question

The two major roles of members of Congress are

answer

Representation and lawmaking

question

It is hard to get rid of the filibuster because

answer

Both Republicans and Democrats want the opportunity to use it when they are in the minority

question

The textbook identifies all of the following as types of representation except:

answer

social representation

question

______ refers to a congressional committee's monitoring of the executive branch and of government agencies to ensure they are acting as Congress intends.

answer

Congressional oversight

question

The major differences between the House and the Senate include all of the following except:

answer

Their power in the legislative process

question

All of the following powers can be exercised only by the Senate except

answer

Declaring war

question

The reallocation of congressional seats among the states every ten years, following the census, is known as:

answer

Reapportionment

question

The number of representatives with voting privileges in the House of Representatives:

answer

Is currently set at 435 members

question

The process of redrawing congressional districts to match population shifts in states with more than one representative is called

answer

Redistricting

question

Redrawing congressional district boundaries to favor a particular group or party is known as

answer

Gerrymandering

question

All of the following statements concerning Hispanic representation in Congress are true except:

answer

In recent years they have been voting more for the Republican Party.

question

According to the textbook, what has happened to the coattail effect in recent years?

answer

It has decreased in importance due to declining party ties.

question

It has been increasingly difficult for the parties to work together in Congress in recent years because of:

answer

Increasing party polarization and hyperpartisanship

question

______ are important in Congress because they organize the chambers

answer

Parties

question

The greatest importance of standing committees is that they:

answer

Increase congressional power by allowing detailed analysis and modification of legislation

question

Which of the following is the extremely powerful congressional committee that determines when debate on a bill will take place?

answer

The House Rules Committee

question

The public dislikes Congress for all of the following reasons except:

answer

There has been an increase in corruption among members of Congress in recent years

question

Congress finds it difficult to make policy that solves national problems because

answer

Constituents reward them for taking care of their individual interests

question

The founders created the congressional decision making process to be:

answer

slow and deliberative

question

Citizens view Congress with

answer

Increasing support for Congress as a whole but with growing disapproval for individual representatives and senators

question

In the conclusion of the "What's at Stake?" feature at the end of the chapter, the textbook points out that it is difficult for the Senate to change the rules allowing filibusters because

answer

Members of the majority know they could one day be in the minority and want to use it

question

According to the textbook, President Bush's use of signing statements:

answer

Threatened the system of separation of powers

question

According to the textbook, presidents have difficulty surviving two terms in office and maintaining their popularity because:

answer

Presidents have too little power to meet public expectations

question

The _________ is dated from the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt

answer

rise of public expectations of the president

question

Presidents are limited to two full terms in office by

answer

Constitutional amendment

question

In most advanced industrial democracies the role of head of government

answer

Is performed by the prime minister

question

Alexander Hamilton's principal argument about the presidency in Federalist No. 70 is that it:

answer

Should be vigorous, single-member, and unencumbered by a cabinet

question

f there is a disagreement as to how whether the president is disabled and should turn his duties over to the vice president, the issue is resolved by:

answer

The Twenty-fifth Amendment to the Constitution

question

The official constitutional grounds for presidential impeachment are:

answer

Treason, bribery, and other high crimes and misdemeanors

question

Many observers have concluded that impeachment is not an effective check on presidents because:

answer

The process is too crippling for the government because Congress and the president would be consumed with the impeachment and trial

question

The Iran-Contra controversy did not lead to the impeachment of President Reagan because:

answer

He claimed he knew nothing about Iran-Contra and no evidence was found to contradict him

question

The president's cabinet is composed of the:

answer

Appointees heading each of the 15 major departments in the executive branch

question

Presidents have been able to ignore the restrictions on their ability to go to war contained in the War Powers Act because

answer

Public opinion tends to rally around presidents when they deem military action necessary abroad and Congress has declined to challenge such presidents

question

The president's authority over foreign and defense policy comes from all of the following except his power:

answer

to declare war

question

In the United States, treaties are negotiated by the president and require

answer

Two-thirds approval from the Senate

question

Pacts made by the president with another head of state that do not require Senate approval are called

answer

Executive agreements

question

All of the following statements concerning the president's veto power are true except

answer

Presidents have had the power of the line item veto since 1995.

question

Among the president's legislative powers are all of the following except

answer

The line-item veto

question

All of the following statements concerning the president's judicial power are true except:

answer

Senior senators of the president's party have a great deal of power over all of his judicial appointments

question

The responsibilities of the solicitor general include all of the following except:

answer

Serving as head of the Department of Justice

question

Activist nineteenth-century presidents tended to claim that they were exercising

answer

Inherent powers of the executive implied in the Constitution

question

Inherent powers are the

answer

Powers not explicitly stated in the Constitution

question

President Obama initially tried a ___________ approach to get his healthcare bill passed.

