Unit 6 exam

Name ____________________________

Section One: multiple choice questions (32 points)

1) From the standpoint of the ambitions of a newly elected Democratic senator, the most important element in determining their committee assignments is the

a. Steering Committee.

b. majority leader.

c. party whip.

d. Foreign Relations Committee.

e. president pro tempore.

2) In terms of their power to influence the content of bills, the most important members of the House and Senate are the

a. chairs of the standing committees.

b. Speaker of the House and vice president of the United States.

c. majority party leaders of the House and the Senate.

d. members with the most knowledge and expertise on the issue under consideration.

e. members of each house with the most seniority.

3) The Hastert Rule dictates that

a. the Speaker of the House determines which bills may come out of committee for a floor vote.

b. the President Pro Tempore is the senior member of the majority party in the Senate.

c. the Vice President will break ties in the Senate.

d. presidents may not veto parts of bills, but must veto the entire bill passed by Congress.

e. the Speaker of the House only allows votes on bills favored by a majority of the majority party.

4) Pork barrel legislation helps the re-election chances of a member of Congress because such legislation

a. gives the member of Congress national standing and coverage on national television news.

b. helps earn the member of Congress a reputation for service to his or her district.

c. attracts campaign contributions from ideological political action committees.

d. prevents other candidates from claiming that the member of Congress is too liberal for his or her district.

e. requires the member of Congress to travel extensively.

5) One way Congress can respond to a Supreme Court ruling that declares a law unconstitutional is to

a. appoint new justices.

b. draft a referendum that the voters would approve.

c. pass new legislation that addresses the issues raised by the Court.

d. hold a press conference.

e. hold a private meeting with the joint chiefs of staff.

6) Most of the bills introduced in the House and the Senate are then

a. passed by one chamber but not the other.

b. passed by both chambers but vetoed by the President.

c. referred to committee but never sent to the full Congress.

d. voted down during the amendment stage of the floor debate.

e. killed in the Rules Committee.

7) The role of a conference committee in Congress is to  

a. hold hearings on proposed legislation.

b. oversee the actions of the executive branch of the government.

c. decide which bills should be considered by the full Senate.

d. conduct hearings that make information available to the public.

e. reconcile differences in bills passed by the House and Senate.

8) The informal organization of common interests within Congress is referred to as

a. subcommitees.

b. select committees.

c. issue networks.

d. caucuses.

e. iron triangles.

9) What happens to representation in Congress as the population increases?

a. The total number of representatives in Congress goes up.

b. The number of people each member represents increases.

c. States with a large population will continue to gain seats in Congress.

d. States will be forced to abandon single-member districts.

e. A constitutional amendment providing for term limits will be go into effect.

10) Which of the following is true of a presidential veto of a piece of legislation?

a. It is rarely overridden by Congress.

b. It is not binding unless supported by the cabinet.

c.  It can only be sustained on revenue bills.

d.  It is automatically reviewed by the United States Supreme Court.

e.  It is subject to approval by a congressional committee.

11) Which of the following House committee is responsible for setting the agenda for legislation coming to the floor?

a. Rules Committee

b. Ways and Means Committee

c. Appropriations Committee

d. The Policy Committee

e. The Armed Services Committee

12) According to the Constitution, which power is granted exclusively to the House of Representatives?

a. ratification of treaties

b. trial of a Senate decision to impeach the president

c. approval of presidential nominees to public office

d. use of the legislative veto to stop executive agreements

e. origination of all bills of revenue

13) Congressional standing committees are best described as

a. specially appointed investigative bodies.

b. joint committees of the two houses of Congress.

c. committees created for each session.

d. permanent subject-matter committees.

e. advisory staff agencies.

14) The advantage of incumbency in congressional elections includes which of the following?

1. Incumbents receive more campaign contributions than do challengers.
2. Incumbents are able to provide important services for individual voters.
3. The government provides campaign funds for incumbents.
4. The President usually endorses incumbents for reelection.
5. Most American voters believe Congress does a good job

a. I and II only

b. III and IV only

c. I, IV, and V only

d. II, III, and V only

e. III, IV and V only

15) Which of the following statements about the rules of procedure in the House and Senate is correct?  

a. Debate by a determined minority in either chamber cannot be halted.

b. The rules in each chamber are determined by the majority whip.

c. The rules are specified in Article I of the Constitution.

d. The rules can be changed by the President in times of national emergency.

e. The House operates by more formal rules, while the Senate operates on informal understandings.

16) Compared to members of the House, senators are

a. more likely to have personal contact with their constituents.

b. more likely to face difficult challenges during their re-election.

c. less likely to face difficult challenges during their re-election.

d. more partisan and willing to stick by their party leaders.

e. less likely to receive national news coverage.

