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WorksheetsCongress
Total questions: 58
Worksheet time: 29mins
Each state has __________ senators, each of whom serves a __________-year term
a. two; two
b. two; four
c. two; six
d. four; two
__________ is the process of allotting congressional seats to each state according to its proportion of the population.
a. Apportionment
b. Appropriations
c. Gerrymandering
d. Redistricting
The Constitutional Convention resulted in what form of legislature?
a. bicameral
b. direct
c. unicameral
d. unified
In the House of Representatives, who is second in authority to the Speaker of the House?
a. majority leader
b. majority whip
c. minority leader
d. president pro tempore (or pro tem)
Congress is __________ than the general population.
a. less partisan
b. less well paid
c. happier
d. wealthier
A(n) __________ committee is created to reconcile differences in bills passed by the House and Senate.
a. conference
b. appropriations
c. ways and means
d. standing
Pork may aid the district of a member of Congress by __________.
a. diverting unallocated funds to the service sector
b. increasing jobs and revenue with federally funded projects
c. increasing revenue through private market investment
d. taxing corporations less so they provide health insurance for employees
An elected official who votes the way his or her constituents would want is a __________.
a. conscientious objector
b. delegate
c. trustee
d. politico
Whips serve what main function?
a. to act as official spokespersons for their chambers
b. to help the Speaker schedule proposed legislation for debate
c. to meet with members of the executive cabinet
d. to persuade party members to support the party
The formal method for ending a filibuster is __________; it requires the approval of __________ senators.
a. abrogation; fifty-one
b. censure; fifty-five
c. cloture; sixty
d. discharge; sixty-seven
During an election, an incumbent representative might point to local allocations of a federal highway bill as a reason to be reelected. This is an example of __________.
a. credit claiming
b. gerrymandering
c. franking
d. casework
Which of the following contributes to the incumbency advantage?
a. the desire to “throw the bums out”
b. surge and decline
c. property taxes
d. name recognition
How might a bill become law if it has been pocket vetoed?
a. Congress may override the pocket veto with a three-fourths vote in each chamber.
b. Congress may override the pocket veto with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.
c. The bill can be reintroduced during the next session of Congress.
d. The bill can never become law.
Members of the House are apportioned to states based on __________. They serve __________-year terms.
a. equal representation by state; four
b. equal representation by state; six
c. population; two
d. population; four
What does the Congressional Research Service do?
a. audits the financial expenditures of the executive branch and federal agencies
b. conducts research and provides information to Congress
c. supervises all government-sponsored research projects that use human subjects
d. ensures that the Library of Congress has up-to-date research materials
Why were Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton impeached but not removed from office?
a. The House officially charged them with wrongdoing, but a Senate trial failed to convict them.
b. The Senate officially charged them with wrongdoing, but a House trial failed to convict them.
c. The Senate officially charged them with wrongdoing, but a Supreme Court trial failed to convict them.
d. Neither chamber of Congress secured enough votes for a trial.
Why are there currently 435 members in the House of Representatives?
a. The Constitution requires a specific ratio of representatives to constituents.
b. The Constitution stipulates exactly 435 members.
c. The number has grown each decade, according to census data.
d. The number is fixed by statute.
What occurs during the appropriations process?
a. Congress grants funds to federal agencies and programs.
b. Congress creates new federal agencies.
c. Congress acquires requested oversight material from the executive.
d. Congress instructs the president to eliminate federal agencies.
A rise in party unity is indicative of __________.
a. cooperation across party lines
b. cooperation between Congress and the executive branch
c. high bipartisanship
d. low bipartisanship
The __________ is where members of Congress affiliated with a given party gather to select their leadership at the beginning of each term.
a. conference committee
b. electoral college
c. leadership conference
d. party caucus
A __________ committee is a temporary committee that is appointed for a specific purpose.
a. ways and means
b. caucus
c. select
d. standing
How have Americans rated members of Congress in recent years?
a. quite high
b. somewhat high
c. mediocre
d. dismally low
The vice president of the United States is the ceremonial leader of the Senate, but he or she has little real leadership responsibilities. The true leader of the Senate is the __________.
