Question 1

If the Rules Committee applies the "closed rule" to a bill,

Accepted Answer

A)  no amendments will be permitted.
B)  the bill will not be allowed a vote.
C)  the bill will require a 2/3 majority for passage.
D)  no further floor debate is allowed.
E)  no filibusters will be allowed to prevent a vote.

Question 2

Which nation does NOT have a one-house dominant legislature?

Accepted Answer

A)  Canada
B)  Germany
C)  the United States
D)  Great Britain
E)  None of these answers is correct,as all these nations have one-house dominant legislatures.

Question 3

The dominant policymaking political institution during most of the nineteenth century was

Accepted Answer

A)  the president and the executive branch.
B)  Congress.
C)  the Supreme Court.
D)  the bureaucracy.
E)  the mass media.

Question 4

One must be ________ years of age to serve in the U.S.House of Representatives,and ________ years of age to serve in the U.S.Senate.

Accepted Answer

A)  18;21
B)  21;25
C)  25;30
D)  35;45
E)  40;50

Question 5

Why do congressional incumbents have such a high rate of reelection?

Accepted Answer

Incumbents have a great advantage in con...

Question 6

In the 1970s,roll-call votes

Accepted Answer

A)  generally demonstrated the power of incumbents.
B)  generally demonstrated an increase in party loyalty.
C)  generally did not pit most Republicans against most Democrats.
D)  were less common than voice votes.
E)  were generally not used to record each member's vote.

Question 7

Compared to House incumbents,Senate incumbents are more likely to face the problem of

Accepted Answer

A)  raising enough money to run a strong campaign.
B)  an electorate that is inclined to judge their fitness for reelection in the context of pork-barrel legislation and other favors for the local community.
C)  a strong challenger.
D)  name recognition.
E)  All these answers are correct.

Question 8

By and large,partisanship is

Accepted Answer

A)  irrelevant to the work of Congress.
B)  a huge source of both cohesion and division within Congress.
C)  relevant only in the context of local representation.
D)  important in lawmaking and representation but not in oversight.
E)  more important in foreign policy than in domestic policy.

Question 9

In contrast with the Speaker of the House,the Senate majority leader

Accepted Answer

A)  plays a key role in formulating the majority party's legislative positions.
B)  seeks to develop influential relationships with his/her colleagues.
C)  is not the presiding officer of his/her chamber.
D)  holds a position that is defined in the Constitution.
E)  None of these answers is correct.

Question 10

Because of the inherent tension in Congress between the need for strong leadership at the top and the individual congressional member's need to act according to local concerns,

Accepted Answer

A)  Congress is unable to take effective action to counter the growth in the power of the president.
B)  power in the Congress is widely dispersed.
C)  power in the Congress is highly centralized in the Speaker and Senate president pro tempore.
D)  members of Congress prefer to address international issues because the tension between local and national issues is less substantial in this situation.
E)  Congress has been unable to take effective action to counter the growth in the power of the Supreme Court.

Question 11

What percentage of state legislators are women?

Accepted Answer

A)  less than 5 percent
B)  more than 20 percent
C)  about 50 percent
D)  about 60 percent
E)  more than 40 percent

Question 12

Legislation whose tangible benefits are targeted solely at a particular legislator's constituency is

Accepted Answer

A)  pork-barrel legislation.
B)  logrolling.
C)  gerrymandering.
D)  private legislation.
E)  public interest legislation.

Question 13

Bills are formally introduced in Congress by

Accepted Answer

A)  members of Congress only.
B)  executive agencies.
C)  interest groups.
D)  the Supreme Court.
E)  All these answers are correct.

Question 14

Through a vote for cloture,the Senate

Accepted Answer

A)  confirms presidential appointees.
B)  can end a filibuster.
C)  overrides a presidential pocket veto.
D)  accepts the House version of a bill.
E)  closes its legislative session for the year.

Question 15

Nearly ________ percent of all PAC contributions go to the incumbents.

Accepted Answer

A)  10
B)  30
C)  50
D)  70
E)  90

Question 16

The trading of votes between members of Congress so that each gets the legislation he or she wants is called

Accepted Answer

A)  gerrymandering.
B)  pandering.
C)  logrolling.
D)  pork-barreling.
E)  cloturing.

Question 17

The second-most powerful federal official (after the president) is often said to be the

Accepted Answer

A)  chair of the House Appropriations Committee.
B)  president pro tempore of the U.S.Senate.
C)  Speaker of the U.S.House of Representatives.
D)  chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
E)  Senate majority leader.

Question 18

Defining the conditions and scheduling a bill for floor debate in the House of Representatives is the responsibility of the

Accepted Answer

A)  Ways and Means Committee.
B)  Rules Committee.
C)  Budget Committee.
D)  Appropriations Committee.
E)  Judiciary Committee.

Question 19

Since the founding of the United States,the debate over the representation function of Congress has centered on whether

Accepted Answer

A)  key decisions should be made by a small number of representatives in committee or by the whole membership in floor debate.
B)  the primary concern of a representative should be the interests of the nation or of his or her constituency.
C)  congressional or presidential authority should dominate on broad issues.
D)  the House or the Senate is more responsive to the public.
E)  the House or the Senate should take the lead on foreign policy issues.

Question 20

News media coverage of Congress and the president is

Accepted Answer

A)  about equal in amount.
B)  heavily tilted toward presidential coverage.
C)  largely focused on Congress and its members.
D)  typically focused on areas where there is consensus between the two institutions.
E)  typically focused on areas where the House as opposed to the Senate is the leading chamber.

Exam 11: Congress: Balancing National Goals and Local Interests

Because of the inherent tension in Congress between the need for strong leadership at the top and the individual congressional member's need to act according to local concerns,

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Through a vote for cloture,the Senate

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Why do congressional incumbents have such a high rate of reelection?

Correct AnswerverifiedIncumbents have a great advantage in con...View AnswerShow Answer

News media coverage of Congress and the president is

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What percentage of state legislators are women?

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Bills are formally introduced in Congress by

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In contrast with the Speaker of the House,the Senate majority leader

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The dominant policymaking political institution during most of the nineteenth century was

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which nation does NOT have a one-house dominant legislature?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

If the Rules Committee applies the "closed rule" to a bill,

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

By and large,partisanship is

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In the 1970s,roll-call votes

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Defining the conditions and scheduling a bill for floor debate in the House of Representatives is the responsibility of the

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The trading of votes between members of Congress so that each gets the legislation he or she wants is called

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The second-most powerful federal official (after the president) is often said to be the

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Nearly ________ percent of all PAC contributions go to the incumbents.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Since the founding of the United States,the debate over the representation function of Congress has centered on whether

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

One must be ________ years of age to serve in the U.S.House of Representatives,and ________ years of age to serve in the U.S.Senate.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Legislation whose tangible benefits are targeted solely at a particular legislator's constituency is

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Compared to House incumbents,Senate incumbents are more likely to face the problem of

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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Incumbents have a great advantage in con...
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One must be years of age to serve in the U.S.House of Representatives,and years of age to serve in the U.S.Senate.

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