question

The founders of the American republic believed that most of the power that would be exercised by a national government should be in the hands of A. the chief executive B. the legislature C. The Electoral College D. the bureaucracy

answer

B

question

The concept of logrolling refers to A. action taken by a senator that attempts to prevent a bill from passing in the Senate B. a method that is used to keep one bill on the floor for an extended period of time, thus blocking all legislation C. an arrangement by which two or more members of Congress agree in advance to support each other's bills D. a method that the president uses when he wants to prevent the passage of legislation

answer

C

question

A representative who is performing the role of a trustee is A. only representing the needs of his or her constituents B. supporting the president on all of his legislative programs C. acting on conscience or representing the broad interests of the entire society D. supporting his or her political party

answer

C

question

A representative who is performing the role of an instructed delegate is A. primarily representing the wishes of his or her constituents B. supporting the president on all of his legislative programs C. representing the broad interests of the entire society D. supporting his or her political party

answer

A

question

One major problem with the role of the instructed delegate is that A. the president's program may not have the support of the public B. the constituents may not actually have well-formed views on many issues C. a majority of the constituents may be of different political party than the representative D. few members of Congress are knowledgeable about most legislation

answer

B

question

The public education function of Congress is carried out by all of the following except: A. holding hearings B. setting the public policy agenda C. oversight D. casework

answer

D

question

The enumerated powers of Congress are powers A. expressly given to that body in the Constitution B. that Congress has created by passing legislation C. that have been created by decisions of the Supreme Court D. that are imprecise and are usually disputed by strong presidents

answer

A

question

One major difference between the House and Senate is the total number of members. This has meant that A. the House will spend much more time on a bill on the floor as opposed to the Senate B. the Senate is able to decide on the proper action on a bill quicker than the House C. a greater number of formal rules are needed to govern activity in the House D. House members must sit on more committees than senators

answer

C

question

A filibuster is A. an attempt to prevent the passage of a bill through the use of unlimited debate B. an attempt to persuade others to vote for a particular bill in return for a favor at a later date C. used in the House to force a standing committee to release a bill D. a method used by the Speaker of the House to promote this majority party's legislation

answer

A

question

The concept of cloture refers to A. a method used to defeat legislation in Congress B. a process that attempts to limit debate on a bill in the Senate C. closed meetings held by both parties to elect their leadership or resolve other important issues D. action taken by the House Rules Committee that must be approved by the Speaker

answer

B

question

Most major-party candidates for Congress are placed on the general-election ballot as the result of A. a party caucus B. a party convention C. a party committee D. a direct primary

answer

D

question

Redistricting is A. the allocation of seats in the House to each state after each census B. the redrawing of district boundaries within each state to ensure equal district populations C. a court order to hold new elections because of voting irregularities D. altering a legislative formula that apportions spending among the states

answer

B

question

If congressional districts did not have to be reapportioned, A. it would be much more difficult for incumbents to be reelected B. it would be possible for one district to have twice the number of people of another district C. voters could vote in any congressional district, as long as they were registered D. members of Congress would not have to reside in the district they represent

answer

B

question

Most of the actual work of legislating is A. performed by interest groups and then acted on by Congress B. accomplished in state legislatures and then acted on by Congress C. performed by the president and then accepted routinely by Congress D. performed by the committees and subcommittees within Congress

answer

D

question

The seniority system provides that A. members are awarded additional committee assignments in line with their seniority B. the committee member of the majority party with the longest continuous service normally becomes the committee chairperson C. members become party whips in order of seniority D. members of the House can be appointed to the Senate to fill vacancies

answer

B

question

The foremost power holder in the House of Representatives is the A. president of the House B. majority leader C. president pro tempore D. Speaker of the House

answer

D

question

The real leadership power in the Senate rests in the hands of the A. president of the Senate B. president pro tempore of the Senate C. Senator designate selected by the president D. Senate majority leader

answer

D

question

The Constitution states that the minimum-age requirement for the presidency is A. twenty-five years B. thirty years C. thirty-five years D. forty years

