27. Which of the following is an enumerated power of Congress?
a. the power to lay and collect taxes
b. the power to make treaties
c. the power to appoint federal judges
d. the power to issue executive orders
Topic: The Structure and Powers of Congress
Learning Objective: LO 10.2: Differentiate the powers of Congress, and
compare and contrast the structure and powers of the House and Senate.
Page Reference: 302
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
28. In what way does the House differ from the Senate?
a. House incumbents are more vulnerable to defeat in elections.
b. The House holds tighter control over its members.
c. The House is a more deliberative body.
d. The House is more liberal.
Topic: Congressional Leadership and Committees
Learning Objective: LO 10.3: Compare and contrast the leadership systems used
in the House and Senate, and explain how work is done through congressional
committees.
Page Reference: 306
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
29. The Senate’s power to give advice and consent relates to which of the following?
a. regulations issued by executive branch agencies
b. bills introduced in the House
c. treaties made by the president
d. members’ reelection campaigns
Topic: The Structure and Powers of Congress
Learning Objective: LO 10.2: Differentiate the powers of Congress, and
compare and contrast the structure and powers of the House and Senate.
Page Reference: 303
321
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
30. Each __________ selects the party’s leaders at the start of a two-year Congress.
a. member caucus
b. party caucus
c. standing committee
d. party whip
Topic: Congressional Leadership and Committees
Learning Objective: LO 10.3: Compare and contrast the leadership systems used
in the House and Senate, and explain how work is done through congressional
committees.
Page Reference: 305
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
31. What purpose does the filibuster serve?
a. to delay proceedings in the Senate and prevent a vote on a controversial bill
b. to force a bill to floor of the House
c. to break a tie vote in the Senate
d. to reconcile different versions of a bill
Topic: Congressional Leadership and Committees
Learning Objective: LO 10.3: Compare and contrast the leadership systems used
in the House and Senate, and explain how work is done through congressional
committees.
Page Reference: 307
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
32. Being a member of Congress has changed substantially in the last 200 years. For
example, __________.
a. by 1850, House turnover every two years was nearly 90 percent
b. members of Congress, early on, averaged 10 years of service
c. members of Congress received no pay through the early 1800s
d. to be a member of Congress was once a part-time job
Topic: The Job of the Legislator
Learning Objective: LO 10.5: Characterize the two ways legislators represent
their constituents, and identify the various influences on their votes.
Page Reference: 314
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
33. Moderate and conservative Democrats formed the Blue Dog Coalition in
Congress in the 1990s to __________.
a. “choke blue” the liberal faction of their own party
b. demonstrate the power of the junior members of Congress
c. push for budget cuts and a cap on defense spending
d. push for budget cuts and an increase in defense spending
Topic: The Job of the Legislator
Learning Objective: LO 10.5: Characterize the two ways legislators represent
their constituents, and identify the various influences on their votes.
Page Reference: 316
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
34. What was the result of the 2012 Super Committee?
a. A bipartisan solution was achieved, and $1.5 trillion was cut from the federal
budget.
b. A bipartisan solution was achieved to generate $1 trillion in revenue.
c. A stalemate resulted in mandatory domestic and defense spending cuts of $1.2
trillion.
d. A stalemate resulted in an automatic reconvening of the Super Committee.
Topic: Introduction
Learning Objective: Introduction
Page Reference: 296
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
35. What can be inferred from a district in which one party has a clear majority of
voters?
a. An open seat is likely.
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b. A safe seat is likely.
c. Reapportionment is likely.
d. Strong challengers are likely.
Topic: Congressional Elections
Learning Objective: LO 10.1: Describe the congressional election process and
the advantages it gives incumbents.
Page Reference: 297
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
36. The House Ways and Means Committee is so powerful because __________.
a. it has the power to reconcile different versions of a bill
b. it has the power to set the terms of floor debate
c. it both authorizes spending and appropriates funds
d. it both raises and authorizes spending
Topic: Congressional Leadership and Committees
Learning Objective: LO 10.3: Compare and contrast the leadership systems used
in the House and Senate, and explain how work is done through congressional
committees.
Page Reference: 308
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
37. Which statement about incumbency is most accurate?
a. Incumbents have a huge advantage in reelection.
b. Incumbents have a small advantage in reelection.
d. Incumbents only leave office when pressured by party leadership.
e. Incumbents only leave office when they choose.
Topic: Congressional Elections
Learning Objective: LO 10.1: Describe the congressional election process and
the advantages it gives incumbents.
Page Reference: 298
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
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38. How is ideology in Congress measured?
a. by surveying members on their political views
b. by studying actual votes
c. by surveying voters in congressional districts
d. by studying transcripts of floor debates
Topic: The Job of the Legislator
Learning Objective: LO 10.5: Characterize the two ways legislators represent
their constituents, and identify the various influences on their votes.
Page Reference: 316
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
39. Some Framers argued that including a bicameral legislature in the Constitution
would __________.
a. be an invitation to tyranny over the other two branches
b. enable double oversight of the other two branches
c. prevent Congress from dominating the other two branches
d. provide both a liberal and a conservative chamber
Topic: The Structure and Powers of Congress
Learning Objective: LO 10.2: Differentiate the powers of Congress, and
compare and contrast the structure and powers of the House and Senate.
Page Reference: 302
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
40. Which of the following is true of earmarks?
a. Though Congress banned earmarks in 2010, members are still able to secure
funding for projects in their districts.
b. They have become an increasingly popular way for members to win favor with
their constituents.
c. They are condemned by members of Congress as wasteful spending.
d. They are the main reason that public approval of Congress is so low.
Topic: Congressional Elections
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Learning Objective: LO 10.1: Describe the congressional election process and
the advantages it gives incumbents.
