question

Each state has ___ senators elected every ___ years.

answer

two, six

question

The U.S. Congress is bicameral, as is every American state legislature except ____, which has one house (unicameral).

answer

Nebraska's

question

The Constitutional Convention resulted in what form of legislature?

answer

bicameral

question

Partisan ___ occurs when members of both parties move away from the moderate middle and share increasingly less common ground.

answer

polarization

question

In the House of Representatives, who is second in authority to the Speaker of the House?

answer

majority leader

question

Members of Congress differ from the larger American population in they are disproportionately ____.

answer

white, upper-middle-class, middle-aged, and make

question

_____ is a good example of Congressional casework.

answer

assistance to a constituent in obtaining a Social Security check

question

"Pork" legislation may aid the district of a member of Congress by _____.

answer

increasing jobs and revenue with federally funded projects

question

The English politician and philosopher Edmund Burke advocated the concept of legislators as ____.

answer

trustees using their best judgement to make policy in the interests of the people

question

Congressional whips serve what main function?

answer

persuade party members to toe the party line

question

______ is the only formal method for ending a filibuster and requires the approval of ____ senators.

answer

cloture, sixty

question

Which incumbent advantage does Edwards say is more important in the Senate than in the House?

answer

position taking

question

A ____ is introduced (in similar or identical versions) in both the House and the Senate at the same time.

answer

companion bill

question

What best explains the overwhelming advantage incumbents possess in seeking reelection over opposition candidates?

answer

name recognition, access to media, and franking privelage

question

No bill can be passed unless both House and Senate agree on it; each body can thus ___ the policies of the other.

answer

veto

question

Which statement is true of the House of Representatives?

answer

members are elected every two years and apportioned to states based on population

question

Figure 11.1, The Incumbency Factor in Congressional Elections, demonstrates the rarity of an incumbent losing a seat in election. Which incumbent advantage involves service to individuals and the district?

answer

credit claiming

question

Why are there currently 435 members in the House of Representatives?

answer

the number is fixed at this limit by a statute

question

The ____ makes economic projections about the performance of the economy, the costs of proposed policies, and the economic effects of taxing and spending alternatives.

answer

Congressional Budget Office

question

Over the past three decades, the distance between the political parties in Congress has been growing steadily. As the parties have pulled apart ideologically, they also have become more _____ internally.

answer

homogeneous

question

A ____ is a group of members of Congress who share some interest or characteristic; their goal is to promote the interests around which they are formed.

answer

caucus

question

_____ committees exist in both the House and Senate, may be temporary or permanent, and usually have a focused responsibility.

answer

Select/Special

question

Party leaders form the two chambers of Congress sometimes use ____ legislation that addresses numerous and perhaps unrelated subjects, issues, and programs to create winning coalitions, forcing members to support the entire bill to obtain the individual parts.

answer

omnibus

question

The true leader of the Senate is the ___, elected by the majority party.

answer

majority leader

question

Most of the real work of Congress goes on in ___, which dominate congressional policymaking in all its stages.

answer

committees

question

____ organize hearings, research legislative options, draft reports on bills, write legislation, and keep tabs on the activities of the executive branch.

answer

committee staffers

question

In the Senate, and particularly in the House of Representatives, it takes a large shift in votes to affect the outcomes of most elections. To increase turnover in the membership of Congress, some reformers have proposed ___ for representatives and senators.

answer

term limitations

question

Which of the following groups is most underrepresented in Congress?

answer

women

question

The vice president's only constitutionally defined job is to serve as ____ of the Senate.

answer

president

question

Members of Congress are not typical or average Americans; thus, they cannot claim ____ representation- representing constituents by mirroring their personal, politically relevant characteristics. But they may engage in ____ representation- representing the interests of groups of which they themselves are not members.

answer

descriptive; substantive

question

The ___ holds the only legislative office mandates by the Constitution.

answer

Speaker of the House

question

Every bill goes to a ____, which holds the power to pass it or defeat it.

answer

standing committee

question

In the House of Representatives, a bill goes to the Rules Committee _____.

answer

after is is amended or rewritten in its full committee

question

What is the name given to federal projects, grants, and contracts available to state and local governments, businesses, colleges, and other institutions in a congressional district?

answer

pork

question

____ is defined as the activities of members of Congress that help constitutents as individuals, particularly by cutting through bureaucratic red tape.

answer

casework

question

Nearly one-half of House personal staff and nearly one-third of Senate personal staff work in Congressional members' offices in ____; this makes it easier for people to make contact with the staff.

answer

their state capitals

question

What is the typical process followed by a bill in the House of Representatives?

answer

introduction, committee referral, subcommittee, full committee report, rules committee, full House vote, conference committee, send to president

question

A special joint committee created to reconcile differences in bills passed by the House and Senate is called a(n) ____ committee.

answer

conference

question

Fundamental flaws in the operations and management of FEMA became evident in its response to four hurricanes that hit Florida in 2004; yet by 2005, when Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Congress had not yet held hearings to pinpoint and resolve FEMA's problems. Similarly, Congress missed the fact that various agencies with responsibility for supervising the banking industry were negligent in identifying looming financial problems that led to the recession of 2008-2009. These incidents represent failures of ______.

