Chapter 10: Congress

Question 1

The nation’s Founders envisioned Congress as the

Answer 1

Most powerful branch of the federal government

Question 2

Article I gives Congress the power to

Answer 2

1) Levy taxes, borrow and spend money
2) Regulate interstate commerce
3) Establish a national money supply
4) Declare war, raise and support
5) Establish a court system, and pass all laws

Question 3

Senate

Answer 3

Ratifies treaties, confirms president’s judicial and executive nomination

Question 4

If no presidential candidate receives a majority of electoral college votes, the

Answer 4

House of Representatives selects the president

Question 5

Congress obstructs presidential policy initiatives rather than

Answer 5

Assume policy leadership itself

Question 6

No law can be passed, and no money can be spent unless

Answer 6

Both the House and the Senate pass the identical laws

Question 7

The House, with its two years terms, was designed to be

Answer 7

More responsive to the people

Question 8

All revenue-raising bills

Answer 8

Originate in the House

Question 9

The Senate serves

Answer 9

Six-years terms, and is the most prestigious body

Question 10

Congress’s exclusive constitutional power to

Answer 10

Authorize expenditures by all agencies of the federal government

Question 11

Presidents initiate

Answer 11

Taxing and spending, but Congress has the last word

Question 12

Congress exercises its greatest influence over national policy through

Answer 12

Appropriations bills (bills authorizing specific expenditures)

Question 13

Congress influences military affairs, foreign affairs, and foreign aid through

Answer 13

Appropriations bills

Question 14

Oversight: Congressional monitoring of the activities of executive branch agencies to determine if the

Answer 14

Laws are being faithfully executed

Question 15

The House has the authority to

Answer 15

Bring charges of impeachment by a simple majority vote

Question 16

The Senate conducts a trial and can remove the president by

Answer 16

Obtaining a two-thirds majority vote

Question 17

Constituencies

Answer 17

The group of people the member of Congress represents

Question 18

Apportionment: Every ten years, the 435 seats of the House of Representatives are

Answer 18

Distributed among the states based on population changes

Question 19

Redistricting

Answer 19

A process in which states gain or lose seats or states with population shifts within the states redraw their district boundaries to reflect these population changes

Question 20

Gerrymandering

Answer 20

The drawing of districting lines for political advantage

Question 21

Gerrymandering has been used by parties in control of the

Answer 21

State legislature to maximize their seats in Congress and state legislature

Question 22

The Constitution requires

Answer 22

House members are residents of the state but not the district they represent, a U.S citizens for at least 7 years, and at least 25 years old

Question 23

Senate members are required to

Answer 23

Be residents of the state they represent; be at least 30 years old and U.S citizens for at least 9 years

Question 24

From 1954-1994, Democrats enjoyed

Answer 24

A majority in the House and for most of this period in the Senate

Question 25

In 1994, the Democrats regained

Answer 25

Majorities in the House and the Senate

Question 26

Party loyalty and incumbent are

Answer 26

More important for congressional candidates than for presidential candidates

Question 27

The Constitution calls for the members of the House of Representatives to

Answer 27

Select a Speaker of the House and the vice-president of the U.S to preside over the Senate

Question 28

The Vice President of the Senate casts

Answer 28

A tie-breaking vote when needed

Question 29

Congressional Leadership (House of Representatives)

Answer 29

1) House of Representative
2) Speaker of the House
3) Majority Leader
4) Minority Leader
5) Majority and Minority Whips

Question 30

Congressional Leadership (Senate)

Answer 30

1) Vice President is the presiding officer
2) Majority Leader
3) Minority Leader
4) Majority and Minority Whips

Question 31

Speaker of the House chosen by the

Answer 31

Majority party members and sees that legislation moves through the House

Question 32

When bills are complex, Bills with more than one subject

Answer 32

The speaker determines which committee it will go to

Question 33

Determines when the House will

Answer 33

Vote on a bill and who will speak on the floor

Question 34

Majority leader

Answer 34

Is the real leader in the Senate and duties similar to the Speaker of the House

Question 35

Standing committees are

Answer 35

Permanent committees that deal with a specialized policy area:
1) The House has 21 committees in total (40-60 members each)
2) The Senate has 20 committees in total (15-25 members each)

Question 36

Standing committees between 8000-10000 or more bills are

Answer 36

Introduced into Congress each session, and only 400-800 are passed in a session (2 years)

Question 37

The major function of committees is the

Answer 37

Screening and drafting of legislation

Question 38

The content of a bill usually

Answer 38

Determine where it will go

Question 39

In general, the proportion of Democrats and Republicans in the committees reflect

Answer 39

Their proportion in the House and the Senate as a whole

Question 40

Most legislation introduced in Cong is referred to a

Answer 40

Standing committee and then to a subcommittee

Question 41

In the subcommittee, a bill may be rewritten in the

Answer 41

Markup stage

Question 42

The bill is then sent back to the

Answer 42

Standing committee, which may hold hearings and vote on a bill

Question 43

Committees

Answer 43

1) Most bills die in committees
2) Some are voted down
3) Most are ignored

Question 44

A discharge petition is required in

Answer 44

The House to force a bill out of a committee that opposes it

Question 45

Successful discharge petitions require

Answer 45

The Signature of 218 House members

Question 46

If successful, a vote is then taken

Answer 46

On the House floor

Question 47

The House Rules Committees: Before a bill goes to the House floor for a vote,

Answer 47

The Rules Committee decides whether to forbid amendments, allow specified amendments, or allow unlimited amendment

Question 48

In the Senate, there is no

Answer 48

Rules Committee

Question 49

The Senate relies on

Answer 49

Unanimous consent agreement negotiated by the majority and minority leaders of the Senate specifies when a bill will be taken up on the floor, what amendments will be considered, and when a vote will be taken

Question 50

The chair community is

Answer 50

The leader and most influential member

Question 51

The chair is selected by the seniority system

Answer 51

The member with the longest service on the majority side of the committee becomes it chair

Question 52

Committees help Cong consider

Answer 52

The vast number of bills each year and it will allows its member to become specialized

Question 53

However, evaluating committees allows

Answer 53

Special interests more influence and fragmentation makes it harder to get things done

Question 54

Filibuster is

Answer 54

A continuous speech made by one or more members to prevent the Senate from taking action

Question 55

Cloture Vote is used to

Answer 55

End filibusters and requires three-fifths of the senators (60) to agree to limit the debate 100 more hours

Question 56

The House and the Senate must

Answer 56

Pass an identical bill before it becomes law

Question 57

The Conference Committee resolves differences in

Answer 57

The House and the Senate version of the same bill

Question 58

A majority of each house must approve of

Answer 58

The Committee’s version before it will be forwarded to the President