Unit 2A Exam

Question 1

Senators are elected to ___-year terms

Answer 1

6

Question 2

House of Representatives are elected to ___-year terms

Answer 2

2

Question 3

A proposed law is a ___?

Answer 3

Bill

Question 4

The order of presidential succession is what?

Answer 4

President, vice president, speaker of the house, majority leader, secretary of state.

Question 5

Porkbarelling

Answer 5

a bill that only helps your state.

Question 6

State legislatures lost control to select senators from the ___ amendment in 1913.

Answer 6

17th

Question 7

Congress can determine the number of judges and the boundaries of federal judicial districts and circuits because…

Answer 7

The US constitution authorizes it.

Question 8

What best maximizes the opportunities for members on both sides of the aisle to air views?

Answer 8

Subcommittee meetings

Question 9

Framers of the Constitution were most concerned that members of Congress…

Answer 9

Represent their constituents

Question 10

Franking privilege

Answer 10

allows Members of Congress to transmit mail matter under their signature without a stamp.

Question 11

A new Congress is seated every…

Answer 11

2 years

Question 12

House of Reps and Senate combined are how many people?

Answer 12

535

Question 13

The senate has no counterpart to the House committee on…

Answer 13

Rules

Question 14

How are bills introduced?

Answer 14

Members of Congress

Question 15

Appropriation

Answer 15

the process of determining the number of representatives for each state using censes data.

Question 16

Authorization

Answer 16

a document giving permission or authority.

Question 17

bicameral

Answer 17

a two-house legislature

Question 18

caucuses

Answer 18

a process through which a state’s eligible voters meet to select delegates to represent their preferences in the nomination process.

Question 19

closed rules

Answer 19

You cannot consider any amendments other than ones brought up by the standing or sub-committees.

Question 20

cloture

Answer 20

a procedure through which senators can end debate on a bill and proceed to action, provided three-fifths of senators gree to it.

Question 21

Committee of the Whole

Answer 21

consists of all members of the House and meets in the House chamber but It is governed by different rules, making it easier to consider complex and controversial legislation.

Question 22

committee system

Answer 22

16 standing committees, four special or select committees, and four joint committees

Question 23

conference committees

Answer 23

temporary, ad hoc panel composed of House and Senate conferees formed for the purpose of reconciling differences in legislation that has passed both chambers.

Question 24

discharge petition

Answer 24

a motion filed a member of Congress to move a bill out of committee and onto the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote.

Question 25

constituency service

Answer 25

Members of Congress represent the people of their district in the United States Congress by holding hearings, as well as developing and voting on legislation.

Question 26

Easley v. Cromartie

Answer 26

The Supreme Court of the United States reviews a district court’s findings only for clear error. In applying this standard, the court, like any reviewing court, will not reverse a lower court’s finding of fact simply because it would have decided the case differently. Rather, a reviewing court must ask whether on the entire evidence, it is left with the definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed.

Question 27

elastic clause

Answer 27

Congress can make all laws that are “necessary and proper” for carrying out its duties.

Question 28

filibuster

Answer 28

a tactic through which an individual senator may use the right of unlimited debate to delay a motion or postpone action on a piece of legislation.

Question 29

germane amendments

Answer 29

amendments directly related to the bill.

Question 30

gerrymandering

Answer 30

the redrawing of districts to benefit one candidate based on race, gender, money, political party affiliation, or all four.

Question 31

incumbency

Answer 31

a political official who is currently in office.

Question 32

iron triangle

Answer 32

coordinated and mutually beneficial activities of the bureaucracy, Congress, and interest groups to achieve shared policy goals.

Question 33

joint committees

Answer 33

A committee composed of both members of the House of Reps and Senate.

Question 34

legislative veto

Answer 34

when Congress overrides the president’s veto.

Question 35

logrolling

Answer 35

promising to vote for someone’s bill if they in turn will promise to vote for yours.

Question 36

majority leader of the House

Answer 36

schedules legislation to be considered on the House floor; organizes daily, weekly, and yearly legislative plans; consults with Members to understand how party members feel about issues; and works to advance the goals of the party.

Question 37

quorum

Answer 37

the minimum number of a governmental body’s membership necessary to act.

Question 38

majority leader of the Senate

Answer 38

schedules business on the floor by calling bills from the calendar and keeps members of his or her caucus advised about the daily legislative program.

Question 39

mal-apportionment

Answer 39

the uneven distribution of the population between legislative districts.

Question 40

marking up

Answer 40

The process by which congressional committees and subcommittees debate, amend, and rewrite proposed legislation.

Question 41

minority leader of the Senate

Answer 41

develops the minority position; negotiates with the majority party; directs minority caucus activities on the floor; directs floor activity for the minority party; leads floor debate for the minority party.

Question 42

president pro tempore

Answer 42

a high-ranking senator of the majority party who presides over the US Senate in the absence of the vice president.

Question 43

minority/majority districting

Answer 43

a district in which voters of a minority ethnicity constitute an electoral majority within that electoral district.

Question 44

oversight

Answer 44

efforts by Congress to ensure that executive branch agencies, bureaus, and cabinet departments, as well as their officials, are acting legally and in accordance with congressional goals.

Question 45

party whips

Answer 45

responsible for assisting the party leadership in bringing the party’s bills to the House floor, maintaining communication between the leadership of the party and its members, counting votes on key legislation, and persuading Members to vote for the party position.

Question 46

pigeonholing

Answer 46

to set a congressional bill aside in committee without considering it.

Question 47

pork barrel legislation

Answer 47

Legislation that gives tangible benefits (i.e. highways, post offices, etc.) to constituents in several districts or states in hope of winning their votes in return.

Question 48

reapportionment

Answer 48

the gaining or losing of seats in the House of Reps.

Question 49

redistricting

Answer 49

the redrawing of boundaries by state legislature every ten years.

Question 50

resolution types

Answer 50

simple, concurrent, joint

Question 51

revenue bills

Answer 51

any bill, except the Budget Bill(s) and debt bills, that increases or decreases the total revenues available for appropriation, including any sales tax exemption bill.

Question 52

select committees

Answer 52

Is used to discuss and create laws for “hot topics” (TEMP)

Question 53

senatorial courtesy

Answer 53

refers to a tacit agreement among senators not to vote for any presidential nominee who is opposed by the senators from the nominee’s home state.

Question 54

seniority system

Answer 54

The practice of ranking senators based on length of service

Question 55

Speaker of the House

Answer 55

the leader of the House of Representatives, chosen by an election of its members.

Question 56

standing committees

Answer 56

permanent committees established under the standing rules of the Senate and specialize in the consideration of particular subject areas.

Question 57

term limits

Answer 57

a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office.

Question 58

votes

Answer 58

teller, voice, division, roll call, electronic

Question 59

War Powers Resolution

Answer 59

a law passed over President Nixon’s veto restricts the president’s power to maintain troops in combat for more than 60 days without congressional authorization.

Question 60

Open rules

Answer 60

permit the offering of any amendment that otherwise complies with House rules, and allows debate under the 5-minute rule.