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.   a method used by the Speaker of the House to promote the majority party’s legislation.
C.   an attempt to persuade others to vote for a particular bill in return for a favor at a later date.
D.   used in the House to force a standing committee to release a bill.
E.   the use of unlimited debate as a delaying tactic to block a bill.
Question #2
A representative who is performing the role of a trustee is
A.   acting according to the broad interests of the entire society.
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.   supporting the president on all of his or her legislative programs.
Question #3
A representative who is performing the role of an instructed delegate is
A.   supporting his or her political party.
B.   representing other members of Congress.
C.   acting according to the broad interests of the entire society.
D.   supporting the president on all of his legislative programs.
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.   rider.
B.   earmark.
C.   amendment.
D.   backdoor clause.
E.   unfunded mandate.
Question #5
Congress’s main function is to
A.   make laws.
B.   use its oversight power.
C.   decide whether or not laws are constitutional.
D.   impeach high government officials.
E.   enforce the laws.
Question #6
Enumerated powers are
A.   powers that allow the president to do whatever he likes, as long as it carries out the Constitution.
B.   spelled out in the Necessary and Proper Clause of the Constitution.
C.   powers that the executive branch has.
D.   Supreme Court decisions.
E.   powers that are specifically granted to the national government by the Constitution.
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.   performed on the floor of the House of Representatives.
D.   done in the Rules Committee of the Senate.
E.   done when the president signs it.
Question #8
Oversight is
A.   when Congress passes legislation.
B.   the process by which Congress reviews the actions of subcommittees.
C.   the time of the year that Congress chooses its leadership.
D.   when the President supervises the activity of the judicial branch.
E.   the process by which Congress follows up on the laws it has enacted.
Question #9
Standing committees are
A.   committees that reconcile differences in an action.
B.   permanent bodies that are established by the rules of each chamber and that continue from session to session.
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.   committees that handle issues that the most important committees in Congress do not consider.
Question #10
The concept of cloture refers to
A.   a method used to defeat legislation in Congress.
B.   the resolution that adjourns Congress.
C.   action taken by the House Rules Committee that must be approved by the Speaker.
D.   closed meetings held by both parties to elect their leadership or resolve other important issues.
E.   a process that shuts off discussion on a bill in the Senate.
Question #11
The de facto power in the Senate belongs to
A.   the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
B.   Senate majority and minority leaders and their respective whips.
C.   Senator designate selected by the president.
D.   President pro tempore of the Senate.
E.   President of the Senate.
Question #12
The job of a conference committee is to
A.   write a compromise bill, if the House and Senate bills contain different provisions.
B.   originate appropriations bills.
C.   set the rules of debate for a bill.
D.   determine the committee path of a bill.
E.   override a presidential veto.
Question #13
The largest occupational group among members of Congress is
A.   lobbyists.
B.   businesspersons.
C.   lawyers.
D.   clergy.
E.   educators.
Question #14
The necessary and proper clause
A.   has served to limit the expansion of national authority.
B.   has greatly expanded the presidential powers.
C.   was in the original Constitution, but was eliminated as a consequence of the Twenty-Seventh Amendment.
D.   is located in the Constitution in the text of the Tenth Amendment.
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.   an arrangement in which members of Congress agree in advance to support each others’ bills.
C.   the process of putting together a budget.
D.   when members of Congress attach amendments to bills.
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.   the vice president of the United States.
B.   the senator with the most seniority, regardless of party.
C.   the leader of the majority party in the Senate.
D.   always a member of the majority party in the Senate.
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.   the most important foreign policy powers of Congress.
B.   powers reserved for the president.
C.   powers reserved exclusively for the states.
D.   powers that have only recently been granted to Congress.
E.   the most important domestic powers of Congress.
Question #18
The whips assist the party leaders by
A.   voting to support the party platform at the national convention.
B.   gathering research information.
C.   passing information down from the leadership to party members and ensuring that members cast their votes on important issues.
D.   pressuring them to take positions popular among the party rank-and-file.
E.   attempting to convince the general public that congresspersons should vote the party line.
Question #19
The ______ of the Senate is mostly a ceremonial position.
A.   president pro tempore
B.   minority whip
C.   majority whip
D.   majority leader
E.   minority leader
Question #20
Reapportionment is
A.   a budget procedure used in the House.
B.   the allocation of seats in the House to each state after each census.
C.   the redrawing of district boundaries within each state.
D.   altering a legislative formula that apportions spending among the states.
E.   a court order to hold new elections because of voting irregularities.

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