AP Gov 2.1-2.3

"Pork barrel" legislation helps the reelection chances of a member of Congress because such legislation

helps earn the member of Congress a reputation for service to his or her district

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate?

House of Representatives-The Constitution's framers intended it to reflect the will of the people.

Senate- The Constitution's framers designed it to represent the interests of the states.

Congressional legislative powers include all of the following EXCEPT

pardoning felons

Enumerated powers of the federal government include all of the following EXCEPT the power to

regulate intrastate commerce

The term "bicameralism" refers to the

establishment of two legislative chambers that have different structures and rules

The United States Constitution says that Congress has the power to coin money.This is an example of

an enumerated power

Which of the following powers is shared by the House of Representatives and the Senate?

Establishing federal courts

A "cloture motion" passed in the Senate does which of the following?

cuts off debate of a bill

A committee chair in the House of Representatives is always

a member of the majority party in the chamber

A difference between the House of Representatives and the Senate is that in the House

legislative activity on the floor is more constrained by rules

A first term member of the House of Representatives from North Dakota who wished to maximize opportunities for constituent service would be most likely to seek placement on which of the following committees?

Agriculture

A member of the House of Representatives who wishes to be influential in the House itself would most likely seek a place on which of the following committees?

Rules

An example of a discretionary item in the federal budget is

spending on national parks

Congressional standing committees are best described as

Permanent subject matter committees

Debate of a bill in the House of Representatives under a "closed rule" means that

amendments to the bill cannot be offered

Federal benefits that must be funded by Congress and must be paid to all citizens who meet eligibility criteria are called

individual entitlements

Federal spending for which of the following is determined by laws that lie outside the regular budgetary process?

Entitlement programs such as Social Security

Fiscal policies refer to the government's power to

tax and spend

If Congress wanted to effect a change in the Social Security payroll tax, to what congressional committee would the task initially be assigned?

House Ways and Means Committee

If legislation passes in both the House of Representatives and the Senate but each version is slightly different, the conflicting bills are sent to

a conference committee for review and compromise

Most of the bills introduced in the House and the Senate are then

referred to committee but never sent to the full Congress

Much of the steady increase in federal government expenditures since 1960 has been caused by

increases in entitlement programs

Nominations to the Supreme Court must be approved by a

simple majority in the senate

Of the following, which is the most powerful figure in Congress?

The Speaker of the House

The congressional system of standing committees is significant because it

fosters the development of expertise by members

The Constitution states that all revenue bills must originate in

The US House of Representatives

The details of legislation are usually worked out in which of the following settings?

A subcommittee

Advocates of shifting the task of drawing United States House districts from state legislatures to independent commissions are likely to claim which of the following as an advantage of independent commissions?

Independent commissions significantly reduce the influence of partisan gerrymandering in the redistricting process.

Which of the following best reflects the holding in the case Baker v. Carr (1962) ?

Created a one-person, one-vote standard for reviewing congressional districts.

Elections for the House of Representative provide

approximately equal representation for every voter

Establishing the boundaries of United States congressional districts to give one party an advantage over another party is referred to as

gerrymandering

Members of Congress who have adopted the delegate role of representation normally cast their votes based on which of the following?

The preferences of the majority of their constituents

Which of the following describes the ruling in Shaw v. Reno (1993) ?

Racial gerrymandering was ruled unconstitutional.

The voting patterns of members of Congress correlate most strongly with

their political party affiliation

Which of the following is the most likely consequence of divided government?

Delays in confirmation of federal court nominees

Which of the following scenarios is an example of the trustee model of representation?

A member of Congress votes to close a popular tax loophole based on the belief that the money would be better spent paying down the national debt.

Which of the following statements about Congress is true?

The legislative process is frequently lengthy, decentralized, and characterized by compromise and bargaining.

Which of the following Supreme Court cases involved the principle of "one person, one vote"?

Baker v Carr