Exam Two Flashcards
Which of the following terms describes a permanent committee in Congress that has a defined legislative jurisdiction?
Standing Committee
The trend toward party unity in Congress can clearly be seen in voting records of members of Congress when their votes are officially recorded during a ________ vote.
roll-call
The most powerful leader in the House of Representatives is the…
Speaker of the House
If a “turf war” erupts as different committees vie for jurisdiction over a bill, who or what decides the committee assignment?
Party leaders decide the committee assignment.
What holds party lawmakers together?
They have far more in common with each other than they do with lawmakers of the other party.
In order to be a member of the House of Representatives, a person must be _______ years of age.
25
At present there are Blank______ standing committees in the House of Representatives.
20
Members of the House of Representatives typically serve on Blank______ committees, while members of the Senate serve on Blank______.
two; four
What has been one result of the decreasing number of moderates in Congress?
legislative deadlock
When a bill falls into the area in which a committee is authorized to act, that committee is said to have
jurisdiction
If congressional representatives find themselves having to choose between angering voters and donors or angering party leadership by refusing to go along with a vote, which will they likely choose?
angering leadership by voting the way their donors and voters want them to
Choosing committee chairs based on which member has the longest continuous tenure on a standing committee is an example of the ________ system.
seniority
Compared with their percentage of the overall population of the United States, women and minorities are ______ in Congress.
underrepresented
The minority party’s committee and subcommittee leaders are its _______
members.
ranking
What correctly describes the protocol for committee membership?
Most newly elected members of Congress request committee assignments.
Most vacancies occur after elections, either from retirements or incumbent defeats.
A(n) _______ is a proposed legislative act that if passed by both chambers of Congress and signed by the president becomes law.
bill
The partisan divide in Congress has grown in recent years, to the point where each party has a high level of ______, which is when party members band together on legislation and oppose the other party.
party unity
Why is the Rules Committee considered one of the most important committees in the House?
because it decides the length of debate that will occur on a bill and whether amendments will be allowed
One reason standing committees are powerful is that by law they have ______.
jurisdiction over bills in their designated policy area
On major bills, it is increasingly typical for the majority party’s leaders to:
shape the bill’s broad content
direct the floor debate after the bill leaves the committee
Which of the following methods is most often used to select committee chairs?
the seniority system
The steps that a bill must pass through in order to become law:
- A member of the House of Representatives or the Senate formally proposes the bill.
- The bill is submitted to a committee for consideration.
- A majority of members in the House and Senate approve the bill.
- The president signs the bill.
A limit of ______ exists for how long a Republican member can chair a particular committee.
six years
What are the functions of Congress?
representation
oversight
lawmaking