Political Science 101- Introduction to American Politics » Spring 2021 » Chapter 12 Post Test
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Question #1
The frequency with which they must seek re-election makes members of the U.S. House of Representatives
A.
less responsive to the needs of local interest groups in the districts they represent.
B.
more responsive to the needs of local interest groups in the districts they represent.
C.
less responsive to the needs of the elites in the states they represent.
D.
more responsive to the needs of the elites in the states they represent.
Question #2
Under the original Constitution, senators
A.
served four-year terms.
B.
were appointed by state legislatures.
C.
were selected by the federal judiciary.
D.
could serve only two terms.
Question #3
A major risk of the delegate model of representation is that
A.
no new laws will be passed because all representatives must agree before a bill can be enacted.
B.
elected officials will spend too much time attempting to raise money for their next campaign because they must seek re-election so frequently.
C.
elected officials will completely ignore their constituents’ preferences because they are following their own beliefs about which policies are best.
D.
the voices of only a few active and informed constituents will be heard because most people do not pay close attention to every issue.
Question #4
The 116th Congress included the highest number of women elected to Congress to date. This is significant because
A.
it makes the U.S. Congress the most representative legislature in the world.
B.
many issues cut across gender lines and are more likely to get represented.
C.
it makes it more likely that the substantive representation model will be at play.
D.
it makes the U.S. Congress the most diverse of any legislature in the world.
Question #5
A member of the House of Representatives who helps a constituent apply for Social Security benefits is engaging in
A.
casework.
B.
lobbying.
C.
pork barreling.
D.
corruption.
Question #6
Senator, Mitch McConnell is running for re-election, this means the senator is a(n)
A.
trustee.
B.
constituent.
C.
delegate.
D.
incumbent.
Question #7
If a member of Congress directs a great deal of federal funding to build dams that are not really necessary in her state but create a lot of jobs, the member of Congress is engaged in which of the following?
A.
apportionment
B.
pork barreling
C.
redistricting
D.
gerrymandering
Question #8
The number of seats in the House of Representatives has been fixed at ________ since ________.
A.
435; 1959
B.
100; 1929
C.
100; 1790
D.
435; 1929
Question #9
The decision in Rucho v. Common Cause (2019) is important because it
A.
makes it less likely that state legislatures will continue the practice of gerrymandering.
B.
makes it more likely that federal courts will rule that gerrymandering is a political question.
C.
leaves open the possibility that state courts might continue to intervene in gerrymandering cases.
D.
makes both partisan and racial gerrymandering a political question in the federal judiciary.
Question #10
One way the majority leader and minority leader in the Senate exert power is through
A.
control of the committee system.
B.
control over redistricting.
C.
control of the president pro tempore.
D.
control of the calendar.
Question #11
Who has the most real power in the Senate?
A.
the Senate president pro tempore
B.
the majority and minority leaders
C.
the president of the Senate
D.
the chair of the Rules Committee
Question #12
A ________ committee remains in existence from one session of Congress to the next, and has the power to write legislation that covers a particular subject, in most cases paralleling a major department or agency of the executive branch.
A.
select
B.
joint
C.
standing
D.
conference
Question #13
Over what policy areas does the House Ways and Means Committee have jurisdiction?
A.
rules governing debate on the floor and committee assignments
B.
taxes, trade, and entitlement programs
C.
highways and waterways
D.
foreign relations and national security
Question #14
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.
A.
select
B.
conference
C.
joint
D.
standing
Question #15
The congressional practice of “ping pong” occurs when
A.
Congress passes a new version of a law that was previously struck down as unconstitutional by the federal judiciary.
B.
Congress passes a new version of a law that was previously vetoed by the president.
C.
there is a divided Congress and the House and Senate exchange amendments in order to reach agreement on the final version of a bill.
D.
a bill is passed in one house of Congress but not passed in the other.
Question #16
The Congressional Research Service and the Government Accountability Office are examples of
A.
conference committees.
