Gov test Unit 5

Question 1

Length of term for senators and representatives

Answer 1

senators- six year term House of rep- two-year term

Question 2

Oversight function

Answer 2

the actions taken to review and monitor public sector organizations

Question 3

Debt ceiling

Answer 3

the maximum amount of money that the United States can borrow cumulatively by issuing bonds

Question 4

Devolution

Answer 4

the transfer or delegation of power from a central government to a subnational, local authority

Question 5

Privatization

Answer 5

the transfer of a business, industry, or service from public to private ownership and control

Question 6

Iron triangle

Answer 6

congressional committees, bureaucracies and interest groups

Question 7

State Department

Answer 7

The State Department negotiates treaties and agreements with foreign entities, and represents the United States at the United Nations

Question 8

Freedom of Information Act

Answer 8

provides public access to information held by public authorities

Question 9

Civil Service Act

Answer 9

landmark U.S. legislation establishing the tradition and mechanism of permanent federal employment based on merit rather than on political party affiliation (the spoils system)

Question 10

Increase in the federal budget

Answer 10

This process creates a drag on the economy that can lead to lower wages and living standards

Question 11

Government Corporation

Answer 11

a government agency that is established by Congress to provide a market-oriented public service and to produce revenues that meet or approximate its expenditures (spendings)

Question 12

Independent agency

Answer 12

while constitutionally part of the executive branch, are independent of presidential control
ex: CIA, EPA

Question 13

Signing statement

Answer 13

a written pronouncement issued by the President of the United States upon the signing of a bill into law

Question 14

Cabinet

Answer 14

the principal advisory body to the president of the United States.
ex: vice president, secretary of agriculture, defense, housing, health and human resources

Question 15

Line of Succession

Answer 15

the order in which the vice president of the United States becomes president of the United States or assumes the presidential powers and duties

Question 16

Executive privilege

Answer 16

the privilege, claimed by the president for the executive branch of the US government, of not giving information to the public for their “benefit”

Question 17

Override a presidential veto

Answer 17

Congress can override a veto by passing the act by a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate

Question 18

State of the Union Address

Answer 18

an annual message delivered by the president of the United States to the U.S. Congress near the beginning of each calendar year on the current condition of the nation

Question 19

Recognizing a country

Answer 19

new country must be recognized by existing states within the international community

Question 20

Filibuster

Answer 20

also known as talking out a bill, is a tactic of parliamentary procedure (congress or parliament)

Question 21

Cloture

Answer 21

Senate adopted a rule to allow a two-thirds majority to end a filibuster

Question 22

Congressional caucus

Answer 22

groups of Representatives who come together to pursue shared goals

Question 23

House Rule Committee

Answer 23

• a committee of the United States House of Representatives

- responsible for the rules under which bills will be presented to the House of Representatives

Question 24

Appropriations committee

Answer 24

responsible for appropriating funding for most of the functions of the federal government

Question 25

Earmarks

Answer 25

earmark is a provision inserted into a discretionary spending appropriations bill that directs funds to a specific recipient while circumventing the merit-based or competitive funds allocation process

Question 26

Pork barrel

Answer 26

legislation refers to politicians trading favors with constituents or special interest groups in exchange for political support

Question 27

Gerrymandering

Answer 27

when a political group tries to change a voting district to create a result that helps them or hurts the group who is against them

Question 28

Apportionment

Answer 28

the process of dividing the 435 memberships, or seats, in the House of Representatives among the 50 states

Question 29

Incumbent

Answer 29

the current holder of an office or position

Question 30

Senate elections

Answer 30

even-numbered years when there isn’t a presidential election, one-third of the Senate and the whole House are included in the election

Question 31

Partisan gerrymandering

Answer 31

drawing a district to favor one political party over others

Question 32

Conference committee

Answer 32

A mechanism by which the House of Representatives and the Senate form an alliance with differences between legislation they have passed in their respective chambers in order to pass one identical piece of legislation

Question 33

White House Staff

Answer 33

the president’s most trusted aides

Question 34

Appointment power

Answer 34

the authority of an executive to appoint and remove officials in the various branches vested in its authority to do so

Question 35

Number of federal employees

Answer 35

2.93