question

pluralism

answer

the theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government; the outcome of this competition is compromise and moderation

question

interest group

answer

individuals who organize to influence the government's programs and policies

question

citizen groups

answer

groups that claim they serve the general good rather than only their own particular interest

question

netroots

answer

grassroots online activist organizations that have redefined membership and fund-raising practices and streamlined staff structure

question

membership association

answer

an organized group in which members play a substantial role, sitting on committees and engaging in group projects

question

staff organization

answer

a type of membership group in which a professional staff conducts most of the group's activities

question

collective goods

answer

benefits sought by groups that are broadly available and cannot be denied to nonmembers

question

free riders

answer

those who enjoy the benefits of collective goods but did not participate in acquiring or providing them

question

informational benefits

answer

special newsletters, periodicals, training programs, conferences, and other information provided to members of groups to entice others to join

question

material benefits

answer

special goods, services, or money provided to members of groups to entice others to join

question

solidary benefits

answer

selective benefits of group membership that emphasize friendship, networking, and consciousness raising

question

purposive benefits

answer

selective benefits of group membership that emphasize the purpose and accomplishments of the group

question

lobbying

answer

a strategy by which organized interests seek to influence the passage of legislation by exerting direct pressure on government officials

question

iron triangle

answer

the stable, cooperative relationship that often develops among a congressional committee, an administrative agency, and one or more supportive interest groups. Not all of these relationships are triangular, but the iron triangle is the most typical

question

issue network

answer

a loose network of elected leaders, public officials, activists, and interest groups drawn together by a specific policy issue

question

institutional advertising

answer

advertising designed to create a positive image of an organization

question

grassroots mobilization

answer

a lobbying campaign in which a group mobilizes its membership to contact government officials in support of the group's position

question

political action committee (PAC)

answer

a private group that raises and distributes funds for use in election campaigns

question

Super PAC

answer

an independent political action committee that may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, and individuals but is not permitted to contribute to or coordinate directly with parties or candidates

question

The number of corporate PACs has exceeded ______ since 1980.

answer

1,500

question

The number of corporate PACs

answer

has declined in the last few years.

question

There are more labor PACs today than

answer

a. corporate PACs b. trade PACs c. public interest PACs d. none of these ANSWER: D. NONE OF THESE

question

Which of the following is true about public interest PACs?

answer

a. There have been fewer than 100 public interest PACs since 1980. b. There are more public interest PACs today than any other type. c. The number of public interest PACs has increased greatly since 2007. d. Both b and c. ANSWER: D. BOTH B AND C

question

According to President Obama, which __________ groups have recently become dangerously powerful.

answer

business

question

Corporate lobbyists are seeking __________ benefits from Congress today.

answer

purposive

question

What strategy did President Obama use in this video to galvanize support for reforms?

answer

institutional advertising

question

__________ was the major concern regarding the Supreme Court's recent decision on direct lobbying.

answer

Corruption

question

PACs representing health groups gave ____ percent to Republican candidates?

answer

55

question

Approximately how much did PACs representing transportation groups spend in the past four elections?

answer

$79 million

question

Which industry's PACs spent the least money over the past four elections?

answer

defense

question

Which industry's PACs spent the most money over the past four elections?

answer

labor

question

Which of the following groups has had the greatest success with a strategy of litigation?

answer

the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

question

Interest groups are concerned with the ________ of government, while political parties are concerned with the ________ of government.

answer

policies; personnel

question

The solidary benefits of interest groups include ________.

answer

friendship and consciousness-raising

question

The increased number and importance of interest groups

answer

is a response to an increase in the size and activity of government.

question

The Christian Coalition is a(n) ________ group.

answer

ideological

question

Many interest groups are initially organized because

answer

a political entrepreneur with a strong commitment to a particular set of goals believes a group will promote his or her goals and enhance his or her political influence.

question

Which of the following has been eliminated as a result of 2002 campaign finance reforms?

answer

soft money

question

A ________ exists when paid staff conduct most of the daily business of a group.

