Chapter 10 The Congress - Political Science

CHAPTER 10—THE CONGRESS MULTIPLE CHOICE led e. members. ANS: C 2. The founders of the American republic believed that most of the power that would be exercised by a national government should be in the hands of a. the chief executive. b. the legislature. c. The Electoral College. d. the bureaucracy. e. the judiciary. ANS: B 3. The bicameralism of Congress reflected the Founders' desire to balance the interests of a. big states and small states. b. common citizens and elites. c. the northern and southern states. d. business and labor. e. both a and b. ANS: E 4. The logic of separate constituencies and separate interests underlying the bicameral Congress was reinforced by a. differences in length of tenure. b. the state governments. c. the methods of amending the Constitution. d. the Bill of Rights. e. none of the above. ANS: A 5. The principal function of any legislature is a. carrying out the law. b. lawmaking. c. checking the power of the judicial branch. d. oversight. e. advice and consent. ANS: B 6. The concept of logrolling refers to a. action taken by a senator that attempts to prevent a bill from passing in the Senate. b. a method that is used to keep one bill on the floor for an extended period of time, thus blocking all legislation. c. an arrangement by which two or more members of Congress agree in advance to support each other's bills. d. a method that the president uses when he wants to prevent the passage of legislation. e. both a and b. ANS: C 7. A representative who is performing the role of a trustee is a. only representing the needs of his or her constituents. b. supporting the president on all of his legislative programs. c. acting on conscience or representing the broad interests of the entire society. d. supporting his or her political party. ANS: C 8. A representative who is performing the role of an instructed delegate is a. primarily representing the wishes of his or her constituents. b. supporting the president on all of his legislative programs. c. representing the broad interests of the entire society. d. supporting his or her political party. e. representing other members of Congress. ANS: A 9. A legislator from Florida who votes, against her better judgment, to support subsidies for orange growers would be acting a. as a trustee. b. as a logroller. c. irrationally. d. as an ombudsperson. e. as an instructed delegate. ANS: E 10. One major problem with the role of the instructed delegate is that a. the president's program may not have the support of the public. b. the constituents may not actually have well-formed views on many issues. c. a majority of the constituents may be of a different political party than the representative. d. few members of Congress are knowledgeable about most legislation. e. members of Congress find it difficult to cooperate. ANS: B 11. Individual members of Congress are expected by their constituents to a. always support legislation that is in the best interest of the country regardless of its local impact. b. always support the political party of the congressperson. c. support the major proposals of the president. d. act as brokers between the needs of private citizens and the needs of the federal government. e. avoid foreign travel. ANS: D 12. Casework is a. logrolling. b. constituent service. c. lawmaking. d. oversight. e. both c and d. ANS: B 13. The concept of an ombudsperson refers to a. an individual who hears complaints of citizens against public officials or agencies. b. a member of Congress who has been defeated for reelection but remains in Congress until the end of the session. c. an elected official who is insensitive to the needs of the constituents. d. an individual who has served in both the House and the Senate. e. the maintenance of the capitol building. ANS: A 14. Oversight is the process by which Congress a. follows up on the laws it has enacted. b. reviews the actions of subcommittees. c. chooses its leadership. d. supervises the activity of the judicial branch. e. passes legislation. ANS: A 15. The public education function of Congress is carried out by all of the following except: a. holding hearings. b. setting the public policy agenda. c. oversight. d. debates on the floor of the chamber. e. casework. ANS: E 16. The enumerated powers of Congress are powers a. expressly given to that body in the Constitution. b. that Congress has created by passing legislation. c. that have been created by decisions of the Supreme Court. d. that are imprecise and are usually disputed by strong presidents. e. that follow implicitly from the United States existing as one nation among many. ANS: A 17. Enumerated powers include the power to do all of the following except: a. borrow money. b. declare war. c. overturn decisions of the Supreme Court. d. govern the District of Columbia. e. make uniform laws on bankruptcies. ANS: C 18. Examples of enumerated functions restricted to only one house of Congress do not include a. b. c. d. e. the origination of revenue bills. the ratification of treaties. the confirmation