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Chapter 13 Take Home Quiz
Name: __________________________ Date: _____________
1. A basic difference between a parliament such as Great Britain's and the U.S. Congress is that
A) members of Congress are more likely to vote the party line.
B) the principal role of Congress is to debate national issues.
C) members of Parliament have more power and higher pay.
D) party members in a parliament vote together on most issues.
E) party members in Congress are more restrained by the leadership.
2. A basic difference between a parliament such as Great Britain's and the U.S. Congress is that
A) the principal role of Congress is to debate national issues.
B) members of Parliament have more power and higher pay.
C) members of Congress are more likely to vote the party line.
D) Congress does not select a president.
E) None of the above.
3. The text suggests that the importance of congressional legislators, compared with members of parliament, can best be
inferred from the
A) resources they receive while in office. D) frequency with which they debate major bills.
B) number of votes they receive in elections. E) number of committee assignments they have.
C) number of votes they cast while in office.
4. The term bicameral used to describe the U.S. legislature means that the legislature
A) has two chambers, or legislative bodies. D) is based on a system of checks and balances.
B) is elected every two years. E) is apportioned once every ten years.
C) consists of both committees and a main body.
5. One important effect of bicameralism is that it
A) ensures a separation of federal powers.
B) creates an environment which resists unnecessary investigations.
C) ensures the dominance of Congress over the executive and judicial branches of government.
D) makes Congress subject to the powers of the Supreme Court.
E) balances large and small states.
6. Under the original U.S. Constitution, members of the Senate, unlike members of the House, were selected by
A) direct elections. B) the president. C) state legislatures. D) primary runoffs. E) regional coalitions.
7. Under the original U.S. Constitution, members of the House, unlike members of the Senate, were selected by
A) direct elections. B) the president. C) state legislatures. D) primary runoffs. E) regional coalitions.
8. Article I, Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution confers on Congress all of the following powers except
A) the power to veto bills. D) the power to establish courts.
B) the power to collect taxes. E) the power to regulate commerce.
C) the power to declare war.
9. The overriding political question throughout the evolution of Congress has been the
A) balance of power among Congress, the executive, and the judiciary.
B) distribution of powers within Congress.
C) curtailment of presidential activism.
D) role of the parties in selecting members.
E) rules pertaining to committee assignments.
10. The main reason why the House dominated Congress in the first quarter of the nineteenth century was the
A) dominant role of conservatism. D) dominant role of sectionalism.
B) burdensome rules in the Senate. E) influence of the party caucus.
C) existence of the seniority system.
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Chapter 13 Take Home Quiz
11. The Senate, not the House, became the crucial forum for debating the issue of slavery because
A) the House at that time was dominated by the executive branch.
B) the Senate had the larger black representation.
C) House representatives were picked by the state legislatures.
D) the two sides were equally matched in the Senate.
E) the House failed to redistrict itself for almost 80 years.
12. All of the following statements concerning the filibuster are correct except:
A) It became a common feature of Senate life by the end of the nineteenth century.
B) It became an unpopular feature of Senate life by the end of the nineteenth century.
C) It was used by liberals and conservatives alike.
D) There have been attempts to restrict its use.
E) Today, it takes 75 Senators to end debate.
13. The purpose of a filibuster is to
A) ensure that all sides of an issue are heard. D) shift legislative power to the Senate committees.
B) delay action in a legislative body. E) magnify the impact of specific special interests.
C) protect majority rule.
14. The typical member of Congress is a(n)
A) middle-aged, white, Protestant businessman. D) middle-aged, white, Protestant lawyer.
B) older, white, Protestant businessman. E) young, white, communications major.
C) older, white, Catholic lawyer.
15. In terms of the composition of its membership, the House since 1950 has become
A) less male and less white. D) more male and more white.
B) less male and more white. E) None of the above.
C) more male and less white.
16. In terms of its percentage of women and nonwhite members since 1950, the Senate, compared with the House, has
A) been slower to change. D) fewer women and nonwhites in powerful positions.
B) changed at about the same rate as the House. E) has not changed at all.
C) been faster to change.
17. The most important change that has occurred in the composition of the House in this century has been the
A) increase in the number of blacks. D) decrease in the rate of member turnover.
B) increase in the rate of member turnover. E) increase in the number of freshmen.
C) decrease in the number of women and other minorities.
18. Being a Congressman was not regarded as career in the 1860s because
A) the federal government was not that important.
B) it was difficult to travel to Washington.
C) Washington was not considered a pleasant place to live.
D) the job did not pay well.
E) All of the above.
19. Serving in Congress had become a career by the
A) 1950s. B) 1960s. C) 1970s. D) 1980s. E) 1990s.
20. All of the following statements concerning term limits are correct except:
A) The movement to impose limits began in the 1980s.
B) The House approved a constitutional amendment to limit terms.