answer

bipartisan

question

The response of a certain president to what event led to Americans' belief that government should play a much more active role in helping solve problems beyond their control?

answer

The Great Depression

question

The Supreme Court has ruled that the president has:

answer

More inherent powers in foreign policy than in domestic policy

question

To pass his legislative agenda a president must __________ members of Congress to get them to support his proposals.

answer

persuade

question

The cycle effect refers to the tendency for presidents to

answer

Experience predictable shifts in their popularity over the course of their presidency

question

The president's public approval rating tends to be affected by all of the following except

answer

The popularity of the first lady

question

The term "legislative liaison" refers to:

answer

Executive personnel who seek congressional support for the president's agenda

question

Divided government occurs when

answer

One party controls the presidency while the other party controls at least one house of Congress

question

The chief of staff:

answer

Oversees operations of all White House staff and controls access to the president

question

All of the following are duties of the President of the United States except

answer

Head justice of the Supreme Court

question

President Bush's widespread use of signing statements reflected his view that:

answer

All executive power is held by the president and cannot be delegated to any other branch

question

Obama has continued to use signing statements in the following manner

answer

Much less that George W. Bush and only on a limited basis to protect his constitutional prerogatives

question

Presidents have a hard time maintaining support while in office because

answer

A gap exists between what presidents promise and what the power of the office allows them to do

question

Presidents must play the role as _____ in order to solve problems, but that requires them to behave in ways that conflict with their role as __________.

answer

head of government; head of state.

question

According to the text, an effective head of government is expected to do all of the following except:

answer

Act as a symbol for all Americans

question

Among the considerations of the founders in creating the executive were all of the following except:

answer

Reducing the power of the national government

question

Compared to the modern president, the president envisioned by the framers was

answer

Much less powerful

question

According to the textbook, the framers adopted the Electoral College as a way to

answer

Insulate the president from the masses

question

A major assumption that the founders had concerning the Electoral College was that electors would:

answer

Be leading citizens who could be trusted to exercise good judgment

question

The presidential impeachment process is intended to remove sitting presidents for

answer

Treason, bribery, and high crimes and misdemeanors

question

How have scandals such as Iran-contra and Whitewater affected the power and resources of the presidency overall?

answer

They have weakened it.

question

The president's power to act as chief executive of the federal government comes from all of the following constitutional provisions except the provision:

answer

Stating he is commander in chief of the armed forces

question

Which of the following statements is true about the modern use of treaties and executive agreements?

answer

Most completed international negotiations (over 90 percent) end in executive agreements rather than treaties

question

The significance of the president's inherent powers is that they

answer

Have been used to expand the powers of the presidency beyond what is explicitly stated in the Constitution

question

According to the textbook, Congress:

answer

Is rarely able to override a presidential veto

question

Most of the strength of the modern presidency is based on the

answer

Inherent powers of the president

question

Which of the following is not a feature of the modern presidency today?

answer

The United Nations has the official power to veto a president's legislative veto

question

The weakness in the presidential strategy of "going public" is that:

answer

Presidents struggle to maintain a high enough approval rating to make the strategy work.

question

All of the following statements concerning the cycle effect are true except

answer

It only affects presidents whose party does not control Congress

question

The cycle effect on presidential popularity is caused by the:

answer

Fact that almost every decision a president makes will be unpopular with some people, and the number of people angry with him grows over time as he makes more decisions

question

Which of the following strategies do presidents not use to influence Congress?

answer

Ignoring the "ratings game" and paying no heed to polls

question

The major reason presidents are not as successful in a divided government is:

answer

Republicans and Democrats stand for different approaches and solutions to the nation's problems

question

According to the text, the president takes into account all of the following when selecting his cabinet except:

answer

Personal loyalty to the president

question

The Executive Office of the President was formed to

answer

Provide expert advice, serve the interests of the president, and supply information

question

The White House staff and the president's cabinet often conflict because

answer

The staff serve the president's interests, while cabinet members seek support for their policy initiatives

question

One effect of the Twelfth Amendment on the selection of the president and vice president has been:

answer

To encourage ticket balancing

question

The role of the vice president

answer

Is, with the exception of presiding over the Senate, determined by the president

question

What is the most likely explanation for the lack of a female president thus far?

answer

Not many women hold the positions that often generate presidential candidates, such as vice president, senator, or state governor.

question

James David Barber classified presidents:

answer

Based on their energy level and their orientation toward life

question

According to James David Barber's typology of presidential personalities, which type of president is likely to perform best in office?