of executive appointees. the regulation of commerce. both a and b. ANS: D 19. The necessary and proper clause a. has expanded the role of the national government relative to the states. b. has increased the powers of the state governments at the expense of Congress' powers. c. has checked the expansion of presidential powers. d. has served to limit the expansion of national authority. e. both a and c. ANS: E 20. One major difference between the House and Senate is the total number of members. This has meant that a. the House will spend much more time on a bill on the floor as opposed to the Senate. b. the Senate is able to decide on the proper action on a bill quicker than the House. c. a greater number of formal rules are needed to govern activity in the House. d. House members must sit on more committees than senators. e. both a and b. ANS: C 21. A filibuster is a. an attempt to prevent the passage of a bill through the use of unlimited debate. b. an attempt to persuade others to vote for a particular bill in return for a favor at a later date. c. used in the House to force a standing committee to release a bill. d. a method used by the Speaker of the House to promote the majority party's legislation. e. a technique that is unique to the House. ANS: A 22. The concept of cloture refers to a. a method used to defeat legislation in Congress. b. a process that attempts to limit debate on a bill in the Senate. c. closed meetings held by both parties to elect their leadership or resolve other important issues. d. action taken by the House Rules Committee that must be approved by the Speaker. e. the resolution that adjourns Congress. ANS: B 23. As a consequence of the greater size of the House a. action on legislation is a very slow process in comparison to the Senate. b. there are fewer standing committees in the House. c. representatives generally cannot achieve as much individual recognition and prestige as senators. d. the Senate does not stay in session as long as the House. e. all of the above. ANS: C 24. The largest occupational group among congresspersons is a. lawyers. b. educators. c. businesspersons. d. lobbyists. e. clergy. ANS: A 25. About one third of the members of the Senate a. are members of minority groups. b. are women. c. did not finish college. d. are blue-collar workers. e. are millionaires. ANS: E 26. Most major-party candidates for Congress are placed on the general-election ballot as the result of a. a party caucus. b. a party convention. c. a party committee. d. a direct primary. e. a petition drive. ANS: D 27. The coattail effect a. occurs when a strong presidential candidate helps congressional candidates of the same party. b. occurs when a strong presidential candidate helps congressional candidates of the other party. c. has often not materialized in recent elections. d. generally only benefits Republicans. e. both a and c. ANS: E 28. In mid-term congressional elections-those held between presidential contestsa. voter turnout increases sharply. b. the president's political party will usually gain seats in Congress. c. voter turnout falls sharply. d. the president's political party will be unaffected unless the president campaigns for congressional candidates. e. incumbents are more likely to lose. ANS: C 29. Common tactics of winning reelection include all of the following except: a. personal appearances with constituents. b. using the mass media. c. changing one's political party. d. presenting oneself as informed and experienced. e. pointing to casework. ANS: C 30. Reapportionment is a. the allocation of seats in the House to each state after each census. b. the redrawing of district boundaries within each state to ensure equal district populations. c. a court order to hold new elections because of voting irregularities. d. altering a legislative formula that apportions spending among the states. e. normally a bipartisan exercise. ANS: A 31. Redistricting is a. the allocation of seats in the House to each state after each census. b. the redrawing of district boundaries within each state to ensure equal district populations. c. a court order to hold new elections because of voting irregularities. d. altering a legislative formula that apportions spending among the states. e. normally a bipartisan exercise. ANS: B 32. "One person, one vote" a. means that U.S. House districts must be of equal population to each other. b. means that state legislative districts must be of equal population to each other. c. means that U.S. Senate districts must be of equal population to each other. d. all of the above. e. both a and b. ANS: E 33. If congressional districts did not have to be reapportioned, a. it would be much more difficult for incumbents to be reelected. b. it would be possible for one district to have twice the number of people of another district. c. voters could vote in any congressional district, as long as they were registered. d. members of Congress would not have to reside in the district they represent. e. low-population districts would not receive a fair share of federal