American Government 100Part III

American Government 100Part III

Patterson, pgs. 319-328, AG15-17

Party Leadership in Congress

True/False Questions

1. Since the majority party has the largest number of members in the House, the Speaker has always been a member of the majority party. True or False

2. Until the 1980s, most roll-call votes in Congress did not pit a majority of Republicans against a majority of Democrats. True or False

3. The Speaker can force party members in the House to support the party’s program. True or False

4. Since the 1980s, the overlap between the congressional parties has diminished, making it easier to bridge party differences since they realize that compromise is the only solution. True or False

5. The presiding officer has tremendous power in the Senate since he/she can limit debate on any pending legislation, acknowledging who speaks at his leisure. True or False

6. Standing committees are not allowed to rewrite any legislation that is sent to them and are prevented from supporting or rejecting proposed legislation to the full chamber. True or False

7. Unlike the members’ personal staffs, which concentrate on constituency relations, the committee staffs in Congress perform an almost entirely legislative function. True or False

8. Party leaders can readily ignore a committee that has policy jurisdiction over proposed legislation. True or False

9. The ratio of Democrats to Republicans on each committee is determined by the majority party based on a fixed rule. True or False

10. Although senators typically will serve on four committees, they can only sit on two major committees. True or False

11. Once appointed to a committee, a congressional member can usually choose to stay on it indefinitely.True or False

12. There is no fixed number of seats on a standing committee and it can be expanded or diminished in size at the whim of the majority party leaders. True or False

13. Based on seniority, a member of the minority party may assume the chair of a standing committee. True or False

14. When a member switches committees in Congress, the years spent on the first committee do not count toward seniority on the new one. True or False

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why are members of European Parliaments less willing to challenge the party leadership like their American counterparts? a) They are taught from day one that collegiality must be adhered too, b) They can be denied nomination in the next election if they fail to support the party on key legislative votes, c) Interest groups have easier access to legislators in Europe than in the U.S., d) European are willing to vote against their party because principle is Parliament’s cornerstone.

2. Having the responsibility of relying on themselves for their re-election gives members of Congress: a) a heavy reliance on the party system to aid them, b) the ability to prevent the parties from investigating wrong doing, c) the necessary political capital to challenge their constituents, d) the freedom to selectively back or oppose the party’s position on key votes.

3. Who is the most powerful leader in Congress and the second most powerful leader in Washington, D.C.? a) the Speaker of the House, b) the Majority leader in the Senate, c) the President of the Senate, d) the Majority Whip in the House.

4. In the Senate, who is the most important party leader, heading the majority-party caucus? a) the majority leader, b) the majority whip, c) the president vice-tempore, d) the vice-president.

5. According to the Constitution, who is the presiding officer of the Senate? a) chairperson of the Rule Committee, b) majority leader, c) majority whip, d) vice-president.

6. When does the vice-president play a legislative role in the Senate: a) he continuously presides over the Senate, b) he introduces executive bills sponsored by the administration, c) he can break a tie vote in the Senate, d) he ends debate at the end of a Senate session.

7. The President pro tempore is largely an honorary position that is traditionally held by the: a) the vice-president’s choice, b) majority party's senior member, c) minority party's senior member, d) the U.S. president selects this person on a rotating basis.

8. The permanent committees with responsibility for particular areas of public policy: a) conference committees, b) standing committees, c) joint-resolution committees, d) housekeeping committees.

9. About how many bills are introduced in Congressduring each two-year session? a) 2,700, b) 5,000, c) 10,000, d) 23,400. OK, F15, 11Ed, p.347

10. Committees in Congress that have a designated responsibility for a specific time period and purpose that do not produce legislation: a) select committees, b) joint committees, c) structural committees, d) organizational committees.

11. A joint committee formed temporarily to work out the differences in House and Senate versions of a particular bill: a) ad hoc committees, b) housekeeping committees, c) conference committees, d) concurrent committees.

12. Which of the following requires that the bill be referred by the party leaders to the proper committee in Congress? a) The Congressional Responsibility Act, b) The Congressional Priority Act, c) The Legislative Reorganization Act, d) The Legislative Accountability Act.

13. How are the members of a subcommittee selected? a) The individual party caucus, b) The party leadership, c) Experience on other subcommittees, d) Members of each party on the committee decide. Revised,

14. Who selects a committee’s chair? a) The majority members of a the powerful Rules Committee, b) The majority party, c) It’s already predetermined, based on the senior member of a committee, d) There is no fixed rule; it changes election cycle through cycle.

Fill-in Questions

1. What are some of the formal powers of the Speaker?

a) the right to ______during House debate on legislation and the power to ______members on the House floor.

b) he chooses the ______and the majority-party members of the powerful House ______, which controls the scheduling of bills.

c) those bills that the Speaker wants passed are likely to reach the floor under conditions ______to their ______.

2.Why is the Senate majority leader in the Senate less powerful than the Speaker in the House?

a) he is not the Senate’s ______.

b) the Senate has a tradition of ______debate.

c) the Senate is smaller in size, leading senators to act as __-______in a way that House members cannot.

d) Senators serve ___ year terms relieving them of unrelenting reelection ______.

3. What factors determine whether a member is granted a seat on a prestigious committee?

a) party ______,

b) level of ______,

c) _____ethic, and

d) ______of congressional service.

4. A committee chair:

a) ______committee meetings,

b) determines the ______in which committee bills are considered,

c) ______over committee hearings,

d) directs the committee's majority ______, and

e) can choose to _____ the ______when a committee bill reaches the floor for a vote by the full membership.

5. What are the advantages of the seniority system for assuming a leadership position in Congress?

a) it reduces the number of ______that would occur if the chairs were decided each time by open ______,

b) it places committee leadership in the hands of ______members, and

c) it enables members to lookforward to the ______of a position as chair after years of service on the _____ committee.

Answers

True/False Questions

1. True

3. False

5. False

7. True

9. False

11. True

13. False

Multiple Choice Questions

1. b

3. a

5. d

7. b

9. c

11. c

13. d

Fill-in Questions

1. a) speak first, recognize, b) chairperson, Rules Committee, c) favorable, enactment

3. a) loyalty, b) knowledge, c) work, d) length

5. a) power struggles, competition, b) experienced, c) reward, same

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