Congress Quiz

A  altering a legislative formula that apportions spending among the states.

B  the allocation of seats in the House to each state after each census.

C  the redrawing of district boundaries within each state.

D  a court order to hold new elections because of voting irregularities.

E  a budget procedure used in the House.

A  majority whip

B  majority leader

C  minority leader

D  minority whip

E  president pro tempore

A  passing information down from the leadership to party members and ensuring that members cast their votes on important issues.

B  attempting to convince the general public that congresspersons should vote the party line.

C  pressuring them to take positions popular among the party rank-and-file.

D  gathering research information.

E  voting to support the party platform at the national convention.

A  the most important foreign policy powers of Congress.

B  powers reserved exclusively for the states.

C  powers that have only recently been granted to Congress.

D  powers reserved for the president.

E  the most important domestic powers of Congress.

A  always a member of the majority party in the Senate.

B  the fourth person in line to succeed the president.

C  the leader of the majority party in the Senate.

D  the vice president of the United States.

E  the senator with the most seniority, regardless of party.

A  when members of Congress attach amendments to bills.

B  an arrangement in which members of Congress agree in advance to support each others’ bills.

C  when members of Congress use unlimited debate as a delaying tactic to block a bill.

D  the process of putting together a budget.

E  when members of Congress undermine the personal credibility of their opponents.

A  has served to limit the expansion of national authority.

B  is located in the Constitution in the text of the Tenth Amendment.

C  has provided the basis for an expanded role of the national government.

D  has greatly expanded the presidential powers.

E  was in the original Constitution, but was eliminated as a consequence of the Twenty-Seventh Amendment.

A  lawyers.

B  educators.

C  lobbyists.

D  clergy.

E  businesspersons.

A  write a compromise bill, if the House and Senate bills contain different provisions.

B  determine the committee path of a bill.

C  set the rules of debate for a bill.

D  originate appropriations bills.

E  override a presidential veto.

A  President pro tempore of the Senate.

B  the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

C  Senator designate selected by the president.

D  President of the Senate.

E  Senate majority and minority leaders and their respective whips.

A  a method used to defeat legislation in Congress.

B  a process that shuts off discussion on a bill in the Senate.

C  closed meetings held by both parties to elect their leadership or resolve other important issues.

D  action taken by the House Rules Committee that must be approved by the Speaker.

E  the resolution that adjourns Congress.

A  permanent bodies that are established by the rules of each chamber and that continue from session to session.

B  committees that handle issues that the most important committees in Congress do not consider.

C  committees that reconcile differences in an action.

D  committees inside committees, which handle tasks that the main committee has no time for.

E  committees that work with counterparts in the other house of Congress.

A  the process by which Congress follows up on the laws it has enacted.

B  the process by which Congress reviews the actions of subcommittees.

C  when Congress passes legislation.

D  the time of the year that Congress chooses its leadership.

E  when the President supervises the activity of the judicial branch.

A  performed by the committees and subcommittees within Congress.

B  performed on the floor of the House of Representatives.

C  performed by interest groups and then acted on by Congress.

D  done when the president signs it.

E  done in the Rules Committee of the Senate.

A  powers that are specifically granted to the national government by the Constitution.

B  spelled out in the Necessary and Proper Clause of the Constitution.

C  powers that allow the president to do whatever he likes, as long as it carries out the Constitution.

D  Supreme Court decisions.

E  powers that the executive branch has.

A  make laws.

B  decide whether or not laws are constitutional.

C  use its oversight power.

D  enforce the laws.

E  impeach high government officials.

A  amendment.

B  rider.

C  earmark.

D  unfunded mandate.

E  backdoor clause.

A  supporting the president on all of his legislative programs.

B  supporting his or her political party.

C  mirroring the views of the majority of the constituents who elected him or her.

D  representing other members of Congress.

E  acting according to the broad interests of the entire society.

A  supporting his or her political party.

B  mirroring the views of the majority of the constituents who elected him or her.

C  acting according to the broad interests of the entire society.

D  supporting the president on all of his or her legislative programs.

E  representing other members of Congress.

A  the use of unlimited debate as a delaying tactic to block a bill.

B  an attempt to persuade others to vote for a particular bill in return for a favor at a later date.

C  a method used by the Speaker of the House to promote the majority party’s legislation.

D  a technique that is unique to the House

E  used in the House to force a standing committee to release a bill.