spending. ANS: B 34. Gerrymandering is a. legislation passed in southern states to limit African American participation in elections. b. the drawing of legislative district boundary lines for the purpose of obtaining partisan advantage. c. an attempt to prevent the passage of a bill through the use of unlimited debate. d. a process that attempts to limit debate on a bill in the Senate. e. unconstitutional following an 1812 ruling by the Supreme Court. ANS: B 35. In redistricting, "packing and cracking" is a. packing the opposition party's voters into as few districts as possible. b. cracking the rest of the opposition party's supporters into as many districts as possible. c. packing one's own party's voters into as few districts as possible and cracking the rest of your party's supporters into as many districts as possible. d. unconstitutional following an 1812 ruling by the Supreme Court. e. both a and b. ANS: E 36. All of the following statements about "majority-minority" districts are true except: a. In a majority-minority district, a majority of the electorate is made up of minority group members. b. In a majority-minority district, one group is in the majority and another is in the minority. c. Majority-minority districts were authorized by the Voting Rights Act of 1965. d. Majority-minority districts are unconstitutional when race is the only criterion used to create them. e. they are a form of gerrymandering. ANS: B 37. Members of Congress are granted generous franking privileges that a. permit them to mail letters to their constituents without charge. b. allow them to charge items to a special expense account. c. allows members unlimited phone calls to their district without charge. d. permit them to receive four round-trip airfares to their district. e. both a and c. ANS: A 38. The average Senate office on Capitol Hill employs about a. 5 people. b. 30 people. c. 100 people. d. 250 people. e. 500 people. ANS: B 39. The "speech or debate" clause in Article I, Section 6, of the Constitution, means that a member of Congress a. is normally immune from libel or slander charges if the speech is connected with official duties. b. cannot be arrested for misdemeanors while Congress is in session. c. must agree to public debates with announced opponents during the campaign. d. cannot engage in foreign diplomacy without the approval of the administration. e. cannot be served with parking tickets issued within the District of Columbia. ANS: A 40. All of the following statements about congressional caucuses are true except: a. in 1995, Republicans in the House banned the use of public funds to support them. b. they have been of limited importance since funds were cut off in 1995. c. they include the Albanian Issues caucus, the Potato caucus, and the Sportsman's caucus. d. the most important caucuses are the Republican caucus and the Democratic caucus. e. all members of Congress are members of one or more caucuses. ANS: D 41. Most of the actual work of legislating is a. performed by interest groups and then acted on by Congress. b. accomplished in state legislatures and then acted on by Congress. ly by Congress. d. performed by the committees and subcommittees within Congress. e. undertaken through a series of floor votes in the respective chambers. ANS: D 42. In the House of Representatives, the discharge petition is used to a. force the Speaker to take action on a bill. b. prevent the president from using the pocket veto. c. force a bill out of committee so that the entire House can vote on it. d. delay action on a bill that has the support of the majority. e. adjourn. ANS: C 43. The most important committees are the a. joint-resolution committees. b. special House and Senate investigative committees. c. legislative-executive committees. d. standing committees. e. select committees. ANS: D 44. A conference committee is a. a special committee convened to resolve differences between the president and Congress. b. called into session when a president has vetoed an appropriations bill. c. a special committee convened to resolve differences between a House-passed bill and a Senate-passed bill. d. a special committee in the House that assists the Speaker with his party's agenda. e. a special committee convened to examine a specific problem. ANS: C 45. The seniority system provides that a. members are awarded additional committee assignments in line with their seniority. b. the committee member of the majority party with the longest continuous service normally becomes the committee chairperson. c. members become party whips in order of seniority. d. members of the House can be appointed to the Senate to fill vacancies. e. the Speaker of the House is the member of the majority party with the longest continuous service. ANS: B 46. The foremost power holder in the House of Representatives is the a. president of the House. b. majority leader. c. president pro tempore. d. Speaker of the House. e. chief whip. ANS: D 47. The Speaker of the House a. is a symbolic position that does not provide power to make decisions. b. is picked by