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Government Chapter 4 Test

Terms in this set (72)

What is the best summary of this quotation?

"Congress has a split personality. On the one hand, it is a lawmaking institution and makes policy for the entire nation. In this capacity, all the members are expected to set aside their personal ambitions and perhaps even the concerns of their constituencies. Yet Congress is also a representative assembly, made up of 535 elected officials who serve as links between their constituents and the National Government. The dual roles of making laws and responding to constituents' demands forces members to balance national concerns against the specific interests of their States or districts."—James M. Burns, et al., Government by the People
Members of Congress must balance the interests of their constituencies along with national concerns.
Based on this chart, a senator's role as a politician might interfere with his or her role as
a representative, because it could prevent her from supporting bills that would benefit her State.
Which statement best explains the oversight function of congressional committees?
It is one of the checks the legislative branch holds over the executive branch.
How has technology influenced voting trends among the members of Congress? Use details from the text to support your answer.
It has influenced them to vote for more modern ideas and bills. They have had to change voting trends just to fit the day and age that we currently live in.
This political cartoon from the past probably comments on problems caused by
gerrymandering
This graph compares the number of congressional members from the first Congress to 2012. Which statement is most likely supported by the graph?
The number of senators rose from 1900 to 2012 as several States were added to the Union.
Read this quotation from President Wilson and then answer the question."

'It is indispensable that besides the House of Representatives which runs on all fours with popular sentiment, we should have a body like the Senate which may refuse to run with it at all when it seems to be wrong—a body which has time and security enough to keep its head, if only now and then and but for a little while, till other people have had time to think."—Woodrow Wilson, Congressional Government

According to President Wilson, how should the Senate function?
The Senate should be more measured in its thinking than the House.
How does the commerce power differ from the currency power?
The commerce power relates to trade, both interstate and international, while the currency power relates to providing a stable monetary system.
Read this excerpt from the United States Constitution.

"To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water; To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;" —Article I, Section 8

This section of the Constitution relates to
the expressed powers of the legislative branch.
Read this excerpt from the text about foreign policy in the United States.

"The Constitution gives the President primary responsibility for the conduct of American foreign policy. As the Supreme Court put that point in a leading case, United States v. Curtiss-Wright Export Corp. in 1936, the Chief Executive is 'the sole organ of the Federal Government in the field of international relations.'"

The Constitution provides the President with this power because
the fifty States are not sovereign and, therefore, have no standing in international law.
Why did Congress enact the War Powers Resolution in 1973? Use details from the text to support your answer.
They enacted this because it would give them something to follow when they were going to declare war.
Read this excerpt from the text.

"The Framers of the Constitution intended to create a new and stronger National Government. The ratification of their plan was opposed by many, and that opposition was not stilled by the adoption of the Constitution. Rather, the conflict between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists continued into the early years of the Republic."

What was the ultimate resolution of this conflict in the McCulloch v. Maryland case?
The liberal constructionists prevailed and the implied powers of the Federal Government were cemented and have grown ever since.
What expressed power did the Supreme Court cite when it upheld the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act?
Tax Power
Read this excerpt from the text about the power of Congress to carry out investigations.

"Both houses may choose to conduct investigations for any one or a number of reasons. Most often, those inquiries are held to (1) gather information necessary to the framing of legislation, (2) oversee the operations of various agencies in the executive branch, (3) focus public attention on some particular matter, (4) expose the questionable activities of some public official or private person or group, and/or (5) promote the particular interests of some members of Congress."

A recent investigation into the unfair process of reviewing tax exemptions within the IRS by groups called "Patriots" would fall under
the second reason
What happens if no presidential candidate wins a majority of votes from the Electoral College? How many times has this occurred?
The House of Representatives gets to vote on a person.
This political cartoon shows President George Bush about to give a State of the Union address as Speaker of House Nancy Pelosi sits behind him.

What is the cartoon's main message?
Congress often tries to undermine the President's message in a State of the Union address.
What is one way the Speaker of the House differs from the president of the Senate?
The Speaker of the House is voted into the position by colleagues, while the Vice President of the United States serves as president of the Senate.
What does this image most likely show?
a congressional committee meeting
Read this quotation from the United States Senate website.

"The chair of each committee and a majority of its members represent the majority party. The chair primarily controls a committee's business. Each party assigns its own members to committees, and each committee distributes its members among its subcommittees. The Senate places limits on the number and types of panels any one senator may serve on and chair."—The United States Senate

What would most likely happen in the wake of the Democrats taking over the Senate from the Republicans after an election?
Both the chairs and most of the Republican committee members would be replaced by Democrats.
What are party whips in Congress? How do they influence legislation?
They are people who help the party leaders. They can not communicate something on legislation if they do not want to.
This diagram shows the first steps to a bill becoming a law.

