Chapter 12 Congress – Flashcards
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The most prominent characteristic of a Congressperson?s job is
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hard work
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A myth about members of Congress is that they
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are overpaid, underworked, corrupt, and ineffective.
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The United States House of Representatives has ________ members.
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435
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The United States Senate has ________ members.
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100
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How many senators are elected from each state?
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two
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Which of the following is TRUE about the minimum age requirements for members of Congress set forth in the Constitution?
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One must be at least 30 years of age to serve in the Senate.
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The income and occupations of members of Congress
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would, for the most part, make them members of the elite in American society.
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African Americans constitute ________ of the United States Senate.
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less than 10 percent
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In terms of religion, most members of Congress are
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Protestant.
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The most common prior occupation for members of Congress is
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law
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Relative to the total population, the most underrepresented group in Congress is
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women
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Overall, members of Congress can ________ of the American people.
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possibly claim substantive representation, but not descriptive representation
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Millionaire Senator Edward Kennedy sponsoring a bill to help the poor and disadvantaged would be an example of
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substantive representation.
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Incumbents are those
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already holding office.
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In most congressional elections, challengers
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lose
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The single most important advantage to someone trying to get elected to Congress is
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being an incumbent
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Comparison between members of the House and Senate concerning the impact of incumbency on their reelection chances shows that one of the reasons that senators have a smaller advantage is because they
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are more likely to be held accountable on controversial issues.
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Reasons that incumbent senators have greater competition than incumbent members of the House include all of the following EXCEPT
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voters are less likely to know the issue positions of their senators than their representatives.
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Which of these candidates would most likely get elected?
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a representative running for reelection
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Compared to members of the House, senators are
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more likely to face difficult reelection opponents.
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Studies have shown that presidential ________ in an election have little effect on the success of the party?s candidates for the House and Senate.
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coattails
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Which of the following is NOT one of the three primary activities that members of Congress engage in to increase the probability of their reelection?
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oversight
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An example of casework by a member of Congress is
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helping a constituent gain citizenship.
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The pork barrel and casework are examples of
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opportunities for credit-claiming by members of Congress.
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An especially important asset for incumbents running for reelection is their
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service to constituents.
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The ________ is the list of federal projects, grants, and contracts available to cities, businesses, colleges, and institutions which members of Congress seek to locate in their district to promote the interests of their constituency.
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pork barrel
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Federal grants and contracts that members of Congress try to obtain for their constituents are collectively referred to as
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the pork barrel.
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Members of Congress engage in each of the following activities that increase the probability of their reelections EXCEPT
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party voting.
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What accounts for the success of congressional candidates?
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advertising, credit-claiming, and position-taking
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Which of the following is NOT true about incumbents?
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They usually face very tough challengers, especially in races for the House.
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Which of the following statements about those who challenge incumbent members of the House is TRUE?
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They are usually not well-known.
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In the House races of 2004, the typical incumbent outspent the typical challenger by
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15 to 1.
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Which of the following statements about money in Congressional elections is FALSE?
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It costs more money to elect a president than to elect a member of Congress.
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The role of party identification in voters? choices in congressional campaigns is
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moderately important, even though party identification is not as strong as it used to be.
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Party loyalty at the voting booth is
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still a good predictor of voting behavior.
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House incumbents typically receive
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generous support from their party campaign committees.
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On average, most of the money raised by a candidate for Congress comes from
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individual contributions.
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A single Political Action Committee
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can at most account for only a small percentage of a winner?s total spending.
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When Political Action Committees contribute money to members of Congress they are usually seeking
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access to policymakers.
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Which of the following statements about the role of money in congressional elections is FALSE?
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Challengers usually outspend incumbents.
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All of the following may increase the likelihood that an incumbent is defeated EXCEPT
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campaign funding.
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After each federal census,
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the membership of the House is reapportioned
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Occasionally, a major political tidal wave rolls across the country and throws large numbers of incumbents of a given party out of office. When did this last occur?
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1994
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Nebraska?s legislature is the only one in the United States that is NOT
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bicameral
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Bicameralism means that a legislative body is one
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with two houses, providing checks and balances on policymaking.
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To be sent to the president, a bill must be passed by
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both the House and the Senate.
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The House ________ Committee reviews most bills coming from other committees before they go on to the full House, thus performing a traffic cop function.
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Rules
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Articles of impeachment must be passed by
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the House.
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House seats are up for election every
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two years
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A Senate seat is up for election every
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six years.
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Which of the following is TRUE about the Senate as compared to the House?
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more influential in foreign affairs
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According to the Constitution, revenue bills must originate in the
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House
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Nominees to the United States Supreme Court must be confirmed by
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the Senate
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According to the Constitution, once impeached, federal officials are then tried in the
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Senate.