answer

C

question

To be elected president one must receive a A. simple majority of the popular vote B. simple majority of the electoral vote C. plurality of the popular vote D. plurality of the electoral vote

answer

B

question

If the Electoral College fails to give any presidential candidate a majority, the election of the president is determined by A. the Senate B. the House C. a second ballot in the Electoral College between the top two contenders D. a run-off election between the top two candidates

answer

B

question

As chief executive, the president is constitutionally bound to A. enforce laws, treaties, and court orders B. submit a balanced budget to Congress C. inform Congress prior to any military action D. oversee actions of state governments

answer

A

question

If the president is dissatisfied with the performance of a member of the Cabinet he can A. request the Congress remove the person from office B. do nothing until the person's term of office expires C. fire the person D. request that the Attorney General bring charges against the individual, which would allow the president the power to remove the person from office

answer

C

question

The granting of release from the punishment for a crime is called A. a reprieve B. a congressional sanction C. a pardon D. executive privilege

answer

C

question

As chief diplomat the president A. is responsible for selecting judges to federal courts B. is responsible for all actions within the executive branch C. selects leaders of his or her party in Congress D. negotiates treaties, recognizes foreign governments, and makes executive agreements

answer

D

question

Before a treaty can become legally binding, the treaty must be A. signed by the justices of the World Court B. approved by three-fourths of the state governments C. ratified by the Supreme Court D. approved by a two-thirds cote in the Senate

answer

D

question

If the president uses a regular veto, he or she A. must submit legislation that would accomplish the same goal but through a different means B. cannot use another regular veto for ten working days C. must have the approval of the Senate majority leader and the Speaker of the House D. must return the bill to Congress with a veto message

answer

D

question

A pocket veto A. can be used by a president only once during his term in office B. can only be used when Congress adjourns for the session within ten days of the bill being submitted to the President C. means that the legislation cannot be reintroduced in the next Congress D. was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1936

answer

B

question

A power created for the president through laws passed by Congress is called a A. constitutional power B. statutory power C. limited power D. inherent power

answer

B

question

Rewarding faithful party workers with government employment is called A. going public B. pork C. patronage D. executive privilege

answer

C

question

Executive privilege A. involves the ability of the president and executive branch officials to withhold certain information from Congress and/or the courts B. means that members of the executive branch cannot be prosecuted for official acts C. is the concept that has been applied to the president's use of the pocket veto D. allows the president discretion in making political appointments

answer

A

question

The following two presidents are the only ones in American history to have actually been impeached: A. Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton B. Richard Nixon and Franklin Roosevelt C. Andrew Jackson and William McKinley D. Thomas Jefferson and Martin Van Buren

answer

A

question

Informal advisors to the president are called A. FOP (Friends of the President) B. the kitchen cabinet C. the Executive Counsel D. the Cabinet

answer

B

question

The office that works most closely with the president is the A. kitchen cabinet B. cabinet C. Executive Office of the President D. White House Office

answer

D

question

The Office of Management and Budget A. helps Congress write the budget B. helps the president prepare the annual budget C. has the power to revise the budget passed by Congress D. is rarely newsworthy in modern times

answer

B

question

A bureaucracy is: A. a large organization that is structured hierarchically to carry out specific functions B. characterized by an organization chart C. divided according to the specialization and expertise of the employees D. all of the above

answer

D

question

Bureaucracies A. exist only in governments B. do not occur in the private sector C. may occur almost anywhere in our society D. both a and b

answer

C

question

Public or government bureaucracies differ from private organizations in that: A. a private organization has a single set of leaders while governments are subject to leadership from the executive and legislative branches and pressure fro the citizens B. government bureaucracies are not organized to make a profit and private bureaucracies are C. governements are charged to work efficiently and economically while providing services to citizens D. all of the above

answer

D

question

Bureaucrats A. are the people who oversee and implement government programs B. are universally admired C. rarely work for government D. oversee the actions of elected officials

