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American Federal Government Chapter 10
General Test Questions & Answers
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"Free media" during an electoral campaign refers to positive news and feature
coverage initiated by the media themselves.
 
A nonprofit group that also engages in issue advocacy and is allowed to spend up to half of its revenue
for political purposes is called
a 501c(4) committee.
 
Before the 1890s, voters on election day almost always had to
cast a straight-ticket vote.
 
Except on rare occasions, boundaries for congressional and state legislative districts in the United States
are redrawn by the states every ____ years
10
 
In 2003, Californians voted out Governor Gray Davis. This election was unusual because
he lost in a rare recall effort.
 
In 2010 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that the government
could not restrict independent expenditures by ______ to political campaigns.
Corporations and unions
 
In most congressional elections, ____ outspend ____
incumbents, challengers
 
In the case of Buckley v Valeo, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that no limits can be placed on candidates’ expenditure of their own funds,
since such spending is considered free speech.
 
In the present day, what determines how a party convention’s delegates will vote?
The results of the state party primary or caucus
 
Party activists who are elected to vote at a party’s national convention are called
delegates
 
Political Action Committees (PACs) are organizations established by corporations, labor unions, or interest groups to channel the
contributions of their members into political campaigns.
 
Primary elections are held to select
a political party’s presidential candidate for the general election.
 
Prospective voting occurs when voting is based on
the imagined future performance of a candidate.
 
State legislators routinely seek to influence electoral outcomes by manipulating the organization of electoral districts.
This strategy is called
gerrymandering.
 
The 2010 Citizens United decision declared that advocacy groups can form Super PACs and run unlimited
campaign ads for or against candidates, as long as
the organizations are independent of the candidate’s campaign.
 
The Electoral College is
presidential electors from each state who cast ballots for president and vice president
 
The federal courts have established ____ as a critical factor in establishing the boundaries of legislative districts.
Equal populations
 
Under current federal rules, individuals may donate a maximum of ____ to any single candidate and up
to _____ to a political action committee.
$2,300; $5,000
 
What is a closed primary?
An election in which voters can participate in the nomination of candidates, but only of the party in
which they are enrolled for a period of time prior to the Election Day
 
When a congressional election is held that does not coincide with a presidential election, it is called a(n)
midterm election.
 
Which of the following factors have studies indicated likely matters least in generating long-term support for a presidential candidate?
National debate performance
 
Which of the following is true of public funding available to candidates as established by the Federal Election Campaign Act?
Candidates who accept matching funds may spend no more than $42 million in their presidential primary campaigns.
 
While Abraham Lincoln’s 1860 presidential campaign spent $100,000, it also relied heavily on
volunteers.
 
Who is the incumbent?
The current officeholder, running for re-election
 
The lawmaking function of Congress is central to democracy because
it is the means by which the public will become public policy
 
Which qualifications for House members is NOT in the Constitution?
Must live in the district being represented
 
Which statement about the Senate is true?
It has two members from each State
 
Which fact disqualifies a person from representing Utah in the Senate?
The candidate lives in Utah but works in Idaho
 
The fact that all congressional districts in a State must have about the same number of people so that
one person’s vote is equal to another’s, is due to
Wesberry v. Sanders ruling
 
Compensation for senators is
the same as for representatives
 
In Congress, screening bills for floor consideration is a major duty of
Committee Members
 
The regular period of time during which Congress conducts its business is called a
session
 
The House may refuse to seat a member-elect only if he or she
does not meet constitutional standards of age, itizenship, and residency
 
Few members of Congress today
are minorities
 
Members of Congress fill all of the following roles EXCEPT that of
Cabinet member
 
Which group has generally used its power to gerrymander congressional districts?
State legislatures
 
Which of the following is required of candidates for the House of Representatives due to longstanding custom?
Must currently reside in the district he or she represents
 
On the average, which group of people occupy the majority of seats in Congress
White, middle-aged men
 
Which statement about congressional districts is true
They function as voting districts within each State
 
Which of the following is a qualification for senators?
Must have been a citizen for at least nine years
 
Why does the Constitution guarantee that the courts may not prosecute members of Congress
for what they say in the House or Senate in relation to congressional business?
Freedom of speech is a vital part of the legislative debate
 
All of the following are differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate EXCEPT
Method of election
 
Congress is tasked with the most basic governmental function in a democratic society. What is it?
Make laws
 
Who can call a special session of Congress and under what circumstances?
Only the President can call a special session, but only in an emergency/pressing situation.
 
What is PROROGUE, who has that power, and under what circumstances?
Prorogue is the President’s power to end a session of Congress if both houses cannot agree on a date of adjournment.
 
What is a term? What is a session?
A term refers to the amount of time a member of Congress is elected to serve.
A session refers to a yearly meeting of Congress to conduct business.
 
According to the 20^th Amendment, the start of each new term of Congress is when?
Noon of the 3^rd of January on every odd-numbered year.
 
3 Reasons why the Framers favored a bicameral congress.
1) The British Parliament had a bicameral legislature for more than 100 years.
2) A 2-chambered house provided the opportunity for compromise and to settle disputes.
3) One house can act as a check on the other.
 
When are Congressional elections held?
The Tuesday following the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year.
 
Under what circumstances may the House refuse to seat a member-elect?
If he/she does not meet the constitutional standards of age, citizenship, or residence.
 
Why does the party in power tend to lose seats in off-year elections?
Voters lose interest in the party’s values.
 
What role does the U.S. Census play in the makeup of Congress?
It reapportions the seats in the House of Representatives.
 
What does it mean to reapportion Congress?
To redistribute the seats in the House after the decennial census.
 
