Chapter 10

Question 0

Power of the purse

Answer 0

Congress’s exclusive constitutional power to authorize expenditures by all agencies of the federal government

Question 1

Bicameral

Answer 1

Any legislative body that consists of two separate chambers or houses; in the United States, the Senate represents 50 statewide voter constituencies, and the House of Representatives represents voters in separate districts.

Question 2

Oversight

Answer 2

Congressional monitoring of the activities of executive branch agencies to determine if the laws are being faithfully executed

Question 3

Advice and consent

Answer 3

The constitutional power of the US Senate to reject or ratify (by two thirds vote) treaties made by the president

Question 4

Confirmation

Answer 4

The constitutionally required consent of the Senate to appointments of high level executive officials by the president and appointments of federal judges

Question 5

Congressional hearings

Answer 5

Congressional committee sessions in which members listen to witnesses who provide information and opinions on matters of interest to the committee, including pending legislation

Question 6

Congressional investigation

Answer 6

Congressional committee hearings on alleged misdeeds or scandals

Question 7

apportionment

Answer 7

The allocation of legislative seats to jurisdictions based on population. Seats in the US House of Representatives are apportioned to the states on the basis of their population after every 10 year Census

Question 8

Malapportionment

Answer 8

Unequal numbers of people in legislative districts resulting in inequality of voter representation

Question 9

Redistricting

Answer 9

Drawing of legislative district boundary lines following each 10 year census

Question 10

Gerrymandering

Answer 10

Drawing district boundary lines for political advantage

Question 11

Packing

Answer 11

Redistricting in which partisan voters are concentrated in a single district, “wasting” their majority vote and allowing the opposition to win by modest majorities in other districts

Question 12

Open seat

Answer 12

Seat in a legislature for which no incumbent is running for reelection

Question 13

Safe seat

Answer 13

Legislative districts in which the incumbent regularly wins by a large margin of the vote

Question 14

Turnover

Answer 14

Replacement of members of Congress by retirement or resignation, reapportionment, or (more rarely) by electoral defeat

Question 15

GAO-Government accountability office

Answer 15

An arm of Congress that undertakes oversight of the operations and finances of executive agencies as well as performing policy research and evaluation

Question 16

Pork barrelling

Answer 16

Legislation designed to make government benefits including jobs and protects used as political patronage, flow to a particular district or state

Question 17

Franking Privilege

Answer 17

Free use of the US mail is granted to members of Congress to promote communication with constituents