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American Federal Government Chapter 12
General Test Questions & Answers
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Appropriations are the
amount of money, approved by Congress in statutes, that each unit or agency can spend.
 
Historically, the most important arenas of congressional policy making have been
standing committees.
 
How can a bill become a law without the signature of the president?mif the House and Senate override the president's veto through a
two-thirds majority
 
If a proposed bill does not get voted from the committee to go back to the House or Senate, the bill has ____ in committee.
died
 
If the House and Senate pass different versions of a piece of legislation, the differences will be resolved
in a conference committee.
 
In the House, the Democrats' Steering and Policy Committee is responsible in part for
assigning new legislators to committees.
 
In the Senate, __________ can be used to kill a bill through long floor debate unless three-fifths of the Senate vote for __________.
filibuster; cloture
 
In the Senate, the allocation of floor time for members is influenced by
ranking committee members
 
In the case of Miller v. Johnson (1995), the Supreme Court ruled that
race could not be the predominant factor in creating electoral districts.
 
Members of Congress are most likely to listen to the interest groups that
are connected to the constituents in those members' districts
 
Of all the influences that maintain the clarity of party lines in Congress, which is probably the most important?
the influence of the presidency
 
Pork-barrel legislation is a form of ____ in which members of Congress ____.
patronage; secure direct benefits for their districts or states
 
Presidential power to make treaties and to appoint top executive officers, ambassadors, and federal judges is subject to
the Senate's advice and consent power.
 
Sociological representation is important in understanding the U.S. Congress because
the symbolic composition of Congress is important for the authority of the government.
 
The House of Representatives is ____ elected by the people.
directly
 
The _____ Committee in the House of Representatives allots the time for House debate and decides to what extent amendments
to the bill can be proposed from the floor.
Rules
 
The president pro tempore in the Senate is _______ the majority and minority leaders.
less powerful than
 
The process of logrolling involves an agreement between two or more members of Congress who have nothing in common
except the need for support.
The use of the filibuster and cloture in the United States Senate has increased to record highs.
 
What trend has been observed in the congressional oversight power in recent years?
The power has been used as a tool of partisan politics
 
When congressional leaders want to take up issues that fall outside the jurisdictions of existing committees to highlight
an issue or to investigate a particular problem, what kind of committee do they typically create?
select
 
Which of the following is an accurate description of the makeup or characteristics of caucuses?
groups of senators or representatives who share certain opinions, interests, or social characteristics
 
Which type of representation occurs when constituents have the power to hire and fire their representatives?
agency
 
A new term of Congress convenes on ________________________.
January 3rd of an odd numbered year
 
The President informs Congress of his goals and expectations for the upcoming year in the _____________________.
State of the Union Address
 
The party with the most members in the chamber is called the ______________ party.
majority
 
Which leadership position is the highest in the House of Representatives?
Speaker of the House
 
Who is he leader of the Senate according to the Constitution?
Vice President
 
A meeting of a political party is called a __________.
caucus
 
Who is the present Speaker of the House?
Paul Ryan
 
What is the position of leadership in the senate that takes over in the absences of the Vice President?
President Pro Tem
 
Who is the Vice President of the United States?
Kamala Harris
 
What are the most important committees in Congress called?
standing
 
A proposed law is called a _______.
bill
 
Which type of bill deals with the nation as a whole?
public
 
Which type of resolution carries the force of a law?
joint
 
An attempt to kill a bill by "talking it to death" is called a _____________.
filibuster
 
Which type of committee is created to produce a compromise on a bill?
conference
 
A bill that deals with an individual is called a ______________ bill.
private
 
What is the mahogany box in front of the House of Representatives called?
hopper
 
_____ is the formal charge by the House of Representatives that a government official has committed "Treason, Bribery,
or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."
Impeachment
 
The minimum number of members needed to conduct official business is called a ___________.
quorum
 
What is the term called when a committee ignores a bill and lets it die?
pigeonholed
 
