question

What is the youngest age that you could serve in the House of Representatives

answer

25 years

question

If the president nominates you to serve as an ambassador, which body will hold hearings on whether or not to confirm your nomination

answer

The Senate

question

Who was the first woman elected to serve as Speaker of the House

answer

Nancy Pelosi

question

Prior to the 17th Amendment, the Constitution provided that senators be selected by their state's legislature. Today, senators are selected by

answer

popular vote in each state

question

Which of the following is an argument AGAINST limiting the number of terms your Representative in Congress is allowed to serve?

answer

Term limits deny voters the right to vote for representatives of their own choosing

question

Although Vice President Joe Biden is usually considered a member of the executive branch of government, the Constitution also gives him an important role in the legislative branch. What legislative branch position does Vice President Biden hold

answer

President of the Senate

question

If you wanted to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, what would be the best career stepping stone for that seat

answer

State legislator

question

One of your roommates is seeking an internship on Capitol Hill and wants to work for the most powerful member of the United States Senate. To which senate officer would you recommend she submit her application?

answer

The Majority Leader

question

A new Senator elected in 2010 would be up for reelection in what year?

answer

2016

question

If you are elected to a full term in the United States House of Representatives, how long can you serve before the next election for your seat?

answer

two years

question

As a result of the seniority system in Congress

answer

members with the most years of service are first in line for committee chairmanships.

question

In the 19th century, candidates for Congress were typically selected by party leaders in closed conventions. If you ran for Congress today, what is the most likely route you would have to take to secure your party's nomination?

answer

Run in a primary election

question

Your classmate wants to be a senator. Based on the most common career path of today's senators, what profession would you advise him to pursue?

answer

law

question

Trustee representation is when legislators vote based on their sense of judgment and the national interest, rather than on the narrow interests of the district they represent. If you were working for a member Congress, which of these legislative activities would you recommend she pursue if she wanted to be more like a "trustee"?

answer

Visiting a disaster area outside her state to learn about the impact on the local population

question

Delegate representation is when legislators view public opinion in their district as authoritative direction for how they should vote. If you were working for a member of Congress, which of these legislative activities would you recommend to help him act more like a "delegate"?

answer

Hire grant writers to help local governments in his district apply for grants

question

A member of Congress is assigned to serve on one or more congressional committees. Which of the following is NOT one of the benefits of the committee system?

answer

Committees make it harder for special interests to shape public policies.

question

Which of the following developments in congressional politics would make an incumbent more vulnerable to defeat by a challenger?

answer

An expanded congressional calendar that results in incumbents spending more time in Washington

question

As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, in which of the following congressional actions would you NOT be able to participate?

answer

Negotiating treaty terms with a foreign government

question

Many presidents have prior experience in politics, often as governors or senators. Which of the following men served in the Senate prior to becoming president?

answer

Barack Obama

question

Congressional leadership positions can be important outside the legislative branch. In the event of a presidential vacancy, the Vice President is first in the line of succession. Who is next in line?

answer

The Speaker of the House

question

As a candidate for a seat in the House of Representatives, the Constitution says you must be a resident of that congressional district.

answer

false

question

A senator can single-handedly delay the Senate from voting on a piece of legislation or a nomination

answer

true

question

2008 was the first year where the proportion of women serving in the House of Representatives was equal to the proportion of women in the U.S. population

answer

false

question

In most cases, the congressional district in which you live is more demographically diverse than your state

answer

false

question

Though party leaders play an important role in congressional decision-making, they are not mentioned at all in the Constitution

answer

true

question

The model of representation that was favored most by the attendees at the Constitutional Convention was referred to as a

answer

trustee model

question

Which of the following is an example of the politico model of representation

answer

A senator who follows his or her own judgment on matters concerning which the public remains silent

question

Edmund Burke's argument that legislators owe their constituents their reason, expertise, and knowledge, and that simply following the whims of public opinion does a disservice to the nation is an example of the

answer

trustee model

question

Dealing with requests for assistance from constituents is generally known as

answer

casework.

question

The structure of the House of Representatives

answer

reflects the theory that elected representatives to the House follow the wishes of their constituents more closely than the Senate members do.

question

The "Blue Dog" Democrats and the Republican Study Committee are both caucuses. From the perspective of the political parties, what role do these groups play in the legislative process?

answer

They are blocs of representatives who tend to be more conservative than their respective parties, and who organize to influence legislation.

question

The Senate, House, and president are all of the same party; the Senate and House approve major legislation without the president's approval. Which of the following choices best explains this situation?

answer

The president is in political trouble or, at the very least, is at odds with his own party.

question

During the course of health care reform, floor debate on various measures became intense. Which of the following statements best describes the likely influence of this debate?

answer

Floor debate allowed members of Congress to communicate with a national audience and their constituents.

question

In 2009, newspapers ran stories about corruption in the British parliament. Based on the reaction of the British public, which of the following conclusions could one reach about the response of democratic citizens to legislative corruption?

answer

Citizens are likely to call for wide-spread reforms when presented with wide-spread corruption

question

The process of redrawing political boundaries for the partisan benefit of one party is known as

answer

gerrymandering

question

A given political party has attained power and wishes to change district boundaries to benefit the party. The party opts to split groups of voters thought to favor the opposition so that they do not make up a majority in any district and thus cannot win in any district. This practice is an example of

answer

cracking.