the president. c. has to perform duties in a non-partisan fashion. d. is the leader of the majority party. e. is the vice president. ANS: D 48. The House majority leader a. is the most important position in the House. b. is appointed by the President and confirmed by the House. c. fosters cohesion among party members. d. is , by definition, the Speaker of the House. e. both a and b. ANS: C 49. An important function of the House majority leader is to a. report all progress of legislation to the President. b. walk the bill through the Senate, providing the bill has passed the House. c. provide opposition to the Speaker. d. act as spokesperson for the majority party in the House. e. preside over meetings of the House. ANS: D 50. All of the following statements about the House minority leader are true except: a. is the minority party's candidate for Speaker. b. speaks for the president when the president is a member of the party that is in the minority in the House. c. is the member with the most seniority in the House. d. normally is consulted by the Speaker on legislative scheduling and recognizing members who wish to speak. e. actually, all of the above statements are true. ANS: C 51. The whips assist the party leaders by a. voting to support the party platform at the national convention. b. attempting to convince the general public that congresspersons should vote the party line. c. passing information to and from members of Congress in accordance with the desires of the leadership of the party. d. gathering research information. e. pressuring them to take positions popular among the party rank-and-file. ANS: C 52. The president of the Senate is a. the leader of the majority party in the Senate. b. the senator with the most seniority, regardless of party. c. the fourth person in line to succeed the president. d. the vice president of the United States. e. always a member of the majority party in the Senate. ANS: D 53. The real leadership power in the Senate rests in the hands of the a. president of the Senate. b. c. d. e. president pro tempore of the Senate. Senator designate selected by the president. Senate majority leader. Speaker of the Senate. ANS: D 54. The Senate majority leader and the Senate minority leader a. act as liaison with the White House when the president is of their party. b. are usually of the same political party. c. are always selected by the chairperson of the national party. d. are responsible to the committee chairpersons. e. are chosen on the basis of seniority. ANS: A 55. The president pro tempore is a. the most important position in the Senate. b. comparable to the Speaker of the House. c. the temporary presiding officer of the Senate in the absence of the vice president. d. the most senior member of the majority party. e. both c and d. ANS: C 56. Most people who study the decision-making process in Congress agree that the single best predictor for how a member will vote is his or her a. party affiliation. b. affiliation with organized interest groups. c. length of time in Congress. d. age. e. region. ANS: A 57. The conservative coalition a. was a faction of the Democratic Party. b. united conservative southern Democrats and Republicans. c. is virtually extinct because most southern conservative congresspersons are now Republican. d. was a faction of the Republican Party. e. both b and c. ANS: E 58. According to the cue-taking model a. the Rules Committee sets rules according to cues from the minority leader. b. senators use delaying tactics by relinquishing the floor to one another to prevent a vote on a bill. c. members of Congress make decisions by checking how key colleagues intend to vote on a bill. d. the majority party normally prevails because of cues provided by the whips. e. members of Congress "cross over to the other side" when the interests of their district differ from the interests of their party. ANS: C 59. "Money bills" a. must originate in the Senate. b. must originate in the House. c. must originate in conference committee. d. must originate with the president. e. may originate from any of the above sources. ANS: B 60. To become a law, the normal procedure is that a bill is a. approved by both houses. b. signed by the President. c. approved by the Supreme Court. d. vetoed by the president. e. both a and b. ANS: E 61. The job of a conference committee is a. to originate appropriations bills. b. to reconcile House and Senate versions of a bill. c. to set the rules of debate for a bill. d. determine the committee path of a bill. e. to override a presidential veto. ANS: B 62. The Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 requires a. each member of Congress to inform constituents of their votes on appropriations measures. b. the president to spend the funds that Congress has appropriated. c. a balanced budget by the 1993 fiscal year. d. the president to present an executive budget. e. all of the above. ANS: B 63. The federal government's fiscal year a. is identical to the calendar year. b. is one year in advance of the calendar year. c. lags one year behind the calendar year. d. begins on October 1 of the previous calendar year. e. begins on April 1 of the subsequent calendar year. ANS: D 64. