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CHAPTER 11 - The Congress
1. A person who is represented by an elected representative or other political appointee is called a(n)
a.
registered voter.
b.
eligible voter.
c.
constituent.
d.
apportioned citizen.
e.
None of the above.
2. The people whom a legislator represents and spends considerable time and effort serving are called
a.
delegates.
b.
trustees.
c.
constituents.
d.
representatives.
e.
members.
3. The founders of the American republic believed that most of the power that would be exercised by a national
government should be in the hands of
a.
the chief executive.
b.
the legislature.
c.
the electoral college.
d.
the bureaucracy.
e.
the judiciary.
4. The major function of Congress is
a.
enforcing laws.
b.
lawmaking.
c.
using the impeachment power.
d.
investigating other branches of government through oversight.
e.
judging whether laws are constitutional.
5. The process of compromise by offering to trade support for a legislator’s bill if they support yours is called
a.
logrolling.
b.
earmarking.
c.
lawmaking.
d.
horse trading.
e.
pork trading.
6. A representative who is performing the role of a trustee votes
a.
in the interest of his or her home constituents.
b.
in support of his or her political party agenda.
c.
on the basis of his or her own conscience in the broad interests of society.
d.
in accordance with opinion polls.
e.
based on vote trades.
7. A representative who is performing the role of an instructed delegate is
a.
primarily representing the wishes of his or her constituents.
b.
supporting the president on all of his legislative programs.
c.
representing the broad interests of the entire society.
d.
supporting his or her political party.
e.
representing other members of Congress.
8. A representative who votes in accordance with the wishes of his or her constituency is acting as a(n) __________,
while one who pursues the best national interest, regardless of public opinion in his or her constituency, is acting as a(n)
__________.
a.
trustee; delegate
b.
delegate; trustee
c.
trustee; ombudsperson
d.
delegate; ombudsperson
e.
ombudsperson; trustee
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CHAPTER 11 - The Congress
9. Oversight is the process by which Congress
a.
follows up on the laws it has enacted.
b.
reviews the actions of subcommittees.
c.
chooses its leadership.
d.
supervises the activity of the judicial branch.
e.
passes legislation.
10. Which of the following is not a function of Congress?
a.
spending time serving constituents
b.
educating the public through hearings and debates
c.
carrying out and executing the laws it has passed
d.
representing constituents
e.
resolving conflicts between different groups
11. All of the following are enumerated or expressed powers except the power to
a.
impose a variety of taxes.
b.
coin money.
c.
declare war.
d.
create a national bank.
e.
establish post offices.
12. The necessary and proper clause
a.
has expanded the role of the national government relative to the states.
b.
has increased the powers of the state governments at the expense of Congress’s powers.
c.
was in the original Constitution, but was eliminated as a consequence of the Twenty-Seventh Amendment.
d.
has served to limit the expansion of national authority.
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CHAPTER 11 - The Congress
e.
is located in the Constitution in the text of the Tenth Amendment.
13. One major difference between the House and Senate is the total number of members. As a result
a.
the House will spend much more time on a bill on the floor as opposed to the Senate.
b.
the Senate is able to decide on the proper action on a bill quicker than the House.
c.
a greater number of formal rules are needed to govern activity in the House.
d.
House members must sit on more committees than Senators.
e.
a constitutional amendment has been proposed to increase the size of the House and to reduce the numbers in
the Senate.
14. The committee in the House that proposes time limitations on debate for bills is called the
a.
Debate Committee.
b.
Rules Committee.
c.
House Ways and Means Committee.
d.
Debate and Censure Committee.
e.
Issues Committee.
15. The Hastert Rule in the House is a rule under which _________ will not bring a bill to the floor unless __________.
a.
a Republican Speaker; it has bipartisan support
b.
a Republican Speaker; it has the support of a majority of Republican House members
c.
a Democratic Speaker; it has bipartisan support
d.
a Democratic Speaker; it has the support of a majority of Democratic House members
e.
Both A and C.
16. A filibuster is
a.
an attempt to prevent the passage of a bill through the use of unlimited debate.
b.
an attempt to persuade others to vote for a particular bill in return for a favor at a later date.
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CHAPTER 11 - The Congress
c.
used in the House to force a standing committee to release a bill.
d.
a method used by the Speaker of the House to promote the majority party’s legislation.
e.
a technique that is unique to the House.
