POS Chapter 12 Post Test – Flashcards

The Senate's constitutional power of advice and consent extends to which of the following? A.) the president's power to make treaties with foreign nations B.) the president's power to make executive agreements C.) the president's power to issue executive orders D.) the president's power to issue pardons E.) all federal court decisions regarding the separation of powers

In the House of Representatives, the majority leader A.) is subordinate to the Speaker of the House. B.) is the same office as the Speaker of the House. C.) is superior in formal powers to the Speaker of the House. D.) has the same powers as the Speaker of the House but is a different office. E.) does not exist.

Following the 2012 elections, there were ________ women serving in the U.S. Senate. A.) 2 B.) 10 C.) 20 D.) 33 E.) 45

________ have the same status as treaties but do not require U.S. Senate approval. A.) International accords B.) Multilateral initiatives C.) Executive agreements D.) Foreign policy positions E.) Executive orders

Which of the following statements concerning the process of reapportionment is correct? A.) In order for one state to gain a seat, another state must lose a seat. B.) States that grow in size may gain extra seats, but the Constitution forbids reducing the number of representatives for any state. C.) States that fall below a minimum number of inhabitants are represented in the House by a nonvoting delegate. D.) States that grow in size may gain extra seats, but the Constitution forbids any state from having more than 35 representatives. E.) States that grow in population can refuse to accept further seats and instead give them to another state.

Which of the following is NOT a service often provided by representatives to their constituents? A.) attempting to influence the decision of a regulatory commission on behalf of a constituent B.) presenting a special bill for constituents C.) offering constituents legal advice regarding new administrative laws D.) writing and mailing out newsletters E.) talking to constituents

The process of allocating congressional seats among the fifty states is called ________. A.) redistricting B.) gerrymandering C.) redlining D.) apportionment E.) filibustering

________ percent of all proposed bills die in the committee phase. A.) Forty B.) Fifty-five C.) Seventy D.) Eighty E.) Ninety-five

Which of the following statements about party unity is true? A.) Party unity is not based on ideology and background. B.) Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives tend to represent urban districts. C.) Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives tend to represent rural areas. D.) Party unity has been on the rise in recent years. E.) Party unity has been on the decline in recent years.

In each House district there are approximately ________ people. A.) 200,000 B.) 700,000 C.) 1,000,000 D.) 1,500,000 E.) 2,000,000

Most members of the House attempt to stay on good terms with the Speaker of the House because the Speaker A.) has the authority to call all party unity votes. B.) possesses the power of recognition. C.) controls all committee assignments. D.) approves all requests for logrolling. E.) makes all decisions regarding how leadership PACs will distribute their funds.

________ occurs when a member of Congress makes resources available to government officials. A.) A trusteeship B.) Expendituring C.) Patronage D.) Cloturing E.) Filibustering

Which of the following would NOT constitute an example of patronage? A.) a senator from Virginia adding a project for a $3.5 million horse trail in Virginia to a highway bill B.) a senator from New York voting in favor of a law to eliminate earmarks C.) a member of the House helping a senior citizen who lives in his or her district overcome problems with his or her Social Security benefit eligibility D.) a member of the House securing an appointment to one of the military academies for the child of a constituent E.) a member of the House sponsoring a bill to obtain legal status for an undocumented couple whose son had died as a marine in Iraq

A U.S. senator has a ________-year term. A.) 2 B.) 4 C.) 6 D.) 8 E.) 12

The "sophomore surge" refers to the A.) fact that many members of Congress lose their re-election campaigns after their second term in office. B.) tendency for college students to intern with their local members of Congress during the summer between their sophomore and junior years in college. C.) fact that most members of Congress leave office after serving only two years. D.) fact that many college sophomores choose to vote in midterm congressional elections but not in presidential elections. E.) tendency for candidates to win a higher percentage of the vote when seeking future terms in office.

Agencies in Congress designed to oversee administrative agencies and evaluate presidential proposals are called ________. A.) committee agencies B.) oversight committees C.) staff agencies D.) review offices E.) iron triangles

Which of the following statements concerning the representation of women and minorities in the U.S. Congress is true? A.) Representation of women and minorities has decreased by one-third since the 1970s. B.) Representation of women and minorities has increased over the past two decades but is not comparable to their proportions in the general population. C.) Women are underrepresented in Congress, but there is a disproportionate representation of minorities in Congress. D.) Since the mid-1990s, the number of women and minorities in Congress roughly reflects their proportions in the general population. E.) Women and minorities are overrepresented in the House but underrepresented in the Senate.

Under the original Constitution, senators A.) served four-year terms. B.) had the authority to choose the president's cabinet ministers. C.) were appointed by state legislatures. D.) were selected by the federal judiciary. E.) could serve only two terms.