Chapter 12 Test

Question 1

How many Representatives in the House are there?

Answer 1

435

Question 2

What are the qualifications for a House Rep?

Answer 2

At least age 25 and U.S. citizens for 7 years

Question 3

What are the qualifications for a Senator?

Answer 3

At least age 30 and U.S. citizens for 9 years.

Question 4

Why Aren’t There More Women in Congress?

Answer 4

• Fewer women than men become major party nominees for office.
• Women with children run for office less than men because of child care responsibilities.
• Women are less likely than are men to run when they perceive their odds to be poor.

Question 5

Why is there greater competition in the Senate?

Answer 5

• an entire state is almost always more diverse than a congressional district and thus provides more of a base for opposition to an incumbent.
• Senators have less personal contact with their constituents and receive more coverage in the media than representatives do (and are therefore more likely to be held accountable on controversial issues).
• Senators tend to draw more visible challengers who are already known to voters and who have substantial financial backing.

Question 6

What are advantages of incumbency?

Answer 6

Advertising – Ads in newspapers and on television.
Credit Claiming – Servicing the constituency through casework and pork barrel.
Position Taking – Voting and responding to constituents’ questions.
Weak Opponents – Not well known or well qualified and lack experience and organizational and financial backing.
Campaign Spending – The typical incumbent outspent the typical challenger by a ratio of more than 3 to 1 in Congressional races in 2008.

Question 7

What does the pork barrel refer to?

Answer 7

expenditures on federal projects, grants, and contracts for cities, businesses, colleges, and institutions

Question 8

What did the framers intend the Senate to be?

Answer 8

The framers of the Constitution thought the Senate would protect elite interests.

Question 9

What powers did the framers give the House?

Answer 9

They gave the House (which they expected to be closest to the masses) the power of initiating all revenue bills and of impeaching officials;

Question 10

What powers did the framers give the Senate?

Answer 10

they gave the Senate the responsibility for ratifying all treaties, for confirming important presidential nominations, and for trying impeached officials.

Question 11

Describe House Rules Committee

Answer 11

The committee in the House that reviews most bills coming from a House committee before they go to the full House; responsive to the House leadership because the Speaker of the House appoints the committee’s members.

Question 12

Describe a filibuster

Answer 12

A strategy unique to the Senate whereby opponents of a piece of legislation use their right to unlimited debate to prevent the Senate from ever voting on a bill.
Sixty members present and voting can halt a filibuster.

Question 13

How can you end a filibuster?

Answer 13

60 members present and voting can halt a filibuster by invoking cloture (closure) on debate.

Question 14

What are the Speaker of the House’s powers?

Answer 14

presides over the House when it is in session; plays a major role in making committee assignments; appoints or plays a key role in appointing the party’s legislative leaders and the party leadership staff; exercises substantial control over which bills get assigned to which committees.

Question 15

What is the majority leader’s job?

Answer 15

responsible for rounding up votes on party legislation and for scheduling bills in the House.

Question 16

Define Whips

Answer 16

responsible for rounding up votes on party legislation and for scheduling bills in the House

Question 17

What are standing committees?

Answer 17

Subject matter committees that handle bills in different policy areas.

Question 18

What are joint committees?

Answer 18

includes members of both chambers to conduct studies or perform housekeeping tasks

Question 19

What are conference committees?

Answer 19

Formed when the Senate and the House pass a bill in different forms to iron out the differences and bring back a single bill.

Question 20

What are select committees?

Answer 20

Created for a specific purpose, such as the Watergate investigation

Question 21

What is legislative oversight?

Answer 21

the process of monitoring the bureaucracy and its administration of policy—is one of the checks Congress can exercise on the executive branch; Members of committees constantly monitor how a bill is implemented. The process enables Congress to exert pressure on executive agencies, or even to cut their budgets in order to secure compliance with congressional wishes.

Question 22

Describe role of committee chair

Answer 22

Dominant role in scheduling hearings, hiring staff, appointing subcommittees, and managing committee bills on the floor.

Question 23

Congressional Staff

Answer 23

Personal staff – They provide constituent service and help with legislation.
Committee staff – They organize hearings, and research and write legislation.
Staff Agencies – CRS, GAO, and CBO provide specific information to Congress.

Question 24

Staff Agencies

Answer 24

The first is the Congressional Research Service (CRS), administered by the Library of Congress.
The CRS uses researchers, many with advanced degrees and highly developed expertise, to respond to more than 250,000 requests yearly for information.
The General Accounting Office (GAO), with more than 3,200 employees, helps Congress perform its oversight functions by reviewing the activities of the executive branch to see if it is following the congressional intent of laws and by investigating the efficiency and effectiveness of policy implementation.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analyzes the president’s budget and makes economic projections about the performance of the economy, the costs of proposed policies, and the economic effects of taxing and spending alternatives.

Question 25

How does a bill become a law?

Answer 25

Bill Introduction – By a member.
Committee Action – Subcommittee hearings and committee rewrites.
Floor Action – Votes, debates, and amendments offered.
Conference Action – Compromise bill to iron out differences.
Presidential Decision – Sign bill into law or veto bill.

Question 26

Describe trustee theory of representation

Answer 26

using their best judgment to make policy in the interests of the people.

Question 27

instructed delegates?

Answer 27

representatives to mirror the preferences of their constituents

Question 28

politicos

Answer 28

combining the trustee and instructed delegate roles as they attempt to be both representatives and policymakers.

Question 29

quorum

Answer 29

The Constitution specifies that a majority of
members constitutes a quorum to do
business.
 The rules of each house provide that a
quorum is assumed to be present unless a
quorum call demonstrates the contrary.

Question 30

The Constitution, however, requires a
recorded vote on the demand of _______
of the members present.

Answer 30

1/5

Question 31

In the Senate, how is a bill introduced?

Answer 31

Bill formerly read
aloud on floor
• Bill then given
to clerk
• Referred to
committee by
Steering
Committee

Question 32

In the House, how is a bill introduced?

Answer 32

Bill dropped in hopper
• Referred to committee
by the Speaker

Question 33

How is floor action conducted in the Senate?

Answer 33

Party leaders schedule
bills for floor debate on
the calendar
• Unlimited debate
• Filibuster - member(s)
keep talking to block
debate on a bill
• Cloture vote by 3/5 of
Senators (60) can end
filibuster

Question 34

How is floor action conducted in the House?

Answer 34

Rules Committee schedules bills on calendar &
decides whether amendments may be added
• Limited debate

Question 35

What are Congress’ 7 important functions?

Answer 35

1. Representation- expressing the diversity and conflicting views of the regional, economic, social, racial, religious, and other interests in US
2. Law making- enacting measures to help solve problems
3. Consensus building- bargaining process by which these interests are reconciled
4. Overseeing bureacracy- laws and policies are faithfully carried out by executive branch and accomplish intended purpose
5. Policy clarification- identification and publicizing of issues
6. Investigating operation of gov’t agencies- including White House; includes impeachment process
7. Confirming presidential appointees (for the Senate) and ratifying treaties by 2/3s vote