17) Incumbents are those

a. already holding office.

b. running for office for the first time.

c. who have been defeated in an election.

d. retired members of Congress.

e. running for an office.

18) An example of casework by a member of Congress is

a. writing a newsletter to send out to constituents.

b. helping a constituent gain citizenship.

c. voting for a bill desired by constituents.

d. working with a caucus on a public policy that affects his or her constituents.

e. placing an earmark in a bill that provides $10,000 for a bridge project in the Rep’s district.

19) Which of the following is a unique power held by members of the Senate?

a. Control of the veto.

b. Control of the appropriations process.

c. The ability to filibuster.

d. The ability to impeach the president.

e. The ability to work with a clearly defined constituency.

20) Whips have which of the following functions?

a.  They act as direct liaisons to the White House.

b.  They work closely with the minority party in the name of bipartisanship.

c.  They make appointments to the various House and Senate committees.

d.  They are responsible for keeping party members in line when a vote occurs.

e.  They preside over the House when the speaker is absent.

21) Who decides on pay increases for Congress?

a. the Supreme Court

b. the President

c. the state legislatures

d. Congress

e. the Secretary of the Treasury

22) Bicameralism means that a legislative body is one

a. with two houses, providing checks and balances on policymaking.

b. in which each state has two senators, providing equal representation of the states.

c. in which incumbents have a better chance of being reelected, providing continuity in policymaking.

d. that must share power with a president, providing more efficient policymaking.

e. in which there are only two political parties.

23) The practice of one member of Congress supporting another member's pet project in return for support for his or her own project is known as

a. pork barrel legislation.

b. logrolling.

c. gerrymandering.

d. Congressional courtesy.

e. filibustering.

24) All of the following are true about the majority leader of the Senate EXCEPT

a. he or she is the leader of the Senate majority party.

b. he or she is recognized first in debate.

c. he or she controls the scheduling of bills for floor consideration.

d. he or she has more power than Senate whips.

e. he or she is always selected from a different party than the vice president.

25) The following constituencies are all of interest to a member of Congress EXCEPT

a. voters in the district.

b. party leaders in the chamber.

c. lobbyists for interests connected with the district.

d. fellow legislators who serve on the same committee.

e. federal district judges in the district.

26) A first-term member of the House of Representatives wishing to influence tax policy would most likely seek a seat on which of the following committees?

a. Appropriations

b. Rules

c. Ways and Means

d. Budget

e. Education and Workforce

27) Which of the following characterize the filibuster by members of Congress?

• I. It can occur in both houses of Congress.
• II. It can occur only in the Senate.
• III. It can be halted by a vote of cloture.
• IV. It can lead to a stoppage in the legislative process.
• V. It can only initiated by a member of the majority party in the chamber.

a. I, III, and IV

b. II, III, and IV

c. II, III, IV, and V

d. III, IV, and V

e. II, III, and V

28) Those who argue that the House of Representatives is the government institution most responsible to the will of the public are most likely to cite as evidence the fact that

a. Congressional reelection campaigns are extremely costly.

b. term limits may soon restrict the number of years a congressperson may serve.

c. Congress has oversight power over many executive agencies.

d. average citizens may, on occasion, be called to testify before a Congressional committee.

e. representatives must run for reelection every two years.

29) A continuing resolution agreed upon by both houses

a. authorizes the president to borrow money in advance of an approved budget.

b. allows a president to send troops abroad on a temporary basis.

c. prevents the shutdown of any governmental operation if a new budget is not enacted.

d. directs the Congress to meet until a budget is voted on.

e. creates a new legislative agenda.

30) The Speaker of the House of Representatives has the primary role of

a. breaking tie votes in the House.

b. presiding over the House during routine business.

c. setting the legislative agenda for the House

d. settling disputes in his own party

e. acting as a liaison with the opposition party

31) All of the following are hurdles a bill must pass in BOTH houses before it becomes a law EXCEPT

a. introduction on the floor by a member of the body.

b. committee consideration and debate.

c. the Rules Committee.

d. floor debate.

e. a vote by a quorum of the membership.

32) All of the following are constitutional powers expressly given to Congress EXCEPT

a. to lay and collect taxes.

b. to regulate commerce with foreign nations.

c. to create courts.

d. to regulate intrastate commerce.

e. to establish a post office.

Part 2: Free Response Question (16 points)

33) Representative democracy is the foundation of the American political system.

a. Define and explain the pros and cons of

• the trustee model
• the delegate model

b. Define and explain the following advantages enjoyed by incumbents:

• franking
• casework

c. Identify two reasons for Congressional gridlock (why Congress gets very little accomplished).

d. Identify and explain two ways that our legislative system could be changed to decrease gridlock in Congress.