WorksheetsUnit 2.1 AP Government Congress
Total questions: 57
Worksheet time: 35mins
Which of the following scenarios is an example of the attitudinal/trustee model of representation?
The NAACP leadership sends representatives to Washington to lobby for changes to the Voting Rights Act.
Congress passes a bill allocating money to clean up nuclear waste sites after a wave of large-scale peaceful protests.
A member of Congress votes to close a popular tax loophole based on the belief that the money would be better spent paying down the national debt.
A presidential candidate advocates using an executive order to increase the minimum wage for federal contractors.
Voters elect their senator and representatives and expect them to vote on the basis of what their constituents believe
delegate/representative model
organizational model
politico model
attitudinal/trustee model
What do we call a person who is up for reelection?
the challenger
the lame duck
the whip
the incumbent
The franking privilege refers to the
Federal Reserve Board’s control over interest rates
Practice of permitting senators to preview lists of judicial nominees
Practice whereby legislators with the most seniority select the committees on which they want to serve
Right of members of Congress to send mail to their constituents at the government’s expense
Which of the following statements about gerrymandering is true?
It has been banned by United States Supreme Court decisions beginning with Baker v.Carr.
It was used traditionally to maintain urban control of the House of Representatives.
It can be used by a political party to draw boundary lines to control as many districts as possible.
It ensures liberal control of the House of Representatives.
Apportionment and redistricting are affected every ten years as a result of....
pork barrel spending
standing committees
midterm elections
the census
Who can propose a bill?
The President
House members
Senate members
Any member of congress
Any elected official
Which of the following scenarios best illustrates a member of Congress supporting pork-barrel legislation?
A senator from a coal-producing state voting against a job-training program for coal miners
A member of the House voting for urban renewal in exchange for increased funding for roads
A senator from an agricultural state amending legislation to establish a potato research institute in his or her state
A member of the House Armed Services Committee marking up a bill that will increase funding for military bases
An example of a discretionary item in the federal budget is
interest on the public debt
spending on national parks
Social Security payments
veterans' pensions
The House Rules Committee is an important part of the legislative process because it
determines the terms and conditions of debate when a bill goes to the House floor
determines ethics rules for members' conduct
determines whether a bill should be referred to a policy committee for consideration
negotiates compromises on bills with the Senate Rules Committee
Congressional leadership: __________________ help their keep members loyal to the party’s legislation agenda by rounding up votes (garnering support for) for their party's proposed legislation.
whips
committee chairs
caucuses
sergeant at arms
Most of the work of legislating in Congress takes place in
standing committees
sub committees
markup sessions
caucus
This term is sometimes used to describe the Article I powers provided to Congress relating to financing and budgeting the government.
Committee of the Whole
Advice and Consent
Oversight
Power of the purse
Which of the following statements about motions for cloture is true?
They force a bill out of committee so that the full House can vote on it.
They are applied to bills that failed in the previous session of Congress.
They are applied only to appropriation bills.
They are used by senators to end a filibuster and bring a bill to a vote.
They occur whenever a bill is reported out of committee.
Powers of the Federal government, not specifically stated, based on "necessary and proper" or elastic clause are -
Implied Powers
Relegated Powers
Savage Powers
Elastic Powers
The United States Constitution says that Congress has the power to coin money.
This is an example of
an enumerated power
an implied power
an inherent power
a reserved power
a concurrent power
Case that established the principle of one man, one vote. This decision created guidelines for apportionment, drawing up congressional districts to guarantee a more equitable system of representation to the citizens of each state. - The case also decided the Supreme Court had jurisdiction over questions of legislative apportionment.
Brown v Board
Baker v Carr
Engel v Vitale
Tinker v Des Moines
A landmark case in the area of redistricting and racial gerrymandering. The court ruled in a 5-4 decision that redistricting based on race must be held to a standard of strict scrutiny under the equal protection clause. On the other hand, bodies doing redistricting must be conscious of race to the extent that they must ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Baker v Carr
McCulloch v Maryland
Roe v Wade
Shaw v Reno
What created the Bicameral legislature?
The Articles of Confederation
The Book of Mormon
The 3/5 Compromise
The Great Compromise
How many Senators does each state have?
1 per state
Determined by population
2 per state
Determined by vote
How many Representatives does each state get?
1 per state
Determined by population
2 per state
Determined by vote
Congress is forbidden to pass ex post facto laws, by the Constitution, as a limitation on its power. Which of the following is an example of this limitation?
Congress cannot imprison a citizen without just cause.