17. All of the following are true of the filibuster except
a.
it may be ended by invoking cloture.
b.
it can sometimes be bypassed by the reconciliation process.
c.
the House can overrule a filibuster by a two-thirds supermajority vote.
d.
traditionally, filibusters were rare.
e.
we have seen a rise in twenty-first-century filibustering.
18. All of the following are true of reconciliation except
a.
traditionally, the use of reconciliation is rare.
b.
budget bills can be handled under special rules that prevent filibusters.
c.
reconciliation can be used to circumvent the Constitution.
d.
reconciliation is sometimes used when the majority party in the U.S. Senate does not have sixty votes on a
measure.
e.
under the rules, reconciliation is only to be used on budget matters.
19. The concept of cloture refers to
a.
a method used to defeat legislation in Congress.
b.
a process that attempts to limit debate on a bill in the Senate.
c.
closed meetings held by both parties to elect their leadership or resolve other important issues.
d.
action taken by the House Rules Committee that must be approved by the Speaker.
e.
the resolution that adjourns Congress.
20. The process of suspending the rules of the Senate, thus ending the threat of a filibuster
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CHAPTER 11 - The Congress
a.
has always been favored by Democrats.
b.
has always been favored by Republicans.
c.
is known as the nuclear option.
d.
is very popular with the public at large.
e.
Both B and C.
21. In 2013, ____________ exercised the "nuclear option" to ____________.
a.
Senate Republicans; allow passage of the House Republican budget
b.
House Republicans; override President Obama's veto of the Republican budget
c.
Senate Democrats; allow passage of all legislation
d.
Senate Democrats; allow confirmation of judicial nominees
e.
House Democrats; allow passage of all legislation
22. The members of Congress are
a.
representative of the voting public in terms of income.
b.
representative of the voting population in terms of race.
c.
not representative of the voting population in terms of gender.
d.
not representative of the voting population in terms of political viewpoint.
e.
All of the above are true.
23. All of the following are true of the people who work for Congress except
a.
they include office clerks and assistants as well as professionals who deal with the media, draft legislation, and
work with constituency requests.
b.
they are larger in number for House members than for Senators.
c.
the number has increased dramatically since 1960.
d.
the professional staffs provide information for members of the House and Senate.
e.
some of these people maintain local offices in the member’s home state or district.
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24. Congressional caucuses are formed around
a.
ideological points of view such as the Tea Party and the Progressive Caucus.
b.
special agricultural interest such as potatoes and corn growers.
c.
racial or ethnic interests.
d.
Options A and B are true.
e.
All of the above are true.
25. Which of the following are represented in Congress by non-voting delegates?
a.
the District of Columbia
b.
Puerto Rico
c.
Guam
d.
Both B and C.
e.
All of the above.
26. When a popular presidential candidate leads to gains for his party in House and Senate elections, this is called
a.
an electoral sweep.
b.
the coattail effect.
c.
the dominant executive.
d.
the executive effect.
e.
None of the above.
27. In midterm congressional elections
a.
voter turnout increases sharply.
b.
the president’s political party will usually gain seats in Congress.
c.
voter turnout falls sharply.
d.
the president’s political party will be unaffected unless the president campaigns for congressional candidates.
e.
incumbents are more likely to lose.
28. A sizable majority of ____________ who run for reelection are ____________.
a.
House members; defeated in party primaries
b.
Senators; defeated in general elections
c.
incumbents; defeated in party primaries
d.
incumbents; successful
e.
None of the above.
29. Reapportionment is
a.
the allocation of seats in the House to each state after each census.
b.
the redrawing of district boundaries within each state to ensure equal district populations.
c.
a court order to hold new elections because of voting irregularities.
d.
altering a legislative formula that apportions spending among the states.
e.
normally a bipartisan exercise.
30. Redistricting is
a.
the allocation of seats in the House to each state after each census.
b.
the redrawing of district boundaries within each state to ensure equal district populations.
c.
a court order to hold new elections because of voting irregularities.
d.
altering a legislative formula that apportions spending among the states.
e.
normally a bipartisan exercise.
31. U.S. House districts have to be as close as possible to equal in population
a.
in order to make it easier to determine the winners of the several district.
b.
under the principle of one person, one vote.
c.
in order for each representative to have equal legislative power.
d.
in order for each representative to have an equal chance of serving on House committees.
e.
Both C and D.
