Chapter 11 quiz study guide

Question 1

why is it difficult for congress to make policy

Answer 1

a) Congress must worry about voter’s preferences, so it engages in arguments on important issues
b) Congress does not choose the president, so there is no guarantee a bill will become lawd)
Congress is bicameral, and a bill must pass both houses
e) each member of Congress faces reelections, and the interests of the members of his or her district must be considered

Question 2

in terms of composition of congress what has changed since 1950

Answer 2

a more ideological and partisan House.

Question 3

What would cause a Congressman or Senator to want to get reelected?

Answer 3

representation of their state and reelection rate is 90% higher

Question 4

How are committee chairmanships chosen?

Answer 4

by the majority party caucus, based on seniority

Question 5

5. What is the difference between a standing, joint, select, conference, and oversight committee?

Answer 5

Standing committees are permanent subject-matter committees, formed to handle bills in different policy areas.Joint committees are study committees that exist in a few policy areas, with membership drawn from both the Senate and the House.Conference committees are formed to work out the differences when different versions of a bill are passed by the two houses. Membership is drawn from both houses.Select committees are temporary committees appointed for a specific (“select”) purpose, such as the Senate select committee that looked into Watergate.

Question 6

What does the House Rules Committee do?

Answer 6

• unique powerful position (gatekeeper power)
• determines the terms on which legislation withh reach the floor
• sets the time limit of the debate time for a bill
• decides whether and how a bill may be amended

Question 7

What does a filibuster do? What does it mean by cloture vote? What must a party have to vote on cloture?

Answer 7

The filibuster is a technique used in the Senate to prolong debate in order to kill a bill.To cut off debate and end a filibuster is known as cloture. Senators have to vote 2/3

Question 8

Revenue bills must start where? (House or Senate)

Answer 8

house of representatives

Question 9

9. Where does most of the work of Congress take place?

Answer 9

in committees

Question 10

a divided government

Answer 10

One party controls the White House and one party controls one or both houses of government.

Question 11

What leader has the most power in the Senate?

Answer 11

majority leader

Question 12

What does the steering and Policy Committee do?

Answer 12

schedules legislation and assigns House representatives of the minority party to committees

Question 13

What is the difference between the House and Senate when it comes to Rules committees?

Answer 13

The House Rules Committee reviews most bills coming from committee before they go to the full House

Question 14

The process by which a filibuster is ended in the Senate is known as…

Answer 14

cloture

Question 15

15. Where will the final version of a bill be written?

Answer 15

Conference committee

Question 16

1. a. Identify and explain TWO ways party leaders (Speaker, president pro tempore of the Senate, majority and minority leaders, and whips) influence members of their party in Congress.

Answer 16

1. Speaker of the House decides which bills assigned to which committees. Depending on committee, this decision can pass/kill a bill.
2. Assigns members to committees. Their political careers, opportunities for press coverage, and chances of helping their states all depend on which committee they are assigned

Question 17

1 way that makes it difficult for party leader to influence members

Answer 17

Members want to be re-elected; Sometimes they vote based on their constituents, and not their party

Question 18

incumbency advantage

Answer 18

The incumbency advantage is there because you already know what your are getting when you vote for them.

Question 19

rate of reelection for both house members and senate

Answer 19

90% for house and 90% for senate

Question 20

reason for high reelection rate

Answer 20

1. Limited Party Competition
2. Service Strategy
3. Allowance
4. Fund-raising advantage
5. Redistricting: Some House incumbents benefit from reapportionment in redistricting, as their party (if it control the sate) can use “gerrymandering” to redraw district boundaries to favor its candidates.