Congress cannot punish a citizen without due process.
Congress cannot punish a citizen for an act committed prior to legislation.
.
Congress cannot favor a particular state
After a bill is written by a congressman, what is the next step in its process of becoming a law?
The bill is sent to the floor for debate.
The bill is sent to the President to sign
The bill is sent to a committee for consideration
The bill is sent to a constituent for an idea.
On February 12, 2013 Sen. Ted Cruz read the Dr. Seuss book Green Eggs and Ham in order to block a vote on funding Obamacare. Which of the following powers of Congress accurately reflect this action?
Members of the House can prevent a vote on legislation by extending floor debate indefinitely.
The Supreme Court can require the Senate to vote on a bill after a period of time has passed.
Members of the Senate can prevent a vote on legislation by extending floor debate indefinitely.
The President can force a vote by the Senate, by enacting the “cloture” rule.
Congress authorizing the detention of US citizens as enemy combatants in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, without a trial in civilian court, is an example of which of the following actions?
Congress would be exercising its expressed power to punish criminals.
Congress would be violating the ban on bills of attainder.
Congress would be exercising its expressed power to regulate commerce.
Congress would be violating the ban on ex post facto laws.
How often are representatives elected?
2 years
6 years
4 years
1 year
The direct election of Senators was established with the
Addition of the Bill of Rights
The creation of the Articles of Confederation
Signing of the Constitution
The passing of the Seventeenth Amendment
Permanent groups to oversee bills that deal with certain kinds of issues are called?
Standing Committee
Select Committee
Joint Committee
Conference Committee
The formal responsibility of the President of the Senate belongs to the
Speaker of the House
Vice President
President Pro Tempore
Majority Leader
How many U.S. Senators are there?
100
300
435
535
Which of the following actions can Congress take if the Supreme Court finds a federal law unconstitutional?
Appeal the Court’s decision to the District of Columbia’s Court of Appeals
Try to amend the Constitution
Formally request the President to veto the Court’s decision
Remove certain members of the Court and replace them with new members
Which of the following statements about rules of procedure in the House and Senate is correct?
The House operates more by formal rules, while the Senate operates more on informal understandings.
The rules are specified in Article I of the Constitution
The rules in each chamber are determined by the majority whip
The rules can be changed by the President during a national emergency.
The congressional power that has been contested most frequently in the federal courts is the power to
establish post offices
levy taxes
declare war
regulate interstate commerce
Lobbyists try to influence legislators MAINLY through
"wining and dining” legislators
Placing persuasive advertisements in the media
Threatening to help the legislator’s opponent in the next election
Providing legislators with information on technical issues
Case that established the principle of one man, one vote. This decision created guidelines for apportionment, drawing up congressional districts to guarantee a more equitable system of representation to the citizens of each state. - The case also decided the Supreme Court had jurisdiction over questions of legislative apportionment.
Brown v Board
Baker v Carr
Engel v Vitale
Tinker v Des Moines
Once the House Seats are apportioned to each state, who gets to decide how to draw the districts?
The Federal Government
The State Governments
The People
The Illuminati
Which State has the most seats in the House of Representatives?
Texas
California
New York
Nevada
The House of Representatives is the Chamber of Congress that is supposed to represent
The States
The People of the United States
The Politicians of the United States
Each City of the United States
A temporary joint committee created to reconcile differences between the two houses' versions of a bill (remember, the president can only sign ONE version of a bill)
conference committee
representative government
special session
quorum
A procedure enabling members to force a bill that has been pigeonholed in committee onto the floor for consideration (30 days in a committee + majority of whole House = RARE)
gerrymander
conference committee
discharge petition
term
Type of resolution-both houses need action, but not a law
Simple Resolution-
Joint Resolutions
Concurrent Resolutions
Public Bills
Private Bills
An agreement by two or more lawmakers to support each other’s bill
Logrolling
Pork-barrel Legislation
Lobbying
Lobbyist
Veto
Laws passed by Congress that appropriate money for local federal projects
Logrolling
Pork-barrel Legislation
Lobby
Veto
A session at which a committee listens to testimony from people interested (both for and against) in the proposed bill
Tax
Rider
Hearing
Veto
Pocket Veto
A bill dealing with general matters and applying to the entire nation
Appropriation
Private Bill
Public Bill
Lobbying
A bill dealing with individual people or places
Appropriation
Private Bill
Public Bill
Lobbying
How does Congress override a Presidential Veto?
Pocket veto
Filibuster
by a two-thirds vote in each house
by changing certain words in the Bill