answer

A

question

In German sociologist Max Weber's Weberian Model; A. power flows from the top down B. decision making is shaped by detailed technical rules that promote similar decision making in similar situations C. bureaucrats are specialists who solve problems through logical reasoning and data analysis instead of emotions and guesswork D. all of the above

answer

D

question

The Monopolistic Model theorizes that A. monopolistic bureaucracies have no competitors and act accordingly B. monopolistic bureaucracies are not penalized for inefficiency and have little reason to adopt cost-saving measures or to be productive C. monopolistic bureaucracies have little reason to adopt cost-saving measures or to be productive D. all of the above

answer

D

question

The fifteen cabinet departments in the United States federal government A. are the major service organizations of the federal government B. are line organizations, meaning they are directly accountable to the president and are responsible for performing government functions C. were all created within the first several decades after the ratification of the Constitution D. both a and b

answer

D

question

Independent executive agencies are A. organizations that are under the direct control of Congress B. organizations that answer directly to the Supreme Court C. organizations that are not located within a department but report directly to the president, who appoints their chief officials D. have little interaction with the federal government

answer

C

question

Independent regulatory agencies A. have no direct interaction with the federal government B. are typically responsible for a specific type of public policy and make and implement rules and regulations in a specific area to protect the public interest C. are not truly independent but must have all rules and regulations reviewed and approved by the Senate prior to implementation D. all of the above

answer

B

question

Government regulatory agencies A. have no direct interaction with the federal government B. are typically responsible for a specific type of public policy and make and implement rules and regulations in a specific area to protect the public interest C. are not truly independent but must have all rules and regulations reviewed and approved by the Senate prior to implementation D. all of the above

answer

B

question

In response to the increase in corruption and the growth in numbers of federal employees, the Pendleton Act or the Civil Service Reform Act was passed in 1883. This act A. established the legality of hiring federal employees based on their political loyalties B. established the principle of employment on the basis of open, competitive examinations C. created the Civil Service Commission to administer the personnel service D. both b and c

answer

D

question

Congress enacted the Government in the Sunshine Act in 1976. Under this act, A. all agencies headed by a committee are required to hold their meetings regularly in public session B. all agencies must provide written, notarized minutes of all meetings to the press C. daylight savings times was instituted D. both a and b

answer

A

question

Sunset legislation are A. laws requiring that curfews be established in all crime ridden areas B. laws requiring that existing programs be reviewed regularly for their effectiveness and be terminated unless specifically extended as a result of those reviews C. laws that require existing programs to be terminated within no more than five years D. laws that allow the use of legislation that has been ruled by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional as long as Congress votes to do so on the same day as the Supreme Court ruling

answer

B

question

Proposed federal regulations A. have no requirements for being published prior to enactment B. must be published in the Federal Register, a daily government publication, so that interested parties would have an opportunity to comment on it C. must be published in the Federal Register, a daily government publication, in order to allow citizens to enact a veto if a petition with enough signatures can be produced D. must be reviewed by all three branches of government and approved prior to enactment

answer

B

question

Realistically, bureaucrats are A. never policy makers B. policymakers C. rarely involved in policy making D. occasionally involved in policy making

answer

B

question

Congress controls bureaucracy through: A. their enabling legislation B. control of an agency's budget C. investigations and hearings to oversee an agency's actions D. all of the above

answer

D

question

The people that a legislator spends considerable time and effort serving are called A. delegates B. trustees C. constituents D. representatives

answer

C

question

The principal function of any legislature is A. carrying out the law B. lawmaking C. checking the power of the judicial branch D. oversight

answer

B

question

Oversight is the process by which Congress A. follows up on the laws it has enacted B. reviews the actions of subcommittees C. chooses its leadership D. supervises the activity of the judicial branch

answer

A

question

The largest occupational group among congresspersons is A. lawyers B. educators C. businesspersons D. lobbyists

answer

A

question

Reapportionment is A. the allocation of seats in the House to each state after each census B. the redrawing of district boundaries within each state to ensure equal district populations C. a court order to hold new elections because of voting irregularities D. altering a legislative formula that apportions spending among the states

