American Government - Chapter 11 - Review Questions

The Great Compromise successfully resolved differences between ________.

large and small states

While each state has two senators, members of the House are apportioned ________.

according to the state's population

The process of redistricting can present problems for congressional representation because ________.

districts are often drawn to benefit partisan groups

Which of the following is an implied power of Congress?

the power to regulate the sale of tobacco in the states

Briefly explain the benefits and drawbacks of a bicameral system.

A primary benefit of a bicameral system is the way it demands careful consideration and deliberate action on the part of the legislators. A primary drawback is that it is tougher overall to pass legislation and makes it extremely difficult to push through large-scale reforms.

What are some examples of the enumerated powers granted to Congress in the Constitution?

impose and collect taxes, common defense and welfare, borrow money on behalf of the United States, regulation of commerce, establish currency and coin money, establish post offices, provide for and maintain a navy, organize, train, and arm a militia.

Why does a strong presidency necessarily sap power from Congress?

The executive and legislative branches complement and check each other. The purpose of dividing their roles is to prevent either from becoming too powerful. As a result, when one branch assumes more power, it necessarily assumes that power from the other branch.

Senate races tend to inspire ________.

broad discussion of policy issues

The saying "All politics is local" roughly means ________.

the local constituents tend to care about things that affect them

What does Campbell's surge-and-decline theory suggest about the outcome of midterm elections?

Surge-and-decline accounts for the differences we observe in turnouts and results

Explain the factors that make it difficult to oust incumbents.

Incumbents chase off would-be challengers because they are able to raise more money given that people want to back a winner and that voters know incumbents by name because they won the office in a previous election. The challengers who do take on incumbents typically lose soundly for the same reasons.

A congressperson who pursued a strict delegate model of representation would seek to ________.

legislate in the way that he or she thinks is best for the constituents

The increasing value constituents have placed on descriptive representation in Congress has had the effect of ________.

increasing the number of minority members in Congress

How has the growing interpretation of earmarks and other budget allocations as corruption influenced the way congresspersons work?

They have well-defined, geographic-specific electoral bases, so benefits tend to be location-specific and highly visible, usually taking the form of infrastructure spending on such projects as courthouses, highways, airports, and government office buildings.

What does polling data suggest about the events that trigger exceptionally high congressional approval ratings?

The peaks of congressional approval ratings have each occurred when the United States began military involvements overseas. This suggests that the start of a foreign war is one of the few things that triggers a positive reevaluation of Congress.

House leaders are more powerful than Senate leaders because of ________.

the constitutional position of the House

A select committee is different from a standing committee because ________.

a select committee is convened for a specific and temporary purpose, while a standing committee is permanent

Explain how the committees demonstrate a division of labor in Congress based on specialization.

The work of Congress is divided among a total of about 200 committees and subcommittees. Committees and subcommittees have great power over legislation.

Stopping a filibuster requires that ________.

the chamber votes for cloture

Saying a bill is being marked up is just another way to say it is being ________.

amended

The key means of advancing modern legislation is now ________.

the budget process

Briefly explain the difference between the classic model of legislating and the modern process.

Classic Legislative Process: bills are introduced and sent to the appropriate committee, hearings are held and the bill is debated and ultimately sent to the floor of the chamber, the bill is debated and amended until passed or voted down, if passed, it moves to the second chamber where the debating and amending begins anew, Eventually, the two chambers meet in a joint committee to reconcile what are now two different bills; Modern Legislative Process: large pieces of legislation covering many different items are passed through the budgeting process, this method has had the effect of further empowering the leadership, to the detriment of the committees, the modern legislative process has also been affected by the increasing number of filibuster threats in the Senate and the use of cloture to forestall them.