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62 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 which of the following is the best definition of a constituent? | it is a person who lives in the districts represented b a member of the legislature. |
| under the original constitution, senators | served four- year terms |
| which of the following best describes a way in which the house differs from the senate? | the house is more centralized and organized than the senate |
| the idea of ____ identifies the best representative as the one who shares a similar racial, ethnic, religious, or occupational background with those he or she represents. | sociological representation |
| the most common occupation among members of congress before coming to congress is | lawyer |
| in 2006, ___ became the Speaker of the House. | Nancy Pelosi |
| Which of the following statements concerning the representation of women and minorities in the U.S. Congress is true? | Representation of women and minorities has increased over the past two decades, but is not comparable to their proportions in the general population. |
| Constituency service is so important that | members of Congress have been impeached for not devoting enough attention to constituency service. |
| a senator or representative running for re- election is called the | incumbent. |
| In recent years, approximately what percentage of House members seeking re- election won their race? | 95 percent |
| Over the past several decades, the _____ and the _____ have benefited most from reapportionment. | South; West |
| Which of the following statements concerning the process of reapportionment is correct? | in order for one state to gain a seat, another state must lose a seat. |
| Pork- barrel legislation | deals with specific projects and their location within a particular congressional district. |
| In general, members of the House seek committee assignments that will | allow them to influence decisions which are of special importance to voters in their districts. |
| Who has the most real power in the Senate? | the majority and minority leaders |
| The House Ways and Means Committee has jurisdiction over which of the following areas? | Taxes, trade and entitlement programs |
| Congressional leaders form ____ committees when they want to take up an issue that falls between the jurisdiction of existing committees, to highlight an issue, or to investigate a particular problem. | Joint OR Select Committees |
| Conference committees are | temporary and are created to take up an issue that falls between the jurisdiction of existing committees, to highlight an issue, or to investigate particular problem. |
| The Congressional Research Service and the Government Accountability Office are examples of | executive- congressional liaison offices. |
| which of the following is the best definition of a congressional caucus? | unofficial groups of representatives or senators sharing similar interest or opinions |
| A proposed piece of legislation is called a | bill. |
| Approximately what percentage of proposed bills die in committee? | 95 percent |
| The determination of the time and structure of floor debate on a bill, in the House of Representatives, is up to the | Rules Committee. |
| Cloture is | the process by which three- fifths of the Senate can end a filibuster |
| How can a president's veto be overridden by Congress? | by a two- thirds vote in both houses. |
| Which is the best description of the K Street Project? | It was an attempt to place former Republican staffers in key lobbying positions to help ensure a large flow of corporate donation to the Republican party |
| why does the House have a greater party unity than the Senate? | House leaders have more organizational control over the actions of representatives than Senate leaders. |
| When two members of Congress who share no common interests agree to support each other's bills, the practice is called | logrolling |
| Oversight can best bbe described as | the efforts of Congress to supervise the manner in which its laws are implemented by the executive branch. |
| The Senate's constitutional power of advice and consent extends to which of the following? | the president's power to make treaties with foreign nations |
| A(n) has the same statue as a treaty, but does not require Senate approval. | international accord |
| The two presidents to be impeached by the House of Representatives were Bill Clinton and | Andrew Johnson |
| What are the greatest dangers with a trustee model of representation? | Representatives may become inattentive to the wishes and opinions of their constituents. |
| One problem with delegate model f representation is | that few people are well informed about all political issues. |
| Responsibility for communication among party member in Congress lies with the | whip system. |
| The House of Representatives has 335 member and the Senate has 100 members. | false |
| The Supreme Court has ruled that race could not be the predominant factor in creating electoral districts. | true |
| The vice president also serves as Speaker of the House of Representatives and breaks tie votes. | true |
| A filibuster is a parliamentary device found in the Senate but not the House | true |
| Congress may overturn a presidential veto with a two- thirds vote by each house. | true |
| Oversight is an important legislative check on the executive branch. | true |
| The requirements for holding office in the Teas legislature | are minimal, in keeping with the idea that officeholding should be open to most citizens |
| the typical Texas legislator is most likely to be a | white, affluent businessman |
| What is the yearly salary of a Texas representative? | less than $7,500 |
| For how long does the Texas legislature meet? | the regular legislative session lasts 140 days every two years. |
| The agenda for special sessions in the Texas legislature are set by the | lieutenant governor and the Texas Speaker of the House. |
| Constituency services provided by Texas representatives may include all of the following EXCEPT | providing legal services in court. |
| In the Texas legislature, the referral of a bill to a standing committee in the House and the Senate is the job of the | Speaker of the House and lieutenant governor |
| As in the U.S. Congress, what is the purpose of a conference committee in the Texas legislature? | It is a committee designed to make differing House and Senate versions of the same bill identical |
| In Texas, why is a governor's post- adjournment veto so powerful? | It cannot be overturned by the legislature |
| When the governor strikes out specific spending provision in large appropriations bills, it is called | the line- item veto. |
| How is the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives chosen? | The Speaker is elected by member of the House. |
| In the Texas House of Representatives, who has the power to allow members to speak in floor debates? | the Speaker of the House |
| Which of the following statements about partisanship in the Texas legislature is correct? | Historically, partisanship has been rather low, but in recent years the legislature has moved into a more partisan era. |
| Who has responsibility for redistricting the Texas delegation to the U.S. Congress? | the Texas legislature |
| What is the importance of the Supreme Court case Reynolds v. Sims? | It declared the constitutional principle of "one person, one vote" |
| The Legislative Redistricting Board has the authority to draw new districts if | the legislature fails to redistrict in the first regular session. |
| What unconventional action did the Texas legislature take in 2003? | It redistricted a second time in a single decade. |
| The Texas legislature meets in regular session once every ____. | 140 days |
| Conference committees are designed to make Texas House and Senate bills ___. | identical |
| The governor of Texas has the authority to exercise a line- item ____. | veto |
| The lieutenant governor is also a member of the Texas ____. | legislature |
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