Which method of voting is the most common used in both chambers?
voice
 
Which describes how a select committee may help Congress?
conducts investigations
 
Which correctly describes how a joint committee works?
both houses participate
 
Which is an example of a public bill?
an increase in the minimum wage
 
How can a bill be forced out of committee once it is pigeonholed?
with a discharge petition
 
Which allows Congress to override a President's veto?
two-thirds vote of each house
 
How is a bill introduced in the Senate?
read twice and then sent to a standing committee
 
Which standing committee in the House handles all bills dealing with taxes?
Ways and Means
 
Put in order the following steps that a bill must pass through in order to become a law.
4. A member of the House of Representatives or the Senate formally proposes the bill.
1. The bill is submitted to a committee for consideration.
2. A majority of members in the House and Senate approve the bill.
3. The president signs the bill.
 
Which of the following occurs every ten years after the U.S. census and determines how many seats a state receives
in the House of Representatives?
Reapportionment
 
The majority party in Congress controls which of the following elements in the chamber?
Positions of leadership
The flow of legislation
The composition of committees
 
Who works together to achieve legislative goals?
the president and Congress
 
Which of the following statements about public financing U.S. presidential elections are correct?
minor party candidates can qualify if they receive at lease 5% of the vote
to qualify, a candidate has to follow certain rules and spending limits.
 
____ legislation allows the Congress to fold all executive agency budgets into a single bill, making passage more likely.
Omnibus
 
In relation to Congress, the president's power...
is limited by the willingness of Congress to act on the president's agenda
is more effective in setting the national agenda
 
In his role as chief diplomat, the president...
appoints ambassadors and negotiates treaties with other nations
 
Political scientist Richard Neustadt contended that an effective president is successful in using
"the power to persuade"
 
How many votes in the Electoral College does each state have based on its senate representation?
two
 
Studies have shown that many voters decide to vote for a particular presidential candidate during...
the national party conventions.
 
What legislative powers does the president possess?
the power to veto
the power to propose legislation to congress
 
Executive office of the president includes which of the following?
Office of Management and Budget
White House Office
Council of Economic Advisors
 
All but two states us the _________ in assigning their electoral college votes. In this rule, the candidate who wins the
popular vote in that state receives all of the states electoral college votes.
unit rule
 
An open party caucus is
an open meeting that allows voters to express their preference for the political party's presidential nominee.
 
Events leading up to the Iowa caucus create a very important tie for the potential presidential candidates.
This period of time is known as the
invisible primary.
 
A ____ ____ is a party or special-interest group formed by like-minded members of Congress to confer on issues of mutual concern.
Congressional caucus
 
In the House, the Committee on ____ is responsible for determining the debate and amendment procedures for each bill prior
to it going to the floor for debate.
Rules
 
Besides passing law, members of Congress are expected to do which of the following?
Meet with lobbyist
Work with policy experts
Represent their consituents
 
Rules in the House regarding debate and amendment procedures are determined by which of the following committees?
Committee on Rules
 
Which of the following are enumerated powers granted to Congress in the Constitution allowing it to regulate the nation's economy?
Power to coin and borrow money
Power to tax
Power to regulate commerce between the states
 
Which chamber of Congress has the power to remove the president form office?
Senate
 
How does congress override a presidential veto?
2/3 vote by the full membership in both houses.
 
Who is the house minority whip?
Steny Hoyer
 
Whose main duties revolve around presiding over and keeping order in the house?
Speaker of the House
 
Who is the senate majority leader?
Harry Reid
 
What does it mean to provide money for or to pay for something?
appropriate
 
Which HoR calendar is a bill having to do with revenues, appropriations, or gov't property placed on for consideration.
Union Calendar
 
Who is the President Pro Tempore?
Patrick Leahy
 
What is a measure relating to the business of either house or expressing an opinion that doesn't have the force of a law,
and doesn't have to be signed by the president?
Resolution
 
What are measures that apply to certain persons or places rather than the entire nation?
Private Bills
 
Who are party officers picked for their posts by their party colleagues?
Majority and Minority Leaders
 
Who can introduce bills in the House or Senate?
Only members of the House or Senate.
 