a. majority leader
b. president pro tempore
c. president of the Senate
d. Speaker
Incumbents are most likely to lose their bid for reelection when they are impacted by which of the following events?
a. budget deficits
b. low presidential approval ratings
c. redistricting
d. logrolling
The president pro tempore __________.
a. has the power to nullify legislation with a pocket veto
b. has the power to select the majority leader
c. is an honorific office awarded to the senior senator of the majority party
d. is required to preside over the Senate whenever it is in session
The __________ presides over the House of Representatives in a way that smooths the passage of majority-backed bills.
a. majority leader
b. majority whip
c. president pro tempore
d. Speaker
According to the trustee model of representation, legislators are entrusted to __________.
a. follow a strict interpretation of the Constitution
b. present the views of their party
c. use their judgment when making decisions
d. make decisions according to their constituents’ demands
What is the purpose of a discharge petition?
a. to force a vote on a House bill that is otherwise stuck in committee
b. to force a vote on a Senate bill that is being delayed by a filibuster
c. to force a vote on a House or Senate bill that is favored by a minority
d. to force Congress to remain in session until the calendar has been fully discharged
Which statement best characterizes a subcommittee hearing?
a. A bill receives a subcommittee hearing whenever the vice president requests it.
b. A bill receives a subcommittee hearing only after it is extensively marked up by the full committee
c. A bill receives a subcommittee hearing after it has been pocket vetoed, but before it goes to the floor
d. Those opposed and those in favor of a bill can voice their opinions on it to the subcommittee.
After a bill is reported by a full committee, it goes to __________.
a. a conference committee composed of members from the original House and Senate committees
b. the House Committee on Rules or the Senate floor
c. a subcommittee
d. the House or Senate floor
When is the staff of a member of Congress most likely to have an influence over how he or she votes on a given bill?
a. when the bill is expensive
b. when the bill is important to his or her constituents
c. when the bill is highly partisan
d. when the bill is nonideological
What procedure limits debate of budget controversies to twenty hours, thereby ending the threat of a filibuster in the Senate?
a. caucus
b. cloture
c. programmatic requests
d. reconciliation
Which is an example of logrolling in Congress?
a. awarding a government contract to a campaign supporter
b. introducing and sponsoring a bill
c. supporting someone else’s bill in exchange for future support of your bill
d. health care reform
What is the typical trajectory of a bill in the House of Representatives?
a. introduction, committee referral, subcommittee, full committee report, full Housevote, Committee on Rules, conference committee, send to president
b. introduction, committee referral, subcommittee, full committee report, Committee on Rules, full House vote, conference committee, full House vote, send to president
c. introduction, committee referral, subcommittee, Committee on Rules, fullcommittee report, conference committee, full House vote, send to president
d. introduction, committee referral, Committee on Rules, subcommittee, full committee report, full House vote, conference committee, send to president
__________ is a good example of congressional casework.
a. Analysis of an incumbent’s policy positions prior to a debate
b. Analysis of water quality within a district
c. Helping a constituent navigate red tape
d. Assisting a federal agency operating within a member’s district
What is the typical trajectory of a bill in the Senate?
a. introduction, committee referral, subcommittee, full committee report, full Senate debate and vote, conference committee, full Senate vote, send to president
b. introduction, committee referral, subcommittee, Committee on Rules, full committee report, conference committee, full Senate vote, send to president
c. introduction, committee referral, Committee on Rules, subcommittee, full committee report, full Senate vote, conference committee, send to president
d. introduction, subcommittee, committee referral, full committee report, Committee on Rules, full Senate vote, conference committee, send to president
A __________ is one tactic to signal the leadership that a senator may have objections to a bill.
a. cloture
b. hold
c. markup
d. pocket veto
The House minority leader __________.
a. selects the president pro tempore
b. decides jointly with the majority leader which legislation goes to the floor
c. is elected by the minority party
d. is selected by the Speaker of the House
Which 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. majority leader
b. minority leader
c. whip
d. president pro tempore
Which statement about incumbency is most accurate?
a. Incumbents have a huge reelection advantage.
b. Incumbents have a small reelection advantage.
c. Incumbents only leave office when pressured by party leadership.
d. Incumbents only leave office when they are involved in a scandal.
