Question 1

Identify the three congressional agencies and explain the function of each one.

Accepted Answer

The Government Accounting Office (GAO)is...

Question 2

Congress's inability to consistently provide leadership on broad national issues is due to

Accepted Answer

A)   the lack of talented leadership in Congress.
B)   the fragmented nature of Congress.
C)   constitutional restrictions on Congress's lawmaking powers.
D)   the constant threat of a presidential veto.
E)   opposition from the mass media.F) A) and D)
G) A) and C)

Question 3

In the 1970s,roll-call votes

Accepted Answer

A)   generally demonstrated the power of incumbents.
B)   generally demonstrated an increase in party loyalty.
C)   generally did not pit most Republicans against most Democrats.
D)   were less common than voice votes.
E)   were generally not used to record each member's vote.F) B) and E)
G) A) and C) C

Question 4

Compared to House incumbents,Senate incumbents are more likely to face the problem of

Accepted Answer

A)   raising enough money to run a strong campaign.
B)   an electorate that is inclined to judge their fitness for reelection in the context of pork-barrel legislation and other favors for the local community.
C)   a strong challenger.
D)   name recognition.
E)   All these answers are correct.F) A) and D)
G) A) and E)

Question 5

Which nation does NOT have a one-house dominant legislature?

Accepted Answer

A)   Canada
B)   Germany
C)   the United States
D)   Great Britain
E)   None of these answers is correct, as all these nations have one-house dominant legislatures.F) B) and E)
G) A) and C)

Question 6

A bill has been approved in the House and Senate,albeit in slightly different versions.The bill now goes to

Accepted Answer

A)   the president for his or her veto or signature.
B)   a conference committee.
C)   the standing committees in the House and Senate where the bill originated.
D)   the House Rules Committee.
E)   the Senate Rules Committee.F) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 7

Congressional staffers spend most of their time on

Accepted Answer

A)   constituency service and legislative matters.
B)   legislative matters.
C)   constituency service and public relations.
D)   legislative matters and constituency service.
E)   public relations.F) C) and E)
G) A) and B)

Question 8

A pocket veto differs from a regular presidential veto in that the pocket veto

Accepted Answer

A)   applies only to a section of the legislation in question.
B)   applies only to expenditure legislation.
C)   occurs when the president decides to veto a bill he had previously signed.
D)   can take effect only when the Congress is not in session.
E)   occurs when the president goes before Congress to announce a veto.F) A) and D)
G) A) and C) D

Question 9

News media coverage of Congress and the president is

Accepted Answer

A)   about equal in amount.
B)   heavily tilted toward presidential coverage.
C)   largely focused on Congress and its members.
D)   typically focused on areas where there is consensus between the two institutions.
E)   typically focused on areas where the House as opposed to the Senate is the leading chamber.F) C) and D)
G) All of the above

Question 10

Because of the inherent tension in Congress between the need for strong leadership at the top and the individual congressional member's need to act according to local concerns,

Accepted Answer

A)   Congress is unable to take effective action to counter the growth in the power of the president.
B)   power in the Congress is widely dispersed.
C)   power in the Congress is highly centralized in the Speaker and Senate president pro tempore.
D)   members of Congress prefer to address international issues because the tension between local and national issues is less substantial in this situation.
E)   Congress has been unable to take effective action to counter the growth in the power of the Supreme Court.F) B) and C)
G) A) and D)

Question 11

What is the strategy employed in the Senate to prevent a bill from coming to a vote?

Accepted Answer

A)   mark up
B)   filibuster
C)   cloture
D)   pocket veto
E)   conference committeeF) A) and B)
G) B) and E)

Question 12

Legislation whose tangible benefits are targeted solely at a particular legislator's constituency is

Accepted Answer

A)   pork-barrel legislation.
B)   logrolling.
C)   gerrymandering.
D)   private legislation.
E)   public interest legislation.F) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 13

What is the biggest reason that Congress does not vigorously pursue its oversight function?

