AP Government & Politics CH. 11 & 13 Unit Exam b. Joint d. pork barrel

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1 AP Government & Politics CH. 11 & 13 Unit Exam 1. committees exist in both the House and Senate, may be temporary or permanent, and usually have a focused responsibility. a. Conference d. Standing b. Joint e. Temporal c. Select/Special 2. The term refers to federal projects, grants, and contracts available to state and local governments, businesses, colleges, and other institutions in a congressional district; it provides congresspersons with a means of servicing their constituencies. a. big dig d. pork barrel b. casework e. red tape c. credit claiming 3. Which statement is true of the House of Representatives? a. Members are elected every two years and apportioned to states based on geographic size. b. Members are elected every two years and apportioned to states based on population. c. Members are elected every four years and apportioned to states based on geographic size. d. Members are elected every four years and apportioned to states based on population. e. Members are elected every six years and apportioned to states based on population. 4. A is a group of members of Congress who share some interest or characteristic; their goal is to promote the interests around which they are formed. a. caucus d. conference b. college e. convention c. committee 5. organize hearings, research legislative options, draft reports on bills, write legislation, and keep tabs on the activities of the executive branch. a. Committee Staffers d. Senior representatives and senators b. Congressional pages e. Staff agencies c. Personal staffers 6. The makes economic projections about the performance of the economy, the costs of proposed policies, and the economic effects of taxing and spending alternatives. a. Congressional Budget Office d. House Ways and Means Committee b. Congressional Research Service e. Senate Banking Committee c. Government Accountability Office 7. Members of Congress differ from the larger American population in they are disproportionately. a. socially conservative and fiscally liberal b. socially liberal and fiscally conservative c. socially and fiscally moderate d. white, upper-middle-class, middle-aged, and male e. white, upper-middle-class, Protestant, and female

2 8. "Pork" legislation may aid the district of a member of Congress by. a. diverting unallocated funds to the service sector b. increasing jobs and revenue with federally funded projects c. increasing revenue through private market investment d. taxing corporations less so they provide health insurance for employees e. taxing waste producers more to pay for environmental cleanup 9. is the only formal method for ending filibusters (that are not nomination confirmations) and requires the approval of senators. a. Abrogation, fifty-one d. Cloture, fifty-one b. Abrogation, sixty e. Cloture, sixty c. Censure, sixty 10. is defined as the activities of members of Congress that help constituents as individuals, particularly by cutting through bureaucratic red tape. a. Apportionment d. Personalizing b. Casework e. Pork c. Logrolling 11. No bill can be passed unless both House and Senate agree on it; each body can thus the policies of the other. a. vacate d. vindicate b. verify e. violate c. veto 12. Most of the real work of Congress goes on in, which dominate congressional policymaking in all its stages. a. caucuses d. hearings b. committees e. "mark-ups" c. conferences 13. Congressional whips serve what main function? a. act as official spokespersons for their chambers b. help the Speaker schedule proposed legislation for debate c. meet with members of the executive cabinet d. persuade party members to tow the party line e. serve as personal assistants to the majority and minority leaders 14. Partisan occurs when members of both parties move away from the moderate middle and share increasingly less common ground. a. conservatism d. polarization b. divergence e. popularization c. ideology

3 15. Which example best demonstrates a legislator acting as a trustee of his or her constituency? a. A legislator considers public opinion, refining it with information and careful thought. b. A legislator does whatever is best for his or her reelection. c. A legislator follows the public opinion of his or her constituency, in all cases. d. A legislator heeds public opinion in every case, except in matters of personal conscience. e. A legislator always follows his or her conscience regardless of public opinion or political consequences. 16. Bicameralism means that a legislative body is one a. with two houses, providing checks and balances on policymaking. b. in which each state has two senators, providing equal representation of the states. c. in which incumbents have a better chance of being reelected, providing continuity in policymaking. d. that must share power with a president, providing more efficient policymaking. e. in which there are only two political parties. 17. The committee system is more important in the House than in the Senate because a. the seniority system plays a large 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. One of the key differences between the House and the Senate is that the House a. has weaker party leadership d. is less centralized b. is more influential on foreign affairs e. is less institutionalized c. has more policy specialization 19. Which of the following is a unique power held by members of the Senate? a. Control of the veto d. The ability to impeach the president b. Control of the appropriations process e. The ability to work with a clearly defined constituency c. The ability to filibuster 20. The informal organization of common interests within Congress is referred to as a a. Subcommittees d. Caucuses b. Select committees e. Iron triangle c. Issue networks 21. What happens to representation in Congress as the population increases? a. The total number of representatives in Congress goes up b. The number of people each member represents increases c. States with a large population will continue to gain seats in Congress d. States will be forced to abandon single-member districts e. A constitutional amendment providing for term limits will be go into effect

