WorksheetsAP Government-Congress
Total questions: 125
Worksheet time: 1hrs 2mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
The number of members in the Senate is:
a)
Based upon population
b)
Equal for all states
c)
Decided upon by the voters
d)
Depends on the ruling party
2.
The majority party in power in the House of Representatives appoints a leader called:
a)
President pro Tempore
b)
Chief Justice
c)
Senator
d)
Speaker of the House
3.
Who is the presiding officer of the Senate, and can be brought in to cast a tie breaking vote if needed?
a)
The Chief Justice
b)
The Vice President
c)
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
d)
Secretary of State
4.
Congress has three types of these to deal with the thousands of bills that come before it each session.
a)
Committees
b)
Branches
c)
Districts
d)
Articles
5.
These types of committees are temporary and deal with special issues that have to be taken care of from time to time.
a)
Select
b)
Standing
c)
Joint
d)
Judicial
6.
The Senate has ____members
a)
435
b)
2
c)
100
d)
535
7.
Constituents are the people represented by a member of Congress
a)
True
b)
False
8.
Senators or Representatives who are already holding office are
a)
Constituents
b)
Lobbyist
c)
Incumbents
d)
Independents
9.
These committees include members from both the Senate and the House. They are formed occasionally for certain issues.
a)
Standing
b)
Joint
c)
Select
d)
Optional
10.
Which part of Congress is allowed to filibuster?
a)
House of Representatives
b)
Senate
11.
A federal project or grant that is made available in a congressional district or state
a)
Casework
b)
Credit
c)
Funding
d)
Pork Barrel
12.
PAC's give most of their money to
a)
Congress
b)
Incumbents
c)
Senators
d)
New Challengers
13.
Challengers need to raise a lot of money to defeat an incumbent
a)
True
b)
False
14.
Which of the following is the worst thing that can happen to an incumbent around election time
a)
Redistricting
b)
Personal Scandal
c)
Change in Party ties
d)
Major political tidal wave
15.
The House of Representatives' terms are how long?
a)
1 year
b)
6 years
c)
4 years
d)
2 years
16.
Committee chair is usually selected based on
a)
Seniority
b)
Money
c)
Staff size
d)
Education
17.
The House of Representatives has
a)
80 members
b)
100 members
c)
435 members
d)
200 members
18.
Who has the most "real" power in the Senate?
a)
Speaker of the Senate
b)
Majority Leader
c)
Vice President
d)
President
19.
A proposed law
a)
Filibuster
b)
Draft
c)
Bill
d)
Committee topic
20.
Which part of Congress has more representative turnover
a)
House of Representatives
b)
Senate
21.
Congress ultimately is supposed to listen to _____. But often times they do not.
a)
Lobbyist
b)
PACs
c)
Constituents
d)
Incumbents
22.
A group of members of Congress sharing some interest or characteristic
a)
Committee
b)
Majority
c)
Caucus
d)
Incumbent
23.
Party leaders play a vital role in steering bills through both branches
a)
True
b)
False
24.
Where does a bill go 1st after being introduced
a)
President
b)
Committee
c)
Conference committee
d)
Subcommittee
25.
Over 35,000 of these work to influence legislators
a)
Constituents
b)
Lobbyist
c)
Committee Voters
d)
Buissness owners
26.
The founders believed that most of the power that would be exercised in government should be in the hands of
a)
a powerful chief executive
b)
the legislature
c)
the elite class
d)
state governers
27.
Bicameralism reflects the Founder's desire to balance
a)
big states and small states
b)
common citizens and elites
c)
northern and southern states
d)
agriculture and industry
28.
Powers expressly given to Congress by the Constitution are called
a)
Implied powers
b)
Enumerated powers
c)
Inherent powers
d)
Explicit powers
29.
The principal function of any legislator is
a)
seeking reelection
b)
lawmaking
c)
constituent service
d)
public education
30.
Casework is
a)
logrolling
b)
constituent service
c)
lawmaking
d)
oversight
31.
A representative who acts on conscience representing the broad interests of society is serving what role
a)
Trustee
b)
Instructed Delegate
c)
Politico
d)
Ombudsman
32.
A representative who primarily represents the needs of his constituents is performing what role
a)
Trustee
b)
Instructed delegate
c)
Politico
d)
Ombudsman
33.
Following up on the laws Congress has enacted
a)
Oversight
b)
Casework
c)
Lawmaking
d)
Constituent service
34.