What is a president doing when he/she refuses to sign a bill into law?
Vetoing a bill
 
Which of the following statements about the War Powers Act are true?
It requires the president to inform Congress within 48 hours of the reasons for military action.
 
Presidents have more power in foreign policy making in part because
they have close relationships with the intelligence, diplomatic, and military agencies.
 
In the Whig theory of leadership, the president serves mainly as...
an administrator of the will of Congress.
 
A permanent committee in Congress, which continues from session to session and has jurisdiction in a variety of subject areas,
is known as a ____ committee.
Standing
 
Who is the senate minority leader?
Mitch McConnel
 
Who is assigned the position of President of the Senate by the Constitution?
Vice President
 
Which house calendar are public bills other than those that deal with revenues, appropriations, or gov't property placed
on for floor consideration?
House Calendar
 
Who is the senate assistant majority leader?
Richard Durbin
 
What is a stalling tactic by which a minority of senators seeks to delay or prevent Senate action on a measure?
Filibuster
 
What is a proposed law presented to the HoR or the Senate?
bill
 
What is a term that describes when more than half of the representation is present to conduct Congressional business?
Quorum
 
What Congressional Act gave the Chief Executive the power to reject individual items in appropriation bills?
Line Item Veto Act of 1996
 
Who is the President of the Senate?
Joseph Biden
 
Who assists the floor leaders and serve as a liaison between the party's leadership and its rank-and-file members?
whips
 
What does it mean for an approved bill to be 'engrossed'?
printed it its final form
 
What are agreements by all Senators to limit the debate on the floor before the debate begins?
unanimous consent agreements
 
Who is the house minority leader?
Nancy Pelosi
 
What type of bills are measures applying to the nation as a whole, such as tax measures?
Public Bills
 
Who is the house majority whip?
Kevin McCarthy
 
What happens if congress adjourns its sessions within 10 days not including Sundays, or submitting a bill to the President,
and the President does not act?
Pocket Veto/Bill dies
 
Who is the leader of the Senate when the President of the Senate is absent?
President Pro Tempore
 
Why was the Line Item Veto Act of 1996 declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1998?
president can't amend a final bill without the entire bill going back through two house law-making process.
 
What type of resolutions deal w/joint matters of both the House and the Senate, doesn't have the force of law,
doesn't have to be signed by the President, and is used in foreign affairs.
concurrent resolution
 
What type of committee is composed of members from both Chambers of Congress?
Joint Committee
 
Who is the Speaker of the House?
John Boehner
 
What happens to a bill if the President doesn't sign/veto a bill within ten days after Congress presents the bill, while
Congress is in session, for the President's consideration?
Bill automatically becomes a law
 
What is Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution?
Default Enactment
 
What is an unwritten custom that the most important posts in Congress are held by those (Majority) party members
with the longest service record?
Seniority Rule
 
What is an example of a numbered bill in the HoR? In the Senate?
HR 2013; S 2013
 
What are divisions of Standing Committees?
Subcommittees
 
When a bill is vetoed by the President, what must accompany the bill back to Congress?
an explanation on why the President vetoed the bill
 
Which HoR's calendar considers private bills?
Private Calendar
 
Which committee resolves differences in House and Senate versions of the same bill and produces a compromise
bill that both houses will accept?
Conference Committee
 
How many hours does a Cloture rule limit a Senate debate to when considering a bill?
30 hours
 
What are permanent panels in both houses?
Standing Committees
 
How many permanent panels are in the house?
20
 
How many permanent panels are in the Senate?
16
 
Name five committees that exist in the House and the Senate.
Appropriations, Armed Forces, Budget, Judiciary, Veterans' Affairs
 
