Ch.3 legislative branch test PDF

Preview

Summary

Legislative Branch...

Description

AP Government and Politics – Unit 2 Interaction Among the Branches Chapter 3 The Legislative Branch Test

Answer each question by marking the corresponding answer in your google form.

Part 1: Congress – The Senate and the House of Representatives 1. Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate? Senate

House of Representatives A

Minority party members can threaten to filibuster a bill the majority party wants to pass.

The majority and minority parties control legislative rsscheduling and rules equally.

B

The Constitution’s framers intended it to reflect the will of the people.

The Constitution’s framers designed it to represent the interests of the states.

C

Most legislative work takes place in the standing committees.

Based on its size, it tends to have stricter rules affecting the legislative process.

D

Members serve two-year terms with a term limit of up to twelve years.

Members serve six-year terms with no term limits.

2. Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the rules for debate used by the United States House of Representatives an the United States Senate? House of Representatives

Senate

A

Debate is unlimited.

Debate is unlimited.

B

Members can filibuster.

Members cannot filibuster.

C

Debate is limited.

Members can filibuster.

D

Members cannot filibuster.

Only the majority leader can filibuster.

3. Which of the following is an example of Congress using its implied powers? A. Congress changing the tax code so that individuals making more than $350,000 per year have to pay higher taxes B. Congress requesting that the Supreme Court review the constitutionality of a state gun-control law C. Congress passing occupational safety regulations for the private sector D. Congress ratifying a new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada 4. Congressional legislative powers include all of the following EXCEPT A. legislating federal appropriations D. passing federal laws

B. approval of treaties E. pardoning felons

C. establishing a lower-court system

5. Enumerated powers of the federal government include all of the following EXCEPT the power to A. coin money

B. declare war

C. regulate interstate commerce

D. regulate intrastate commerce

6. Which of the following accurately compares the powers of Congress and the president? A

Congress Has Greater Control - Judicial appointments

B

Congress Has Greater Control – Budgetary policy

C

Congress Has Greater Control – The Bureaucracy

President Has Greater Control – Fiscal policy

D

Congress Has Greater Control – Military leadership

President Has Greater Control – Foreign treaties

President Has Greater Control – Foreign Policy P President Has Great Control – Cabinet appointments

E. Tax

7. Which of the following powers is shared by the House of Representatives and the Senate? A. Holding trials of impeachment D. Holding confirmation hearings

B. Establishing federal courts C. Approving treaties E. Approving major presidential appointments

In the last years presidential primacy, so indispensable to the political order, has turned into presidential supremacy. The constitutional Presidency—as events so apparently disparate as the Indochina War and the Watergate affair showed, has become the imperial Presidency and threatens to be the revolutionary Presidency. . . . The imperial Presidency was essentially the creation of foreign policy. A combination of doctrines and emotions—belief in the permanent and universal crisis, fear of communism, faith in the duty and right of the United States to intervene swiftly in every part of the world—had brought about the unprecedented centralization of decisions. Prolonged war in Vietnam strengthened the tendencies toward both centralization and exclusion. So the imperial Presidency grew at the expense of the constitutional order. Like the cowbird, it hatched its own eggs and pushed the others out of the nest. And, as it overwhelmed the traditional separation of powers in foreign affairs, it began to aspire toward an equivalent centralization of power in the domestic polity. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., The Imperial Presidency, 1973 8. Which of the following situations best reflects the author’s concern about an “imperial” presidency? A. The Senate ratifying treaties without executive approval B. The president issuing an increasing number of executive agreements C. Congress declaring war independent of the president D. The president appointing a new secretary of education 9. The term “bicameralism” refers to the A. establishment of two legislative chambers that have different structures and rules B. members of the House of Representatives having two-year terms C. president having veto power over both chambers of Congress D. members of the House and Senate having to appease their mutual constituencies E. checks that Congress has over the federal bureaucracy 10. Which of the following enumerated powers would permit Congress to stimulate the economy by hiring unemployed citizens? A. The power to create immigration policies B. The power to regulate interstate commerce C. The power to pass a federal budget D. The power of legislative oversight 11. Most of the bills introduced in the House and the Senate are then A. passed by one chamber but not the other B. passed by both chambers but vetoed by the President C. referred to committee but never sent to the full Congress D. voted down during the amendment stage of the floor debate E. killed in the Rules Committee 12. Most of the work of legislating in Congress takes place in A. joint committees E. standing committees

B. ad hoc committees

C. select committees

D. conference committees

Part 2: Structures, Powers, and Functions of Congress 13 . “Pork barrel” legislation helps the reelection chances of a member of Congress because such legislation A. gives the member of Congress national standing and coverage on national television news B. helps earn the member of Congress a reputation for service to his or her district C. attracts campaign contributions from ideological political action committees (PACs) D. prevents other candidates from claiming that the member of Congress is too liberal for his or her district E. requires the member of Congress to travel extensively

14. A "cloture motion" passed in the Senate does which of the following?

A. Returns a bill to committee. B. Cuts off debate on a bill. D. Removes a President who has been impeached by the House. committee approval.