The largest occupational group among Congresspersons is
a)
Lawyers
b)
Doctors
c)
Private business owners
d)
Lobbyists
35.
Most candidates for Congress must win the nomination through
a)
a party caucus
b)
a party convention
c)
a party committee
d)
a direct primary
36.
The allocation of seats in the House to each state after a census is called
a)
reapportionment
b)
redistricting
c)
reallocation
d)
logrolling
37.
The drawing of legislative district boundaries for the purpose of obtaining partisan advantage is
a)
reapportionment
b)
redistricting
c)
gerrymandering
d)
agenda setting
38.
"One person, one vote" Supreme Court ruling
a)
Brown v. Board of Education
b)
Baker v. Carr
c)
Reynolds v. Sims
d)
Wesberry v. Sanders
39.
The most important type of committees are
a)
joint-resolution committees
b)
investigative committees
c)
standing committees
d)
conference committees
40.
A special committee convened to resolve differences in a House-passed bill and a Senate-passed bill
a)
Conference
b)
Joint
c)
Standing
d)
Select
41.
The foremost power holder in the House of Representatives is the
a)
President of the House
b)
Majority leader
c)
President pro Tempore
d)
Speaker of the House
42.
"Money bills" must originate in which house
a)
House of Representatives
b)
Senate
43.
According to the Constitution, impeachment
a)
is only used in the case of treason
b)
begins in the House
c)
begins in the Senate
d)
cannot be used against an incumbent
44.
If the electoral college fails to give any presidential candidate a majority, the election of the President is determined by
a)
the Senate
b)
the House of Representatives
c)
a run-off election
d)
Sixteenth Amendment
45.
____ _____ do not currently exist for Congressmen, would require a Constitutional Amendment, but have been recommended to increase turnover.
a)
Term Limits
b)
Salary Freezes
c)
Hot Pockets
d)
Standing Committees
46.
All 50 states have ___ Senators who serve for ___ years each, barring expulsion, impeachment, resignation, or death.
a)
36 : 2
b)
2 : 6
c)
7 : 11
d)
100 : 435
47.
Compromise is rare in the modern Congress because the parties have become more _____ and internally _____.
a)
Communist : Communist
b)
Angry : Complacent
c)
Moderate : Heterogeneous
d)
Polarized : Homogeneous
48.
All bills go to ______ committees, which specialize in a particular subject and have the power to kill a bill or pass it on to the House/Senate as a whole.
a)
Standing
b)
Select
c)
Joint
d)
Conference
49.
The minority party is led in the House by the ___.
a)
Speaker of the House
b)
Minority Leader
c)
Majority Whip
d)
Quissat Sadurat
50.
Congress and every state except Nebraska have what kind of Legislature?
a)
Tricameral
b)
Unicameral
c)
Bicameral
d)
Small Council
51.
Who has an automatic advantage in congressional reelections?
a)
Third Party
b)
Challenger
c)
Incumbent
d)
Psychic Type Pokemon
52.
The second in command of the Speaker of the House is the ___.
a)
Majority Leader
b)
Minority Leader
c)
Majority Whip
d)
Hand of the King
53.
Helping a constituent get a social security check qualifies as ___.
a)
Casework
b)
Position Taking
c)
Agenda Setting
d)
Logrolling
54.
___ make up 51% of the population and are the most underrepresented group in Congress.
a)
Women
b)
Native Americans
c)
Candy Store Owners
d)
African Americans
55.
The ___ _____ is the Constitutionally determined President of the Senate.
a)
Big Boss
b)
Speaker of the House
c)
President
d)
Vice President
56.
Which House requires members to be 25 years old and citizens for at least 7 years?
a)
House of Representatives
b)
Senate
c)
House of Burgesses
d)
The Central Soviet
57.
_______ representation, which Congress does not have, means representing constituents by mirroring their personal, politically relevant characteristics AKA demographics.
a)
Substantive
b)
Descriptive
c)
Realistic
d)
Perfect
58.
Which chamber of Congress is elected every two years and is based on population?
a)
School Board
b)
Senate
c)
House of Representatives
d)
Cabinet
59.
___ legislation helps Congressmen by increasing jobs and revenue with federally funded projects.
a)
Ham
b)
Pork
c)
Beef
d)
Venison
60.
This individual keeps close contact with all members of his or her party, counts votes for key legislation, prepares summaries of bills, and acts as a communications link within the party.
a)
Whip
b)
Speaker
c)
Leader
d)
Chairperson
61.