Who is the senate assistant minority leader?
John Cornyn
 
Who manages the debate and steers passage of a bill on the House or Senate floor?
Committee Chairman
 
Which committee's main purpose is to investigate governmental scandals, such as Watergate and the Iran-Contra Scandal?
Select/Special Committee
 
What is similar to a bill, when passed has the effect of a bill, and usually deal with temporary matters to appropriate money,
propose constitutional amendments and annex territories?
Joint Resolution
 
What is a provision not likely to pass on its own merit that is attached to an important measure that is certain to pass?
Rider
 
Who is the house majority leader?
Eric Cantor
 
When a bill passes the HoR, whose desk is the bill placed on next?
President of the Senate
 
Which of the following are part of a Congress member's personal staff, responsible for linking citizens to their representative?
Legislative director
Appointment secretary
Press secretary
 
If the president chooses to veto a bill,
Congress can override the veto by a two-thirds vote in each chamber.
 
Standing committees are important because they
Each specialize in a certain area of legislation
Allow Congress to consider a high volume of bills.
 
Choosing committee chairs based on which member has the longest continuous tenure on a standing committee is an
example of the ____ ____.
Seniority system
 
Which committee sets the structure for each debate that ensures in the full House?
The Committee on Rules
 
A procedural move in which a member or members of the Senate speak for all unlimited amount of time on the Senate floor
in order to prevent a vote on a bill is known as
A filibuster.
 
The ____ leader is the leader of the minority party in the House and is responsible for marshaling support for that party's agenda.
Minority
 
The ____ party is the political party with the most seats in the chamber.
Majority
 
Which congressional chamber has the power to impeach or bring formal changes against federal officials.
The House of Representatives
 
Which of the following presidents were successful in diminishing the power of congress during the twentieth century?
Theodore Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
 
The Constitution gives the ____ the power to approve treaties negotiated by the president.
Senate
 
Which of the following about midterm elections are true?
There is less media coverage of candidates and issues that in a presidential election.
 
Voter turnout is lower than for presidential elections.
The president's party usually loses seats.
 
Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate have two primary functions, first to make laws and second to
Represent their constituents.
 
Which of the following "checks" has Congress been granted by the Constitution, allowing it to monitor the actions of the other branches?
Power to approve treaties.
Power to override a presidential veto
Power to impeach federal officials.
 
Which of the following groups participate in the committee process, usually be testifying before the committee on the bill's likely impact?
Executive agencies
Interest groups
 
In creating a bicameral legislature, the Farmers wanted the lower chamber to reflect the will of the ____,
while the upper chamber was meant to protect the interests of the ____.
Commoner; wealthy
 
Members of Congress have personal staff in Washington, DC, and in their district offices back in their home states.
The DC staff focuses on ____ issues, and the district offices handle ____.
Policy; casework
 
The responsibility for managing the legislative process in the Senate belongs to the ____ ____,
the most powerful position in the Senate.
Majority leader
 
Members of the House of Representatives serve ____-year terms, while members of the Senate serve ____-year terms.
Two; six
 
The most powerful leader in the House of Representatives is the
Speaker of the House.
 
Who has the power to preside over the Senate and vote in case of a tie but otherwise has little real authority in the Senate?
The vice president of the United States.
 
The ____ system rewards those with longer service in Congress with positions of leadership and powerful committee assignments.
Seniority
 
By the late 1930s, conservative members of the ____ Party created rules in Congress designed to slow or block
presidential initiative and return greater authority to the body.
Democratic
 
Members of Congress initiate contact with their constituents to serve which of the following purposes?
To share information about legislative activities
To provide constituents with contact information about government services
To solicit opinions on current issues
 
Individual donors who donate large sums to congressional candidates possess which of the following characteristics?
Are more partisan than most constituents
Often live outside of the district
Are more extreme than most constituents.
 