B.
staff agencies.
C.
select committees.
D.
caucuses.
Question #17
The framers gave the power to introduce “money bills” to the House of Representatives but not the Senate because they believed that
A.
taxing and spending were not important issues and the Senate should focus its attention on the country’s most pressing problems.
B.
every state should not have equal influence over taxing and spending decisions.
C.
the Senate was too small in size to make good decisions about taxing and spending.
D.
the chamber closest to the people should exercise greater authority over taxing and spending.
Question #18
A closed or an open rule refers to congressional provisions regarding
A.
whether lobbyists are allowed inside Congress.
B.
floor debate on a bill.
C.
assignment to powerful committees.
D.
whether deliberations are closed or open to the general public.
Question #19
A filibuster allows members of the Senate to
A.
avoid a conference committee.
B.
refer a bill to multiple committees.
C.
prevent a vote on a bill by speaking continuously on the floor.
D.
add amendments to any bill at any time.
Question #20
Which of the following are methods U.S. senators can use to block or delay debate on a bill?
A.
filibustering, adding amendments to a bill, and placing a hold on a bill
B.
calling for a cloture vote, calling for a party unity vote, and logrolling
C.
calling for a cloture vote, adding amendments to a bill, and logrolling
D.
filibustering, calling for a cloture vote, and logrolling
Question #21
The practice of referring a bill to more than one committee for consideration is called
A.
a standing committee.
B.
multiple referral.
C.
a joint committee.
D.
ping-ponging.
Question #22
One cause of party unity voting in recent Congresses is
A.
increased filibustering.
B.
decreased gerrymandering.
C.
increased polarization.
D.
roll-call voting.
Question #23
The 2014 Select Committee on Benghazi is an example of Congress’s ________ powers.
A.
impeachment
B.
advice and consent
C.
executive agreement
D.
oversight
Question #24
________ have the same status as treaties but do not require U.S. Senate approval.
A.
International accords
B.
Multilateral initiatives
C.
Executive agreements
D.
Executive orders
Question #25
The role that the U.S. House of Representatives plays in impeachments can best be compared with that of a
A.
grand jury.
B.
defense attorney.
C.
judge.
D.
prosecuting attorney.
Question #26
Senators’ longer terms of office, and larger, more heterogeneous constituencies makes them more
A.
attuned to the needs of groups and interests organized on a city- or countywide basis.
B.
likely to spend their time thinking about and running for re-election.
C.
likely to serve existing interests than to bring together new coalitions of interests.
D.
likely to consider new ideas and better able to act as the agents for groups and interests organized on a statewide or national basis.
Question #27
If you were a senator instead of a representative in the House, which would you expect to be true of your constituency?
A.
It is less insulated.
B.
It is more diverse.
C.
All answer choices are correct.
D.
It is smaller.
Question #28
A member of Congress who feels only loosely constrained by the policy preferences of his or her constituents and empowered to make the decisions he or she thinks best is acting as a
A.
lobbyist.
B.
trustee.
C.
policy entrepreneur.
D.
delegate.
Question #29
Which sort of representation is based on the principle that if two individuals are similar in background, character, interests, and perspectives, then one could correctly represent the other’s views?
A.
delegate
B.
descriptive
C.
trustee
D.
substantive
Question #30
The first female Speaker of the House was
A.
Hillary Clinton.
B.
Mary Bono.
C.
Nancy Pelosi.
D.
Jeanette Rankin.
Question #31
Which of the following statements best describes the representation of women and minorities in the U.S. Congress?
A.
Women are underrepresented in Congress, but there is a disproportionate representation of minorities in Congress.
B.
Representation of women and minorities has increased during the past two decades but is not comparable to their proportions in the general population.
C.
Since the mid-1990s, the number of women and minorities in Congress roughly reflects their proportions in the general population.
D.
Representation of women and minorities has decreased by one-third since the 1970s.
