Ch 4 Sec 2

Why did the Constitution provide that the total number of seats in the House of Representatives should be apportioned among the States based on population, rather than being set at a fixed number?

• so that larger States are able to make decisions on important issues

• in order to provide for fair representation for all citizens

• because establishing a fixed number was less accurate

• so that a large group of representatives are able to serve

How did the 1932 Supreme Court case Wood v. Broom affect equal representation in the House?

• The case had little effect on equal representation.

• The case made equal representation a reality.

• The case weakened equal representation.

• The case eliminated equal representation altogether.

The party that holds the presidency often loses seats in the off-year elections. What can you infer is the cause of this loss?

• The opposition party might obtain votes from citizens dissatisfied with the current administration.

• The party in power might not be interested in campaigning so soon after a big election.

• The party in power might be overly confident about their support from voters.

• The opposition party might have more money to spend on an impressive campaign.

What is the significance of the 1969 Supreme Court decision in Powell v. McCormack to uphold the Constitution's formal qualifications of age, citizenship, and residency for House members?

• It limited the House's ability to punish members for disorderly conduct.

• It limited the House's ability to impose additional standards on representatives.

• It limited the House's ability to expel members who had objectionable behavior.

• It limited the House's ability to question a member's formal qualifications for office.

Why does the Constitution provide procedures by which the Senate can judge the conduct of its members?

• so that senators who refuse to follow their party's recommendations can be dismissed

• so that voters' dissatisfaction with their representatives can be addressed in a timely way

• so that a high standard of ethical behavior is maintained by the nation's lawmakers

• so that regular attendance to all Senate meetings is ensured

What is the purpose of gerrymandering laws that require all voting districts to have similar populations?

• With districts of similar populations, people will always vote for their favorite candidate.

• With districts of similar populations, people will always vote for the minority candidate.

• With districts of similar populations, people will have an equal amount of representation in Congress.

• With districts of similar populations, people will have less representation in Congress.

The difficult task of redrawing State congressional districts, known as redistricting, is given to which legislative body?

• U.S. House of Representatives

• legislatures of individual States

• U.S. Senate

• governors of individual States

How did the 17th Amendment effect a change that more closely matched the original goals of the Framers?

• Senators are now elected by, and held accountable to, their State legislatures.

• Senators are now appointed by, and held accountable to, their State representatives.

• Senators are now appointed by, and held accountable to, their State executive branch.

• Senators are now elected by, and held accountable to, the citizens of their State.

Gerrymandering can thwart the purpose of single-member district elections because

• districts can be drawn with little regard for partisanship.

• districts can be drawn favoring one political party.

• districts can be drawn based solely on race or religion.

• districts can be drawn based solely on property value.

What effect would you expect the 1964 Supreme Court case, Wesberry v. Sanders, to have on the likelihood of rural farmers' issues being heard in Congress?

• Their concerns might be less likely heard, since districts must now be drawn with equal populations, ending over-representation of rural areas.

• Their concerns might be more likely heard, since districts must now be drawn with equal populations of citizens in rural and urban areas.

• Their concerns would be heard to the same extent as they were before, since districts must now be made up of equal amounts of rural and urban areas.

• Their concerns might be less likely heard, since districts must now be made up of contiguous and compact areas.