Chapter 9 Federal Government Study Guide – Flashcards
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            From 1890 to 1910, about __________ of all votes in Congress evoked a partisan split.
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        two-thirds
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            Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution confers on Congress all of the following powers EXCEPT
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        the power to veto bills.
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            In Great Britain's parliamentary system, candidates for Parliament are selected by
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        the party
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            A basic difference between a parliament such as Great Britain's and the U.S. Congress is
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        party members in a parliament vote together on most issues.
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            Congress was designed by the Founders in ways that almost inevitably make it
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        unpopular
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            What is the term used to describe a two house legislative body?
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        bicameral
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            Under the original U.S. Constitution, members of the House, unlike members of the Senate, were selected by
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        state legislators
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            Originally, members of the Senate were selected by
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        The Constitution provided that senators were chosen by the State legislatures.
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            How many members are there in the U.S. House of Representatives?
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        435
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            By the end of the nineteenth century, the Senate was known as the _________ Club.
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        millionaires
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            The purpose of a filibuster is to
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        prevent actions on a bill
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            Today, it takes __________ of the Senate to cut off debate.
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        60
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            The typical member of Congress is a(n)
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        middle-aged, white, Protestant lawyer.
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            The "Blue Dog" Caucus consists of Democrats who happen to be
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        moderately conservative house democrats
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            In the nineteenth century, a large fraction—often a majority—of congressmen served
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        only for one term
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            The Supreme Court struck down an effort by a state to impose term limits on
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        its own members of Congress
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            The November 2012 elections brought __________ first-term members to the House of Representatives.
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        75
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            A marginal district is one in which
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        the winner in an election gets less than 55 percent of the vote.
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            One proposed explanation for why congressional seats have become less marginal is that
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        incumbents can use their powers to get programs passed that benefit their districts, and thereby themselves.
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            The original conservative coalition in Congress consisted of
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        southern democrats and conservative republicans
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            Recent changes in the composition of Congress have resulted in
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        ideology and partisan
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            If you wished to study the real leadership office in the Senate, you would most likely focus on the
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        majority leader
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            A member of the Senate has just been elected to a position that requires him to keep the majority leader informed about the opinions of other party members. He has just been elected
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        majority party whip
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            Who presides over the House?
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        the Speaker
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            __________ decide(s) the outcome of disputed congressional elections.
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        congress alone
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            The Supreme Court upheld Senator Mike Gravel's reading of the Pentagon Papers—some then-secret government documents about the Vietnam War—into the Congressional Record because
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        privileged speech
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            Most of the power in Congress is found in
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        the committees
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            The type of committee most likely to deal with a bill near the end of its legislative process is the __________ committee.
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        conference committee.
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            Where is the real work of Congress done?
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        In the committees in both houses
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            The original purpose of the General Accounting Office (GAO), now the Government Accountability Office, was to perform
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        audits of financial records.
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            The staff agency that advises Congress on the probable economic effect of different spending programs and the cost of proposed policies is the
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        Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
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            A bill can be introduced in Congress by
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        any member of Congress.
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            A concurrent resolution passed by Congress seeks to
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        settle housekeeping and procedural matters that effect both houses
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            Which of the following statements about revenue bills is TRUE?
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        It can vary enormously.
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            A discharge petition is used by the House to
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        get a bill stalled in committee onto the floor.
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            Unlike in the House, the scheduling of legislation in the Senate is
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        determined by the majority and minority leaders.
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            In the Senate, a filibuster can be ended by invoking
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        cloture
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            When a bill passes the House and Senate in substantially different forms, the differences are resolved in
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        a conference committee