Question #32
A senator or representative running for re-election is called the
A.
constituent.
B.
incumbent.
C.
trustee.
D.
delegate.
Question #33
Senator Mitch McConnell (KY) is running for re-election. Which of the following advantages would he have over his rivals?
A.
The ability to send regular newsletters to constituents about his accomplishments, possible pork-barrel projects to benefit his constituency and robust campaign funds
B.
possible pork-barrel projects to benefit his constituency
C.
the ability to send regular newsletters to constituents about his accomplishments
D.
robust campaign funds
Question #34
When Senator Robert Byrd steered federal money to build highways, dams, and government facilities to his state of West Virginia, he was doing which of the following?
A.
apportioning
B.
redistricting
C.
pork barreling
D.
gerrymandering
Question #35
If a member of the House of Representatives won his or her first election with 52% of the vote and won his or her second election with 75%, it would be an example of the
A.
“incumbency increase.”
B.
“sophomore surge.”
C.
“rich get richer” effect.
D.
“second-election surprise.”
Question #36
The process of allocating congressional seats among the 50 states is called
A.
apportionment.
B.
redlining.
C.
redistricting.
D.
gerrymandering.
Question #37
A.
states with large Latino populations would lose seats in Congress.
B.
states with sizeable Latino populations could gain seats in Congress.
C.
Latino voters would be less likely to be represented in Congress.
D.
this would not change the apportionment that happens every 10 years.
Question #38
What did the Supreme Court justices declare in Miller v. Johnson (1995)?
A.
The racial composition of a district could not be the predominant factor when redistricting.
B.
The use of computer technologies to draw districts that will favor one party over another is unconstitutional.
C.
It was not unconstitutional for states to use an unelected, nonpartisan committee to redistrict.
D.
Districts could not be drawn to favor the incumbent candidate.
Question #39
How is the Speaker of the House determined?
A.
The vice president of the United States is also Speaker of the House.
B.
The president selects the Speaker of the House from the majority party in the House.
C.
The elected leader of the majority party in the House is the Speaker.
D.
The representative with the longest tenure in the House is the Speaker of the House.
Question #40
The president pro tempore of the Senate is usually
A.
the majority party member with the greatest seniority.
B.
the minority party leader with the least seniority.
C.
selected directly by the president.
D.
the minority party leader with the greatest seniority.
Question #41
The ________ is/are responsible for communicating the leader’s wishes to members in Congress.
A.
Speaker of the House and the Senate president pro tempore
B.
party caucuses
C.
Ways and Means Committee
D.
party whips
Question #42
A subcommittee is helpful for members of Congress because
A.
they specialize in the committee’s work.
B.
they do not need to hold hearings.
C.
they do not launch investigations.
D.
their jurisdictions are well-defined.
Question #43
The jurisdiction of standing committees
A.
is defined by the subject matter of legislation, which often parallels the major cabinet departments or agencies.
B.
is related to a specific geographic region.
C.
often overlaps with the jurisdiction of select committees.
D.
is determined by the different political parties.
Question #44
The House Rules Committee is important because it
A.
is placed in charge of selecting the Speaker of the House.
B.
reviews all applications regarding the formation of select committees.
C.
decides the order in which bills come up for a vote on the House floor and determines the specific rules that govern the length of debate and opportunity for amendments.
D.
determines the jurisdiction of every congressional standing committee.
Question #45
The four joint committees in Congress are
A.
foreign affairs, welfare, currency, and trade.
B.
globalization, human rights, employment, and citizenship.
C.
economic, taxation, library, and printing.
D.
justice, agriculture, education, and technology.
Question #46
Conference committees are
A.
temporary, involve members from both houses of Congress, and are charged with reaching a compromise on legislation once it has been passed by both the House and the Senate.
B.
temporary and are created to take up an issue that falls between the jurisdiction of existing committees, to highlight an issue, or to investigate a particular problem.
