Of the following groups, which is most underrepresented in Congress?

1. African Americans
2. whites
3. Hispanics
4. women.

Which of the following is an advantage congressional incumbents possess in seeking reelection over challengers?

1. outsider status
2. financial support from the federal government campaign fund
3. progressive taxes
4. the franking privilege

Members of the House are apportioned to states based on __________. They serve __________-year terms.

1. equal representation by state; four
2. equal representation by state; six
3. population; two
4. population; four

__________ is a good example of congressional casework.

1. Analysis of an incumbent’s policy positions prior to a debate
2. Analysis of water quality within a district
3. Helping a constituent with the Veterans Administration
4. Giving political speeches at a political party

The pork barrel may aid the district of a member of Congress by __________.

1. diverting unallocated funds to another government agency
2. increasing jobs and revenue with federally funded projects
3. increasing revenue through private market investment
4. taxing corporations less so they provide health insurance for employees

__________ committees exist in both the House and Senate, may be temporary or permanent, and usually have a specific focus.

1. Ways and means
2. Caucus
3. Select
4. Steering

Most of the work of Congress goes on in __________.

1. recess
2. committees
3. conferences
4. hearings

The __________ is the only House official mandated by the Constitution.

1. majority leader
2. majority whip
3. Sergeant-at-Arms
4. Speaker of the House

A committee created to reconcile differences in versions of a bill passed by the House and Senate is called a(n) __________ committee.

1. arbitration
2. conference
3. standing
4. appropriations

Congress missed the fact that various agencies with responsibility for supervising the banking industry were negligent in identifying looming financial problems that led to the recession of 2008–2009. This suggests a failure of __________.

1. the seniority system
2. jurisdiction fragmentation
3. oversight
4. the informal organization of Congress

How are Senate committee chairs generally selected?

1. by voters
2. according to seniority
3. according to age
4. according to tact and decorum

Whips serve what function?

1. to act as official spokespersons for their chambers
2. to help the Speaker schedule proposed legislation for debate
3. to meet with members of the executive cabinet
4. to persuade party members to support the party’s priorities

Over the past three decades, the distance between the political parties in Congress has been growing steadily. As the parties have pulled apart ideologically, they also have become more __________ internally.

1. libertarian
2. diverse
3. collegial
4. homogeneous

Party leaders from the two chambers of Congress sometimes use __________ legislation that addresses numerous and perhaps unrelated issues to create winning coalitions and force members to support the entire bill to obtain the individual parts.

1. ad hoc
2. conference
3. orthodox
4. omnibus

In the House of Representatives, a bill goes to the Rules Committee __________.

1. after it goes to a conference committee
2. after it is approved by its full committee
3. after it is debated in the full House
4. before it is amended or rewritten in its full committee

When is lobbying more likely to be successful?

1. when lobbying against change
2. when lobbying for an environmental group
3. immediately before an election
4. immediately after an election

Which example best demonstrates a legislator acting as a trustee of his or her constituency?

1. A legislator uses his or her best judgment.
2. A legislator does whatever is best for his or her reelection.
3. A legislator follows the public opinion of his or her constituency.
4. A legislator does what is in the best interest of his or her party.

What best represents the trend of party polarization over the last three decades?

1. The parties have become less polarized because more and more voters are opting to become independents.
2. Both Republicans and Democrats have become more liberal.
3. While members of Congress have not become more extreme, ordinary citizens have.
4. Each congressional party has become more homogeneous, and the distance between parties has increased.

The English politician and philosopher Edmund Burke advocated the concept of legislators as __________ who use their best judgment to make policy in the interests of the people.

1. delegates
2. trustees
3. partisans
4. politicos

A filibuster can be ended through __________; it requires the approval of __________ senators.

1. abrogation; fifty-one
2. censure; fifty-five
3. cloture; sixty
4. discharge; sixty-seven