answer

staff organization

question

Why is it important for interest groups to offer selective benefits?

answer

It is necessary to limit the extent of the free-rider problem.

question

Which of the following statements about political parties and interest groups is most accurate?

answer

Political parties have declined in influence in recent years while interest groups have become more numerous, active, and influential.

question

The practice of lobbying is protected by ________.

answer

the First Amendment

question

One way that AARP has been effective at overcoming the free-rider problem is by providing ________ benefits to its members.

answer

selective

question

Which of the following groups is most likely to belong to the New Politics movement?

answer

upper-middle-class professionals, for whom the civil rights and antiwar movements of the 1960s were key experiences

question

Parties with a direct interest in a regulatory rule or decision are often called ________.

answer

stakeholders

question

The free-rider phenomenon

answer

becomes increasingly problematic in very large groups

question

Alexis de Tocqueville argued that the proliferation of groups promoted ________.

answer

governmental responsiveness

question

Why is the Administrative Procedure Act of 1946 important to lobbyists?

answer

It requires agencies to create opportunities for public comments before implementing new rules and regulations.

question

Which of the following is NOT a job regularly performed by lobbyists?

answer

nominating a candidate to run for political office

question

constituency

answer

the residents in the area from which an official is elected

question

bicameral

answer

having a legislative assembly composed of two chambers or houses, distinguished from unicameral

question

delegate

answer

a representative who votes according to the preferences of his or her constituency

question

trustee

answer

a representative who votes based on what he or she thinks is best for his or her constituency

question

sociological representation

answer

a type of representation in which representatives have the same racial, gender, ethnic, religious, or educational backgrounds as their constituents. It is based on the principle that if two individuals are similar in background, character, interests, and perspectives, then one can correctly represent the others views

question

agency representation

answer

a type of representation in which a representative is held accountable to a constituency if he or she fails to represent that constituency properly. This is incentive for good representation when the personal backgrounds, views, and interests of the representative differ from those of his or her constituency

question

incumbency

answer

holding the political office for which one is running

question

term limits

answer

legally prescribed limits on the number of terms an elected official can serve

question

apportionment

answer

the process, occurring after every decennial census, that allocates congressional seats among the 50 states

question

redistricting

answer

the process of redrawing election districts and redistributing legislative representatives. This happens every 10 years to reflect shifts in population or in response to legal challenges to existing districts

question

gerrymandering

answer

the apportionment of voters in districts in such a way as to give unfair advantage to one racial or ethnic group or political party

question

patronage

answer

the resources available to higher officials, usually opportunities to make partisan appointments to offices and to confer grants, licenses, or special favors to supporters

question

pork barrel (or pork)

answer

appropriations made by legislative bodies for local projects that are often not needed but that are created so that local representatives can win re-election in their home districts

question

private bill

answer

a proposal in Congress to provide a specific person with some kind of relief, such as a special exemption from immigration quotas

question

conference

answer

a gathering of House Republicans every two years to elect their House leaders; Democrats call their gathering the caucus

question

caucus (political)

answer

a normally closed meeting of a political or legislative group to select candidates, plan strategy, or make decisions regarding legislative matters

question

Speaker of the House

answer

the chief presiding officer of the House of Representatives. The Speaker is the most important party and House leader, and can influence the legislative agenda, the fate of individual pieces of legislation, and members' positions within the House

question

majority leader

answer

the elected leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives or in the Senate. In the House, the majority leader is subordinate in the party hierarchy to the Speaker of the House

question

minority leader

answer

the elected leader of the minority party in the House or Senate

question

whip

answer

a party member in the House or Senate responsible for coordinating the party's legislative strategy, building support for key issues, and counting votes

question

standing committee

answer

a permanent committee with the power to propose and write legislation that covers a particular subject, such as finance or agriculture

question

select committees

answer

(usually) temporary legislative committees set up to highlight or investigate a particular issue or address an issue not within the jurisdiction of existing committees

question

joint committees

answer

legislative committees formed of members of both the House and Senate

question

conference committees

answer

joint committees created to work out a compromise on House and Senate versions of a piece of legislation

