Chapter 12: congress in action

The main reason that congress creates committees is to?

A) divide the workload

B) educate new members

C) introduce new bills

D) creat party powers bases

A) divide the workload

Committee chairpersons usually are chosen?

A) by the presiding officers

B) by the whips

C) on the basis of ability

D) on the basis of seniority

D) on the basis of seniority

In the V.P. Absence, the presiding officer of the senate is the?

A) dean of the senate

B) majority floor leader

C) president pro tempore

D) speaker of the senate

C) president pro tempore

The main way to end a filibuster is by?

A) a two-thirds vote of the senate

B) invoking the cloture rule

C) convening a conference committee

D) voting the filibuster out of office

B) invoking the cloture rule

when a bill is introduced in the house, it is FIRST?

A) given to the rules committee

B) read aloud in full

C) given a number and title

D) debated by the full house

most measures introduced in the house die at which of these steps?

A) committee

B) cloture

C) quorum

D) floor vote

A) committee

conference committees act as a third house of congress when they

A) use investigative powers similar to those of the house and senate

B) screen, debate, and vote on bills

C) appoint presiding officers

D) produce a compromise bill that both the house and senate will accept

D) produce a compromise bill that both the house and senate will accepts

which of the following options is NOT available to a President who has just received a bill passed by congress?

A) sign the bill within 10 days

B) sign the bill after 15 days

C) veto the bill

D) use a pocket veto

B) sign the bill after 15 days

majority floor leaders hold considerable power due mainly to the fact that ?

A) they are the most popular leaders

B) presiding officers choose them

C) the majority party has more seats than the other party has

D) they are assisted by a powerful whip

C) the majority party has more seats than the other party has

the role of the house rules committee is played in the senate by the?

A) president pro tempore

B) president of the senate

C) whip

D) majority floor leader

D) Majority floor leader

the purpose of a filibuster is to?

A) invoke the rule of cloture

B) prevent quorum calls

C) speed up action on a bills

D) prevent action on a bill

D) prevent action on a bill

A compromise bill worked on by a conference committee of house and senate member is?

A) usually passed by both house of congress

B) never passed by both house of congress

C) always passed with amendments

D) sometimes passed with amendments

A) usually passed by both house of congress

The duties of the house rules committee are best described as those of a?

A) Factory Foreman

B) traffic cop

C) congressional chaplain

D) accounting clerk

B) traffic Cop

When the Senate's Republican caucus wants party members to vote for a bill, the person who determines how many votes can be counted on is the?

A) senior senator

B) policy-committee chairperson

C) floor leader

D) whip

D) whip

Which of the following is a way a bill can become a law without the President's signature?

A) The President delegates the signing of a bill to the Vice President.

B) The President waits until the Congress is not in session.

C) The President fails to act on the bill within 10 days of receiving it while Congress is in session.

D) The President leaves the country.

C) the president fails to act on the bill within 10 days of receiving it while congress is in session

To propose a constitutional amendment, Congress uses a?

A) public bill.

B) joint resolution.

C) concurrent resolution.

D) rider.

B) Joint resolution

How and when bills reach the floor of the House is decided by the?

A) Ways and Means Committee.

B) Rules Committee.

C) Appropriations Committee.

D) Judiciary Committee.

b) rules committee

Unlike the House, the Senate has a legislative process with?

A) few limits on debate.

B) strict limits on debate.

C) no roll-call voting.

D) no voice voting.

A) few limits on debate

Bills are introduced in the Senate by?

A) the Rules Committee.

B) individual senators.

C) investigative committees.

D) the majority floor leader.

B) individual senators

The House Rules Committee may do all of the following EXCEPT?

a. set conditions for considering a bill.

b. speed up consideration of a bill.

c. prevent consideration of a bill.

d. attach amendments to a bill.

D) attach amendments to a bill

On the first day of each new term, the House?

a. has a short, routine day.

b. has few members to swear in.

c. elects a Speaker to preside.

d. writes all new rules of procedure.

B) has few members to swear in

In order to prevent a bill passed by Congress from becoming law, the President may?

a. sign it and attach a veto message.

b. refuse to sign it and attach a veto message.

c. sign it after ten days if Congress is in session.

d. negotiate a compromise bill with Congress.