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a. is a congressional agency that assists Congress in preparing the budget. b. assists the president in preparing his or her budget. c. reviews the programs and budgets of all executive agencies. d. both a and c. e. both b and c. ANS: E 65. the actual passage of a bill setting the funds that an agency can spend is called a(n) a. authorization. b. appropriation. c. allocation. d. reconciliation. e. consolidation. ANS: B 66. A temporary law that Congress passes when an appropriations bill has not been decided by the beginning of the fiscal year is a. an Emergency Revenue Generation Act. b. a continuing resolution. c. an Emergency Fall Review. d. a Second Temporary Budget Resolution. e. a spring review. ANS: B 67. If members of Congress had to submit detailed reports with specified data to every constituent, the voters might learn all of the following except: a. that members spend a great deal of time on casework. b. that serving in Congress is hard work. c. details about scandals and wasteful spending. d. that members meet frequently with representatives of special interests. e. that members must vote on many detailed topics that have little relevance to the members' districts. ANS: C 68. In accordance with the language of a constitutional amendment, the District of Columbia casts electoral votes equal to a. the number cast by the state with the smallest population. b. the number it would cast if it were a state. c. four. d. two. e. the number of representatives it would have if it were a state. ANS: A 69. All of the following have been proposed as ways to give the District representation in Congress except: a. admitting it as a state. b. a constitutional amendment to give it the representation it would have if it were a state. c. legislation to award it one seat in the House. d. a constitutional amendment to give it one representative along with legislation to create a second new seat (which under current rules would go to Utah). e. allowing District citizens to vote as if they lived in Maryland, or even letting Maryland annex the District. ANS: C 70. Intensive computer-based gerrymandering results in a. safe seats and infrequent turnover in the House. b. safe seats and infrequent turnover in the Senate. c. redistricting plans that are frequently thrown out by the Supreme Court. d. compact districts that reflect local government boundaries whenever possible. e. the widespread use of nonpartisan commissions for redistricting. ANS: A 71. One reason that appropriations bills can contain large quantities of "pork" is that a. they are universally adopted as emergency measures. b. all bills must relate to a single topic. c. any member can insert new spending provisions into the bills. d. members are not always allowed to know what they are voting on. e. both a and c. ANS: D SHORT ANSWER 1. Why does Congress have two chambers? ANS: Students' answers may vary. 2. Compare and contrast the trustee and the instructed-delegate views of congressional representation. ANS: Students' answers may vary. 3. How does casework benefit members of Congress? ANS: Students' answers may vary. 4. How does the difference in size of the House and Senate affect the operation of each chamber? ANS: Students' answers may vary. 5. How do the structure and rules of each house differ? ANS: Students' answers may vary. 6. What impact have apportionment issues had on Congress? ANS: Students' answers may vary. 7. In what ways has the seniority system been modified in recent years? ANS: Students' answers may vary. 8. What is the function of a conference committee in the legislative process? ANS: Students' answers may vary. 9. Explain the roles and functions of the Speaker of the House. ANS: Students' answers may vary. 10. What are the functions of the House and Senate whips? ANS: Students' answers may vary. 11. Identify a series of principles that could be used by a nonpartisan redistricting board to establish the boundaries of congressional districts. ANS: Students' answers may vary. ESSAY 1. What are the main functions of Congress? ANS: Students' answers may vary. 2. Compare and contrast the operation of the House of Representatives and the Senate. What are the strengths and weaknesses of each organization? ANS: Students' answers may vary. 3. Describe the different kinds of committees that exist in the Congress and their responsibilities. ANS: Students' answers may vary. 4. Describe the impact of the political parties on the organization and operation of the Congress. ANS: Students' answers may vary. 5. In the fall of 1994, the Republican Party advocated a constitutional amendment that would limit the number of years a person could serve in Congress. What impact would such a limitation have on Congress? ANS: Students' answers may vary. 6. Propose one or more institutional change that would allow Congress to better control spending. ANS: Students' answers may vary.