question

From 1890 to 1910, about __________ of all votes in Congress evoked a partisan split.

answer

two-thirds

question

Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution confers on Congress all of the following powers EXCEPT

answer

the power to veto bills.

question

In Great Britain's parliamentary system, candidates for Parliament are selected by

answer

the party

question

A basic difference between a parliament such as Great Britain's and the U.S. Congress is

answer

party members in a parliament vote together on most issues.

question

Congress was designed by the Founders in ways that almost inevitably make it

answer

unpopular

question

What is the term used to describe a two house legislative body?

answer

bicameral

question

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

answer

state legislators

question

Originally, members of the Senate were selected by

answer

The Constitution provided that senators were chosen by the State legislatures.

question

How many members are there in the U.S. House of Representatives?

answer

435

question

By the end of the nineteenth century, the Senate was known as the _________ Club.

answer

millionaires

question

The purpose of a filibuster is to

answer

prevent actions on a bill

question

Today, it takes __________ of the Senate to cut off debate.

answer

60

question

The typical member of Congress is a(n)

answer

middle-aged, white, Protestant lawyer.

question

The "Blue Dog" Caucus consists of Democrats who happen to be

answer

moderately conservative house democrats

question

In the nineteenth century, a large fraction—often a majority—of congressmen served

answer

only for one term

question

The Supreme Court struck down an effort by a state to impose term limits on

answer

its own members of Congress

question

The November 2012 elections brought __________ first-term members to the House of Representatives.

answer

75

question

A marginal district is one in which

answer

the winner in an election gets less than 55 percent of the vote.

question

One proposed explanation for why congressional seats have become less marginal is that

answer

incumbents can use their powers to get programs passed that benefit their districts, and thereby themselves.

question

The original conservative coalition in Congress consisted of

answer

southern democrats and conservative republicans

question

Recent changes in the composition of Congress have resulted in

answer

ideology and partisan

question

If you wished to study the real leadership office in the Senate, you would most likely focus on the

answer

majority leader

question

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

answer

majority party whip

question

Who presides over the House?

answer

the Speaker

question

__________ decide(s) the outcome of disputed congressional elections.

answer

congress alone

question

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

answer

privileged speech

question

Most of the power in Congress is found in

answer

the committees

question

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

answer

conference committee.

question

Where is the real work of Congress done?

answer

In the committees in both houses

question

The original purpose of the General Accounting Office (GAO), now the Government Accountability Office, was to perform

answer

audits of financial records.

question

The staff agency that advises Congress on the probable economic effect of different spending programs and the cost of proposed policies is the

answer

Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

question

A bill can be introduced in Congress by

answer

any member of Congress.

question

A concurrent resolution passed by Congress seeks to

answer

settle housekeeping and procedural matters that effect both houses

question

Which of the following statements about revenue bills is TRUE?

answer

It can vary enormously.

question

A discharge petition is used by the House to

answer

get a bill stalled in committee onto the floor.

question

Unlike in the House, the scheduling of legislation in the Senate is

answer

determined by the majority and minority leaders.

question

In the Senate, a filibuster can be ended by invoking

answer

cloture

question

When a bill passes the House and Senate in substantially different forms, the differences are resolved in

answer

a conference committee

Chapter 9 Federal Government Study Guide – Flashcards

Unlock all answers in this set

Haven't found what you were looking for?

Search for samples, answers to your questions and flashcards