AP United States Government and Politics - Unit 3 Quiz

Which of the following is true of divided government?

It makes the federal government less productive.

It occurs when the White House is controlled by one party, and Congress by another.

It always produces an economic downturn.

It always produces gridlock because politicians are unwilling to compromise.

It occurs when the White House is controlled by one party, and Congress by another.

Which of the following is a major difference between the House of Representatives and the Senate?

Junior members generally have more influence than senior members in the Senate.

Bills are more likely to be amended in the House.

Legislative activity in the House is more constrained by rules.

Committees are an important part of the decision-making process in the House.

Legislative activity in the House is more constrained by rules.

If the military wants to create a new cyber-warfare department, which committee would most likely initially authorize spending money on it?

The Senate Information Technology Committee

The House Rules Committee

The Senate Armed Services Committee

The House Information Technology Committee

The Senate Armed Services Committee

Which of the following factors is probably most responsible for keeping members of the House of Representatives accountable to their constituents?

Representatives serve for a term of six years.

The House Majority and Minority Whips encourage members to vote based on popular opinion.

Representatives are required to meet with their constituents regularly.

Members of the House are up for re-election every two years.

Members of the House are up for re-election every two years.

In which Supreme Court case did the court prohibit legislative districts designed to create an advantage for one racial group?

Baker v. Carr

U.S. v. Lopez

Shaw v. Reno

Gibbons v. Ogden

Shaw v. Reno

A nominee for the Supreme Court would most likely appear before the ________ Committee before a vote would be taken for his or her confirmation.

House Judiciary

Senate Judiciary

Senate Intelligence

House Ethics

Senate Judiciary

Where does the legislative process officially begin?

It begins when a law is challenged in federal court.

It can begin in either chamber of Congress.

It begins with the President's State of the Union Address.

It must begin in the House of Representatives.

It can begin in either chamber of Congress.

The House Rules Committee is an important part of the legislative process because it ________.

sets the rules for debate in the House on specific bills

resolves differences between the House and Senate versions of a bill

sets ethics rules for House members

negotiates with the Senate rules committee

sets the rules for debate in the House on specific bills

What is the role of the House Appropriations Committee?

To determine appropriate or ethical behavior for House members.

To set maximum budgets for all executive agencies.

To consider all bills related to raising revenue.

To allocate money for each federal agency in the annual budget.

To allocate money for each federal agency in the annual budget.

Which of the following is the formal procedure for ending a filibuster?

cloture

Pocket Veto

oversight

logrolling

cloture

Under what circumstances would gridlock lead to a government shutdown?

When Congress and the president cannot agree on a budget.

Members of Congress would never actually force the government to shut down.

When the White House cannot enforce legislation because it is stuck in the Federal Court system.

When the House and the Senate cannot agree on one version of a bill.

When Congress and the president cannot agree on a budget.

How often does reapportionment and redistricting occur for Congressional districts?

It is up to each individual state.

Every 5 years

Every 10 years

Every 25 years

Every 10 years

If the president is at the end of his or her second term of service, and Congress is controlled by the opposite party, why might that president have difficulty accomplishing very much?

The Constitution prohibits the president from making appointments during his or her last three months in office.

The president will be unwilling to work with Congress for fear of losing political support.

Congress will consider the president a "lame duck," and will be unlikely to compromise or work together.

Members of Congress will see themselves as "lame ducks" and will be reluctant to act until after they are joined by new members of Congress.

Congress will consider the president a "lame duck," and will be unlikely to compromise or work together.

What is the main purpose for Congressional Committees to conduct investigations?

To look into Communist activity in executive departments.

To uncover criminal activities and send corrupt officials to jail.

To provide a check on the Executive Branch and make sure they are enforcing laws appropriately.

To give members of Congress more publicity before upcoming elections.

To provide a check on the Executive Branch and make sure they are enforcing laws appropriately.

What happens to the majority of bills that are introduced in Congress?

They die in committee.

They pass through Congress and become law.

They are vetoed by the president.

They pass in the Senate but are killed in the House.

They die in committee.

Which of the following is NOT a Constitutional power of Congress?

Negotiating treaties with other nations.

Forming federal budget policy

Declaring war

Raising federal taxes

Negotiating treaties with other nations.

Why did the Elastic Clause receive this nickname?

It is used to justify the expansion of American Territory.

It gives Congress flexibility to stretch its power into areas not specified in the Constitution.

It limits federal power by requiring a very strict interpretation of the Constitution by Congress.

It allows state governments to stretch or expand their power into areas not specified in the Constitution.

It gives Congress flexibility to stretch its power into areas not specified in the Constitution.

A lobbyist for a large weapons manufacturer spends a lot of time with the Senate Armed Services Committee to ensure that spending on a new weapons program will be authorized. Which other committee should the lobbyist also develop a relationship with?

the House Ethics Committee

The Senate Rules Committee

The Senate Appropriations Committee

The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee

The Senate Appropriations Committee

To avoid testifying before a Congressional Committee, a president or high-level executive officer may ________.

send a lower-level staffer in his or her place

invoke executive privilege

There is no way to legally avoid testifying.

simply refuse to appear

invoke executive privilege

What happens when the Senate and the House of Representatives produce different versions of the same bill?

Both versions are sent to the president, who must then decide which to sign.

The Supreme Court mediates between the two versions of the bill.

A Conference Committee from both chambers must settle the differences between the two bills.

The president considers the two bills separately, and may even choose to sign both.

A Conference Committee from both chambers must settle the differences between the two bills.