answer

oversight

question

The committee system in Congress is highly ____; thus, it is open to the appeals of a wide range of special interests represented by highly paid lobbyists. If Congress were more ____ and only those interests cleared by the leadership received hearings, special interests might be constrained-but then there would be a danger that only the interests reflecting the views of the leadership would be heard.

answer

decentralized; centralized

question

Over the past thirty years, the parties have become increasingly polarized; at the core of the increased ideological distance between the parties have been increasingly divergent electoral coalitions. One important factor is that state legislatures have drawn the boundaries of House districts so that the partisan divisions in the constituencies of representatives have become _____.

answer

more one-sided

question

There is some evidence that lobbying pays off, but efforts to change policy usually meet with resistance. Generally, when lobbying does succeed, which of the following patterns tends to hold true?

answer

lobbying against change is more successful than lobbying for it

question

The House minority leader _____.

answer

is the principal member of the minority party in the House

question

Charges with the responsibility to ____, the _______ is almost certainly the most powerful committee in either chamber of Congress.

answer

grant and set procedural rules, House Rules Committee

question

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.

answer

majority/minority whip

question

Which statement about incumbency is most accurate?

answer

incumbents have a huge advantage in reelection

question

What does Morris Fiorina argue regarding policymaking?

answer

incumbents' policy positions can make enemies as well as friends

question

In the House of Representatives, more than ____ percent of incumbents.

answer

90

question

Which example best demonstrates a legislator acting as a trustee of his or her constituency?

answer

a legislator considers public opinion, refining it with information and careful thought

question

A lobbyist for the NRA would be most effective when targeting a legislator ____.

answer

whose voting behavior supports gun control 1

question

Why is modern technology important to members of Congress seeking reelection?

answer

it allows Congressional staffers to track constituents' interests and opinions so the incumbent candidates can then engage voters on issues they care about

question

____ occurs when congresspersons help constituents as individuals-cutting through bureaucratic red tape to give people what they think they have a right to get.

answer

casework

question

The term ____ refers to federal projects, grants, and contracts available to state and local governments, businesses, colleges, and other institutions in a congressional district: it provides congresspersons with a means of servicing their constituencies.

answer

pork barrel

question

In the 2009-2010 election cycle, congressional candidates and supporting party committees spent more than _____ to contest 435 House and 33 Senate seats.

answer

$2 billion

question

How are committee chairs selected in the House?

answer

interviews to determine party loyalty

question

The Constitution specifies that members of the House must be at least ____ years old and American citizens for ___ years.

answer

25;7

question

Which response best reflects the dilemma of pork in legislation?

answer

programmatic requests favor one district at the expense of all American taxpayers.

question

What best represents the trend of party polarization over the last three decades?

answer

the parties have become more homogeneous internally as they have pulled apart ideologically.

question

Consider Boston's "Big Dig" project pictured in this chapter. Congressional servicing of the constituency is best defines as ____.

answer

casework and pork barrel spending

question

Which one of the powers listed below is a constitutional power that the president shares with the Senate?

answer

making treaties

question

Which institutional resource is closest to the president?

answer

white house staff

question

In which institutional resource are leaders both appointed by the president and approved by the Senate?

answer

the cabinet

question

Which of these became an official presidential qualification in 1951?

answer

a maximum of two terms

question

What is executive privilege?

answer

the right to keep communications confidential to the presidency

question

Who has the role of breaking a tie in the Senate?

answer

vice president

question

Historically, vice-presidential candidates are chosen to ____.

answer

placate symbolic constituency

question

What does the Twenty-Second Amendment do?

answer

requires that presidents serve only two terms

question

Presidents have to spend time leading the legislature in order to gain support for their initiatives because the American system is one of _____.

answer

shared powers

question

Which presidential power is balanced by required approval of the Senate with a two-thirds vote?

answer

negotiating treaties with other nations

question

Congress can remove a president through _____.

answer

impeachment

question

Whom did the Framers expect to be the first president of the United States?

answer

George Washington

question

What has to happen in Congress before the president can be impeached?

answer

the House can impeach the president by a simple majority; the Senate needs a two-thirds majority

question

Which of these presidents is arguably the first modern president?

answer

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

question

Throughout most of its history, which was considered an insignificant office?

answer

vice president

question

Which presidential oversight includes the State of the Union address?

answer

the president must inform and convene Congress

question

What was intended to give Congress a greater voice in the introduction of American troops into hostilities?

answer

the War Powers Resolution

question

Based on the four points regarding impeachable offenses, which of the following might constitute an impeachable offense?

answer

a president's decision to invade a country solely to increase public support

question

How did Walter Mondale's actions change expectations of service for the vice presidency?

answer

Mondale became a close advisor to the president

question

Which of the following is an example of the rally-round-the-flag effect?

