Quiz on Congressional Powers and Processes

The voting patterns of members of Congress correlate most strongly with

• the population density of their districts

• their economic background

• their educational level

• their political party affiliation

• the location of their districts

Which of the following statements about Congress is true?

• Members of Congress only occasionally are interested in and pay attention to constituents.

• The legislative process is frequently lengthy, decentralized, and characterized by compromise and bargaining.

• Lobbyists and political action committees (PAC's) successfully induce most members of Congress to trade their votes for campaign contributions.

• The growth in the size of Congress as an organization is the principal cause of growth in the federal budget deficit.

• Debate in both houses is structured by elaborate rules enacted by leaders of the majority party.

Congressional district boundaries are usually redrawn every ten years by the

• Bureau of the Census

• state legislatures

• President

• House Rules Committee

• Federal Election Commission

All of the following are formal or informal sources of presidential power EXCEPT

• presidential authority to raise revenue

• presidential access to the media

• precedents set during previous administrations

• public support

• the Constitution

All of the following powers are granted to the President by the Constitution EXCEPT

• commissioning officers in the armed forces

• addressing the Congress on the state of the union

• receiving ambassadors

• granting pardons for federal offenses

• forming new cabinet-level departments

The Constitution states that all revenue bills must originate in

• a White House budget resolution

• the Congressional Budget Office

• the United States Senate

• the United States House of Representatives

• the Office of Management and Budget

A major difference between the House of Representatives and the Senate is that

• filibusters are possible only in the House

• revenue bills must originate in the Senate

• judicial nominations originate in a House committee

• each state has equal representation in the House but not in the Senate

• there is unlimited debate in the Senate but not in the House

A member of the House of Representatives who wishes to be influential in the House itself would most likely seek a place on which of the following committees?

• Agriculture

• International Relations

• Transportation and Infrastructure

• Rules

• Veterans’ Affairs

The committee system is more important in the House than in the Senate because

• the seniority system plays no role in the House and therefore committees must play a larger role

• the Constitution mandates the type of committee structure in the House

• committee members are appointed by the President

• the House is so large that more work can be accomplished in committees than on the floor

• the majority party in the House prefers to give priority to the work of the committees

The role of a conference committee in Congress is to

• hold hearings on proposed legislation

• oversee the actions of the executive branch of the government

• decide which bills should be considered by the full Senate

• conduct hearings that make information available to the public

• reconcile differences in bills passed by the House and Senate