question

seniority

answer

the ranking given to an individual on the basis of length of continuous service on a committee in Congress

question

staff agencies

answer

legislative support agencies responsible for policy analysis

question

caucuses (congressional)

answer

associations of members of Congress based on party, interest, or social group, such as gender or race

question

bill

answer

a proposed law that has been sponsored by a member of Congress and submitted to the clerk of the House or Senate

question

committee markup

answer

the session in which a congressional committee rewrites legislation to incorporate changes discussed during hearings on a bill

question

closed rule

answer

a provision by the House Rules Committee limiting or prohibiting the introduction of amendments during debate

question

open rule

answer

a provision by the House Rules Committee that permits floor debate and the addition of new amendments to a bill

question

filibuster

answer

a tactic used by members of the Senate to prevent action on legislation they oppose by continuously holding the floor and speaking until the majority backs down. Once given the floor, senators have unlimited time to speak, and it requires a vote of three-fifths of the Senate to end a filibuster

question

cloture

answer

a rule or process in a legislative body aimed at ending debate on a given bill. In the U.S. Senate, 60 senators (three-fifths) must agree in order to impose a time limit and end debate

question

veto

answer

the president's constitutional power to turn down acts of Congress. A presidential veto may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of each house of Congress

question

pocket veto

answer

a presidential veto that is automatically triggered if the president does not act on a given piece of legislation passed during the final 10 days of a legislative session

question

party unity vote

answer

a roll-call vote in the House or Senate in which at least 50 percent of the members of one party take a particular position and are opposed by at least 50 percent of the members of the other party

question

roll-call vote

answer

a vote in which each legislator's yes or no vote is recorded as the clerk calls the names of the members alphabetically

question

logrolling

answer

a legislative practice whereby agreements are made between legislators in voting for or against a bill; vote trading

question

oversight

answer

the effort by Congress, through hearings, investigations, and other techniques, to exercise control over the activities of executive agencies

question

appropriations

answer

the amounts of money approved by Congress in statutes (bills) that each unit or agency of government can spend

question

executive agreement

answer

an agreement, made between the president and another country, that has the force of a treaty but does not require the Senate's "advice and consent"

question

impeachment

answer

the formal charge by the House of Representatives that a government official has committed "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors

question

There was no way to stop a filibuster in the U.S. Senate until

answer

1917

question

Most of the time, filibusters in the U.S. Senate are conducted by

answer

a senator on the losing side of a political debate

question

Which of the following statements is true regarding filibusters in the U.S. Senate?

answer

Filibusters are currently used more than ever in recorded history

question

Women currently comprise about ______ percent of all members of Congress.

answer

19

question

African Americans and Latinos currently comprise about ______ percent of all members of Congress.

answer

13

question

Which of the following statements is true about diversity in the U.S. Congress?

answer

Congress is becoming more diverse in a very slow but steady manner

question

Which of the following statements is true based on the data presented in the figure?

answer

In the early 1970s, women made up about 2 percent of all members of Congress.

question

What percentage of the U.S. population identified themselves as independent?

answer

36 percent

question

What percentage of House seats are filled by independent candidates?

answer

0 percent

question

What percentage of senators hold a law degree?

answer

57 percent

question

Which religious group is accurately represented in the House?

answer

Mormon

question

Why are senators on average 25 years older than the U.S. population?

answer

public perception of having more experience

question

logrolling

answer

a legislative practice whereby agreements are made between legislators in voting for or against a bill; vote trading

question

According to ________ representation, a legislator should be viewed as a person who is hired to represent the interests of his or her constituents.

answer

delegate

question

Which of the following is a key assumption of the sociological model of representation?

answer

Because similarity helps promote good representation, the composition of legislative bodies should mirror the composition of society.

question

Over the past several decades, the ________ and the ________ have benefited most from apportionment.

answer

South; West

question

Who has the most real power in the Senate?