C. Criticizes a senator guilty of improprieties. E. Brings a bill directly to a vote without formal

15. A committee chair in the House of Representatives is always A. the member with the longest service on the committee C. a representative of the Speaker E. a trusted ally of the President

B. the member with the longest service in the House D. a member of the majority party in the chamber

16. Of the following, which is the most powerful figure in Congress? A. The Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee C. The Minority Whip of the Senate E. The Chair of the Senate Finance Committee

B. The Speaker of the House D. The Majority Whip of the House

17. The committee system is more important in the House than in the Senate because A. the seniority system plays no role in the House and therefore committees must play a larger role B. the Constitution mandates the type of committee structure in the House C. committee members are appointed by the President D. the House is so large that more work can be accomplished in committees than on the floor E. the majority party in the House prefers to give priority to the work of the committees 18. The congressional system of standing committees is significant because it A. fosters the development of expertise by members B. helps Congress reduce staff costs C. insulates decision-making from the influence of special interests D. weakens Congress in its dealings with the President E. prevents Congress from effectively processing its large legislative workload 19. The Constitution states that all revenue bills must originate in A. White House budget resolution C. the United States Senate E. the Office of Management and Budget

B. the Congressional Budget Office D. the United States House of Representatives

20. The details of legislation are usually worked out in which of the following settings? A. a party caucus E. A subcommittee

B. The majority leader’s office

C. The floor of the House

D. Legislative hearings

21. The House Rules Committee is an important part of the legislative process because it A. determines ethics rules for members’ conduct B. determines whether a bill should be referred to a policy committee for consideration C. determines the terms and conditions of debate when a bill goes to the House floor D. has the authority to limit the Speaker and Minority leader in their use of patronage E. negotiates compromises on bills with the Senate Rules Committee 22. A difference between the House of Representatives and the Senate is that in the House A. legislative activity on the floor is more constrained by rules B. committees are less important in the decision-making process C. junior members have more influence over legislative decisions D. party leaders are less powerful E. bills are more likely to be amended on the floor 23. A member of the House of Representatives who wishes to be influential in the House itself would most likely seek a place on which of the following committees? A. Agriculture Veterans’ Affairs

B. International Relations

24. An example of a discretionary item in the federal budget is

C. Transportation and Infrastructure

D. Rules

E.

A. interest on the public debt D. veterans’ pensions

B. spending on national parks E. liquidation of prior obligations

C. Social Security payments

25. Congressional standing committees are best described as A. specially appointed investigative bodies C. committees created for each session E. advisory staff agencies

B. joint committees of the two houses of Congress D. permanent subject-matter committees

26. A person claiming that the House can pass legislation with a simple majority, but the Senate is unlikely to pass legislation unless a bill has the support of a 60-vote supermajority is most likely to cite which of the following institutional differences as the cause of this trend? A. The House has fewer legislative committees than the Senate does. B. Members of the House often represent a much narrower constituency than senators do. C. Party leadership in the House is highly formalized, while leadership in the Senate is much more informal. D. The House has strict limits on debate, while the Senate allows unlimited debate. 27. Debate of a bill in the House of Representatives under a “closed rule” means that A. the bill can only be amended by section B. debate on the bill will consist of five-minute speeches, pro and con C. only senior members are allowed to participate D. amendments to the bill cannot be offered E. the bill must be approved by two-thirds of the House 28. Federal benefits that must be funded by Congress and must be paid to all citizens who meet eligibility criteria are called A. discretionary appropriations D. distributive benefits

B. individual entitlements E. continuing appropriations

C. tax expenditures

29. Federal spending for which of the following is determined by laws that lie outside the regular budgetary process? A. Military procurement B. Regulatory agency funding D. Educational assistance programs such as student loans

C. Government-subsidized housing programs E. Entitlement programs such as Social Security

30. If Congress wanted to effect a change in the Social Security payroll tax, to what congressional committee would the task initially be assigned? A. House Appropriations Committee B. Senate Appropriations Committee Committee D. House Rules Committee E. Senate Finance Committee

C. House Ways and Means

31. The largest source of federal revenue is the A. capital gains tax

B. Social Security tax

C. property tax

D. income tax

E. sales tax

32. Which of the following are differences between the legislative process in the House of Representatives and that in the Senate? A. Debate is more restricted on the House floor than on the Senate floor. B. The amendment process is more restricted in the House than in the Senate. C. Bills are more likely to bypass committee consideration in the House than in the Senate. D. A Rules Committee sets the guidelines for floor debate in the House but not in the Senate. A. III only