A filibuster can be ended by a _____ Resolution, requiring sixty votes.
a)
Cloture
b)
Capture
c)
Ending
d)
Censure
62.
_____ use their best judgement to make policy in the interests of the people.
a)
Trustee
b)
Delegate
c)
Politico
d)
Partisan
63.
What is the main job of a Congressional Whip?
a)
Herd cattle
b)
Persuade party members to vote in tandem with the party
c)
Meet with the Executive Branch
d)
Serve as assistants to the Speaker
64.
Select/Special committees are usually _____ and have a focused responsibility.
a)
Temporary
b)
Permanent
c)
Temporal
d)
Transitory
65.
A group of Congressmen who share some interest and work to promote that interest is a _______
a)
Interest Group
b)
Caucus
c)
Committee
d)
Conference
66.
2009 - 2010 Congressional Election costs totaled more than _____.
a)
One hundred gajillion, bajillion dollars
b)
$200 million
c)
$2 billion
d)
$1 billion
67.
Members of Congress are disproportionately what?
a)
White, upper-middle class, middle-aged, and male
b)
White, upper middle class, young women
c)
Socially conservative, fiscally moderate
d)
Socially liberal, fiscally conservative
68.
A special joint committee to reconcile differences in bills passed by the House and Senate.
a)
Conference
b)
Standing
c)
Select
d)
Joint
69.
What is probably the most powerful committee in the House because it sets rules for debate and procedure on all bills?
a)
Gun Safety Committee
b)
Agricultural Committee
c)
Ways and Means Committee
d)
Rules Committee
70.
A lobbyist for the NRA would be most effective when targeting a legislator who ___.
a)
Whose voting behavior supports gun control
b)
Whose voting behavior opposes gun control
c)
Who wants cash for personal trips to gun shows
d)
Who hates guns
71.
What makes up the most important parts of the Incumbency Advantage?
a)
Name recognition, access to media, and franking privelege
b)
Name recognition and access to district taxes
c)
Demonstrated ability to lead and public record of votes
d)
Additional financial support from the federal government campaign fund
72.
Which of the following is NOT an enumerate power of Congress?
a)
Declare War
b)
Coin Money
c)
Create a National Bank
d)
Regulate Foreign Commerce
73.
Which house of Congress tends to specialize in foreign policy?
a)
Senate
b)
House of Representatives
74.
Which house of Congress has a more centralized power structure and stronger leadership roles?
a)
Senate
b)
House of Representatives
75.
All of the following are non-legislative powers of Congress except:
a)
impeachment
b)
confirmation of presidential appointees
c)
Congressional oversight
d)
Power to tax
76.
In which of the following types of meetings would a party likley set their policy agenda for the upcoming Congressional term?
a)
Rules committee
b)
Party Caucus or Conference
c)
Cloture vote
d)
Conference committee
77.
Who is the most powerful person in the Senate?
a)
Vice-President
b)
President Pro-Tempore
c)
Majority leader
d)
Majority party whip
78.
What amendment called for the direct election of Senators?
a)
16
b)
17
c)
18
d)
19
79.
What type of committee is a temporary committee created for a specific purpose?
a)
Standing
b)
Select
c)
Joint
d)
Conference
80.
Most of the work on legislation take place during what step?
a)
Floor debate
b)
Proposal stage
c)
Committee phase
d)
executive action
81.
All of the following are ways to stall or block legislation EXCEPT
a)
Discharge petition
b)
Senate Hold
c)
Filibuster
d)
Pigeonhole
82.
Who has the "power of the purse?"
a)
President
b)
Congress
83.
Which of the following is an official spending bill that must be signed by the president
a)
budget resolution
b)
appropriation bill
84.
In the case of federal district court appointments, senators often have considerable say in the nomination of judges from their home state. This is called...
a)
Senate Hold
b)
Senatorial Courtesy
c)
Discharge petition
d)
Cloture
85.
Which house of Congress has a rules committee?
a)
House
b)
Senate
86.
Which of the following is NOT a FEDERAL rule regarding gerrymandering?
a)
Districts must be equal in population, "one man one vote"
b)
Racial gerrymandering is banned
c)
Districts must be contiguous
87.
Is our government currently a united or divided government?
a)
united
b)
divided
88.
When legislators provide support for each other's bills, this is called...
a)
Senatorial Courtesty
b)
Logrolling
c)
Pork Barrel Legislation
d)
Politico
89.