answer

the majority and minority leaders

question

One reason why redistricting is controversial is that

answer

computer technologies allow legislatures to know statistically what kinds of people live where, and this can be used to give one party an advantage over the other.

question

A ________ veto occurs when Congress adjourns during a ten-day period after presenting the president with a bill and he or she takes no action.

answer

pocket

question

A bill's supporters in the House of Representatives generally prefer ________ while opponents generally prefer ________.

answer

a closed rule; an open rule

question

Which of the following statements about party unity is true?

answer

Party unity has been on the rise in recent years.

question

In each House district there are approximately ________ people.

answer

700,000

question

Oversight can best be described as

answer

the efforts of Congress to supervise the manner in which its laws are implemented by the executive branch.

question

What is the most common occupation among members of Congress before coming to Congress?

answer

lawyer

question

Which of the following would NOT constitute an example of patronage?

answer

a senator from New York voting in favor of a law to eliminate earmarks

question

A proposed piece of legislation is called a ________.

answer

Bill

question

The role that the U.S. Senate plays in impeachments can best be compared with that of a ________.

answer

trial jury

question

________ occurs when a member of Congress makes resources available to government officials.

answer

Patronage

question

Which of the following statements is most accurate?

answer

On many issues, constituents do not have very strong views and representatives are free to act as they think best without fear of electoral reprisals.

question

Congressional leaders form ________ committees when they want to take up an issue that falls between the jurisdiction of existing committees, to highlight an issue, or to investigate a particular problem.

answer

select

question

The four joint committees in Congress are

answer

economic, taxation, library, and printing

question

The Office of Management and Budget is important because

answer

its personnel are an integral part of virtually every conceivable presidential responsibility, such as overseeing regulatory proposals, reporting on agency activities, and preparing the national budget.

question

The president's power to set the debate concerning public policy in Congress is called a(n) ________.

answer

legislative initiative

question

The Environmental Protection Agency was created in 1970 directly by ________.

answer

an executive order

question

When North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950,

answer

President Truman sent American troops to Korea without asking for a declaration of war.

question

An informal group of advisers to the president is often called the ________.

answer

kitchen cabinet

question

A signing statement is a(n)

answer

announcement the president makes about his or her interpretation of a congressional enactment he or she is signing into law.

question

Which of the following statements about signing statements is most accurate?

answer

While presidents have made signing statements throughout American history, they have only recently been recorded and made part of the official legislative record.

question

The Environmental Protection Agency

answer

- was created by President Richard Nixon's executive order in 1970. - was created in pursuance of congressional legislation designed to improve air and water quality in the United States. - is responsible for establishing and enforcing air and water quality standards. - is an agency of the executive bureaucracy.ANSWER: ALL THE ABOVE

question

When Dwight Eisenhower sent federal troops into Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957, it demonstrated that the

answer

president may make unilateral use of the emergency powers to protect states against domestic disorder.

question

After the president and vice president, which office is next in the line of succession?

answer

Speaker of the House

question

The main political value of the vice president is to

answer

bring the president votes in the election from a group or region that would not otherwise be a likely source of support.

question

________ was the first first lady to seek public office on her own.

answer

Hillary Clinton

question

The framers of the Constitution believed that Congress's greatest prerogative would be its ________.

answer

power of the purse

question

What is the primary constitutional task of the vice president, besides succeeding the president in case of death, resignation, or incapacitation?

answer

to cast tie-breaking votes in the Senate

question

caucus (political)

answer

a normally closed political party business meeting of citizens or lawmakers to select candidates, elect officers, plan strategy, or make decisions regarding legislative matters

question

expressed powers

answer

specific powers granted by the Constitution to Congress (Article I, Section 8) and to the president (Article II)

question

implied powers

answer

powers necessary to allow presidential exercise of expressed powers

question

delegated powers

answer

constitutional powers that are assigned to one governmental agency but that are exercised by another agency with the express permission of the first

question

commander in chief

answer

the role of the president as commander of the national military and the state National Guard units (when called into service)

question

executive privilege

answer

the claim that confidential communications between a president and close advisers should not be revealed without the consent of the president

