GOV CH-12 CONGRESS IN ACTION

Name:

IDENTIFYING KEY TERMS
Match each item with the correct statement below. You will not use all the terms.

a.	resolution
b.	rider
c.	discharge petition
d.	quorum
e.	party caucus
f.	filibuster

voted on by either house, but has no force of law

closed meeting of the members of each party in the House

provision attached to an important bill

majority of the full membership of either house

enables members to force a bill that has been in committee for 30 days onto the floor for consideration

MAIN IDEAS

The duties of the House Rules Committee are best described as those of a

a.	factory foreman.
b.	traffic cop.
c.	congressional chaplain.
d.	accounting clerk.

When the Senate's Republican caucus wants party members to vote for a bill, the person who determines how many votes can be counted on is the

a.	senior senator.
b.	policy-committee chairperson.
c.	floor leader.
d.	whip.

The main reason that Congress creates committees is to

a.	divide the workload.
b.	educate new members.
c.	introduce new bills.
d.	create party power bases.

Which of the following is a way a bill can become a law without the President's signature?

a.	The President delegates the signing of a bill to the Vice President.
b.	The President waits until the Congress is not in session.
c.	The President fails to act on the bill within 10 days of receiving it while Congress is in session.
d.	The President leaves the country.

10.

To propose a constitutional amendment, Congress uses a

a.	public bill.
b.	joint resolution.
c.	concurrent resolution.
d.	rider.

11.

How and when bills reach the floor of the House is decided by the

a.	Ways and Means Committee.
b.	Rules Committee.
c.	Appropriations Committee.
d.	Judiciary Committee.

12.

Committee chairpersons usually are chosen

a.	by the presiding officers.
b.	by the whips.
c.	on the basis of ability.
d.	on the basis of seniority.

13.

Unlike the House, the Senate has a legislative process with

a.	few limits on debate.
b.	strict limits on debate.
c.	no roll-call voting.
d.	no voice voting.

14.

Bills are introduced in the Senate by

a.	the Rules Committee.
b.	individual senators.
c.	investigative committees.
d.	the majority floor leader.

15.

In the Vice President's absence, the presiding officer of the Senate is the

a.	Dean of the Senate.
b.	majority floor leader.
c.	president pro tempore.
d.	Speaker of the Senate.

16.

The House Rules Committee may do all of the following EXCEPT

a.	set conditions for considering a bill.
b.	speed up consideration of a bill.
c.	prevent consideration of a bill.
d.	attach amendments to a bill.

17.

The main way to end a filibuster is by

a.	a two-thirds vote of the Senate.
b.	invoking the Cloture Rule.
c.	convening a conference committee.
d.	voting the filibusterer out of office.

18.

On the first day of each new term, the House

a.	has a short, routine day.
b.	has few members to swear in.
c.	elects a Speaker to preside.
d.	writes all new rules of procedure.

19.

In order to prevent a bill passed by Congress from becoming law, the President may

a.	sign it and attach a veto message.
b.	refuse to sign it and attach a veto message.
c.	sign it after ten days if Congress is in session.
d.	negotiate a compromise bill with Congress.

20.

Proposed measures that apply to specific individuals or places are

a.	public bills.
b.	private bills.
c.	concurrent resolutions.
d.	riders.

21.

The president pro tempore

a.	is elected by the House and is the leader of its minority party.
b.	is replaced, when absent, by the Speaker of the House.
c.	serves in the absence of the Vice President of the United States.
d.	serves in the absence of the Speaker of the Senate.

22.

Most select committees do NOT

a.	conduct investigations.
b.	have a specific purpose.
c.	try to bring public attention to a matter.
d.	produce compromise bills.

23.

When a bill is introduced in the House, it is FIRST

a.	given to the Rules Committee.
b.	read aloud in full.
c.	given a number and title.
d.	debated by the full House.

24.

Most measures introduced in the House die at which of these steps?

a.	committee
b.	cloture
c.	quorum
d.	floor vote

25.

The Cloture Rule was adopted following a filibuster over the

a.	arming of American merchant vessels.
b.	passage of the Civil Rights Act.
c.	stock market crash of the 1920s.
d.	United States’ entry into World War II.

26.

Conference committees act as a "third house of Congress" when they

a.	use investigative powers similar to those of the House and Senate.
b.	screen, debate, and vote on bills.
c.	appoint presiding officers.
d.	produce a compromise bill that both the House and Senate will accept.

27.

Which of the following options is NOT available to a President who has just received a bill passed by Congress?

a.	sign the bill within 10 days
b.	sign the bill after 15 days
c.	veto the bill
d.	use a pocket veto

28.