What happens immediately after the sixth step?
The subcommittee in the other chamber now begins to process the bill.
This chart shows the final steps to a bill becoming a law.

Why is step 11 an important part of the process?
It allows for settling any differences over the bill.
Why does the House impose severe limits on floor debates?
The House is so big that long debate is extremely time-consuming.
This political cartoon about the fate of the Farm Bill suggests that
competing agendas can prevent the bill from becoming a law.
How does the recent use of the filibuster compare to how it was used in the past? How might it be used in the future? Use details from the text to support your answer.
They are used to stall bills both now and back then. Now, there are groups that can talk instead of one person having to talk the whole time.
Use the excerpt from Article I Section 2 of the Constitution to answer the question.

"1. The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature. "2. No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty-five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen."3. Representatives . . . shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers. . . . The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. . . ."

Analyze in detail how this excerpt is structured, including how key sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text contribute to the whole.
This excerpt shows the qualifications to be in the House of Representatives.
Use the information in this graph and chart to answer the following questions:

In your opinion, should the lawmaking process be simplified? Why or why not? If so, how might this be accomplished? If not, why not? In your answer, evaluate the credibility and accuracy of the graph and note any discrepancies between the information in the graph and the chart.
The lawmaking process should not be simplified because you want people to think through the laws before they go into action so you do not have "stupid" laws.
Members of Congress wear many different hats and play many roles during the course of their work. An important role while spending time in their home districts is that of
constituent servant.
Representation in Congress is closest to the general population in terms of
ethnicity
What does this political cartoon suggest about congressional elections in the United States?
Candidates mostly tell the public whatever they think constituents want to hear
If representatives in the House wish to adjourn a session for more than three days, they must seek approval from
members of the Senate
Explain why the Framers established a bicameral Congress.
It would be harder to pass bills because it would have to go through more approval
Why might the President threaten to call a special session of Congress? Are members of Congress likely to heed or ignore this threat? Use details from the text in your response.
The President might call a special session because something has happened in the country that is important. They are most likely to heed this threat.
Read this quotation from the Constitution.

"The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature." —Article I, Section 2, Clause 1.

This quotation relates to
the length of service for a representative.
Use this map of congressional seats across the United States in 2010 to answer the question.

What does this map suggest about regional population change?
The South, both west and east, has experienced a slight rise in population.
Use the quotation to answer the question.

"The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to [choose] three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three." —Article I, Section 2, Clause 3.

The number of seats later became redistributed automatically by
the passage of the Reapportionment Act of 1929.
Read this excerpt from the text.

". . . several States used the general ticket system. Under that arrangement, all of the State's seats were filled at-large—that is, elected from the State as a whole, rather than from particular districts. Every voter could vote for a candidate for each one of the State's seats in the House."

What is one possible ramification of this system to elect representatives?
A party with even a small majority could control all of the State's seats in the House
Describe the compensation and privileges of members of Congress.
They make money and they have some other expenses paid for
Read this quotation from the Constitution.

"The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States; To borrow Money on the credit of the United States; To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes; . . ." —Article I, Section 8.

This section of the Constitution falls under expressed powers related to
trade and borrowing
The BEST way to understand the expressed powers of Congress is to
read a description of the powers in the Constitution
Read this excerpt from the text about the borrowing power of Congress.

"Congress has put a statutory ceiling on the public debt, however. The public debt is all of the money borrowed by the Federal Government over the years and not yet repaid, plus the accumulated interest on that money. That legal ceiling has never amounted to much more than a political gesture, however. Congress regularly raises the limit whenever the debt threatens to overtake it. The public debt is approximately $16 trillion."

What is the BEST explanation of the debt ceiling?
It can be moved by Congress whenever it seems politically necessary.
Explain Congress's power of eminent domain in your own words. What is this power and what are the limits on its use?
They have the power to take property to build something else in its place. They have to tell people that they are going to use that land and pay them.
How do the copyright and patent powers help the American public? Provide an example to support your answer.
It has helped the American public because their ideas are protected and it helps with competition.
Which statement BEST characterizes the implied powers of the Federal Government?
They are sensible assumptions that are made based on the expressed powers.
Read this excerpt from the U.S. Constitution.

"To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof." —Article I, Section 8, Clause 18

This article of the Constitution allows Congress to
interpret its expressed powers broadly.
Choose the answer that BEST completes the sentence.