Accepted Answer

A)   the sheer magnitude of the task
B)   its inadequacy as a means to control the bureaucracy
C)   its inadequacy as a means to control the power of the president
D)   its inadequacy as a way to generate publicity for members of Congress
E)   its inadequacy as a means to control the judiciaryF) C) and D)
G) B) and E)

Question 14

Congress typically takes presidential proposals

Accepted Answer

A)   only as a starting point.
B)   only if the dominant party is the same as the president's party.
C)   and most often fast-tracks them into law.
D)   and tables them until they expire.
E)   None of these answers is correct.F) B) and C)
G) A) and D)

Question 15

Bills are formally introduced in Congress by

Accepted Answer

A)   members of Congress only.
B)   executive agencies.
C)   interest groups.
D)   the Supreme Court.
E)   All these answers are correct.F) D) and E)
G) All of the above

Question 16

Most of the legislative work of Congress is performed by

Accepted Answer

A)   the standing committees and their subcommittees with jurisdiction over particular policy areas.
B)   the joint committees chosen to coordinate actions between the two chambers of Congress.
C)   the select committees chosen to study special problems on a temporary basis.
D)   the steering committees that decide how the party stands on particular bills.
E)   party leaders in both chambers.F) B) and D)
G) D) and E) A

Question 17

Campaign spending tends to be a much greater challenge for

Accepted Answer

A)   challengers and nonincumbents than for incumbents.
B)   Republican candidates.
C)   Democratic candidates.
D)   candidates in urban areas than for candidates in rural areas.
E)   men than for women.F) B) and E)
G) C) and D)

Question 18

A standing committee in the House or Senate

Accepted Answer

A)   is a permanent committee.
B)   has jurisdiction over a particular policy area.
C)   has authority to draft, amend, and recommend legislation.
D)   is usually organized according to the seniority principle.
E)   All these answers are correct.F) All of the above
G) None of the above

Question 19

The scheduling of bills in the Senate is left up to

Accepted Answer

A)   the Senate Scheduling Committee.
B)   the Senate majority leader.
C)   each of the Senate committees.
D)   the Senate historian.
E)   the Senate parliamentarian.F) B) and C)
G) A) and C)

Question 20

By and large,partisanship is

Accepted Answer

A)   irrelevant to the work of Congress.
B)   a huge source of both cohesion and division within Congress.
C)   relevant only in the context of local representation.
D)   important in lawmaking and representation but not in oversight.
E)   more important in foreign policy than in domestic policy.F) A) and C)
G) A) and E)

Exam 11: Congress: Balancing National Goals and Local Interests

Identify the three congressional agencies and explain the function of each one.

Correct AnswerverifiedThe Government Accounting Office (GAO)is...View AnswerShow Answer

Congress's inability to consistently provide leadership on broad national issues is due to

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In the 1970s,roll-call votes

Correct AnswerverifiedC

Compared to House incumbents,Senate incumbents are more likely to face the problem of

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which nation does NOT have a one-house dominant legislature?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A bill has been approved in the House and Senate,albeit in slightly different versions.The bill now goes to

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Congressional staffers spend most of their time on

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A pocket veto differs from a regular presidential veto in that the pocket veto

Correct AnswerverifiedD

News media coverage of Congress and the president is

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Because of the inherent tension in Congress between the need for strong leadership at the top and the individual congressional member's need to act according to local concerns,

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What is the strategy employed in the Senate to prevent a bill from coming to a vote?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Legislation whose tangible benefits are targeted solely at a particular legislator's constituency is

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What is the biggest reason that Congress does not vigorously pursue its oversight function?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Congress typically takes presidential proposals

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Bills are formally introduced in Congress by

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Most of the legislative work of Congress is performed by

Correct AnswerverifiedA

Campaign spending tends to be a much greater challenge for

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A standing committee in the House or Senate

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The scheduling of bills in the Senate is left up to

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

By and large,partisanship is

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct Answer
verified
The Government Accounting Office (GAO)is...
View Answer

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified
C

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified
D

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified
A

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified