Question 1

Explain how the institutional structures and the rules of congressional procedure influence lawmaking in the United States.

Accepted Answer

There are a wide range of possible answe...

Question 2

The franking privilege is an example of a practice that contributes to

Accepted Answer

A)  the incumbency advantage.
B)  frequent ethics violations.
C)  pork-barrel legislation.
D)  patronage.

Question 3

After the House has impeached the president, the president continues to serve unless the Senate votes to remove the president from office with a

Accepted Answer

A)  40 percent vote.
B)  majority vote.
C)  two-thirds majority vote.
D)  60 percent vote.

Question 4

When congressional representatives provide special benefits for their constituents in otherwise unrelated bills, it is called a(n)

Accepted Answer

A)  perk.
B)  earmark.
C)  local prerogative.
D)  itemized request.

Question 5

Legislatures must make collective decisions despite divergent interests among legislators. Which of the following tools inhibits collective action among members of Congress?

Accepted Answer

A)  organization of committees to produce policy information
B)  delegation of agenda power to legislative leaders
C)  logrolling
D)  bicameralism

Question 6

The power to decide whether a bill will be submitted to the full chamber for consideration is known as

Accepted Answer

A)  oversight power.
B)  delegation power.
C)  gatekeeping authority.
D)  life-or-death power.

Question 7

State legislatures must redraw congressional districts to reflect population changes every __________ years.

Accepted Answer

A)  4
B)  6
C)  10
D)  20

Question 8

A representative who votes based on what he or she thinks is best for his or her constituency acts as a trustee.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

One of the primary goals of many incumbent legislators is to be reelected. Support for tools such as the franking privilege and the use of earmarks among incumbent legislators is best explained by which principle of politics?

Accepted Answer

A)  rationality principle
B)  institution principle
C)  collective action principle
D)  policy principle

Question 10

Compared to the Senate, the small size and relative homogeneity of House districts, combined with more frequent elections, make House members

Accepted Answer

A)  more likely to work on a broad range of legislative issues.
B)  less likely to travel back home to visit with constituents.
C)  especially responsive to cues from party leaders.
D)  especially responsive to the legislative needs of local interest groups.

Question 11

What challenges do the House of Representatives and the Senate face in delegating power to committees, and what measures have been taken to ensure that committees do not exploit their authority?

Accepted Answer

The core challenge is agency loss: Commi...

Question 12

The Congressional Research Service, which provides legislators with facts and competing arguments relevant to policy proposals or other legislative business, is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  the expansion of bureaucratic largesse.
B)  the expansion of gatekeeping authority.
C)  the application of after-the-fact authority.
D)  a staff agency.

Question 13

Which of the following explains why incumbents can still lose in spite of the incumbency advantage?

Accepted Answer

A)  Incumbents have a long record of casework.
B)  The importance and popularity of party labels changes.
C)  Incumbents are too focused on the needs of constituents.
D)  Reductions in the size of the House often force incumbents to run against each other.

Question 14

When a senator voted against a gun control bill that he agreed with but that his constituency opposed, he exemplified a _________ style of representation.

Accepted Answer

A)  trustee
B)  delegate
C)  plebiscitary
D)  platonic

Question 15

How do the House of Representatives and the Senate check and balance each other's power?

Accepted Answer

Lawmaking requires the joint approval of the House and Senate, so each chamber has the power to block or amend the proposals of the other. When they bargain in conference committees or send bills back and forth, each chamber has the option of simply saying no.
The requirement of joint approval gains real weight because the two chambers were designed to be different. Originally they represented different constituencies (House: voters, Senate: state legislatures), but even after the adoption of the Seventeenth Amendment, senators tend to have larger and more diverse constituencies. Second, the difference in term length (House = 2 years, Senate =
6 years) generates different political calculations by members of each chamber, with senators (supposedly) more interested in achieving sound, moderate policies. Third, the House has always been much larger than the Senate, leading to a more centralized and partisan organization of the House chamber, while the Senate is generally more free-wheeling and, in particular, still allows a minority to filibuster.
Students might mention that each chamber has special prerogatives: The Senate is exclusively responsible for nominations and treaties, while the House must originate all financial measures.
Advanced students may draw outside the text to discuss the use of appropriations riders (policy provisions on funding bills) or bargaining ultimatums in bicameral bargaining.

Question 16

Explain how bicameralism influences the policy-making process.

Accepted Answer

Lawmaking requires the joint approval of...

Question 17

In the U.S. House of Representatives, members can speak as long as they wish on any topic.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

Members of Congress may act as delegates or trustees, but they must win the next election to pursue either role. Legislators seeking reelection as a precondition to other goals is an example of which type of action?

Accepted Answer

A)  agency representation
B)  collective action
C)  instrumental behavior
D)  experiential behavior C

Question 19

Legislators are unsure how pieces of legislation will affect policy outcomes.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

Compared to the House of Representatives, the Senate is much more

Accepted Answer

A)  specialized.
B)  centralized.
C)  deliberative.
D)  partisan. C

Exam 6: Congress: The First Branch

Explain how the institutional structures and the rules of congressional procedure influence lawmaking in the United States.