C) A constitutional amendment to limit terms died in the Senate.
D) The Supreme Court has struck down a state law limiting terms of members of Congress.
E) The Supreme Court has struck down a state law limiting terms of members of state legislatures.
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Chapter 13 Take Home Quiz
21. The 1992 and 1994 elections brought scores of new members to the House because
A) of the redrawing of congressional districts after the 1990 census.
B) of voter disgust at a variety of political scandals.
C) the South became a Republican stronghold.
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.
22. A marginal district is one in which
A) voters frequently change party affiliation.
B) the constituency is made up of largely minority groups.
C) voters are not clear as to which candidate is the incumbent.
D) gerrymandering has produced a loose affiliation of interest groups.
E) the winner in an election gets less than 55 percent of the vote.
23. One proposed explanation for why congressional seats have become less marginal is that
A) the growing strength of the party system makes it less likely for challengers to appeal to average voters.
B) incumbents can use their powers to get programs passed that benefit their districts, and thereby themselves.
C) incumbents are less likely than challengers to become associated with the “mess” in Washington.
D) changing demographics have made an increasing number of districts overwhelmingly Democratic or Republican.
E) incumbents are less ideological than challengers and link themselves with Congress as an institution.
24. In the last thirty congressional elections, the gap between votes and seats in the House is illustrated by the fact that the
A) Republican percentage of vote has been higher than the Republican percentage of House seats.
B) Republican percentage of vote has been lower than the Republican percentage of House seats.
C) Democratic percentage of vote has been higher than the Democratic percentage of House seats.
D) Democratic percentage of vote has been lower than the Democratic percentage of House seats.
E) a and d.
25. Since the 1980s, the conservative coalition has become less important because
A) reapportionment has given moderates an advantage in policy making.
B) rules changes have weakened party discipline.
C) Congressional leadership changes hands more frequently.
D) many southern Democrats in Congress have been replaced by southern Republicans.
E) northern Republicans are more influential.
26. Recent changes in the composition of members in Congress has resulted in
A) a more moderate Senate. D) a more non-partisan Senate.
B) a more moderate House. E) a more non-partisan House.
C) a more ideological and partisan House.
27. The anti-incumbent mood directed toward members of Congress by voters in recent years has worked to the disadvantage of
A) Democrats. D) Independents.
B) Republicans. E) Republicans and Independents.
C) Democrats and Republicans equally.
28. The explanation for congressional voting behavior that assumes members vote to please their constituents is referred to as
A) representational. B) conventional. C) organizational. D) attitudinal. E) relational.
29. The explanation for congressional voting behavior that assumes members vote to please their colleagues is referred to as
A) representational. B) conventional. C) organizational. D) attitudinal. E) relational.
30. The explanation for congressional voting behavior that assumes members vote on the basis of their beliefs is referred to as
A) representational. B) conventional. C) organizational. D) attitudinal. E) relational.
31. One study reported in the text showed that the strongest correlation between congressional voting and constituency opinion
was in the area of
A) social welfare. B) foreign policy. C) taxation. D) commercial regulation. E) civil rights.
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Chapter 13 Take Home Quiz
32. A problem with the representational interpretation of congressional voting behavior is that
A) senior members of Congress have little need to be concerned about public opinion.
B) on many key issues, public opinion is weak or vague.
C) such representation relates to the House but not to the Senate.
D) most politicians are not theoreticians.
E) most politicians have a strong academic background.
33. In the 1960s, the decentralization of the Senate was encouraged by the fact that
A) it became easier for junior senators to obtain chairmanships.
B) conservatives gained power.
C) the number of committees was reduced.
D) the number of sub-committees was reduced.
E) few members were conservative or liberal.
34. Over the past two decades, senators, compared with the average voter, were consistently more
A) conservative. D) liberal in the 1970s, conservative in the 1980s.
B) liberal. E) moderate.
C) conservative in the 1970s, liberal in the 1980s.
35. In recent years, American voters have political beliefs that are
A) very liberal. D) similar to members of Congress.
B) very conservative. E) similar to members of the federal courts.
C) close to the center of the political spectrum.
36. In recent years, the political beliefs of members of Congress have become
A) more polarized than voters. D) moderately conservative.
B) close to the center of that political spectrum. E) more unified.
C) moderately liberal.
37. The best way to understand how Congress carries out its business is to think of it as
A) a single, centralized bureaucracy. D) a temporary alliance between warring camps.
B) anarchy in a three-piece suit. E) a bureaucracy headed by a king.
C) a collection of different kinds of organizations.
38. The British House of Commons differs most obviously from Congress in the role played in it by
A) money. B) primaries. C) party organization. D) general elections. E) legislative roles.
39. If you wished to study the real leadership office in the Senate, you would most likely focus on the
A) president pro tempore. D) chairperson of the Policy Committee.
