Module 6 Lesson 13 Flashcards
Which of these functions do congressional committees serve? Select the one correct answer.
A. Congressional committees save Congress time because a finance bill only needs to be approved by the Finance Committee and not the whole chamber.
B. Congressional committees fulfill a constitutional requirement that Congress divide itself into committees.
C. Congressional committees allow members of Congress to become experts on selected matters by concentrating their work on a few committees.
D. Congressional committees ensure that all voices are heard on bills, as committee seats are usually evenly divided between the parties.
C. Congressional committees allow members of Congress to become experts on selected matters by concentrating their work on a few committees.
What is a key role of standing committees in the House and the Senate? Select the one correct answer.
A. To guarantee input from the minority party
B. To confirm the nominations of the president
C. To give a detailed hearing to all proposed legislation
D. To appropriate money for various projects
C. To give a detailed hearing to all proposed legislation
Which of these statements describes one major different between a joint committee and a conference committee? Select the one correct answer.
A. A conference committee meets to consider one specific piece of legislation that has been passed in different forms in the two houses; a joint committee can be permanent.
B. The name only. They are simply different terms used to describe the same thing.
C, Conference committees are usually created by statutes, while joint committees are usually created by the rules of the House and Senate.
D. A joint committee has members of both houses serving on it; a conference committee does not.
A. A conference committee meets to consider one specific piece of legislation that has been passed in different forms in the two houses; a joint committee can be permanent.
Which of these statements describes a key difference between the House Rules Committee and the Senate Rules Committee? Select the one correct answer.
A. The Senate Rules Committee is more powerful because the Senate is governed by standing rules.
B. The House Rules Committee has the power to vote a piece of legislation down, but the Senate Rules Committee does not.
C. The Senate Rules Committee is a select committee, while the House Rules Committee is a standing committee.
D. The Rules Committee in the House typically limits debate, but the Rules Committee in the Senate does not.
D. The Rules Committee in the House typically limits debate, but the Rules Committee in the Senate does not.
What happens when the president vetoes a piece of legislation? Select the one correct answer.
A. He must send the bill back to the originating house with his objections to it. The bill will only become law if both houses vote to override by a two-thirds vote.
B. The bill is dead. The president’s veto is an absolute barrier to the bill becoming law.
C, It will usually be overridden if the opposing party has the majority of seats in Congress.
D. He must send the bill back to the originating house, which must then draft legislation addressing the president’s concerns.
A. He must send the bill back to the originating house with his objections to it. The bill will only become law if both houses vote to override by a two-thirds vote.
Which of these is the most accurate statement about the process of a bill’s becoming a law? Select the one correct answer.
A. The process requires the approval of the Supreme Court, which must confirm that the bill is constitutional.
B. The process is exactly the same in the Senate and the House.
C. The process is dependent on the Congress alone.
D. The process is complex and full of steps, at any of which a bill may die and have to begin the process again.
D. The process is complex and full of steps, at any of which a bill may die and have to begin the process again.
Which of these statements is correct about the Senate? Select the one correct answer.
A. The Senate has a tradition of unlimited debate that can only be overcome by a majority vote.
B. The Senate has a tradition of unlimited debate that is absolute. A filibustering senator has the absolute right to the floor.
C. The Senate has a Rules Committee that can set aside the Senate’s standing rules for a specific debate.
D. The Senate has a tradition of unlimited debate that can only be overcome by super-majority votes.
D. The Senate has a tradition of unlimited debate that can only be overcome by super-majority votes.
What gives a bill a better chance of becoming law? Select the one correct answer.
A. A bill has a a better chance of becoming law if it receives a favorable report and vote from committees in the House and Senate.
B. A bill has a a better chance of becoming law if it has support from the minority party.
C. A bill has a a better chance of becoming law if it is a good bill.
D. A bill has a a better chance of becoming law if it is sent to a conference committee.
A. A bill has a a better chance of becoming law if it receives a favorable report and vote from committees in the House and Senate.
What is essential for a bill to become a law? Select the one correct answer.
A. To become a law, it is essential for a bill to be supported by the President.
B. To become a law, it is essential for a bill to get a favorable report and vote from a House committee.
C. To become a law, it is essential for a bill to have the support of the majority and minority leaders in the Senate.
D. To become a law, it is essential for a bill to pass both the House and the Senate in identical form.
D. To become a law, it is essential for a bill to pass both the House and the Senate in identical form.
Where are most bills prevented from becoming laws? Select the one correct answer.
A. By presidential veto
B. By a negative vote in either the House of Representatives or the Senate
C. In the committees of the House and Senate
D. Being overturned by the Supreme Court
C. In the committees of the House and Senate
What is a key difference between standing committees and select committees? Select the one correct answer.
A. Standing committees continue from one session of Congress to the next, whereas select committees are temporary.
B. Standing committees are in the House of Representatives, and select committees are in the Senate.
C. Standing committees are very specialized, and select committees deal with broad issues.
D. Select committees have an equal number of Democrats and Republicans.
A. Standing committees continue from one session of Congress to the next, whereas select committees are temporary.
What is the purpose of a conference committee? Select the one correct answer.
A. A conference committee is convened to resolve discrepancies between tax income and spending, involving the appropriations committee and the tax committee.
B. A conference committee is convened to deal with subjects that committees from both chambers have an interest in.
C. A conference committee is convened to resolve differences in bills from the House of Representatives and the Senate.
D. A conference committee is convened to work out a deal between the Senate and the president.
C. A conference committee is convened to resolve differences in bills from the House of Representatives and the Senate.
What is a key role of the appropriations committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate? Select the one correct answer.
A. One key role of the appropriations committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate is to provide cost estimates for government programs
B. One key role of the appropriations committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate is to provide funding for specific projects, agencies, or programs in proposed legislation
C. One key role of the appropriations committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate is to provide estimates of how much money is available for Congress to spend
D. One key role of the appropriations committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate is to decide which private real estate will be appropriated for national activities
B. One key role of the appropriations committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate is to provide funding for specific projects, agencies, or programs in proposed legislation