Correct Answer
verified
There are a wide range of possible answe...
View Answer

The franking privilege is an example of a practice that contributes to

Correct Answer
verified

After the House has impeached the president, the president continues to serve unless the Senate votes to remove the president from office with a

Correct Answer
verified

When congressional representatives provide special benefits for their constituents in otherwise unrelated bills, it is called a(n)

Correct Answer
verified

Legislatures must make collective decisions despite divergent interests among legislators. Which of the following tools inhibits collective action among members of Congress?

Correct Answer
verified

The power to decide whether a bill will be submitted to the full chamber for consideration is known as

Correct Answer
verified

State legislatures must redraw congressional districts to reflect population changes every __________ years.

Correct Answer
verified

A representative who votes based on what he or she thinks is best for his or her constituency acts as a trustee.

Correct Answer
verified

One of the primary goals of many incumbent legislators is to be reelected. Support for tools such as the franking privilege and the use of earmarks among incumbent legislators is best explained by which principle of politics?

Correct Answer
verified

Compared to the Senate, the small size and relative homogeneity of House districts, combined with more frequent elections, make House members

Correct Answer
verified

What challenges do the House of Representatives and the Senate face in delegating power to committees, and what measures have been taken to ensure that committees do not exploit their authority?

Correct Answer
verified
The core challenge is agency loss: Commi...
View Answer

The Congressional Research Service, which provides legislators with facts and competing arguments relevant to policy proposals or other legislative business, is an example of

Correct Answer
verified

Which of the following explains why incumbents can still lose in spite of the incumbency advantage?

Correct Answer
verified

When a senator voted against a gun control bill that he agreed with but that his constituency opposed, he exemplified a _________ style of representation.

Correct Answer
verified

How do the House of Representatives and the Senate check and balance each other's power?

Explain how bicameralism influences the policy-making process.

Correct Answer
verified
Lawmaking requires the joint approval of...
View Answer

In the U.S. House of Representatives, members can speak as long as they wish on any topic.

Correct Answer
verified

Members of Congress may act as delegates or trustees, but they must win the next election to pursue either role. Legislators seeking reelection as a precondition to other goals is an example of which type of action?

Correct Answer
verified
C

Legislators are unsure how pieces of legislation will affect policy outcomes.

Correct Answer
verified

Compared to the House of Representatives, the Senate is much more

Correct Answer
verified
C

Exam 6: Congress: The First Branch

Explain how the institutional structures and the rules of congressional procedure influence lawmaking in the United States.

Correct AnswerverifiedThere are a wide range of possible answe...View AnswerShow Answer

The franking privilege is an example of a practice that contributes to

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

After the House has impeached the president, the president continues to serve unless the Senate votes to remove the president from office with a

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

When congressional representatives provide special benefits for their constituents in otherwise unrelated bills, it is called a(n)

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Legislatures must make collective decisions despite divergent interests among legislators. Which of the following tools inhibits collective action among members of Congress?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The power to decide whether a bill will be submitted to the full chamber for consideration is known as

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

State legislatures must redraw congressional districts to reflect population changes every __________ years.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A representative who votes based on what he or she thinks is best for his or her constituency acts as a trustee.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

One of the primary goals of many incumbent legislators is to be reelected. Support for tools such as the franking privilege and the use of earmarks among incumbent legislators is best explained by which principle of politics?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Compared to the Senate, the small size and relative homogeneity of House districts, combined with more frequent elections, make House members

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What challenges do the House of Representatives and the Senate face in delegating power to committees, and what measures have been taken to ensure that committees do not exploit their authority?

Correct AnswerverifiedThe core challenge is agency loss: Commi...View AnswerShow Answer

The Congressional Research Service, which provides legislators with facts and competing arguments relevant to policy proposals or other legislative business, is an example of

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following explains why incumbents can still lose in spite of the incumbency advantage?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

When a senator voted against a gun control bill that he agreed with but that his constituency opposed, he exemplified a _________ style of representation.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

How do the House of Representatives and the Senate check and balance each other's power?

Explain how bicameralism influences the policy-making process.

Correct AnswerverifiedLawmaking requires the joint approval of...View AnswerShow Answer

In the U.S. House of Representatives, members can speak as long as they wish on any topic.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Members of Congress may act as delegates or trustees, but they must win the next election to pursue either role. Legislators seeking reelection as a precondition to other goals is an example of which type of action?

Correct AnswerverifiedC

Legislators are unsure how pieces of legislation will affect policy outcomes.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Compared to the House of Representatives, the Senate is much more

Correct AnswerverifiedC

Correct Answer
verified
There are a wide range of possible answe...
View Answer

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified
The core challenge is agency loss: Commi...
View Answer

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified
Lawmaking requires the joint approval of...
View Answer

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified
C

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified
C