Which model of Congressional decision making is best described as electoral representatives using their own best judgement when voting on legislation?
a)
trustee
b)
delegate
90.
Which theory believes that government is run by a small group of powerful people/families.
a)
Pluralism
b)
Elitism
91.
If legislation is passed in both the House of Representatives and the Senate but each version is slightly different the conflicting bills are sent to
a)
a standing committee of each house for a vote.
b)
an ad hoc committee for judicial review.
c)
the Rules Committee of each house for reconciliation and compromise.
d)
a conference committee for review and compromise.
92.
The practice in Congress whereby Representative A promises to vote for Representative B’s legislation, provided that Representative B will support Representative A’s legislation, is referred to as
a)
personal casework and services.
b)
partisan discipline.
c)
logrolling.
d)
pork barrel legislation.
93.
A difference between the House of Representatives and the Senate is that in the House
a)
legislative activity on the floor is more concentrated by rules.
b)
committees are less important in the decision-making process.
c)
unior members have more influence over legislative decisions.
d)
party leaders are less powerful.
94.
Which of the following powers is shared by the House of Representatives and the Senate?
a)
Holding trials of impeachment
b)
Establishing federal courts
c)
Approving treaties
d)
Holding confirmation hearings
95.
Which of the following committees plays a major role in the House in shaping tax policy?
a)
Finance
b)
Ways and Means
c)
Commerce
d)
Appropriations
96.
Even with large majorities of their own party in Congress, presidents experience difficulty in exercising legislative leadership because
a)
the president must compete against state governors for influence.
b)
the weak nature of political parties hampers the president’s ability to control Congress.
c)
the president’s use of the veto is ineffective with Congress.
d)
individual members of Congress attract greater publicity when challenging the president.
97.
Congressional oversight refers to the power of Congress to
a)
override presidential vetoes.
b)
hold public hearings before confirming judicial appointees.
c)
exercise some control over executive agencies.
d)
allow nongovernmental agencies to defend or refute pending legislation publicly.
98.
Most of the work of legislating in Congress takes place in
a)
joint committees.
b)
select committees.
c)
conference committees.
d)
standing committees.
99.
Which of the following is a primary function of the Senate Judiciary Committee?
a)
Conducting oversight hearings on the Supreme Court budget
b)
Conducting investigations into allegedly subversive activities
c)
Conducting hearings on judicial appointments made by the president
d)
Conducting investigations into wrongdoing by the executive branch
100.
Which of the following actions by a congressional representative is an example of “pork barreling”?
a)
Misusing campaign contributions
b)
Directing federal funds into the representative’s district through legislation
c)
Accepting money from a political action committee (PAC)
d)
Attempting to kill a bill with unacceptable amendments
101.
A discharge petition is rarely used in the House of Representatives because
a)
it is unconstitutional to use a discharge petition in the House of Representatives.
b)
the House is too large for a discharge petition to be effective.
c)
a two-thirds majority is required to issue a discharge petition.
d)
it is a challenge to majority leadership and informal rules of behavior.
102.
The House Rules Committee is an important part of the legislative process because it
a)
determines ethics rules for members’ conduct.
b)
determines whether a bill should be referred to a policy committee for consideration.
c)
determines the terms and conditions of debate when a bill goes to the House floor.
d)
negotiates compromises on bills with the Senate Rules Committee.
103.
The president cannot veto
a)
joint resolutions that propose constitutional amendments.
b)
laws overturning United States Supreme Court decisions.
c)
legislation regulating congressional salaries.
d)
bills that originate in the Senate.
104.
When a bill passes the House and Senate in different versions, the bill is resolved by which of the following types of committee?
a)
Conference
b)
Select
c)
Reconciliation
d)
Standing
105.
Which of the following best describes gerrymandering?
a)
The party in power wins four or five surrounding districts by very small margins.
b)
The Supreme Court requires that legislatures must adopt the doctrine of one person, one vote.
c)
The party in control of the state legislature draws district boundaries in such a way as to favor its own candidates in subsequent elections.
d)
By polling voters, party officials are able to determine how citizens will vote.
106.
Which of the following best describes pork barrel politics?
a)
The Office of Management and Budget negotiates with Congress to get the president’s budget proposals passed.
b)
Senators from states with agricultural economies promote farm price supports.
c)
Voters in rural areas support different issue positions than do voters in metropolitan areas.
d)
Members of Congress negotiate bills so that individual districts get money for projects that do not benefit the nation as a whole.
107.
