Question 1

The oversight responsibility of Congress is

Accepted Answer

A)  relatively easy to carry out.
B)  becoming less and less important to the nation.
C)  more interesting to most legislators than policy making responsibilities.
D)  the most time consuming task for most legislators.
E)  None of these answers is correct.F) None of the above
G) A) and B)

Question 2

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; 50F) B) and C)
G) B) and E)

Question 3

When the House and Senate pass different versions of a bill,the differences are resolved by a

Accepted Answer

A)  conference committee.
B)  standing committee.
C)  select committee.
D)  rules committee.
E)  joint committee.F) A) and B)
G) A) and E) A

Question 4

There are currently ________ voting members of the U.S.House of Representatives and ________ voting members of the U.S.Senate.

Accepted Answer

A)  535; 100
B)  435; 100
C)  150; 31
D)  300; 100
E)  600; 300F) A) and E)
G) B) and D)

Question 5

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.F) B) and E)
G) C) and D)

Question 6

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.F) A) and D)
G) A) and B) B

Question 7

What is the strategy employed in the Senate to prevent a bill from coming to a vote?

Accepted Answer

A)  mark up
B)  filibuster
C)  cloture
D)  pocket veto
E)  conference committeeF) B) and D)
G) A) and E)

Question 8

A standing committee in the House or Senate

Accepted Answer

A)  is a permanent committee.
B)  has jurisdiction over a particular policy area.
C)  has authority to draft,amend,and recommend legislation.
D)  is usually organized according to the seniority principle.
E)  All these answers are correct.F) C) and D)
G) A) and B)

Question 9

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

Accepted Answer

Incumbents have a great advantage in con...

Question 10

A pocket veto differs from a regular presidential veto in that the pocket veto

Accepted Answer

A)  applies only to a section of the legislation in question.
B)  applies only to expenditure legislation.
C)  occurs when the president decides to veto a bill he had previously signed.
D)  can take effect only when the Congress is not in session.
E)  occurs when the president goes before Congress to announce a veto.F) B) and D)
G) A) and C)

Question 11

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.F) A) and D)
G) A) and C)

Question 12

In Beyond Ideology,political scientist Frances Lee shows that

Accepted Answer

A)  the number of bills passed each year by Congress has dropped dramatically from year to year because of partisan gridlock.
B)  lawmakers generally avoid partisan negotiations or attacks when dealing with low-stakes issues in order to get more business done.
C)  the congressional agenda is less and less shaped by partisan consideration rather than reelection priorities.
D)  even on low-stake issues,lawmakers exploit negotiation and floor debate to attack opponents and promote their party's image.
E)  the congressional agenda is increasingly shaped by policy priorities rather than partisan consideration.F) All of the above
G) C) and E)

Question 13

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.F) D) and E)
G) A) and E)

Question 14

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.F) A) and E)
G) A) and C)

Question 15

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.F) A) and E)
G) A) and C) B

Question 16

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.F) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 17

In initiating broad legislative proposals,the president enjoys all the following advantages over Congress EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)  the president being more likely to take a national perspective on policy issues.
B)  the president being granted more authority by the Constitution in the area of lawmaking.
C)  the president's actions receiving more attention from the national media.
D)  the president having the authority to make policy decisions even when there are conflicting views within the executive branch,while congressional leaders cannot impose their views on other members who disagree with them.
E)  a lack of fragmentation.F) D) and E)
G) A) and D)

Question 18

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.F) A) and B)
G) C) and D)

Question 19

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.F) A) and E)
G) B) and C)

Question 20

Congress is a decentralized,fragmented institution.What are the implications of these realities on its lawmaking role? Explain.

Accepted Answer

Congress has a proliferation of leadersh...

Exam 11: Congress: Balancing National Goals and Local Interests

The oversight responsibility of Congress is

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

When the House and Senate pass different versions of a bill,the differences are resolved by a

Correct AnswerverifiedA

There are currently ________ voting members of the U.S.House of Representatives and ________ voting members of the U.S.Senate.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Through a vote for cloture,the Senate

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedB

What is the strategy employed in the Senate to prevent a bill from coming to a vote?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A standing committee in the House or Senate

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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

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

A pocket veto differs from a regular presidential veto in that the pocket veto

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

In Beyond Ideology,political scientist Frances Lee shows that

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

News media coverage of Congress and the president is

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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 AnswerverifiedB

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In initiating broad legislative proposals,the president enjoys all the following advantages over Congress EXCEPT

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

Congress is a decentralized,fragmented institution.What are the implications of these realities on its lawmaking role? Explain.

Correct AnswerverifiedCongress has a proliferation of leadersh...View AnswerShow Answer

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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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There are currently voting members of the U.S.House of Representatives and voting members of the U.S.Senate.

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B

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Incumbents have a great advantage in con...
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B

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Congress has a proliferation of leadersh...
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