question

In the Congress, conference committees are

answer

composed of members of both the House and the Senate to negotiate differences that exist between similar bills that have passed both houses.

question

Why is the House Rules Committee so powerful

answer

It sets the conditions under which proposed legislation is considered

question

Which of the following is an accurate list of the functions performed by political parties in the U.S. Congress

answer

Orientation, agenda setting, providing voting cues, and organizing committee appointments

question

Which of the following is an example of a Congressional position created by the Constitution and granted political powers on the national stage?

answer

Speaker of the House

question

As Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich was particularly effective at using his informal powers to

answer

seize national press coverage and enhance his power base

question

_____ refers to the president of the Senate's request for the agreement of all senators on the terms of the debate—a move that is required before a bill goes to the floor.

answer

Unanimous consent

question

Motions for cloture exist only in the Senate because

answer

the filibuster is allowed only in the Senate

question

The first woman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives was

answer

Jeannette Rankin

question

Approximately what percentage of the members of the House of Representatives is African American

answer

8.5

question

In the House of Representatives, each state has equal representation (two members

answer

false

question

In its 1961 decision on Baker v. Carr, the U.S. Supreme Court established the "one person, one vote" criteria for drawing the boundaries of legislative districts.

answer

true

question

The U.S. Constitution outlines the specific rules of procedure followed by each chamber in the Congress

answer

false

question

Because of the nature of their work, Senators are expected to become more specialized in specific policy issues than members of the House are

answer

false

question

Recent public opinion surveys suggest that Americans are generally satisfied with the job performance of the Congress.

answer

false

question

Which of the following is an example of the trustee model of representation

answer

A legislator considers the will of the people but acts in a manner that he or she believes is in the long-term interests of the country

question

Which of the following is an example of casework

answer

A representative deals with requests for assistance from constituents

question

At the Constitutional Convention, the Great Compromise

answer

established the bicameral legislature

question

The National Voter Registration Act (1993) is also known as the

answer

"Motor Voter Law."

question

In an at-large district, the elected of representatives is chosen

answer

from the whole state rather than from individually defined districts

question

In the Congress, select committees are

answer

temporary committees created to deal with a specific issue or problem.

question

Which of the following is an example of the power that parties have over their members in Congress?

answer

Party leaders handle the difficult and sometimes contentious chore of making committee appointments

question

When the vice president is not present, the Senate is formally led by the

answer

president pro tempore

question

In the Senate, unanimous consent refers to the

answer

agreement of all senators on the terms of the debate

question

The 2005 Republican plan to eliminate the filibuster in order to bypass Senatorial Democrats' efforts to block President Bush's appointments was referred to as the

answer

nuclear option

question

The final Congressional Committee to address a bill before it is sent to the president is usually the

answer

Conference Committee

question

If a president vetoes a bill, how many votes are required to override the veto?

answer

A two-thirds majority of both Houses of Congress

question

Assume that current population trends continue and that the proportion of Latinos in Congress becomes comparable to that of the general population. What will happen to the number of Latinos in Congress?

answer

The number would increase dramatically

question

In the spring of 2006 Tom DeLay stepped down from which leadership position in the U.S. House of Representatives?

answer

Majority leader

question

Today there are roughly how many residents for each U.S. House district?

answer

670,000

question

Most of the framers of the Constitution believed that legislators should consider the will of the people but that they should do what they think is best for the country in the long term

answer

true

question

Congress handles nearly 100,000 nominations biennially

answer

true

question

Since the 1820s, the winner of the U.S. House election for speaker has always come from the majority party.

answer

true

question

Bills introduced into Congress are often drawn up by administrative agencies within the federal bureaucracy.

answer

true

question

About half of the members of the Congress are women, roughly mirroring the number of women in the electorate.

answer

False

question

In the early 1970s, the House adopted a process of multiple referrals. Now, instead of assigning a new bill to just one committee, it is possible to send the measure to several committees at the same time. Which of the following choices best explains the meaning of this with regard to the legislative process?

answer

It has given specific committees less power over the fate of a bill and has made the legislative process more democratic

question

A representative introduces a bill to create a Civic Participation Day. Which of the following choices best explains why we cannot assume that he or she is the sole author of the bill?

answer

Political actors outside Congress can develop ideas for legislation and then encourage members of Congress to introduce these ideas as potential legislation

question

Given the lengthy procedure through which a bill becomes a law, which of the following choices best explains the intent of the Founders with regard to legislation?

answer

The Founders wanted a slow legislative process that was not immediately responsive to public opinion.

question

According to Fred Harris, a political scientist and former Democratic senator from Oklahoma, the average member of Congress is less corrupt than the average American. However, the American public is highly dissatisfied with Congressional ethics. Which of the following answer choices best reconciles these two statements?

answer

The public is increasingly aware of both the ethical transgressions of members of Congress and the lack of Congressional action on public policy issues.

question

Consider the following example of Congressional log rolling: In 2005, the federal budget contained funding for two massive bridges in Alaska. These bridges were on the scale of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge, cost over $400 million dollars and were intended to connect an island with a population of 50 to a small town. Which of the following answer choices explains why, from the perspective of democratic ideals, this plan is problematic?

answer

Under the plan, a huge amount of the federal money is spent to attain marginal benefits for a very few citizens

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