congress test

The framers of the Constitution conceived of the _, as the center of policymaking in America.

Congress

members present and voting can halt a filibuster by voting for cloture.

60

The _ is the mighty list of federal projects, grants, and contracts available to cities, businesses, colleges and institutions which members of Congress seek to influence to promote the interests of their constituency.

Pork barrel

On a typical issue, the primary determinant of a Congressional member's vote is

personal ideology

Which of the following is TRUE about the minimum age requirements for members of Congress set forth in the Constitution?

One must be at least 30 years of age to serve in the Senate.

Comparison between members of the House and Senate concerning the impact of incumbency on their reelection chances shows that one of the main reasons that senators have a smaller advantage is because they

are more likely to be held accountable on controversial issues.

Articles of impeachment must be passed by

The House

House seats are up for election every

two years

House and Senate committees

all have a majority of members from the majority party in that chamber.

According to the Constitution, once impeached, federal officials are then tried in the

Senate

Only ___ can formally submit a bill for Congressional consideration.

members of the House or senators

Appropriations, Judiciary, and Armed Forces are all examples of committees.

standing

Some prefer the concept of legislators as , mirroring the preferences of their constituents.

instructed delegates

The has the job of presiding over the Senate, breaking ties when necessary.

Vice President

Which of the following statements about constituency influence is FALSE?

Legislators whose votes on routine issues are out of step with their constituents are rarely re-elected.

The House Rules Committee

reviews most bills coming from committee before they go to the full House.

The minority whip

keeps a close head count on key votes, and attempts to keep party members in line.

Bicameralism means that a legislative body is one

with two houses, providing checks and balances on policymaking.

Which of the following statements about those who challenge incumbent members of the House is TRUE?

They are usually not well-known.

The filibuster is a technique used in the

Senate to prolong debate in order to kill a bill.

Which of the following statements about Congressional committees is FALSE?

None of these.

Most bills formally submitted for consideration in Congress

are quietly killed off early in the process.

When the House and the Senate pass different versions of the same bill

a conference committee is appointed to resolve differences.

Reasons why incumbent senators have greater competition than incumbent members of the House include all of the following EXCEPT:

Voters are less likely to know the issue positions of their senators than their representatives.

After each federal census,

the membership of the House is reapportioned.

Incumbents are those

already holding office.

The President's most common method of attempting to influence Congress is to

hold regular meetings with the party's leaders in Congress.

Most important congressional activity is done

in meetings of standing committees and their subcommittees.

The U.S. Senate has _ members.

100

An especially important asset for incumbents running for reelection is their

service to constituents.

privileges refers to the free use of the mails enjoyed by Congress.

Franking

Nebraska's legislature is the only one in the United States that is NOT

bicameral

Which of the following statements about the majority leader of the House of Representatives is FALSE?

The majority leader exercises substantial control over which bills get assigned to which committees.

The English politician and philosopher Edmund Burke favored the concept of legislators as _, using their best judgement to make policy in the interests of the people.

trustees

When Political Action Committees contribute money to members of Congress they are usually seeking

access to policymakers.

The seniority system gave a decisive edge to House members from _ districts.

safe

Nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court must be confirmed by

the Senate

A _ committee is one appointed for a limited, specific purpose, such as that set up to investigate the Watergate scandal.

select

A Senate seat is up for election every

six years

Which of the following Congressional offices is mandated by the Constitution?

Speaker of the House

Legislators who use their best judgement to make policy in the interests of the people are called

trustees

When members of Congress hold a hearing to question a cabinet member on how a law is being carried out, they are engaging in

legislative oversight

Millionaire Senator Mark Warner sponsoring a bill to help the poor and disadvantaged would be an example of

substantive representation

The pork barrel and casework are examples of

opportunities for credit-claiming by members of Congress.

The House _ Committee reviews most bills coming from other committees before they go on to the full House, thus performing a traffic cop function.

Rules

The U.S. House of Representatives has members.

435

According to the Constitution, revenue bills must originate in the

House

A myth about members of Congress is that they

are overpaid, underworked, corrupt, and ineffective.

Which of the following statements about Congress is FALSE?

None of these.

Members of Congress who informally band together in groups to promote and protect mutual interests (e.g., mushroom growers) form what are called

caucuses

The members of the Senate closely reflect the nation in terms of

None of the above.

Traditionally, Congressional committee chairpersons have been chosen through

the seniority system

The most powerful person in the Senate is the

majority leader

The best way constituents can influence Congressional voting on legislation is to

elect a representative or senator who agrees with their views.

Relative to the total population, the most underrepresented group in Congress is

women