B. I and II only

C. II and IV only

D. I, II, and IV only

E. I, II, III, and IV

33. Much of the steady increase in federal government expenditures since 1960 has been caused by A. increases in entitlement programs C. the provisions of the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act foreign investors

34. Nominations to the Supreme Court must be approved by a

B. higher interest rates caused by an increase in the discount rate D. increased purchases of United States government securities by E. the growth of the United States trade imbalance

A. simple majority vote in the Senate only B. simple majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate C. two-thirds vote in the House of Representatives only D. two-thirds vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate E. two-thirds vote in the House of Representatives and the Senate and a majority of the sitting justices on the Supreme Court Part 3: Congressional Behavior 35. Advocates of shifting the task of drawing United States House districts from state legislatures to independent commissions are likely to claim which of the following as an advantage of independent commissions? A. House districts drawn by independent commissions are immune from challenges by the United States Department of Justice. B. Independent commissions are more likely to create majority-minority districts where they are appropriate. C. Independent commissions significantly reduce the influence of partisan gerrymandering in the redistricting process. D. Independent commissions are more likely to create districts where minor parties can be victorious. E. Independent commissions are more able to draw legislative districts that comply with the one person, one vote standard. 36. Which of the following statements accurately summarizes the reasoning for the decision in Baker v. Carr (1962)? A. Because rural districts had fewer people, representation was unevenly distributed; thus, Baker was denied equal protection under the law. B. To ensure equal protection under the law, there should be an equal number of rural and urban districts in a state. C. There should be redistricting every ten years at the federal level, but the state can choose not to redistrict at the state and local levels. D. Congressional redistricting must involve traditionally excluded groups in the process or it violates the equal protection clause. 37. Congressional district boundaries are usually redrawn every ten years by the A. Bureau of the Census E. Federal Election Commission

B. state legislatures

C. President

D. House Rules Committee

38. Elections for the House of Representative provide A. approximately equal representation for every voter B. an equal chance of getting elected for both incumbents and challengers C. a system in which only those candidates who receive a majority of the votes cast win on the first ballot D. proportional representation based on the percentage of votes cast for each party E. proportional representation of racial and ethnic minorities 39. Members of Congress who have adopted the delegate role of representation normally cast their votes based on which of the following? A. The preferences of the majority of their constituents B. Their judgment of what is best for their constituency C. The instructions of their political party’s leadership D. Their political party’s most recent policy platform E. The advice of congressional staffers and political consultants 40. Which of the following describes the ruling in Shaw v. Reno (1993)? A. The Voting Rights Act was ruled unconstitutional. C. Racial gerrymandering was ruled unconstitutional.

B. The poll tax was eliminated. D. It was decided that congressional districts needed to be equal in size.

41. The voting patterns of members of Congress correlate most strongly with A. the population density of their districts D. their political party affiliation

B. their economic background E. the location of their districts

42. Which of the following best describes gerrymandering?

C. their educational level

A. The party in power wins four or five surrounding districts by very small margins. B. The Supreme Court requires that state legislatures must adopt the doctrine of one person, one vote. C. The party in control of the state legislature draws district boundaries in such a way as to favor its own candidates in subsequent elections. D. By polling voters, party officials are able to determine how citizens will vote. E. The public decides which issues are most important and tells the elected officials how to vote on specific bills. 43. Which of the following is the most likely consequence of divided government? A. Reorganization of the federal bureaucracy C. Delays in confirmation of federal court nominees E. Elimination of the seniority rule in Congress

B. Conflicts between states D. Conflicts between national government and states

44. Which of the following scenarios is an example of the trustee model of representation? A. The NAACP leadership sends representatives to Washington to lobby for changes to the Voting Rights Act. B. Congress passes a bill allocating money to clean up nuclear waste sites after a wave of large-scale peaceful protests. C. A member of Congress votes to close a popular tax loophole based on the belief that the money would be better spent paying down the national debt. D. A presidential candidate advocates using an executive order to increase the minimum wage for federal contractors. 45. Which of the following statements about Congress is true? A. Members of Congress only occasionally are interested in and pay attention to constituents. B. The legislative process is frequently lengthy, decentralized, and characterized by compromise and bargaining. C. Lobbyists and political action committees (PAC's) successfully induce most members of Congress to trade their votes for campaign contributions. D. The growth in the size of Congress as an organization is the principal cause of growth in the federal budget deficit. E. Debate in both houses is structured by elaborate rules enacted by leaders of the majority party. 46. Which of the following Supreme Court cases involved the principle of “one person, one vote”? A. Baker v. Carr

B. Roe v .Wade

C. Mapp v. Ohio

D. Korematsu v United States

E. Gideon v Wainwright

47. If legislation passes in both the House of Representatives and the Senate but each version is slightly different, the conflicting bills are sent to A. a standi...