The 2009 government bailout of automotive companies was an example of
the implied powers of the Federal Government.
What is the significance of the Supreme Court's decision in the Gibbons v. Ogden case?
It resulted in an expansive interpretation of the Commerce Clause.
"The Senate will turn down such a presidential appointment if it is opposed by a senator of the President's party from the State involved. The Senate's observance of this unwritten rule has a significant impact on the President's exercise of the power of appointment; in effect, this rule means that some senators virtually dictate certain presidential appointments."

This excerpt from the text refers to
senatorial courtesy
How would a strict constructionist characterize the Federal Government? Which Framer supported this position? Use details from the text to support your answer.
A strict constitutionalism would want the government to have only the powers that were laid out in the Constitution. Thomas Jefferson was a strict constructionist.
Explain the process of removing a President from office. What role does the House of Representatives play? What role does the Senate play?
The president has to be impeached by a majority vote. There is a trial held in the senate and 2/3 have to find the president guilty.
Read this excerpt from the text.

"The clerk calls the chamber to order and checks the roll of representatives elect. Those members-to-be then choose a Speaker, who will be their permanent presiding officer. By custom, the Speaker is a longstanding member of the majority party, and election on the floor is only a formality. The majority party's members in the House have settled the matter beforehand."

This excerpt describes
opening day in the House
This photo shows the President speaking before a joint session of Congress.

At such a meeting, the President is most likely
outlining policies in a State of the Union address.
Read this quote from a speech given by Speaker of the House John Boehner about a bill on the floor.

"Now, the bill before us still isn't perfect. No member would argue that it is. It's imperfect because it reflects an honest and sincere effort to end this crisis by sending a bill over to the Senate that at one time was agreed to by the bipartisan leadership of the United States Senate. And to my colleagues in the Senate, if they were here, I would say this: if this bill passes, this House has sent you not one, but two different bills to cut spending by trillions of dollars over the next decade while providing an immediate increase in the debt ceiling. And to the American people, I would say: we've tried our level best. We've done everything we can to find a common-sense solution that could pass both houses of Congress and end this crisis. . . ." —Speaker John Boehner

What does this suggest about the Speaker's influence?
Sometimes, a Speaker has to use his or her influence to reach a compromise between both chambers.
Use the cartoon to choose the answer that best completes the sentence.

This political cartoon suggests that Senate investigations
are so rigorous and thorough that the process can be painful.
What are the criticisms of the seniority rule in Congress? Write a summary in your own words.
It discourages younger members of Congress and there are not newer ideas going around.
What are standing committees in Congress? What duties and functions do they perform? Include examples from the text in your answer.
Standing committees are groups of people who deal with different issues. They do research on topics and come up with bills.
What are the similarities and differences of public bills and private bills?
Both are measures introduced by Congress, but public bills apply to the nation as a whole, while private bills only apply to certain people or certain places.
Read this excerpt from the text.

"Most of the thousands of bills introduced in each session of Congress are pigeonholed. That is, they are buried; they die in committee. They are simply put away, never to be acted upon. The term comes from the old-fashioned, roll-top desks with pigeonholes-slots into which papers were put and often soon forgotten."

What is the main explanation for this occurrence?
Many bills are introduced on behalf of a constituent and not because the senator or representative feels strongly about it.
A filibuster to block a vote on a bill is possible
only in the Senate, which is almost unrestrained.
This photo shows President Obama presenting a piece of legislation to the public.

Based on the image, what action will most likely happen next?
The bill will become a new law to be implemented.
Describe the role of conference committees in the legislative process.
They are temporary groups of house and senate members put together to work on a specific topic.
How do House leaders schedule debate on a bill?
They do this by working with each other and picking a time.
List the formal qualifications for election to the House and Senate.
They have to 25 or older and have to have been a US citizen for 7 years.
Compared to the size of the House of Representatives, the Senate is
smaller
How does a senator's term differ from a representative's? What is the reason for this difference?
A senator has a 6 year term and this is different because the number of population can change much more for a representative.
What are the two main sources of congressional authority in the field of foreign affairs?
They are war expressed and inherent powers.
The War Powers Resolution impacted the power-sharing arrangement between Congress and the President on the issues of war and national defense by
giving Congress the power to call forth the National Guard.
Congress is called upon to exercise its electoral duties under which of the following circumstances?
when the State legislatures question election results
Describe the role of the House Rules Committee, whether it is a powerful or a less pivotal committee, and why it has been called the "traffic cop" of the House of Representatives.
It is more powerful because they can control what bills they talk about.
Unlike a joint committee, a conference committee
is set up to serve a temporary purpose.
When a bill is engrossed, it is
put to a vote
In both the House and Senate, a bill introduced by a member is next
sent to a standing committee.
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