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Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
54. Which example best demonstrates a legislator acting as a trustee of his or her
constituency?
a. A legislator considers public opinion, refining it with information and careful
thought.
b. A legislator does whatever is best for his or her reelection.
c. A legislator follows the public opinion of his or her constituency.
d. A legislator may follow his or her conscience unless public opinion is clear.
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: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
55. The Jack Abramoff bribery scandal prompted Congress to enact new ethics rules,
starting in 2007. Under these new rules, members of Congress ___________.
a. may accept payment for making speeches and attending events
b. may accept small gifts from lobbyists, but they must be reported
c. may not accept free travel for any reason
d. may not accept gifts, travel, or meals from lobbyists
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: 317
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
56. Social media may be the best way for a candidate to reach voters who
__________.
a. are 18 to 24 years old
b. are members of the attentive public
c. attend town hall meetings
d. read newspapers and watch the news
331
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: 318
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
57. How have the ideological positions of the two chambers of Congress shifted over
the last two decades?
a. Both chambers have become more conservative.
b. Both chambers have become more liberal.
c. The House has become more conservative, while the Senate has become more
liberal.
d. The House has become more liberal, while the Senate has become more
conservative.
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: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Moderate
58. Although most incumbents are reelected with ease, the price may be the need
___________.
a. to forego running for leadership positions
b. to give up seniority
c. to resign from a committee assignment
d. to run a permanent campaign
Topic: An Assessment of Congress
Learning Objective: LO 10.6: Evaluate the influence of citizens on the
legislative process.
Page Reference: 319 – 320
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
59. Public approval of Congress __________.
332
a. dropped sharply in response to September 11, 2001
b. dropped steadily during the Clinton administration
c. dropped to a historic low by 2012
d. remained steady throughout the 2000s
Topic: An Assessment of Congress
Learning Objective: LO 10.6: Evaluate the influence of citizens on the
legislative process.
Page Reference: 320
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
60. What was the origin of the dispute resulting in the 2012 Super Committee?
a. constitutional prohibition of raising the debt ceiling
b. constitutional prohibition of federal borrowing
c. inability to balance the budget
d. Democrats’ desire to cut social program funding
Topic: Introduction
Learning Objective: Introduction
Page Reference: 296
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
True-False Questions
61. The House currently has 435 members, but this number increases every 10 years
with the taking of the census, as mandated by the Constitution.
Topic: Congressional Elections
Learning Objective: LO 10.1: Describe the congressional election process and
the advantages it gives incumbents.
Page Reference: 297
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
333
62. Appropriations committees help determine the programs that will be funded,
while authorizations committees determine the amount of monies to be
distributed.
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 – 308
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
63. “Markup” refers to pencil marks left on a bill after a committee or subcommittee
finishes modifying or amending it.
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: 312
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
64. There is evidence that political posts on social media can change people’s
opinions.
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: 318
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
65. The level of party-line voting is the lowest it’s been in decades.
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: 317
334
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
66. The Framers purposely rigged Congress to be inefficient.
Topic: An Assessment of Congress
Learning Objective: LO 10.6: Evaluate the influence of citizens on the
legislative process.
Page Reference: 320
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
67. A rider is an addendum to a bill. It must be related to the bill and intended to
secure or defeat its passage.
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: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
68. The attentive public is such a small minority that members of Congress tend to
ignore it in favor of the general public.
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
69. When the House and Senate pass differing versions of a bill, they are sent to a
conference committee to iron out differences between the versions before final
passage by both Houses.
Topic: Congressional Leadership and Committees
335
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
70. In the face of inaction by House membership, a discharge petition signed by a
majority can force a bill out of a committee and to the floor.
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: 312, 314
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
71. About one-third of the bills proposed in Congress receive full passage.
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: 310
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
72. Logrolling, or vote trading, was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court
after the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
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
73. During the period of turmoil known as the “Arab Spring,” Egyptians became
more favorable to strong leadership, even at the price of less democracy.
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: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
74. The Constitution stipulates that each House member must reside in the district he
or she represents.
Topic: Congressional Elections
Learning Objective: LO 10.1: Describe the congressional election process and
the advantages it gives incumbents.
Page Reference: 297
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
75. The U.S. Constitution enumerates the powers of Congress as only as specific and
limited rather than implied.
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: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Fill-in-the-Blank Questions
76. The __________ process, which leads to the removal of the president, is
Congress’s ultimate oversight of the executive branch.
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
337
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
77. __________ is the counterpart to the majority leader in the House opposition
party.
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
78. __________ committees are standing committees that include members from both
Houses of Congress and are set up to conduct investigations or special studies.
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: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
79. __________ are special spending projects that are set aside on behalf of
individual members of Congress for their constituents.
Topic: Congressional Elections
Learning Objective: LO 10.1: Describe the congressional election process and
the advantages it gives incumbents.
Page Reference: 299
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
80. The Constitution specifies that the presiding officer of the Senate is the vice
president; however, the __________ presides in the vice president’s absence.
338
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
81. A presidential veto may prompt a(n) __________, which requires a two-thirds
majority vote in both the House and Senate.
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: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
82. A(n) __________ is a provision attached to a bill—to which it may or may not be
related—to secure the bill’s passage or defeat.
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: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
83. After the Speaker, the next most powerful person in the House is the __________.
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
84. Democrats and Republicans meet at their party __________ at the beginning of
each new Congress to nominate or elect their party officers.
339
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
85. Cloture is the only way to end a(n) __________.
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: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
86. Of the two chambers of Congress, members of the __________ are more
vulnerable to defeat in elections.
Topic: Congressional Elections
Learning Objective: LO 10.1: Describe the congressional election process and
the advantages it gives incumbents.
Page Reference: 298
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
87. A(n) __________ in the House permits debate within the overall time allotted to
the 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: 306
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
340