Which of the following is true of both members of the House of Representatives and Senators?
a)
They must be citizens of the United States.
b)
They serve two-year terms of office.
c)
They can have their election chances directly affected by reapportionment.
d)
They must have statewide appeal in order to get elected.
108.
The franking privilege is one example of
a)
logrolling.
b)
soft money.
c)
a legislative privilege.
d)
an election law violation.
109.
The committee that resolves differences between House and Senate versions of a bill is called a
a)
joint committee.
b)
select committee.
c)
special committee.
d)
conference committee.
110.
Which of the following is true of the seniority system of Congress in relation to committee leadership and committee staffing?
a)
Members of Congress with the longest continuous service are assured the chairmanship of major congressional committees.
b)
Members of Congress must be elected from safe seats to accrue committee seniority.
c)
Members of congressional committees are the most senior members of the body’s majority party.
d)
The chairs of congressional committees tend to be senior members of the body’s majority party.
111.
The Senate must confirm all of the following presidential appointments EXCEPT
a)
U.S. attorneys.
b)
U.S. Supreme Court justices.
c)
White House staff.
d)
heads of executive agencies.
112.
When none of the presidential candidates receives a majority of the votes in the electoral college, the winner is chosen by the
a)
Federal Elections Commission.
b)
Supreme Court.
c)
House of Representatives.
d)
Senate.
113.
Congressional legislative powers include all of the following EXCEPT
a)
legislative federal appropriations.
b)
approval of treaties.
c)
establishing a lower court system.
d)
pardoning felons.
114.
Members of Congress who have adopted the delegate role of representation normally cast their votes based on which of the following?
a)
The preferences of the majority of their constituents.
b)
Their judgment of what is best for their constituency.
c)
The instructions of their political party’s leadership.
d)
The advice of congressional staffers and political consultants.
115.
Which of the following is the most important factor in determining whether a candidate wins a congressional election?
a)
Positions on various policies
b)
Incumbency status
c)
Presidential endorsement
d)
Individual campaign contributions
116.
Members of Congress who have adopted the delegate role of representation normally cast their votes based on which of the following?
a)
The preferences of the majority of their constituents.
b)
Their judgment of what is best for their constituency.
c)
The instructions of their political party’s leadership.
d)
The advice of congressional staffers and political consultants.
117.
Which of the following is a unique power held by members of the Senate?
a)
Control of the veto
b)
Control of the appropriations process
c)
The ability to filibuster
d)
The ability to impeach the president.
118.
If Congress adjourns during the ten days the president has to consider a bill passed by both houses of Congress, but which the president has not yet signed, what is the result?
a)
Line-item veto
b)
Legislative veto
c)
Executive veto
d)
Pocket veto
119.
The power to remove the President from office through the impeachment process requires actions by
a)
both houses of Congress.
b)
the Senate only.
c)
the House of Representatives only.
d)
the Senate and the Supreme Court.
120.
Which of the following is true of a filibuster?
a)
It allows a minority of senators to block a bill.
b)
It allows a minority in either house to block a bill.
c)
It allows nongermane amendments to be added to a bill.
d)
It bring a bill out of committee for a floor vote.
121.
Under the Constitution prior to the Seventeenth Amendment, United States Senators were
a)
Elected to ten-year terms
b)
elected directly by the people.
c)
chosen only from the House of Representatives.
d)
chosen by members of state legislatures.
122.
The discharge petition is a device that allows members of the House of Representatives to
a)
suspend debate on a piece of legislation.
b)
force floor consideration of a piece of legislation.
c)
end floor debate on a piece of legislation.
d)
remove federal justices originally appointed for life.
123.
Which of the following powers are shared by the House of Representatives and the Senate?
a)
Holding trials of impeachment
b)
Establishing federal courts
c)
Approving treaties
d)
Holding confirmation hearings
124.
All of the following statements comparing the Senate and House of Representatives are correct EXCEPT
a)
Committee consideration of pending legislation is more easily bypassed in the Senate than in the House.
b)
There are fewer limits on debate in the Senate than in the House.
c)
Amendments to bills may be introduced more easily in the Senate than in the House.
d)
Senators are more likely to be policy specialists than are representatives.
125.
Which of the following is true when the House and the Senate pass legislation that is similar, but not identical?
a)
The bills go to a conference committee
b)
The bills die due to different versions.
c)
Both versions of the bill go to the President for a signature or veto.
d)
Both bills go directly to the House and Senate floors, where they will be reconsidered and/or changed by each chamber’s collective membership.
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