answer

Active-positive presidents

question

The different public assessments of President George W. Bush's and President Bill Clinton's characters show us that:

answer

Presidents have different styles and project different images to the public

question

The importance of a president's relationship with voters was well illustrated by the support:

answer

Clinton relied on during his impeachment trial

question

The president's popularity and approval with the public is more important to his day-to-day success in the modern age because:

answer

Technology allows the media, Congress, and the president to constantly monitor public opinion

question

The second most important factor that consistently influences presidential approval is the:

answer

State of the economy

question

In the era of the modern presidency, the majority of Americans:

answer

Often look to their presidents and government to solve social and economic issues and to inspire the public due to higher expectatio

question

The text authors classify Obama as a(n) _______ type of president.

answer

active-positive

question

According to the text, the main constitutional powers of the presidency include executive authority to administer government and:

answer

Legislative and judicial powers to check the other two branches

question

According to Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, the primary function of law is to

answer

provide security, order, and predictability in life.

question

Which of the following statements concerning the functions of the law is incorrect?

answer

The weakness of the law is that we can easily break a rule that we do not know exists

question

The role of the judge in the common law tradition differs from the role of the judge in the civil law tradition in that

answer

judges in the common law tradition do not rely on precedent as much as judges in the civil law tradition.

question

In an adversarial system, the winning side is likely to be

answer

the one with the most skilled attorney.

question

Laws whose actual content defines what we can and cannot legally do are ____ laws.

answer

substantive

question

According to many scholars, Americans sue each other a great deal for all of the following reasons EXCEPT

answer

we are committed to individual freedom

question

A violation of civil law is called.

answer

tort

question

Laws that regulates relations between individuals are called

answer

civil laws

question

Criminal law deals with harm to __________, whereas civil law involves harm to __________.

answer

society; individuals

question

The only limitation on what statutes may do in the American system is found in

answer

the constitution

question

Laws or regulations established by bureaucratic agencies on behalf of Congress are known as _____ laws or regulations.

answer

administrative

question

The powers of the Supreme Court listed in the Constitution

answer

are not clearly spelled out.

question

The power of the courts to determine the constitutionality of laws is called judicial

answer

review

question

The Supreme Court has tended to use its power of judicial review

answer

sparingly

question

The idea of an independent judiciary as created by the founders was

answer

unique at the time of our country's founding.

question

The system of district courts, appeals courts, and the Supreme Court set up by the founders

answer

was not first established as as a fully developed system.

question

Marshall justified the claim that the Court has the power of judicial review on the grounds that

answer

it is within the province of the courts to say what the law is

question

All of the following statements concerning the U.S. court system are true EXCEPT

answer

. Juries in appeals courts typically consist of six citizens

question

Which of the following statements is true about the dual court system

answer

Most cases are heard in the state courts.

question

Opponents of judicial elections believe that elections sacrifice judicial

answer

independence.

question

The Constitution says.

answer

nothing about the qualifications of federal judges.

question

The two main approaches to interpreting the Constitution are

answer

judicial interpretivism and strict constructionism.

question

Which of the following statements concerning presidential appointment of judges is NOT true?

answer

Presidents have always worked to shape the ideological leanings of the Supreme Court.

question

Strict constructionists argue that there is no such thing as

answer

constitutionally protected right to privacy

question

The Rule of Four is significant to the balance of power among Supreme Court justices because it

answer

gives some power to the minority on the Court

question

Amicus curiae briefs are significant because

answer

they may influence whether the Supreme Court decides to hear a case.

question

Judicial activism has become an important political issue because.

answer

conservatives have argued that judges are acting as legislators on issues such as same-sex marriage

question

One reason dissenting opinions are significant to U.S. common law is

answer

they may have a lasting impact if the Court later changes its mind

question

Based on the discussion in the textbook, we can conclude that getting a case before the U.S. Supreme Court is

answer

very difficult

question

The opinion of the Supreme Court in a case is

answer

the most important element of the Court's decision.

question

Which of the following is not one of the checks and balances that Congress can use in relation to the executive branch?

answer

The power to approve treaties

question

The job of confirming presidential appointments belongs to the

answer

Senate

question

Congress is

answer

More likely to engage in vigorous oversight when the presidency and Congress are controlled by the same party

question

According to the textbook, ______ gerrymandering is highly controversial

answer

racial

question

Partisan gerrymandering is the process in a particular state legislature whereby the majority party

answer

Draws districts to maximize the number of House seats their party can win

question

When deciding whether to run for a seat in Congress, strategic politicians will ask all of the following questions except:

answer

Will this seat lead to the presidency?

