AP Gov Unit 2 Test

Members of the Senate and the House are representatives of states and​ districts, but their representation of the people within their district is more likely to be​ ________ than​ ________.

substantive; descriptive

The main reason for​ women's underrepresentation in Congress is​ ________.

fewer women than men become major party nominees for office

In​ general, the percentage of House incumbents winning reelection averages approximately​ ________.

90 percent

The term​ "pork barrel" refers to​ ________.

federal​ projects, grants, and contracts available to state and local​ governments, businesses,​ colleges, and other institutions in a congressional district

When redrawing state district​ lines, the state party in the majority is likely to​ ________.

move two of the opposition​ party's representatives into a single district

Which of the following lists best describes the working conditions in the​ Senate?

More​ prestige; confirms many presidential​ nominations; tries impeached​ officials; less​ centralized; weaker​ leadership; more influential on foreign affairs

Your grandmother called her congressperson because she is having trouble getting her Social Security check. The assistance that the congressperson provides to your grandmother is called​ ________.

casework

Which of the following is true of the​ Senate?

It is more influential on foreign affairs.

The Framers of the Constitution created two separate houses of​ Congress, each of which they expected would serve two different constituencies. Which constituency was the Senate expected to​ serve?

The wealthy elite

The US Congress and all state legislatures except​ Nebraska's are​ _______.

bicameral

What do members of Congress do when they are trying to get​ reelected, influence​ Congress, and make policy in areas they think are​ important?

Join committees

Which Congressional staff agency focuses on analyzing the​ president's budget and making economic projections about the performance of the​ economy, the costs of proposed​ policies, and the economic effects of taxing and spending​ alternatives?

Congressional Budget Office

What is the role of the Congressional Research Service​ (CRS)?

To respond to congressional requests for information and provide members with nonpartisan studies

Congressional committee hearings are​ ________.

often designed to send signals from committee members to the relevant parts of the bureaucracy

Which of the following is NOT a role played by the Speaker of the House​ today?

Gives the final stamp of approval to the annual government budget

The presiding officer of the House of Representatives is the​ ________.

Speaker of the House

In​ Congress, select committees​ ________.

may be temporary or permanent and usually have a specific focus

A​ _______ committee irons out the difference between two versions of the same bill as passed by the House and the Senate. The result is a compromise bill.

conference committee

Which of the following is true of​ lobbying?

Lobbying against change is more successful.

Cloture is a​ ________.

mechanism used by the Senate to end a filibuster

Which of the following is a bill that is introduced in both chambers of Congress at the same​ time?

Companion bill

Partisanship has​ ________ since the 1970s.

been on the rise

If a president vetoes a​ bill, how many votes are required to override the​ veto?

A​ two-thirds majority of both Houses of Congress

On a typical​ issue, ________ is the prime determinant of a congressional​ member's vote.

personal ideology

Since​ 1980, the distance between the congressional parties has been growing steadily. This trend is called​ ________.

party polarization

A system of taxation in which everyone is taxed at the same rate is called​ ________.

flat tax

The 1 percent of taxpayers with the highest taxable incomes pays more in federal income taxes than the bottom​ ________ percent of tax filers.

90

Which of the following is an example of a tax​ expenditure?

Exclusion of taxes on individual retirement and​ 401(k) account contributions and earnings

Taxes on​ ________ would be considered an excise tax.

cigarettes

According to the Office of Management and​ Budget, the costliest tax expenditure made by the Treasury is the​ ________.

exclusion of employer contributions to health care and insurance

Before the Civil​ War, most of the federal government was financed by​ ________.

fees collected on imported goods

Which president presided over the longest government shutdown in US​ history?

Donald Trump

Which of the following is a primary reason for the dramatic growth in government in the United​ States?

A substantial public appetite for government services

Conservatives often view social programs as​ ________.

a drain on the federal treasury

Which statement best describes​ incrementalism?

Most of the budget is a product of previous decisions.

Compared with other wealthy democratic​ countries, the US tax burden is​ ________.

the lowest among comparable countries

In the 1950s and​ 1960s, _______ accounted for more than half of the federal budget.

spending for past and present wars

Why has the rise of big government been strongly resistant to​ reversal?

Generally, citizens like receiving government services.

Medicare provides​ ________.

both hospital and physician coverage to the elderly

The director of the Office of Management and Budget is​ ________.

a presidential appointee requiring approval of the Senate

Reconciliation is​ ________.

binding Congress to a total expenditure level

The​ ________ advises Congress on the probable consequences of its​ decisions, forecasts​ revenues, and is a counterweight to the Office of Management and Budget.

Congressional Budget Office

Why do many government agencies pad their budget​ requests?

They do so in the hope that the inevitable cuts will be bearable.

Why is the budgetary process the center of so many political battles in​ Washington?

It is important to almost all other policies and involves nearly everyone in government.

Since the​ 1980s, policymaking in the US government can be described as the​ "politics of​ scarcity" because​ ________.

the government’s budget restricts the amount of funds that are available for new programs

Which of the following is true of political attitudes or political behavior in​ America?

Low-income and wealthy voters alike have voted for parties and politicians who promised benefits.

Which presidents campaigned on promises not to expand the​ government?

Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush

Which of the following corporations has appealed to the US government for bailouts when times got​ rough?

General Motors?

_______, policymaking in the American government since 1980 can be characterized as the​ "politics of​ scarcity."

With the increasing national debt?

Reconciliation is​ ________.

a process by which program authorizations are revised in order to achieve required savings