Multiple Choice Quiz

Choose the best answer

1		The term "service strategy" refers to the:
			A)	use of congressional staff to build support among constituents.
			B)	tendency of members of Congress to back the president on crucial issues of national security.
			C)	tendency of the armed services to cater to members of Congress.
			D)	desire of members of Congress to focus on re-election in order to accumulate the years required for good seniority positions.
2		Which of the following is not a Congressional agency?
			A)	General Accounting Office
			B)	Congressional Budget Ofice
			C)	Office of Management and Budget
			D)	Office of Technology Assessment
3		Unlimited debate employed in the Senate to keep a bill from coming up for a vote is called:
			A)	pork-barrelling legislation.
			B)	mark-up strategy.
			C)	filibuster.
			D)	log rolling.
4		Measures enacted to prevent a program from continuing forever are called:
			A)	mark-ups.
			B)	sunset laws.
			C)	cloture.
			D)	legislative vetoes.
5		On broad issues of national significance, who usually takes the initiative to propose legislative initiatives?
			A)	president.
			B)	special interest groups.
			C)	party of the president in Congress.
			D)	congressional staff of the minority party.
6		What is the name of the type of committee that reconciles different House and Senate versions of a bill?
			A)	standing
			B)	special
			C)	conference
			D)	joint
7		The major function of the U.S. Congress is to:
			A)	pass legislation.
			B)	administer programs.
			C)	decide exceptions to the enforcement of laws.
			D)	nominate candidates for national office.
			E)	a and c only.
8		General descriptive characteristics of the U.S. Congress include all except which one of the following:
			A)	Congress is a fragmented (highly decentralized) institution.
			B)	Influence in Congress is widely dispersed.
			C)	Congress most often takes the lead in handling broad national issues.
			D)	Most work is conducted in committees.
			E)	Both the House and Senate are directly elected by the populace.
9		The text description of the NAFTA vote illustrates which aspect(s) of Congress? Its:
			A)	lawmaking powers.
			B)	power of incumbency.
			C)	role as a representative assembly for states and districts.
			D)	a and b only.
			E)	a and c only.
10		The practice of sending an agricultural bill to the Foreign Relations committee instead of the Agriculture committee for deliberation would offend the policy of:
			A)	seniority.
			B)	cloture.
			C)	log rolling.
			D)	jurisdiction
14		When Congress passes a "distributive" piece of legislation, it means:
			A)	benefits are taken away from one group and given to another.
			B)	benefits are distributed to a particular group while spreading the costs among the general public.
			C)	benefits are distributed equally among the population.
			D)	costs and benefits are distributed equally among the general public.
12		Congressional investigations such as Watergate, Iran-Contra and Whitewater illustrate which function of Congress?
			A)	representation
			B)	lawmaking
			C)	distributive
			D)	oversight
			E)	service