answer

George W. Bush's popularity was boosted following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

question

The use of ___ in foreign matters is an example of the president acting as a global leader.

answer

executive agreements

question

What is the purpose of the Council of Economic Advisers?

answer

to advise the president on economic policy

question

Which best describes the president's constitutional duty to Congress?

answer

the president must give Congress an occasional update on the state of the union

question

Which is one of the reasons that power and responsibility of the presidency has grown?

answer

the united states has increased prominence on the world stage.

question

American presidents have a variety of backgrounds. Who was the only political scientist to become president?

answer

Woodrow Wilson

question

What role does a president play when celebrating a national holiday?

answer

chief of state/head of state

question

Which reviews legislative proposals and assesses their budgetary implications?

answer

Office of Management and Budget

question

Refer to Table 12.5. Which president exercised his veto power the most?

answer

Eisenhower

question

What did the Framers do to avoid anarchy or monarchy in the executive branch?

answer

they included separation of powers in the Constitution

question

Refer to Table 12.3. Which of the president's constitutional powers gives the president the ability to shape the federal courts far into the future?

answer

judicial

question

The president can influence Congress through evidence of popular support, otherwise known as _____. It offers legitimacy and credibility to a recently elected president's proposals.

answer

an electoral mandate

question

Presidents with high levels of ____ have an easier time influencing Congress, while those with low levels find influencing Congress more difficult.

answer

public approval

question

Which is a group of presidential advisers? This group is too large and too diverse to serve as a collective board.

answer

the cabinet

question

The chief to staff, press secretary, and national security assistant are all members of which group?

answer

White House staff

question

What is the role of the National Security Council?

answer

to advise the president on national security

question

Which statement about the news is generally true?

answer

the news is usually framed in themes

question

In which way do modern presidents differ from the original intentions of the Framers of the Constitution?

answer

modern presidents are much more influential in the legislative process than the Framers originally intended.

question

How might presidents use their powers of persuasion in the legislative process?

answer

in leading public opinion to support their policy agendas

question

Why does the perception of an electoral mandate matter in presidential politics?

answer

because modern presidents are more dependent on the people for election and more involved in policy making than early presidents, they are prone to claim the mandate of the people when governing

question

In which capacity is a modern vice president particularly influential in American politics?

answer

as an advisor in the policy-making process

question

Which of the following statements best characterizes the nature of the conflict between presidents and Congress?

answer

the conflict is integral to the design of the Constitution, deliberately intended by the authors of the constitution

question

Which of the following statements best describes contemporary relationships between presidents and Congress?

answer

they are generally antagonistic

question

How has the office of vice president changed over the years?

answer

the vice president has been more involved in the policy-making process in recent years than in the past

question

Which of the following leadership abilities is critical to presidential success?

answer

the ability to persuade members of Congress and the American public

question

How might rallying events affect presidential politics?

answer

rallying events tend to temporarily increase presidential approval ratings, providing windows of opportunity to press to action on their agendas

question

When might citizens be particularly concerned about an expansion of presidential power?

answer

when they oppose the president's agenda

question

How do presidential elections affect the political dynamic of a president's domestic political agenda?

answer

presidential elections increase the legitimacy and credibility of a president's proposals

question

According to the text, what is true about most of the presidents following Lyndon Johnson?

answer

they opposed government growth

question

What distinguishes the modern/contemporary president from the institution originally envisioned by the Framers of the Constitution?

answer

many presidents have enlarges the pwer of the presidency by expanding the president's responsibilities and political resources.

question

Which word best describes the language used by the Framers to describe the office of the president?

answer

vague

question

What was the turning point that substantially increased presidential responsibilities?

answer

the economic and social turmoil of the Great Depression

question

Why was it significant that George Washington was the first person elected to the presidency?

answer

his early actions served to establish important precedents that greatly increased the political legitimacy of the office

question

What distinguishes contemporary presidents from early presidents?

answer

contemporary presidents are much more active in the formulation of policy than early presidents

question

How does the White House staff differ from the president's Cabinet?

answer

the white house staff has greater access to and more influence on the president than the

question

Which of the following statements provides the best characterization of the members of the White House staff?

answer

the white house staff is composed of individuals personally and politically close to the president chosen specifically to serve the president's needs

question

Why was the Twenty-Fifth Amendment to the Constitution adopted?

answer

to clear up ambiguities over the constitutional provisions surrounding the role of the vice president should the president die or become incapacitated

question

Which describes something the George W. Bush used which caused critics to charge that presidential powers threatened the constitutional balance of powers?

answer

he withheld information from Congress under the doctrine of executive privilege

question

Which of the following statements has been identified as a potential problem associated with the role of the First Lady in American politics?

answer

the public has no mechanism for holding First ladies accountable for their policy influence

question

Why was the Wars Powers Resolution (1973) adopted by Congress?

answer

to reinvigorate the role of Congress in the conduct war

question

Refer to Figure 12.3. Which statement reflects the information displayed in the figure?

answer

Barack Obama's approval rating was lower in 2012 than when he took office

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