B) refuse to sign it and attach a veto message

Proposed measures that apply to specific individuals or places are?

a. public bills.

b. private bills.

c. concurrent resolutions.

d. riders.

B) private bills

The president pro tempore?

a. is elected by the House and is the leader of its minority party.

b. is replaced, when absent, by the Speaker of the House.

c. serves in the absence of the Vice President of the United States.

d. serves in the absence of the Speaker of the Senate.

C) serves in the absence of the vice president of the united states

Most select committees do NOT?

a. conduct investigations.

b. have a specific purpose.

c. try to bring public attention to a matter.

d. produce compromise bills.

d. produce compromise bills

The Cloture Rule was adopted following a filibuster over the?

a. arming of American merchant vessels.

b. passage of the Civil Rights Act.

c. stock market crash of the 1920s.

d. United States' entry into World War II.

a. arming of american merchant vessels

At the beginning of each new term, the Senate?

a. elects a presiding officer.

b. adopts rules of procedure.

c. elects a clerk and a chaplain.

d. faces few organizational problems.

d. faces few organizational problems

In both houses, the standing committees

a. are always subject-matter committees.

b. are usually headed by members chosen on the basis of seniority.

c. must report out every bill that is referred to them.

d. are set up for a limited time to investigate a current matter.

b. are usually headed by members chosen on the basis of seniority

Bills that originate in either house of Congress may be

a. introduced only by party leaders.

b. formulated by private citizens.

c. introduced by private citizens.

d. introduced by the President.

b. formulated by private citizens

House leaders may use any of these calendars to schedule debate on a bill EXCEPT?

a. union calendar

b. house calendar

c. congressional calendar

d. private calendar

c. congressional calendar

to which of the following does a subcommittee report a bill?

a. the rules committee

b. a conference committee

c. a full committee

d. floor action

c. a full committee

to which of the following does a full committee of the house report a bill?

a. a subcommittee

b. the rules committee

c. a conference committee

d. floor actions

b. the rules committee

one difference between opening day in the house and opening day in the senate is that?

a. new members must be sworn in the senate

b. committee members are appointed in the house

c. the house must reorganize but not the senate

d. the senate reorganizes, but not the house

c. the house must reorganize but not the senate

in each congressional election, a great deal of attention is paid to which party holds a majority in each chamber. this is at least partly because?

a. the same party is likely to win the presidency

b. the majority party holds a majority of seats in each standing committee

c. the constitution requires each party to hold majority at least once in every 10 years period

d. state legislatures will likely follow suit

B. The majority party holds a majority of seats in each standing committee

All of the following describe select committees EXCEPT?

a. their work is usually done in secret.

b. their members are appointed, not elected.

c. they are formed to investigate some specific matter.

d. most are set up for a limited time.

A. Their work is usually done in secret

Only ________ can propose a measure dealing with raising money?

a. the senate

b. the house

c. the voters

d. the speaker

B. The house

One possible reason that a discharge petition is seldom successful is that?

a. committees rarely pigeonhole a bill.

b. it can be used only for bills that deal with financial matters.

c. it can be used only for concurrent resolutions.

d. so many signatures are needed on the discharge motion.

D. So many signatures are needed on the discharge motion

what is the main propose of the party caucus?

a. party organization

b. approving legislation

c. monitoring the activities of party members

d. campaigning for house and senate members of their party

A. Party organization

riders are most often attached to what measure?

a. foreign relations

b. judiciary

c. armed services

d. appropriations

d. Appropriations

the "present" option in voting is most often used in?

a. joint resolutions

b. quorum calls

c. votes for the committee of the whole

d. discharge petitions

B. Quorum calls

How can a bill be brought to the house for a vote if it is stuck in committee?

A. By discharge petition

B. Through a rider

C. By resolution

D. By passage in a subcommittee

A. By discharge petition

How many readings is a bill given before it is passed in either house?

A. None

B. Two

C. Three

D. Four

C. Three

Who assigns the various bills to committees in the house?

A. The speaker

B. The rules committee

C. The majority whip

D. The majority leade

A. the speake

Why is organization of the senate at the beginning of each term easier and less time consuming than the of the house?