Political Science 1 - Government of the United States and California » Summer 2020 » Congress Quiz

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Question #1
A filibuster is
A.   a technique that is unique to the House
B.   the use of unlimited debate as a delaying tactic to block a bill.
C.   used in the House to force a standing committee to release a bill.
D.   a method used by the Speaker of the House to promote the majority party’s legislation.
E.   an attempt to persuade others to vote for a particular bill in return for a favor at a later date.
Question #2
A representative who is performing the role of a trustee is
A.   supporting the president on all of his or her legislative programs.
B.   mirroring the views of the majority of the constituents who elected him or her.
C.   supporting his or her political party.
D.   representing other members of Congress.
E.   acting according to the broad interests of the entire society.
Question #3
A representative who is performing the role of an instructed delegate is
A.   representing other members of Congress.
B.   mirroring the views of the majority of the constituents who elected him or her.
C.   supporting the president on all of his legislative programs.
D.   supporting his or her political party.
E.   acting according to the broad interests of the entire society.
Question #4
A special provision in legislation to set aside funds for projects that have not passed an impartial evaluation by agencies in the executive branch is called a(n)
A.   earmark.
B.   unfunded mandate.
C.   backdoor clause.
D.   rider.
E.   amendment.
Question #5
Congress’s main function is to
A.   make laws.
B.   use its oversight power.
C.   enforce the laws.
D.   impeach high government officials.
E.   decide whether or not laws are constitutional.
Question #6
Enumerated powers are
A.   spelled out in the Necessary and Proper Clause of the Constitution.
B.   powers that allow the president to do whatever he likes, as long as it carries out the Constitution.
C.   powers that are specifically granted to the national government by the Constitution.
D.   powers that the executive branch has.
E.   Supreme Court decisions.
Question #7
Most of the actual work of legislating is
A.   performed by interest groups and then acted on by Congress.
B.   performed by the committees and subcommittees within Congress.
C.   done in the Rules Committee of the Senate.
D.   performed on the floor of the House of Representatives.
E.   done when the president signs it.
Question #8
Oversight is
A.   when the President supervises the activity of the judicial branch.
B.   the process by which Congress follows up on the laws it has enacted.
C.   the process by which Congress reviews the actions of subcommittees.
D.   the time of the year that Congress chooses its leadership.
E.   when Congress passes legislation.
Question #9
Standing committees are
A.   committees that work with counterparts in the other house of Congress.
B.   committees inside committees, which handle tasks that the main committee has no time for.
C.   committees that handle issues that the most important committees in Congress do not consider.
D.   permanent bodies that are established by the rules of each chamber and that continue from session to session.
E.   committees that reconcile differences in an action.
Question #10
The concept of cloture refers to
A.   closed meetings held by both parties to elect their leadership or resolve other important issues.
B.   a process that shuts off discussion on a bill in the Senate.
C.   the resolution that adjourns Congress.
D.   action taken by the House Rules Committee that must be approved by the Speaker.
E.   a method used to defeat legislation in Congress.
Question #11
The de facto power in the Senate belongs to
A.   Senator designate selected by the president.
B.   the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
C.   Senate majority and minority leaders and their respective whips.
D.   President of the Senate.
E.   President pro tempore of the Senate.
Question #12
The job of a conference committee is to
A.   set the rules of debate for a bill.
B.   override a presidential veto.
C.   originate appropriations bills.
D.   write a compromise bill, if the House and Senate bills contain different provisions.
E.   determine the committee path of a bill.
Question #13
The largest occupational group among members of Congress is
A.   lobbyists.
B.   educators.
C.   clergy.
D.   lawyers.
E.   businesspersons.
Question #14
The necessary and proper clause
A.   is located in the Constitution in the text of the Tenth Amendment.
B.   has provided the basis for an expanded role of the national government.
C.   has greatly expanded the presidential powers.
D.   has served to limit the expansion of national authority.
E.   was in the original Constitution, but was eliminated as a consequence of the Twenty-Seventh Amendment.
Question #15
The practice of logrolling is
A.   when members of Congress attach amendments to bills.
B.   when members of Congress use unlimited debate as a delaying tactic to block a bill.
C.   an arrangement in which members of Congress agree in advance to support each others’ bills.
D.   when members of Congress undermine the personal credibility of their opponents.
E.   the process of putting together a budget.
Question #16
The president of the Senate is
A.   always a member of the majority party in the Senate.
B.   the leader of the majority party in the Senate.
C.   the vice president of the United States.
D.   the senator with the most seniority, regardless of party.
E.   the fourth person in line to succeed the president.
Question #17
The rights to collect taxes, to spend, and to regulate commerce are
A.   powers that have only recently been granted to Congress.
B.   powers reserved exclusively for the states.
C.   the most important domestic powers of Congress.
D.   powers reserved for the president.
E.   the most important foreign policy powers of Congress.
Question #18
The whips assist the party leaders by
A.   voting to support the party platform at the national convention.
B.   attempting to convince the general public that congresspersons should vote the party line.
C.   pressuring them to take positions popular among the party rank-and-file.
D.   gathering research information.
E.   passing information down from the leadership to party members and ensuring that members cast their votes on important issues.
Question #19
The ______ of the Senate is mostly a ceremonial position.
A.   minority whip
B.   minority leader
C.   majority leader
D.   president pro tempore
E.   majority whip
Question #20
Reapportionment is
A.   the redrawing of district boundaries within each state.
B.   a budget procedure used in the House.
C.   the allocation of seats in the House to each state after each census.
D.   a court order to hold new elections because of voting irregularities.
E.   altering a legislative formula that apportions spending among the states.

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