4 22. 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 23. Debate of a bill in the House of Representatives or Senate under a closed rule means that: a. the bill can only be amended by section b. debate on the bill will consist of 5 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 2/3 of the House 24. The advantage of incumbency in congressional elections includes which of the following? I. Incumbents receive more campaign contributions than do challengers. II. Incumbents are able to provide important services for individual voters. III. The government provides campaign funds for incumbents. IV. The President usually endorses incumbents for reelection. V. Most American voters believe Congress does a good job a. I and II only d. II, III, and V only b. III and IV only e. III, IV and V only c. I, IV, and V only 25. Which of the following statements about the rules of procedure in the House and Senate is correct? a. Debate by a determined minority in either chamber cannot be halted b. The rules in each chamber are determined by the majority whip c. The rules are specified in Article I of the Constitution d. The rules can be changed by the President in times of national emergency e. The House operates by more formal rules, while the Senate operates on informal understandings. 26. Compared to members of the House, senators are: a. more likely to have personal contact with their constituents b. more likely to face difficult challengers during their re-election c. less likely to face difficult challengers during their re-election d. more partisan and willing to stick by their party leaders e. less likely to receive national news coverage 27. Which of the following House committees is responsible for setting the agenda for legislation coming to the floor? A. Rules Committee D. The Policy Committee B. Ways and Means Committee E. The Armed Services Committee C. Appropriations Committee

5 28. Which of the following is true of a presidential veto of a piece of legislation? a. It is rarely overridden by Congress. b. It is not binding unless supported by the cabinet. c. It can only be sustained on revenue bills. d. It is automatically reviewed by the United States Supreme Court. e. It is subject to approval by a congressional committee. 29. Fiscal policies refer to the government s power to a. regulate specific industries d. control the supply of money b. tax and spend e. enforce treaties c. reapportion congressional seats 30. Entitlement programs are: A. government programs that provide benefits to people who are entitled to them since they meet eligibly criteria set by law. B. federal programs that states can receive if they qualify by law. C. federal programs deemed constitutional and mandatory by the Supreme Court D. all government programs designed to ensure minorities get equal protection under the law. E. annual appropriation bills passed by Congress and sent to the president for passage. 31. Over the past 30 years, which of the following areas has shown the greatest increase in budgetary spending? a. The defense budget d. Income Security Expenditures b. Federal judiciary e. Discretionary spending c. Federal grants 32. Which of the following institution is given the constitutional power of appropriations? a. Office of Management & Budget d. Executive Agencies b. President e. Congressional Budget Office c. Congress 33. Government spending on defense, education and foreign aid is known as a. revenues e. Foreign expenditures b. uncontrollable expenditures d. expenditures c. Entitlement programs 34. Congress tries to control the bureaucracy through a. rewriting laws and budgets and holding hearing b. the use of executive orders and appointments c. deregulation of major industries d. the creation of iron triangles e. striking down its powers through court decisions against the bureaucracy 35. Congress drafts a budget resolution establishing a total expenditure level prior to making the actual budget. a. True b. False

Chapter 7. Congress. American Government 2006 Edition To accompany Comprehensive, Alternate, Texas, and Essentials Editions O Connor and Sabato

Chapter 7. Congress. American Government 2006 Edition To accompany Comprehensive, Alternate, Texas, and Essentials Editions O Connor and Sabato Chapter 7 Congress American Government 2006 Edition To accompany Comprehensive, Alternate, Texas, and Essentials Editions O Connor and Sabato The Constitution and the Legislative Branch of the Government