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The House Rules Committee
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reviews most bills coming from committee before they go to the full House
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The Constitution gives the House of Representatives the power to
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initiate all revenue bills.
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One of the key differences between the House and Senate is that the House
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has more policy specialization.
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One of the key differences between the House and Senate is that the Senate
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is less dependent on seniority for determining power
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The real differences between the House and the Senate lie in their
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organization and centralization of power.
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The filibuster
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is unique to the Senate.
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________ members present and voting can halt a filibuster by voting for cloture.
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Sixty
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The filibuster is a technique used in the
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Senate to prolong debate in order to kill a bill.
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To cut off debate and end a filibuster is known as
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cloture.
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To end a filibuster requires ________ members present and voting to cut off debate.
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60
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Which of the following congressional offices is mandated by the Constitution?
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Speaker of the House
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Which of the following does the Speaker NOT play a role in?
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recommending which members should be expelled from the House for failure to support the party?s positions on bills
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The ________ is next in line after the vice president to succeed a president who resigns, dies in office, or is impeached.
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Speaker of the House
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The minority whip
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keeps a close head count on key votes, and attempts to keep party members in line.
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Which of the following statements about the majority leader of the House of Representatives is FALSE?
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The majority leader exercises substantial control over which bills get assigned to which committees.
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The ________ has the job of presiding over the Senate, breaking ties when necessary.
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vice president
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The most powerful person in the Senate is the
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majority leader.
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Most important congressional activity is done
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in meetings of standing committees and their subcommittees
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Most of the business of Congress takes place
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in committees and subcommittees
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A ________ committee is one appointed for a limited, specific purpose, such as that set up to investigate the Watergate scandal.
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select
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Appropriations, Judiciary, and Armed Forces are all examples of ________ committees.
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standing
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When the House and the Senate pass different versions of the same bill
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a conference committee is appointed to resolve differences.
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Legislative ________ is the process of monitoring the bureaucracy and its administration of policy.
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oversight
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When members of Congress hold a hearing to question a cabinet member on how a law is being carried out, they are engaging in
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legislative oversight.
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The seniority system gave a decisive edge to House members from ________ districts
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safe
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House and Senate committees
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all have a majority of members from the majority party in that chamber.
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Members of Congress seek committees that will help them achieve each of the following goals EXCEPT
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a salary increase
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Traditionally, Congressional committee chairpersons have been chosen through
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the seniority system.
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Members of Congress who informally band together in groups to promote and protect mutual interests (e.g., mushroom growers) form what are called
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caucuses.
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Caucuses in Congress
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A) press committees to hold hearings. B) push their preferred legislation. C) mobilize votes for favored legislation. D) all of the above
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Congressional reforms of the 1970s
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decentralized power and democratized Congress
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Republican congressional reforms in the 1990s included all of the following EXCEPT
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committee chairs were given complete control over the timing of bills under consideration
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Which of the following is responsible for responding to congressional requests for information and providing non-partisan studies?
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Congressional Research Service
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Committee staff is responsible for all of the following EXCEPT
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providing services to constituents
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Which of the following offices is responsible for making economic projections about the performance of the economy, the costs of proposed policies, and the economic effects of taxing and spending alternatives?
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Congressional Budget Office
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Only ________ can formally submit a bill for congressional consideration.
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members of the House or senators
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Most bills formally submitted for consideration in Congress
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are quietly killed off early in the process
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Basically, Congress is a(n) ________ decision-making body.
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reactive and cumbersome
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The president?s most common method of attempting to influence Congress is to
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hold regular meetings with the party?s leaders in Congress.
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Presidential leadership of Congress in promoting the chief executive?s programs is
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at the margins, as a facilitator.
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The parties in Congress are most cohesive
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when electing their official leaders.
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The English politician and philosopher Edmund Burke favored the concept of legislators as ________, using their best judgment to make policy in the interests of the people.
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trustees
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Some prefer the concept of legislators as ________, mirroring the preferences of their constituents.
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instructed delegates
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The best way constituents can influence congressional voting on legislation is to
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elect a representative or senator who agrees with their views.
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On a typical issue, the primary determinant of a congressional member?s vote is
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personal ideology.
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) Legislators who use their best judgment to make policy in the interests of the people are called
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trustees.
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Most members of Congress would be considered
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politicos.
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Constituencies influence policy mostly by
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the initial choice of the representative
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Which of the following statements about constituency influence is FALSE?
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Legislators whose votes on routine issues are out of step with their constituents are rarely reelected.
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In the relationship between lobbyists and members of Congress,
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members of Congress can ignore and embarrass lobbyists
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If Congress has increased the scope of government it is because
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that is what constituencies want.
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