question

legislative initiative

answer

the president's inherent power to bring a legislative agenda before Congress

question

executive order

answer

a rule or regulation issued by the president that has the effect and formal status of legislation

question

inherent powers

answer

powers claimed by a president that are not expressed in the Constitution but are inferred from it

question

War Powers Resolution

answer

a resolution of Congress that the president can send troops into action abroad only by authorization of Congress, or if American troops are already under attack or serious threat

question

Cabinet

answer

the secretaries, or chief administrators, of the major departments of the federal government. Cabinet secretaries are appointed by the president with the consent of the Senate

question

National Security Council (NSC)

answer

a presidential foreign policy advisory council composed of the president, the vice president, the secretary of state, the secretary of defense, and other officials invited by the president

question

White House staff

answer

analysts and advisers to the president, each of whom is often given the title "special assistant

question

Kitchen Cabinet

answer

an informal group of advisers to whom the president turns for counsel and guidance. Members of the official Cabinet may or may not also be members of the Kitchen Cabinet

question

Executive Office of the President (EOP)

answer

the permanent agencies that perform defined management tasks for the president. Created in 1939, the EOP includes the OMB, the CEA, the NSC, and other agencies

question

signing statements

answer

announcements made by the president when signing bills into law, often presenting the president's interpretation of the law

question

Presidential power is delineated in ______ of the U.S. Constitution.

answer

Article II

question

Which of the following has been used to justify expansive presidential power?

answer

U.S. Constitution Federalist Papers federal court cases All of these.ANSWER: ALL OF THESE

question

Officials in both the George W. Bush and Obama administrations engaged in domestic surveillance of certain citizens.

answer

true

question

There was a divided party government throughout Ronald Reagan's tenure

answer

true

question

Which of the following statements is true?

answer

George W. Bush was very successful with congressional votes early in his presidency. Ronald Reagan had less success with House votes as his presidency evolved. Richard Nixon had less success with congressional votes as his presidency evolved. All of these.ANSWER: ALL OF THESE

question

______ had the best success in any one year with House votes during this time period.

answer

Richard Nixon

question

______ had the best success in any one year with Senate votes during this time period.

answer

George W. Bush

question

With one exception, all presidents have been ___________.

answer

Protestant

question

How many presidents have a background in law?

answer

25

question

Which age range do most presidents fall in to?

answer

50s

question

Which of the following explanations can account for Virginia having produced eight presidents?

answer

It was historically the most populated state and had the most representatives in government.

question

Which political party has produced the most presidents?

answer

Republican

question

What is required for Congress to override a presidential veto?

answer

two-thirds of both houses of Congress

question

The president's expressed powers include all of the following categories EXCEPT ________.

answer

partisan

question

Which executive agency has the least discretion, as a result of very detailed congressional legislation?

answer

the Internal Revenue Service

question

In Youngstown Co. v. Sawyer (1952), the Supreme Court justices determined that

answer

President Truman could not nationalize the steel mills in America.

question

bureaucracy

answer

the complex structure of offices, tasks, rules, and principles of organization that are employed by all large-scale institutions to coordinate the work of their personnel

question

implementation

answer

the efforts of departments and agencies to translate laws into specific bureaucratic rules and actions

question

merit system

answer

a product of civil service reform, in which appointees to positions in public bureaucracies must objectively be deemed qualified for those positions

question

department

answer

the largest sub-unit of the executive branch. The secretaries of the 15 departments form the Cabinet.

question

independent agency

answer

agency that is not part of a cabinet department

question

government corporation

answer

government agency that performs a market-oriented public service and raises revenues to fund its activities

question

regulatory agency

answer

a department, bureau, or independent agency whose primary mission is to impose limits, restrictions, or other obligations on the conduct of individuals or companies in the private sector

question

fiscal policy

answer

the government's use of taxing, monetary, and spending powers to manipulate the economy

question

Federal Reserve System

answer

a system of 12 Federal Reserve banks that facilitates exchanges of cash, checks, and credit; regulates member banks; and uses monetary policies to fight inflation and deflation

question

revenue agency

answer

an agency responsible for collecting taxes. Examples include the Internal Revenue Service for income taxes; the U.S. Customs Service for tariffs and other taxes on imported goods; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for collection of taxes on the sale of those particular products

question

devolution

answer

a policy to remove a program from one level of government by delegating it or passing it down to a lower level of government, such as from the national government to the state and local governments

question

privatization

answer

a formerly public service that is now provided by a private company but paid for by the government

question

Which of the following events has resulted in more government secrecy?