What does the Government Accountability Office do?
a. audits the financial expenditures of the legislative branch
b. audits the financial expenditures of state governments
c. audits the financial expenditures of the executive branch
d. monitors potential congressional ethics violations
In the event of a major scandal, which kind of committee would be convened to conduct a special investigation?
a. a conference committee
b. a subcommittee
c. a joint committee
d. a standing committee
Which example best demonstrates a legislator acting according to a delegate view of representation?
a. A legislator may follow his or her conscience unless public opinion is clear.
b. A legislator does whatever is best for his or her reelection.
c. A legislator follows the public opinion of his or her constituency.
d. A legislator heeds public opinion in every case, except in matters of personal conscience.
Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between Congress and the judiciary?
a. The Supreme Court typically overturns more than 100 congressional statutes each year.
b. The Supreme Court has been overturning more acts of Congress in recent years than it has in the past.
c. Congress reviews the constitutionality of Supreme Court decisions.
d. Congress typically has the Supreme Court review bills to determine their constitutionality before they are debated on the floor.
What occurs at a congressional party conference?
a. Democrats take questions from the press.
b. Democrats review bills passed at the end of a session of Congress.
c. Republicans and Democrats meet to build rapport and plan bills.
d. Republicans discuss party strategy.
__________ is the practice whereby the president gives deference to senators from the home state where a judicial vacancy occurs.
a. Appointee preeminence
b. Committee referral
c. Congressional review
d. Senatorial courtesy
How are committee chairs selected in the House?
a. They are selected by party leaders.
b. They are elected by the House.
c. They are determined according to seniority on the committee.
d. They are determined according to seniority within the party.
In response to Nixon’s refusal to spend money for social programs despite Congress’s authorization to do so, Congress __________.
a. opened an inquiry into presidential malfeasance
b. passed the Congressional Budget Act of 1974
c. passed the War Powers Resolution in 1973
d. impeached Nixon
Which power is NOT granted to Congress in Article I?
a. Regulating commerce with foreign nations and between the states
b. Declaring war
c. Raising and supporting an army and navy
d. Overruling Supreme Court decisions
e. Establishing rules for naturalization
All of these describe the House of Representatives EXCEPT:
a. initiates all revenue bills.
b. two-year terms served by members.
c. low turnover in membership.
d. decentralized power.
e. powerful Committee on Rules.
Much of the controversy surrounding redistricting comes from a process called:
a. gerrymandering.
b. reallocation.
c. census review.
d. incumbency.
e. demography.
The official who oversees House business and is second in line for presidential succession is
a. minority leader.
b. Speaker of the House.
c. vice president.
d. president pro tempore.
e. conference chair
A party whip is
a. any new member of the majority party in the House.
b. a moderate member of any party.
c. a leader responsible for mobilizing party support.
d. a member designated to speak to the media on behalf of the party.
e. the longest serving member of each party.
The practice of halting Senate action on a bill through unlimited debate or long speeches is called:
a. hold.
b. filibuster.
c. veto.
d. cloture.
e. pocket veto.
Which of these is NOT a power of Congress that limits the president’s power?
a. War Powers Resolution
b. Congressional review
c. Appointment
d. Senatorial courtesy
e. Oversight
Members of Congress rely heavily on all of these groups to educate them on specific political issues EXCEPT:
a. caucuses.
b. newspaper editors.
c. interest groups.
d. political parties.
e. lobbyists.
Political parties’ influence on the votes of members of Congress is
a. decreasing rapidly.
b. decreasing slowly.
c. about the same as during the 1960s.
d. increasing.
e. almost nonexistent.
Which of the following statements is true regarding congressional approval?
a. Congressional approval is at historic highs.
b. Citizens generally think more highly of Congress than of their individual members.
c. Approval of Congress is higher than approval of all other political institutions.
d. Despite declining approval, members of Congress continue to be reelected at high rates.
e. Congressional approval has declined in every year since Watergate.