B) majority leader. E) chairperson of the Judiciary Committee.
C) party whip.
40. A member of the Senate has just been elected to a position that requires him to keep the majority leader informed about the
opinions of other party members. He has just been elected
A) majority party whip. D) chairman of the Policy Committee.
B) president pro tempore. E) chairperson of the Judiciary Committee.
C) chairman of the Steering Committee.
41. From the standpoint of the ambitions of a newly elected Democratic senator, the most important element in party
organization is the
A) Steering Committee. D) president pro tempore.
B) party whip. E) Judiciary Committee.
C) Foreign Relations Committee.
42. From the standpoint of the ambitions of a newly elected Republican senator, the most important element in party
organization is the
A) Steering Committee. D) president pro tempore.
B) party whip. E) sub-committee chairpersons.
C) Foreign Relations Committee.
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Chapter 13 Take Home Quiz
43. The most important aspect of the process of selecting Senate members for key leadership and committee positions is
A) paying off political debts.
B) finding the best person available for the job.
C) selecting individuals who make an effective television appearance.
D) achieving ideological and regional balance.
E) returning political favors.
44. The numerical superiority of House representatives over senators carries with it the implication that the
A) House holds more power than the Senate.
B) Senate holds more power than the House.
C) Senate leadership has more control than the House leadership.
D) House leadership has more control than the Senate leadership.
E) House is less partisan than the Senate.
45. Among the many powers of the House Speaker is that he or she
A) determines the committee assignment of bills.
B) assigns party members to the various committees.
C) keeps party leaders informed about the opinions of their party members.
D) schedules legislation.
E) takes the minutes.
46. Compared to the Senate of the 1950s and 1960s, today's Senate can best be described as
A) less party centered, less leader oriented, more hospitable to freshmen, more heavily staffed, and more subcommittee
oriented.
B) more party centered, more leader oriented, more hospitable to freshmen, more heavily staffed, and less subcommittee
oriented.
C) less party centered, more leader oriented, more hospitable to freshmen, less heavily staffed, and more subcommittee
oriented.
D) more party centered, less leader oriented, less hospitable to freshmen, less heavily staffed, and less subcommittee
oriented.
E) more party centered, more leader oriented, less hospitable to freshmen, more heavily staffed, and less subcommittee
oriented.
47. Votes in Congress that evoked party splits during the 1990s were most likely to be reflective of
A) parties interested in winning elections. D) party efforts to keep power.
B) parties attempting to dispense patronage. E) parties funded by PAC money.
C) sharp ideological differences between parties.
48. ________ caucuses are formed by groups whose members share a similar ideology.
A) Intra-party B) Personal C) Constituency D) Delegate E) Stratified
49. ________ caucuses form around common interests in an issue.
A) Intra-party B) Personal C) Constituency D) Delegate E) Stratified
50. ________ caucuses are perceived by their members as representing certain groups nationwide.
A) Intra-party B) Personal C) Constituency D) Delegate E) Stratified
51. The Congressional Black Caucus is one of the best known
A) national constituency caucuses. D) specialized caucuses.
B) interest groups. E) auxiliary caucuses.
C) state delegations.
52. A coalition of House members who support price supports for peanuts would be most likely to label themselves a(n)
A) standing committee. B) lobby. C) interest group. D) constituency caucus. E) special interest.
53. Most of the power in Congress is found in
A) the committees. B) specialized caucuses. C) state delegations. D) party leaders. E) caucuses.
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Chapter 13 Take Home Quiz
54. Because they are usually the only ones that can report out bills, the most important committees are the
A) joint committees. D) select committees.
B) conference committees. E) rejoinder committees.
C) standing committees.
55. A member of Congress who is interested in increasing support for the aged would be best advised to
A) make a speech about the difficulties of the aged.
B) send a newsletter to constituents describing the difficulties of the aged.
C) get her or his party to state its concern about the aged.
D) get the House or Senate to create a select committee on the aged.
E) print a pamphlet or handbill on the topic.
56. Where is the real work of Congress done?
A) On the House floor D) In floor sessions in both houses
B) On the Senate floor E) In the committees in both houses
C) In the caucuses
57. The type of committee most likely to deal with a bill near the end of its legislative process is the
A) standing committee. D) joint committee.
B) select committee. E) rejoinder committee.
C) conference committee.
58. Since the 1970s, the chairpersons of House committees have been chosen by
A) teller vote. B) voice vote. C) years of seniority. D) the Committee on Committees. E) secret ballot.
59. The changes brought about by the committee bill of rights in the early 1970s included the right to have subcommittee
jurisdiction determined by the
A) Democratic Study Group (DSG). D) committee chairperson.
B) sub-committee chairpersons. E) majority party members on the committee.
C) party whips.
60. The maximum number of committees that can be chaired by one senator is
A) one. B) two. C) three. D) five. E) There is no limit on the number.
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