answer

A

question

The most important committees are the A. joint-resolution committees B. special House and Senate investigative committees C. legislative-executive committees D. standing committees

answer

D

question

The president of the Senate is A. the leader of the majority party in the Senate B. the senator with the most seniority, regardless of party C. the fourth person in line to succeed the president D. the vice president of the United States

answer

D

question

Most people who study the decision-making process in Congress agree that the single best predictor for how a member will vote is his or her A. party affiliation B. affiliation with organized interest groups C. length of time in Congress D. age

answer

A

question

"Money bills" A. must originate in the Senate B. must originate in the House C. must originate in conference committee D. must originate with the president

answer

B

question

The most common previous occupation of presidents in the United States has been A. military commander B. farmer C. educator D. lawyer

answer

D

question

To assist him in his various tasks as chief executive, the president has A. unlimited power to create offices within the executive branch B. the cooperation of the Joint Chiefs of Staff C. the power to act in all cases of national importance D. a federal bureaucracy

answer

D

question

As Commander in Chief the president is A. only a symbolic leader of the military B. the ultimate decision maker in military matters C. allowed to make military decisions with the approval of the Joint Chiefs of Staff D. not responsible for military decisions

answer

B

question

An executive order A. is a rule issued by the president that has the effect of law B. is valid unless both chambers of Congress approve it C. must be approved by a majority of the cabinet D. can only be issued when Congress is not in session

answer

A

question

The publication of the executive branch that prints executive orders, rules, and regulations is called A. the Congressional Record B. the Executive Law Review C. the Federal Registrar D. the Presidential Journal

answer

C

question

According to the Constitution, impeachment A. cannot be used against an incumbent president B. can only be applied to a president who has committed treason C. is the discharge of an officer of the United States for cause D. is voted by in the House of Representatives

answer

D

question

The Cabinet is A. a vital center of decision making for modern presidents B. the president's clerical staff C. an informal group of presidential advisers D. an advisory group selected by the president to aid in making decisions

answer

D

question

If the office of vice president becomes vacant A. it remains unfilled until the next election, and the Speaker of the House becomes president if the president dies B. the president nominates a replacement who must be approved by both chambers of Congress C. the president names a replacement who is not subject to congressional approval D. the president nominates a replacement who must be approved by the Senate

answer

B

question

The Acquisitive Model theorizes that A. bureaucrats tend to attempt to share power to minimize responsibility B. bureaucrats are acquisitive in nature C. top level bureaucrats will never try to expand their budgets D. elected officials will attempt to place as many bureaucrats under their control as possible

answer

B

question

Federal bureaucracy in the United States A. has a lesser degree of autonomy than do national bureaucracies in other countries B. has a greater degree of autonomy than do national bureaucracies in other countries C. has about the same degree of autonomy as national bureaucracies in other countries D. none of the above

answer

B

question

The federal bureaucracy in the United States A. has stayed about the same size as far as number of employees since the early part of the twentieth century B. has grown slightly since the mid-twentieth century C. has grown enormously since the creation of the country D. has become stagnant, both in number of employes and in cost

answer

C

question

Government corporations A. are agencies of government that run for-profit corporations that help provide a positive cash flow for the federal government B. are not truly agencies of government C. have yet to be fully utilized by any of the three branches of federal government D. are agencies of government that administer a quasi-business enterprise and are used when the activities to be performed are primarily commercial

answer

D

question

The two categories of federal bureaucrats are A. political appointees and cronies B. civil servants and paltroons C. political appointees and civil servants D. insiders and outsiders

answer

C

question

In 1938, a coalition of conservative Democrats and Republicans took control of Congress and passed the Hatch Act of 1939. This act A. prohibited federal employees from actively participating in the political management of campaigns B. did not allow federal employees to vote in federal elections C. forbade the use of federal authority to influence nominations and elections and outlaws the use of bureaucratic rank to pressure federal employees to make political contributions D. both a and c

