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

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

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