Despite being incumbents and having a high probability of being reelected, members of Congress face challenges due to
Redistricting.
 
The power to declare war is given by the Constitution to
Congress
 
Members of Congress use which of the following types of media to communicate with their constituents?
Facebook
News conferences
Twitter
 
in 2012, over ____ of the money contributed to congressional candidates came from individual donors donate large sums.
50 percent
 
Much of today's legislation originates with which of the following branches of government?
The White House
 
Which of the following can be attributed to a high partisan Congress?
A rise in party voting
A lack of civility and decorum amongst members
Difficult in passing legislation
 
The Farmers intentionally chose the words declare war rather than make war when determining Congress's constitutional authority because
They wanted the president to have the power to repel a sudden attack.
 
Non-party caucuses, such as the Congressional Black Caucus, differ from formal caucuses in which of the following ways?
They lack funding from Congress.
they lack formal recognition.
 
A permanent committee in Congress, which continues from session to session and has jurisdiction in a variety of subject areas,
is known as ____ committee.
Standing
 
Which committee sets the structure for each debate that ensues in the full House?
The Committee on Rules
 
Once a bill is introduced, it will be assigned to one or more standing committees, depending on
Jurisdiction.
 
President may be impeached for which of the following reasons?
High crimes and misdemeanor
Bribery
Treason
 
The Constitution gives the ____ the power to approve treaties negotiated by the president.
Senate
 
Which of the following changes resulted from a growth of diversity in congressional representation during the 1960s and 1970s?
Passing new legislation designed to protect minorities
Weakening the seniority system
Opening committee meetings to the public
 
Individual donors who donate large sums to congressional candidates possess which of the following characteristics?
Are more partisan than most constituents
Often live outside of the district
Are more extreme than most constituents
 
Which of the following contribute to incumbents have an advantage over their challengers during congressional elections?
Having easier access to medial coverage
Having greater name recognition
Being able to raise money more easily
 
The leader of the majority party in each house, responsible for marshaling support for the party's agenda, is the ____ ____.
Majority leader
 
Which of the following can be attributed to a highly partisan Congress?
Difficult in passing legislation
A rise in party voting
A lack of civility and decorum amongst members
 
____ representation argues that members of Congress should reflect the demographic makeup of the population and
not just our political viewpoints.
Descriptive
 
The War Powers Resolution requires that the president do which of the following when deploying troops without a
formal declaration of war?
The president must report to Congress within 48 hours of the deployment.
The president must remove troops within 60 to 90 days if war isn't declared.
 
The president's appointments to the federal judiciary, ambassadorships, and "other" public ministries and counsels require
a ____ majority vote in the Senate.
Simple
 
Leaders in both the House and Senate are chosen for their ability to do which of the following?
Frame issues along party lines
Raise money for fellow party members
Control the legislative agenda
 
Members of the House will typically sit on ____ full committees and ____ subcommittees although members sitting
on the more influential and time-consuming committees have fewer assignments.
2;4
 
____ refers to the process of amending spending bills to meet budget targets.
Reconciliation
 
____ government happens when one party controls one or both houses of Congress, while the other party controls the White House.
Divided
 
Rules for debate in the Senate are determined by which of the following agreements that are requested by the majority
leader and prohibit extensive debate?
Unanimous consent
 
Which of the following electoral reforms have been suggested as ways to increase voter approval of Congress?
Reducing the role of money in congressional elections
Removing the practices that protect incumbents
Allowing candidates access to free medial time
 
If the government fails to pass a yearly budget by October the 1st, they must pass ____ resolutions that allow agencies
to continue operating albeit at the previous year's funding levels.
Continuing
 
During the Constitutional Convention, some delegates called for representation based on population, which meant almost
half the seats in the Senate and the House would have been commanded by which of the following states?
Pennsylvania
Virginia
Massachusetts
 
The redrawing congressional boundaries to benefit a political party is called
Gerrymandering
 