answer

D

question

Privatization is A. the use of lower level enlisted people as front line troops B. the replacement of government services with services provided by private firms C. the use private capital to pay for exorbitant costs for government equipment D. the extension of the law to protect private information of citizens

answer

B

question

Congress must A. delegate day-to-day administration of its programs to bureaucrats B. by law, maintain control of day-to-day administration of its programs C. provide safe guards to not allow bureaucrats to have discretion in the interpretation of legislation D. only allow those bureaucrats who have demonstrated an understanding of the intent of legislation to have the discretion to interpret that legislation

answer

A

question

"One person, one vote" A. Means that U.S. House districts must be of equal population to each other B. Means that state legislative districts must be of equal population to each other C. Means that U.S. Senate districts must be of equal population to each other D. Both a and b

answer

D

question

Gerrymandering is A. Legislation passed in southern states to limit African American participation in elections B. The drawing of legislative district boundary lines for the purpose of obtaining partisan advantage C. An attempt to prevent the passage of a bill through the use of unlimited debate D. A process that attempts to limit debate on a bill in the Senate

answer

B

question

Members of Congress are granted generous franking privileges that A. Permit them to mail letters to their constituents without charge B. Allow them to charge items to a special expense account C. Allows members unlimited phone calls to their district without charge D. Permit them to receive four round-trip airfares to their districts

answer

A

question

The Speaker of the House A. Is a symbolic position that does not provide power to make decisions B. Is picked by the president C. Has to perform duties in a non-partisan fashion D. Is the leader of the majority party in the House

answer

D

question

The Senate majority leader and the Senate minority leader A. Act as liaison with the White House when the president is of their party B. Are usually the same political party C. Are always selected by the chairperson of the national party D. Are responsible to the committee chairperson

answer

A

question

The job of a conference committee is A. to originate appropriations bills B. to reconcile House and Senate versions of a bill C. to set the rules of debate for a bill D. Determine the committee path of a bill

answer

B

question

The federal government's fiscal year A. is identical to the calendar year B. is one year in advance of the calendar year C. lags one year behind the calendar year D. begins on October 1 of the previous calendar year

answer

D

question

In accordance with the language of a constitutional amendment, the District of Columbia casts electoral votes equal to A. the number cast by the state with the smallest population B. the number it would cast if it were a state C. four D. two

answer

A

question

A veto is A.usually used to punish members of the president's party who disagree with him B. more likely when the president's party controls Congress C. a clear-cut indication of the president's dissatisfaction with legislation D. likely to be overriden about half the time

answer

C

question

The members of the cabinet A. Are an informal group of presidential advisors B. Are limited to the heads of the fifteen executive departments C. Include the heads of the 15 executive departments plus other top officials chosen by the president D. include the heads of the 15 executive departments plus the heads of the EPA, CIA, and FBI

answer

C

question

Presidential candidates have asked individuals to join the ticket as a vice presidential candidate for all of the following reason EXCEPT: A. to balance the ticket by region or political philosophy B. to serve as president if the president dies C. to reinforce one of the presidential candidates strong points D. to serve as co-president

answer

D

question

Typically, administrations use executive privilege A. to circumvent congressional authority B. to protect the president from civil lawsuits C. to safeguard national security secrets D. only when the constitution explicitly says that it is applicable

answer

C

question

Independent Regulatory agencies A. Are administered independently of all three branches of government and combine some functions of all three branches B. Operate under the close supervision of the executive branch of government C. Operate under the close supervision of the legislative branch of government D. Operate only with the express approval of the judicial branch of government

answer

A

question

Andrew Jackson became president in 1829 and due to the bureaucracy's attitude towards his party, A. fired more federal officials than all his predecessors combined B. Retained virtually all federal officials C. Decreed that, in the future, only Democrats could be hired D. Decreed that, in the future, only Whigs could be hired

answer

A

question

Congr4ess purposefully passes vague laws A. because they can't do any better B. in order to avoid the wrath of the voters C. due to their lack of technical expertise D. in order to comply with the Taft-Hartley bill

answer

C

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