.

Correct AnswerverifiedThere are three components to this quest...View AnswerShow Answer

Congressional leaders form ________ committees when they want to take up an issue that falls between the jurisdiction of existing committees, to highlight an issue, or to investigate a particular problem.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

One reason why redistricting is controversial is that

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What purpose does pork-barrel legislation serve?

Correct AnswerverifiedA

In 2011,

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Between 1995 and 2006, the number of congressional earmarks

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Senators' longer terms of office and larger, more heterogeneous constituencies makes them more

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Who is responsible for communicating the leaders' wishes to members in Congress?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The role that the U.S. Senate plays in impeachments can best be compared with that of a

Correct AnswerverifiedA

The "sophomore surge" refers to the

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What did the Supreme Court justices declare in Miller v. Johnson (1995) ?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

________ bills are one of Congress's favorite vehicles for pork-barrel spending.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What is the most common occupation among members of Congress before coming to Congress?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

How is the Speaker of the House determined?

Correct AnswerverifiedC

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A

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C