answer

Cold War Watergate terrorist attacks all of theseANSWER: ALL OF THESE

question

How would you characterize the Bush II and Obama administrations when it comes to secrecy with regard to waging the war on terrorism?

answer

Both administrations have been very secretive

question

What is commonly used to justify secrecy by officials in the federal government?

answer

national security

question

According to the report discussed in this clip, how many agencies are involved with administering food safety regulations?

answer

15

question

According to the report, how often are programs assessed for performance?

answer

never

question

The federal debt around the time the clip was recorded was estimated at

answer

$14 trillion

question

The report found overlapping federal programs are wasting ____________ of dollars with redundant responsibilities.

answer

billions

question

In 1960, federal spending accounted for about ______ percent of the total economy.

answer

17

question

Current federal spending is about ______ per year, adjusted for inflation.

answer

$3.5 trillion

question

In 2015, federal spending accounted for about ______ percent of the total economy.

answer

20

question

Which of the following is true about federal outlays during this time period?

answer

-Federal spending has increased dramatically since 1960 in whole terms. -Federal spending has increased since 1960, but not as dramatically as in whole terms when spending is adjusted for inflation. -Federal spending is currently about one-fifth of the total Gross Domestic Product. -All of these.ANSWER: ALL OF THESE

question

Which of the following is NOT a key strategy used to promote bureaucratic reform?

answer

regulation

question

Executive privilege refers to the

answer

claim that confidential communications between a president and close advisers should not be revealed without the consent of the president.

question

Which of the following is NOT a major role of bureaucracy?

answer

passing laws

question

Making permanent cuts in existing agencies is often difficult because

answer

most agencies have a supportive constituency that will fight to reinstate any cuts that are made.

question

What were government officials trying to accomplish when they called for the 2009 National Defense Authorization Act to create an additional database that would record contractors who have legal or contract violations?

answer

providing adequate government oversight for an increasingly expanding force of independent contractors

question

________ is the primary mission of the State Department.

answer

Diplomacy

question

Which of the following is the best description of an iron triangle?

answer

the stable relationship between a bureaucratic agency, a clientele group, and a legislative committee

question

Individual members of Congress can discover questions of public responsibility when engaged in ________.

answer

constituent case work

question

One drawback of devolution is that

answer

the standards associated with particular programs become increasingly variable between states.

question

Which of the following executive agencies was created by Congress in the aftermath of the financial crisis that began in 2008?

answer

the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

question

Which one of the following agencies was created in 2005?

answer

Office of the Director of National Intelligence

question

Under the administration of ________, EPA officials claimed that they did not have the authority to regulate greenhouse gases.

answer

George W. Bush

question

Which of the following is the most constitutionally essential way to make the bureaucracy responsible?

answer

congressional oversight

question

Which president was most concerned with managing and reorganizing the executive bureaucracy?

answer

Jimmy Carter

question

Which of the following statements about annual federal outlays is most accurate?

answer

Federal spending as a percentage of gross domestic product has experienced significant ups and downs over time.

question

________ is when bureaucrats attempt to translate laws into specific rules and actions.

answer

Implementation

question

Which president's approach to the managerial presidency featured a deep belief in the importance of scientific expertise in government service?

answer

Barack Obama

question

What is a government corporation?

answer

It is an agency that performs and charges for services usually provided by the private sector.

question

The most significant example of devolution in recent decades has been in the area of ________.

answer

welfare policy

question

The most significant example of devolution in recent decades has been in the area of ________.

answer

welfare policy

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