What is gerrymandering?
To have districts in a state drawn to the advantage of the party in power.
 
The fact that all congressional districts in a State must have about the same number of people so that one person’s
vote is equal to another’s, is due to what Supreme Court case?
Wesberry v. Sanders
 
What is the difference between “single-member” district and “at-large” district?
Single-member refers to the election (by voters) of one person for each elected office. At-large refers to state-/nation-wide.
 
What are the constitutional qualifications for being in the House of Representatives?
1) Must be at least 25 years old
2) Must be a citizen for at least 7 years
3) Must reside in the state elected
 
Before the 17^th amendment was adopted, HOW were senators chosen?
They were chosen by state legislatures.
 
What are the constitutional qualifications for being in the Senate?
1) Must be at least 35 years old
2) Must be a citizen for at least 9 years
3) Must reside in the state elected
 
What does it mean that the Senate is a “Continuous body”?
All of its seats are NEVER up for election at the same time.
 
How does the Senate differ from the House in terms of size and term?
The Senate size & term: 100 members; 6 years.
The House size & term: 435 members; 2 years.
 
What was the reasoning behind giving Senators a 6 year term?
It provides senators with a greater degree of job security.
 
Why does the Constitution guarantee that the courts may not prosecute members of Congress for what they
say in the House or Senate in relation to congressional business?
Because freedom of speech is essential to legislative debate.
 
Which of the following upheld the legality of interest groups?
Rights of Association
 
Which of the following is not among the three key barriers facing people who share concerns and want to
create formal problem-resolving organizations?
The need to interact with other people and share common beliefs.
 
The most effective lobbyists usually are
Former Legislators
 
_____________________________________ upholds the legality of lobbying.
The First Amendment
 
No law prohibits former legislators from becoming lobbyists and immediately lobbying former colleagues.
TRUE
 
Interest groups do not nominate members to win elections and hold public office but they do influence elections.
TRUE
 
Interest groups nominate members to win elections and hold public office just as political parties do.
FALSE
 
Interest groups represent specific interests, unlike political parties that represent a whole range of public affairs/issues.
TRUE
 
Political parties represent specific interests, unlike interest groups that represent a whole range of public affairs/issues.
FALSE
 
inside lobbying or direct lobbying takes the interest group’s message directly to a government official such as a lawmaker.
TRUE
 
Outside lobbying or indirect lobbying tactics occur whereby the interest group attempts to get its message out to the public.
TRUE
 
Interest groups also include associations, which are typically groups of institutions that join with others,
often within the same trade or industry (trade associations), and have similar concerns.
TRUE
 
Public interest groups are groups of individuals who conduct research in a particular subject or a particular area of public policy.
FALSE
 
Which of the following is not a function of interest groups?
To manage their donors' finances.
 
Lobbying refers to direct contact between an interest group representative and an officer of government.
TRUE
 
With just a fraction of its seats up for election at any one time, the Senate is the sole ________ in Congress
continuous body
 
Congress must meet formally at least twice during each ________ to carry out the business of lawmaking
term
 
Voters choose among candidates running exclusively in their districts under the ________ system of election
single-member district
 
An emergency may prompt the President so call a(n) ________ of Congress
special session
 
Seats in the House of Representatives are ________ among the States according to their populations
apportioned
 
Seats in the House of Representatives are ________
apportioned
 
States with only one member in the House of Representatives use the ________ system to elect their representative
at-large
 
The Constitution prohibits one house of Congress from (adjourning) a session for more than three days without the consent of the other house
true
 
The (continuous body) of congressional committees allows them to check on agencies in the executive branch
false; oversight function
 
When (gerrymandered) elections are conducted, all voters in a State choose from the same pool of candidates.
false; at-large
 
Under the Constitution, seats in the house are to be (prorogued) among the States according to their individual populations
false; apportioned
 
The Constitution gives the President the power to (prorogue) a session of Congress only if the two houses cannot agree on a date.
true
 
Article I of the Constitution directs Congress to (gerrymander) the seats in the House after each census.
false; reapportioned
 
The Senate is known as a(n) (oversight function), because only a third of its seats are up for election at the same time
false; continuous body
 
Lawmakers who vote as (delegates) believe that each question they face should be decided on its own merits
and not based on personal feelings or the beliefs of their constituents
false; trustees
 
Which qualification for House members is NOT in the Constitution?
must live in the district being represented
 
Which fact disqualifies a person from representing Utah in the Senate?
The candidate has been a citizen for 8 years
 
The fact that all congressional districts in a State must have about the same number of people so that one
person's vote is equal to another's, is due to the
Wesberry v. Sanders ruling
 
Few members of Congress today
are minorities
 
The Framers of the Constitution favored bicameralism because
it allowed for fair and equal representation of the States at the national level
 
Which of the following is true of the House of Representatives?
every state is represented by at least one member
 
Senators are elected to serve
six-year terms
 
Before the 17th Amendment was adopted, senators were chosen by
the State legislatures
 
All of the following are differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate EXCEPT
method of election
 
What attitude towards the senator does the cartoon seem to convey?
disapproval
 
What point is the cartoonist trying to make?
Some senators see themselves as privileged and exempt from public opinion
 
At-large elections were unfair because they
ignored the voice of a large segment of the population
 
To eliminate the problem of gerrymandering, Congress could
require a bipartisan panel elected by the people of the State to draw congressional districts
 
With the passage of the 17th amendment, ________ became less important for election to the Senate.
wealth
 
Roughly peaking, interest groups and Congress have one similar function, as both
check up on one or more branches of government to see that they are doing their jobs
 
The purpose of the Speech or Debate Clause can be compared with
the Framers' agreement to keep the proceedings of the Constitutional Convention a secret.