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Besides the United States, which other nations have congresses?

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Most Latin American countries only

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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 that

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Congress does not select a president

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The term bicameral used to describe the U.S. legislature means that the legislature

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has two chambers, or legislative bodies

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Under the original U.S. Constitution, members of the Senate, unlike members of the House, were selected by

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state legislatures

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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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All of the following statements concerning the filibuster are correct except:

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Today, it takes 75 Senators to end debate.

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The purpose of a filibuster is to

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delay action in a legislative body

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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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In terms of the composition of its membership, the House since 1950 has become

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less male and less white

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In terms of its percentage of women and nonwhite members since 1950, the Senate, compared with the House, has

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been slower to change

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Being a Congressman was not regarded as career in the 1860s because - the federal government was not that important. - it was difficult to travel to Washington. - Washington was not considered a pleasant place to -live. - the job did not pay well. *all of these answers

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*all of these answers

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All of the following statements concerning term limits are correct except The movement to impose limits began in the 1980s. The House approved a constitutional amendment to limit terms. A constitutional amendment to limit terms died in the Senate. The Supreme Court has struck down a state law limiting terms of members of Congress. The Supreme Court has struck down a state law limiting terms of members of state legislatures.

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The Supreme Court has struck down a state law limiting terms of members of state legislatures.

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The 1992 and 1994 elections brought scores of new members to the House because

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-of the redrawing of congressional districts after the 1990 census. - of voter disgust at a variety of political scandals. - the South became a Republican stronghold. *all of these answers

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In a parliamentary system, when members of the government's party vote against the parliament, the leadership must form an alliance with the opposition.

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dissolve the parliament and form a new government.

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Recent changes in the composition of members in Congress has resulted in

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a more ideological and partisan House

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The anti-incumbent mood directed toward members of Congress by voters in recent years has worked to the disadvantage of

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Democrats

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The explanation for congressional voting behavior that assumes members vote to please their constituents is referred to as

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representational

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The explanation for congressional voting behavior that assumes members vote to please their colleagues is referred to as

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organizational

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The explanation for congressional voting behavior that assumes members vote on the basis of their beliefs is referred to as

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attitudinal

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A problem with the representational interpretation of congressional voting behavior is that

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on many key issues, public opinion is weak or vague

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In recent years, American voters have political beliefs that are

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close to the center of the political spectrum

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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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From the standpoint of the ambitions of a newly elected Democratic senator, the most important element in party organization is the

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Steering Committee

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The numerical superiority of House representatives over senators carries with it the implication that the

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House leadership has more control than the Senate leadership

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Among the many powers of the House Speaker is that he or she

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determines the committee assignment of bills

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caucuses are formed by groups whose members share a similar ideology.

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Intra-party

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caucuses form around common interests in an issue.

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personal

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caucuses are perceived by their members as representing certain groups nationwide.

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constituency

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The Congressional Black Caucus is one of the best known

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national constituency caucus

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Most of the power in Congress is found in

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the committees

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Because they are usually the only ones that can report out bills, the most important committees are the

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standing committees

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Where is the real work of Congress done?

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in the committee in both houses

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The type of committee most likely to deal with a bill near the end of its legislative process is the

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conference committee

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The maximum number of committees that can be chaired by one senator is

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one

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A recent trend in Congress has been for the number of amendments to proposed laws to

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increase, along with the number of individuals offering them.

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In the Senate, committees such as Rules and Administration, Small Business, and Veterans' Affairs are examples of

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minor committees

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If you were a newly elected member of Congress interested in becoming an expert on a particular policy and influencing your colleagues on this policy, you would probably ask to be assigned to the

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Ways and means committee

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Until the 1990s the most rapidly growing bureaucracy in Washington was that of congressional leaders.

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staff members of Congress

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Increased reliance on staff has made Congress more

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personal

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If you are a committee staff member and want to know the status of a bill, you can get the information most quickly from the

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Congressional Research Service (CRS)

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The original purpose of the General Accounting Office (GAO) was to perform

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audits of high ranking military officers.

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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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Which of the following bills is most likely to pass through Congress quickly?

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A bill dealing with aid to the handicapped

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A bill can be introduced in Congress by

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any member of Congress

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The complexity of the procedure for enacting a law gives the advantage to the bill's

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opponents

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Which of the following statements about introducing a bill in Congress is correct?

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A bill not passed during the life of one Congress is dead

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Which of the following statements about most joint resolutions is correct?

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They require the approval of both houses and the signature of the president.

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To propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Congress would have to pass a

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joint resolution.

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Which of the following statements about revenue bills is correct?

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They must originate in the House

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A bill to raise taxes would first be referred to the

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House Ways and Means Committee.

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The trade bill of 1988 was considered by fourteen committees in the House and nine in the Senate. This illustrates the legislative process of

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multiple referral.

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The ________ process allows the Speaker to send a bill to a second committee after the first committee is finished acting on it.

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sequential referral

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A mark-up session is one in which

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a committee or subcommittee makes changes in the original version of a bill

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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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If a House bill has just been reported out of committee and its sponsor is worried that floor amendments will substantially change it, he or she would be most likely to request a(n)

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closed rule from the Rules Committee

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Unlike 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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A rider is usually added to a bill to

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circumvent or influence presidential action.

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A bill that has many nongermane amendments tacked on is called a

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christmas-tree bill

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In the Senate, a filibuster can be ended by invoking

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cloture

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Which of the following statements about the current cloture rule is correct?

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It requires three-fifths of the entire Senate membership to pass

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To find out how members of Congress voted on a particular bill, it is most useful to have a

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roll-call vote or a teller vote

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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.

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Each of the following is required in both houses for Congress to override a presidential veto except

answer

a discharge petition.

question

More opportunities for corruption exist in a decentralized political system because

answer

more officials can affect policy

Ch. 13: Congress – Flashcards

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