32. All of the following statements are true about gerrymandering except
a.
the issue of gerrymandering has been resolved.
b.
the term originates with tactics used by a governor of Massachusetts named Gerry.
c.
the tactic of gerrymandering is used to create districts to the advantage of one political party or another.
d.
the tactic of gerrymandering has been used for racial discrimination.
e.
the practice can cause excessive manipulation of the shape of a district.
33. Gerrymandering
a.
is typically used by congressional and state political party leaders to shape voting districts in such a way as to
increase the chances of winning more seats.
b.
employs two main techniques: packing and cracking.
c.
is even more accurate due to the advances of computer technology.
d.
helps protect the seats of incumbents.
e.
All of the above are true.
34. In most states, congressional district lines are drawn
a.
by a small group of party leaders in the state legislature.
b.
by a non-partisan state panel of commissioners.
c.
by a non-partisan panel elected in special elections.
d.
by a group of retired judges elected by political party leaders.
e.
at a forum chaired by the state’s U.S. Senators.
35. If a congressional district is challenged based on evidence that the lines were drawn as a racial gerrymander
a.
the U.S. Supreme Court will determine whether the evidence is sufficient to order the district lines to be
redrawn.
b.
the U.S. House of Representatives will determine whether the evidence is sufficient to order the district lines
to be redrawn.
c.
the U.S. Senate will determine whether the evidence is sufficient to order the district lines to be redrawn.
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CHAPTER 11 - The Congress
d.
a review committee created every two years by the president will determine whether the evidence is sufficient
to order the district lines to be redrawn.
e.
All of the above are true.
36. Minority-majority districts
a.
are unconstitutional.
b.
were allowed after the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
c.
are districts in which a racial minority is the majority of the voting population.
d.
decrease the voting power of minority groups.
e.
Options B and C are true.
37. The two houses of Congress are
a.
able to assume executive authority in the absence of a president.
b.
perfectly equal in their powers.
c.
organized by political party.
d.
organized by seniority.
e.
None of the above.
38. The most important committees in Congress are _________ committees, permanent bodies that possess an expertise
resulting from their jurisdiction over certain policy areas.
a.
standing
b.
select
c.
joint
d.
conference
e.
legislative
39. A temporary legislative committee established for a limited time period and for a special purpose is a
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CHAPTER 11 - The Congress
a.
joint committee.
b.
conference committee.
c.
standing committee.
d.
select committee.
e.
rules committee.
40. The seniority system provides that
a.
members are awarded additional committee assignments in line with their seniority.
b.
the committee member of the majority party with the longest continuous service normally becomes the
committee chairperson.
c.
members become party whips in order of seniority.
d.
members of the House can be appointed to the Senate to fill vacancies.
e.
the Speaker of the House is the member of the majority party with the longest continuous service.
41. A ______________ is a permanent body established by a house of Congress, while a ______________ is appointed to
reconcile difference between two different versions of the same basic bill.
a.
standing committee; select committee
b.
joint committee; conference committee
c.
select committee; standing committee
d.
standing committee; conference committee
e.
conference committee; joint committee
42. All of the following statements regarding the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives are true except that the
Speaker
a.
is elected by a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives every two years.
b.
must be an elected member of the House.
c.
presides over House meetings.
d.
is the most influential member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
e.
schedules legislation for vote.
43. The powers of the Speaker of the House include all of the following except
a.
presiding over meetings of the House.
b.
appointing members of conference committees.
c.
scheduling legislation for floor action.
d.
presiding over the conference of the majority party.
e.
sending legislation to the appropriate standing committee.
44. The House majority leader is
a.
elected by the caucus of the majority party.
b.
selected by the president.
c.
chosen by seniority.
d.
chosen by the national party chairperson.
e.
chosen soon after their first election to Congress.
45. The whips assist the party leaders by
a.
voting to support the party platform at the national convention.
b.
attempting to convince the general public that congresspersons should vote the party line.
c.
passing information to and from members of Congress in accordance with the desires of the leadership of the
party.
d.
gathering research information.
e.
pressuring them to take positions popular among the party rank-and-file.
46. The Speaker of the House and the Senate majority leader
a.
influence committee assignments and schedule legislation for debate.
b.
are elected to these constitutional jobs by the entire House and Senate.
c.
are the longest-serving members of the Senate and House.
d.
are symbolic positions.
e.
All of the above are true.