Page Reference: 299
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
41. Congressional Member Organizations, or member caucuses, are __________.
a. allowed to introduce legislation
b. not allowed to be bipartisan
c. not allowed to cross House-Senate lines
d. promoters of shared legislative interests
Topic: Congressional Leadership and Committees
Learning Objective: LO 10.3: Compare and contrast the leadership systems used
in the House and Senate, and explain how work is done through congressional
committees.
Page Reference: 309
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
42. A __________ is one tactic to signal the leadership that a Senate member may
have objections to a bill.
a. hold
b. markup
c. pocket veto
d. referral
Topic: Congressional Leadership and Committees
Learning Objective: LO 10.3: Compare and contrast the leadership systems used
in the House and Senate, and explain how work is done through congressional
committees.
Page Reference: 307
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
43. The House minority leader __________.
a. has joint authority over which legislation goes to the floor
b. is elected by the minority party
c. is selected by the majority leader
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d. is selected by the Speaker of the House
Topic: Congressional Leadership and Committees
Learning Objective: LO 10.3: Compare and contrast the leadership systems used
in the House and Senate, and explain how work is done through congressional
committees.
Page Reference: 305
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
44. To be elected to the Senate, one must be __________.
a. 25 years old and a citizen for 7 years
b. 25 years old and a citizen for 9 years
c. 30 years old and a citizen for 7 years
d. 30 years old and a citizen for 9 years
Topic: Congressional Elections
Learning Objective: LO 10.1: Describe the congressional election process and
the advantages it gives incumbents.
Page Reference: 296 – 297
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
45. You are a consultant hired to advise state legislators on redistricting plans. A
prominent party leader suggested packing a district. Given that your job is to
explain the full consequences of this action, what is one disadvantage that you
should mention?
a. Packing involves complicated logistics.
b. Packing rarely produces a long-term advantage for a political party.
c. Packing is typically challenged in court.
d. Packing a district can dilute the party’s strength in adjacent districts.
Topic: Congressional Elections
Learning Objective: LO 10.1: Describe the congressional election process and
the advantages it gives incumbents.
Page Reference: 297
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Difficult
327
46. A bill has made its way to the final floor debate in the Senate before a vote will be
taken. You are a senator who opposes the bill. How can you decrease the odds that
the bill will pass?
a. Give the bill an unfavorable markup.
b. Propose a closed rule.
c. Attach a rider.
d. Issue a pocket veto.
Topic: How a Bill Becomes a Law
Learning Objective: LO 10.4: Identify the steps by which a bill becomes a law
and the ways a bill can be stopped at each step.
Page Reference: 314
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Difficult
47. Which is an example of logrolling in Congress?
a. awarding a government contract to a campaign supporter
b. introducing and sponsoring a bill
c. sponsoring a bill in exchange for federal monies
d. supporting a bill in exchange for support of one’s own bill
Topic: The Job of the Legislator
Learning Objective: LO 10.5: Characterize the two ways legislators represent
their constituents, and identify the various influences on their votes.
Page Reference: 315
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
48. You are a member of the House of Representatives and wish to introduce a bill.
What do you do?
a. announce the bill on the floor after a motion to the presiding officer
b. offer the bill as an amendment to pending legislation
c. offer the bill to the Speaker of the House
d. place the bill in the hopper
Topic: How a Bill Becomes a Law
328
Learning Objective: LO 10.4: Identify the steps by which a bill becomes a law
and the ways a bill can be stopped at each step.
Page Reference: 311
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Difficult
49. What would the Framers of the Constitution find surprising about today’s
Congress?
a. They would be surprised by the diversity of its membership.
b. They would be surprised that Congress is able to pass bills quickly.
c. They would be surprised to find only two major parties.
d. They would be surprised by the norm of courtesy among members.
Topic: Congressional Elections
Learning Objective: LO 10.1: Describe the congressional election process and
the advantages it gives incumbents.
Page Reference: 300
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
50. How do some members of Congress justify the practice of earmarking federal
funds?
a. Earmarks are evenly distributed across congressional districts.
b. Earmarks are a legitimate way to give taxpayers a fair return on their taxes.
c. Earmarks do not increase the federal budget deficit.
d. Earmarks are dedicated to helping the poor and disabled.
Topic: Congressional Elections
Learning Objective: LO 10.1: Describe the congressional election process and
the advantages it gives incumbents.
Page Reference: 299
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
51. One example of the Framers’ intent to insulate the Senate from the tyranny of the
majority was to __________.
a. give the Senate authority to overturn a presidential veto without House
ratification
b. give the Senate authority to overturn a Supreme Court decision
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c. have members appointed by incumbent senators
d. have members appointed by their respective state legislatures
Topic: Congressional Leadership and Committees
Learning Objective: LO 10.3: Compare and contrast the leadership systems used
in the House and Senate, and explain how work is done through congressional
committees.
Page Reference: 310
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Moderate
52. Why is it so difficult to cut defense spending?
a. because defense spending is only adjusted every five years
b. because defense spending is controlled by a select committee consisting of
military veterans
c. because so many members of Congress have defense industries in their districts
d. because defense spending is indexed to inflation
Topic: Congressional Leadership and Committees
Learning Objective: LO 10.3: Compare and contrast the leadership systems used
in the House and Senate, and explain how work is done through congressional
committees.
Page Reference: 304
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
53. Which kind of committee can be convened to conduct a special investigation in
the event of a major scandal?
a. conference
b. investigative
c. joint
d. judiciary
Topic: Congressional Leadership and Committees
Learning Objective: LO 10.3: Compare and contrast the leadership systems used
in the House and Senate, and explain how work is done through congressional
committees.
Page Reference: 307
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