The War Powers Resolution was passed by Congress in the wake of the ____ War as at attempt to restrain presidential power.
Vietnam
 
A ____ is a citizen from a state or district that an elected official represents.
Constituent
 
Which of the following are changes to the electoral environment attributable to midterm elections?
Voters are biased against the president's party
There is lower voter turnout
Voters are more partisan
 
After reviewing the president's proposed budget, committees in both chambers must pass a ____ that projects income and
sets spending limits for programs.
Budget resolution
 
Which of the following may be unintended effects of racial gerrymandering?
It increases the number of districts that elect white representatives
It may work against the achievement of policies that minorities support
 
In order to delay the approval of presidential appointments to the Supreme Court, the Senate has resorted to the use of ____,
which allow individual members to delay confirmation indefinitely.
Holds
 
Which of the following best describes the trustee model of representation?
A representative who exercises his/her own best judgment when making decisions
 
The Constitution gives ____ the sole authority to decide how money is spent by the government.
Congress
 
The power of ____, whereby Congress monitors the executive branch, is not enumerated in the Constitution but instead is
implied by the system of checks and balances.
Oversight
 
Which of the following are key resources needed to successfully run for office?
Time
Money
 
What type of committee typically handles specific areas of a standing committee's jurisdiction?
Subcommittees
 
To end a filibuster, sixty senators must agree to invoke ____ and end the debate.
Cloture
 
Which of the following changes in the American political process led to an increase in the importance of political parties within Congress?
Elimination of property requirements for voting.
The use of spoils system by President Jackson
 
Constituent services in an important way for members of Congress to build favor with constituents and to ensure
That they are reelected.
 
During the twentieth century, Congress became increasingly diverse, welcoming members from which of the following minority groups?
African Americans
Women
Asian Americans
 
If a majority of the members of the Senate are Democrats, then the majority of seats on each standing committee and
subcommittee will be help by the ____ party.
Democratic
 
The ____ has the power to approve presidential treaties and to confirm presidential appointments to the federal judiciary.
Senate
 
Which of the following candidate must consistently solicit funds from individual contributors and PACs in order to be
competitive congressional races?
Candidates in safe races
Candidates in close races
Challengers
 
A committee that is composed of members of both chambers of Congress is known as a ____ committee.
Joint
 
Which of the following models of representation insist that legislators vote in line with their constituent's views even
when this contradicts their personal views?
Delegate
 
Which of the following contribute to incumbents having an advantage over their challengers during congressional elections?
Being able to raise money more easily
Having easier access to media coverage
Having greater name recognition
 
Which of the following is true regarding resources and successfully running for Congress?
Running for office is generally a viable option only for the wealthy
 
The ____ Committee is responsible for sending portions of the budget resolution to those committees with jurisdiction
over the agencies requesting funds.
Appropriations
 
Which of the following are congressional leaders who are responsible for ensuring that party members are present for
floor votes and prepared to vote as the party wishes?
Whips
 
At the end of the Civil War, the leadership in the House gained enormous influence by controlling which of the following
elements of Congressional action?
The content of bill brought to the floor
Timing of legislation in the House
Rewarding members with important assignments
 
The privilege of incumbents to send mail to their constituencies at the government's expense is known as ____ privilege.
Franking
 
Traditionally, the House has used the ____ system determine which members are assigned as chairs of standing committees.
Seniority
 
Which of the following congressional reforms are likely to improve voter perception on Congress?
Removing the senatorial hold
Ending the possibility of a filibuster
 
When an incumbent personal helps constituents solve problems with the federal bureaucracy, it is known as
Casework.
 
The elastic clause gave more power to
The federal government.
 
The main responsibility of the Senate ____ ____ is to work with the Senate majority leader in negotiating legislation.
Minority leader
 
Which of the following laws prevents states from drawing district lines that adversely affects the voting rights of racial and ethnic minorities?
Voters Rights Act of 1965