C.
permanent and have the power to write and propose legislation.
D.
permanent and involve members from both the House and the Senate.
Question #47
One advantage of seniority in Congress is it makes a congressperson
A.
less likely to have to participate in subcommittees.
B.
C.
less likely to have to serve as president pro tempore.
D.
more likely to get leadership in a committee.
E.
less likely to participate in committee work.
Question #48
Which congressional staff agency assesses the economic implications and likely costs of proposed federal programs?
A.
the Government Accountability Office
B.
the Office of Management and Budget
C.
the Congressional Budget Office
D.
the Congressional Research Service
Question #49
A proposed law that has been sponsored by a member of Congress is called a
A.
caucus.
B.
roll call.
C.
conference.
D.
bill.
Question #50
The session in which a congressional committee rewrites legislation to incorporate changes discussed during hearings on a bill is called the
A.
committee markup.
B.
roll-call vote.
C.
oversight phase.
D.
pork barreling stage.
Question #51
In the House of Representatives, virtually all the time allotted by the Rules Committee for debate on a given bill is controlled by the
A.
whip.
B.
majority leader and the minority leader.
C.
bill’s sponsor and its leading opponent.
D.
Rules Committee chairperson.
Question #52
What is cloture?
A.
a lawsuit filed by a member of the Senate against a member of the House or vice versa
B.
the ability of a senator to speak for as long as he or she wishes to prevent action from being taken on legislation that he or she opposes
C.
the rule that allows one house of Congress to circumvent the other during the legislative process
D.
the process by which three-fifths of the Senate can end a filibuster
Question #53
The “nuclear option” refers to a
A.
policy of restructuring Congress in a way that would eliminate the committee system.
B.
proposal to extend the use of the filibuster to the House of Representatives.
C.
change to the filibuster rules enacted in 2013 that prevents the filibustering of nominees for positions in the executive branch and the federal courts.
D.
constitutional amendment to eliminate senatorial approval of nominees for positions in the executive branch and the federal courts.
Question #54
A legislative “hold” is a
A.
way for bills to pass without approval by the Senate.
B.
stalling tactic used in the U.S. House of Representatives to delay debate on a bill.
C.
way for bills to pass without approval by the House of Representatives.
D.
stalling tactic used in the U.S. Senate to delay debate on a bill.
Question #55
A ________ veto occurs when Congress adjourns during a 10-day period after presenting the president with a bill and he or she takes no action.
A.
line-item
B.
silent
C.
pocket
D.
procrastination
Question #56
Many interest groups produce “scorecards” that
A.
rate how members of Congress vote on issues of importance to that group.
B.
add up the number of positive and negative news stories about issues of importance to that group.
C.
track which policies are most popular with members of the public.
D.
measure the length of time it takes for a bill to become a law.
Question #57
Compared to the rest of American history, recent Congresses have been ________ polarized and ________ productive in terms of passing laws.
A.
more; less
B.
less; equally
C.
more; more
D.
less; less
Question #58
Which of the following statements best describes the difference between a congressional hearing and a congressional investigation?
A.
Members of both the House and the Senate hold hearings, while members of a single chamber exclusively conduct an investigation.
B.
An investigation is held in order to analyze a specific bill that has already been proposed, while a hearing examines a broad problem and concludes with recommendations for a proposed bill.
C.
There are no important differences between a congressional hearing and a congressional investigation.
D.
A hearing is held in order to analyze a specific bill that has already been proposed, while an investigation examines a broad problem and concludes with recommendations for a proposed bill.
Question #59
The Senate’s constitutional power of advice and consent extends to the president’s power to
A.
make executive agreements.
B.
issue executive orders.
C.
issue pardons.
D.
make treaties with foreign nations.
Question #60
The role that the U.S. Senate plays in impeachments can best be compared with that of a
A.
trial jury.
B.
prosecuting attorney.
C.
grand jury.
D.
defense attorney.
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