question

One of the major advantages that incumbents have in raising campaign money is that they

answer

Have more access to PAC money than do challengers

question

Congress makes use of __________ to increase its independence from the executive branch of government.

answer

the Government Accountability Office

question

When different versions of the same bill pass in the House and the Senate

answer

A conference committee is formed to bridge the gap between the bills

question

All of the following contribute to congressional independence and power in the legislative process except:

answer

The division of power between the House and the Senate??????????

question

28. Policy entrepreneurship is defined as the:

answer

Practice among legislators of becoming expert leaders in specific policy areas

question

The influence of interest groups on roll call voting decisions by members of Congress is

answer

Much less than is usually thought

question

According to the text, the congressional process is slow and involves a great deal of bickering and arguing because

answer

Democracy is a messy process that involves bargaining and compromise

question

If Americans want Congress to quit creating pork barrel projects, (also known as ear-marks), they would have to

answer

Reward their representatives more for engaging in national lawmaking and less for acts of representation

question

The textbook suggests that weak congressional oversight was a factor in the

answer

Increasing budget deficit

question

During the constitutional process of removing a president from office

answer

The House impeaches and the Senate removes the president from office

question

The Senate shares with the president the power to

answer

Approve members of the Supreme Court

question

Congress can influence the judiciary through all of the following except

answer

Reducing the salaries of judges

question

The Supreme Court has ruled that House districts:

answer

Must adhere to the "one-citizen-one-vote" standard

question

Many of the efforts by states to create majority-minority districts

answer

Have greatly increased the number of minority members of the Senat

question

It is generally most difficult to win the nomination of your party, but easiest to win the general election, when:

answer

An incumbent of your party is running for reelection

question

42. In general, what has the greatest effect on the midterm losses suffered by the president's party?

answer

The economy and the president's standing with the world public

question

Strategic politicians are:

answer

Politically experienced nonincumbents who rationally and carefully weigh key considerations before they decide to run for Congress

question

In an inquisitorial system

answer

the attorneys play relatively minor roles.

question

the legal system of the United States is

answer

largely a common law tradition with elements of the civil law tradition.

question

Senatorial courtesy refers to the

answer

tradition of granting senators considerable power over federal judicial appointments in their home states.

question

The first Hispanic Justice of the Supreme Court was appointed by President

answer

obama

question

A writ of certiorari is

answer

an order by the Supreme Court to a lower court to rehear a case.

question

Which of the following is NOT an influence on Supreme Court decision-making?

answer

The justices' view of the Constitution and how literally it should be taken

question

According to the text, which of the following is NOT a criterion used by presidents in choosing Supreme Court nominees?

answer

Endorsements received by national news media

question

The Supreme Court is deeply involved in politics in each of the following ways EXCEPT

answer

by contributing to the campaigns of congressional allies.

question

Decisions of the U.S. Circuit Courts are made by

answer

otating panels of three judges.

question

The U.S. Courts of Appeals are arranged

answer

in twelve circuits covering the District of Columbia and geographical groupings of states.

question

The characteristics that help determine which court has jurisdiction over a case include all of the following EXCEPT

answer

the expressed wishes of the president.

question

All of the following statements concerning appeals of lower court decisions are true EXCEPT

answer

Most cases in the federal courts are appealed.

question

Which of the following statements concerning jurisdiction is false?

answer

About half the cases in the United States are heard by federal courts.

question

All of the following statements concerning the power of judicial review are true EXCEPT

answer

The Supreme Court has used the power very infrequently against acts of Congress.

question

According to some political observers, the different reaction of many blacks versus most whites to the verdict in O.J. Simpson's murder trial reflects

answer

the fact that blacks' experience with the legal system leads them not to trust it.

question

All of the following statements concerning the presence of African Americans and women in Congress are true except:

answer

Women have achieved greater success in winning national legislative elections in the United States than in most other nations.

question

All of the following statements concerning political parties in Congress are true except:

answer

Parties punish members who do not vote with the party position on important issues.

question

Which of the following statements concerning power in Congress is not true?

answer

Committee chairs have become weaker in the past thirty years

question

The major source of power for the Senate majority leader is:

answer

Influence over the scheduling of legislation for floor consideration

question

All of the following statements concerning congressional committee chairs are true except:

answer

The seniority system gives the chairmanship to the member of the majority party with the longest service on the committee.

question

Most of the hard work of considering legislative alternatives and drafting legislation occurs:

answer

Within congressional standing committees

question

The primary responsibility for gathering information, taking testimony, and revising legislation in Congress falls to:

answer

Standing committees

question

It is important for a member of Congress to

answer

Serve on committees that deal with constituent issues

question

A representative who sought power within the House would likely want a seat on

answer

The Rules Committee

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