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CHAPTER 11 - The Congress
47. The U.S. vice president also
a.
serves as president of the Senate.
b.
makes committee assignments in the Senate.
c.
casts tiebreaking votes in the Senate.
d.
Both A and B.
e.
Both A and C.
48. The real leadership power in the Senate rests in the hands of the
a.
president of the Senate.
b.
president pro tempore of the Senate.
c.
senator designate selected by the president.
d.
Senate majority leader.
e.
speaker of the Senate.
49. After a bill has been introduced and referred to a committee, the committee
a.
to which it has been referred is required to pass the bill on to the entire house.
b.
is not allowed to make changes in the wording of the bill.
c.
may hold hearings and discussions to explore the merits of the bill.
d.
may give some bills to a subcommittee, although the Constitution requires that subcommittee involvement in
legislation not exceed 25 percent of the total congressional workload.
e.
is required by the Constitution to consult with the president of the United States or the president’s officially
designated legislative liaison.
50. After being reported by a committee but before being sent to the House floor, bills are given to the _________, which
defines the conditions under which the bills are to be considered by the House.
a.
select committee
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CHAPTER 11 - The Congress
b.
joint committee
c.
rules committee
d.
determination committee
e.
definitional committee
51. The job of a conference committee is to
a.
originate appropriations bills.
b.
reconcile House and Senate versions of a bill.
c.
set the rules of debate for a bill.
d.
determine the committee path of a bill.
e.
override a presidential veto.
52. A budget prepared by the president and submitted to Congress is called the
a.
executive budget.
b.
presidential budget.
c.
administrative budget.
d.
presidential expenditures report.
e.
executive expenditures report.
53. The Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 requires
a.
each member of Congress to inform constituents of their votes on appropriations measures.
b.
the president to spend the funds that Congress has appropriated.
c.
a balanced budget by the 2030 fiscal year.
d.
the president to present an executive budget.
e.
budgets to receive the approval of the American people before they go into effect.
54. The federal government operates on a fiscal year that runs from
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CHAPTER 11 - The Congress
a.
January to December.
b.
April to March.
c.
October to September.
d.
July to June.
e.
September to August.
55. The annual process in which all federal programs are required to review their programs and submit requests for
funding is
a.
the executive budgetary process.
b.
the fiscal year.
c.
the spring review.
d.
the fall review.
e.
earmarking.
56. One of the most powerful agencies in Washington, DC, the __________ assists in the preparation of the federal
budget and monitors federal agencies throughout the year.
a.
Council of Economic Advisers
b.
Office of Management and Budget
c.
Department of Budget and Commerce
d.
House Ways and Means Committee
e.
Senate Budget Committee
57. The formal declaration by the appropriate congressional committee that a certain amount of funding may be made
available to an agency is called
a.
authorization.
b.
appropriation.
c.
allocation.
d.
reconciliation.
e.
consolidation.
58. A temporary law that Congress passes when an appropriations bill has not been decided by the beginning of the fiscal
year is a(n)
a.
emergency resolution.
b.
budget extension.
c.
continuing resolution.
d.
preview budget.
e.
temporary budget.
59. The _____________ is the legally permissible amount of debt that the federal government can take on.
a.
national debt
b.
debt ceiling
c.
budget deficit
d.
debt limit
e.
None of the above.
60. In 2011, ________________ threatened to refuse to raise the debt ceiling in order to __________________.
a.
Senate Republicans; win significant spending cuts
b.
Senate Republicans; win the privatization of Social Security
c.
House Republicans; increase the portion of the budget dedicated to military spending
d.
House Republicans; win the privatization of Social Security
e.
House Republicans; win significant spending cuts
61. Compare and contrast the trustee and instructed-delegate theories of representation.
62. Describe the enumerated or expressed power of Congress.
63. Compare the Hastert Rule in the House with the nuclear option in the Senate and discuss the implications of these for
Congress as a democratic body.
64. Explain the functions and rules regarding filibuster, cloture, and reconciliation.
65. Explain the idea of a minority-majority district and discuss the effects of this practice and why it may or may not be
constitutional.
66. Describe the history of the term gerrymandering and how it has been used in practice.
67. Explain the different types of committees and their functions.
68. Explain the roles played by the members of the House and Senate leadership.
69. Explain how a bill becomes a law.
70. Explain the debt ceiling and discuss the ways in which it has become a political tool.