At the beginning of each new term, the Senate

a.	elects a presiding officer.
b.	adopts rules of procedure.
c.	elects a clerk and a chaplain.
d.	faces few organizational problems.

29.

Majority floor leaders hold considerable power due mainly to the fact that

a.	they are the most popular leaders.
b.	presiding officers choose them.
c.	the majority party has more seats than the other party has.
d.	they are assisted by a powerful whip.

30.

The role of the House Rules Committee is played in the Senate by the

a.	president pro tempore.
b.	president of the Senate.
c.	whip.
d.	majority floor leader.

31.

In both houses, the standing committees

a.	are always subject-matter committees.
b.	are usually headed by members chosen on the basis of seniority.
c.	must report out every bill that is referred to them.
d.	are set up for a limited time to investigate a current matter.

32.

Bills that originate in either house of Congress may be

a.	introduced only by party leaders.
b.	formulated by private citizens.
c.	introduced by private citizens.
d.	introduced by the President.

33.

The purpose of a filibuster is to

a.	invoke the rule of cloture.
b.	prevent quorum calls.
c.	speed up action on a bill.
d.	prevent action on a bill.

34.

House leaders may use any of these calendars to schedule debate on a bill EXCEPT

a.	Union Calendar.
b.	House Calendar.
c.	Congressional Calendar.
d.	Private Calendar.

35.

A compromise bill worked on by a conference committee of House and Senate members is

a.	usually passed by both houses of Congress.
b.	never passed by both houses of Congress.
c.	always passed with amendments.
d.	sometimes passed with amendments.

INTERPRETING CHARTS
Use the chart to answer the following questions.

36.

To which of the following does a subcommittee report a bill?

a.	the Rules Committee
b.	a conference committee
c.	a full committee
d.	floor action

37.

A bill traveling along the arrow labeled Z would most likely be headed to

a.	the House.
b.	the Senate.
c.	a joint committee.
d.	the Supreme Court.

38.

To which of the following does a full committee of the House report a bill?

a.	a subcommittee
b.	the Rules Committee
c.	a conference committee
d.	floor action

39.

The arrow labeled X shows that some bills start in the House. Where would bills traveling along the arrow labeled Y have started from?

a.	pressure groups
b.	the Supreme Court
c.	private citizens
d.	the Senate

40.

One difference between opening day in the House and opening day in the Senate is that

a.	new members must be sworn in in the Senate.
b.	committee members are appointed in the House.
c.	the House must reorganize but not the Senate.
d.	the Senate reorganizes, but not the House.

41.

The President’s State of the Union message is

a.	an unwritten custom.
b.	a constitutional command.
c.	a personal choice by each President.
d.	delivered only when Congress issues an invitation to the President to do so.

42.

In his leadership position, the Speaker must tend not only to the House as a whole, but also to

a.	his party in particular.
b.	the Senate.
c.	the Congress as a whole.
d.	the Vice President.

43.

Should the seniority rule be eliminated, which of the following is MOST likely to gain greater influence over the process of selecting committee chairs?

a.	the voters
b.	the party caucus
c.	the President
d.	younger members

44.

Because the fate of most bills is decided in committee, it is important for committee members to

a.	consult party leadership before voting.
b.	call a special session whenever necessary.
c.	be in touch with current public opinion.
d.	avoid the input of interest groups.

45.

In each congressional election, a great deal of attention is paid to which party holds a majority in each chamber. This is at least partly because

a.	the same party is likely to win the presidency.
b.	the majority party holds a majority of seats on each standing committee.
c.	the Constitution requires each party to hold a majority at least once in every 10-year period.
d.	State legislatures will likely follow suit.

46.

The House Rules Committee comes into play

a.	before bills are sent to committee.
b.	while bills are being considered in committee.
c.	after bills are reported out of committee.
d.	after bills are considered on the floor.

47.

All of the following describe select committees EXCEPT

a.	their work is usually done in secret.
b.	their members are appointed, not elected.
c.	they are formed to investigate some specific matter.
d.	most are set up for a limited time.

48.

Only _____ can propose a measure dealing with raising money.

a.	the Senate
b.	the House
c.	the voters
d.	the Speaker

49.

One possible reason that a discharge petition is seldom successful is that

a.	committees rarely pigeonhole a bill.
b.	it can be used only for bills that deal with financial matters.
c.	it can be used only for concurrent resolutions.
d.	so many signatures are needed on the discharge motion.

50.

All of the following are ways the House speeds up the lawmaking process EXCEPT

a.	making a motion to “move the previous question.”
b.	suspending its rules.
c.	considering bills as the Committee of the Whole.
d.	opening debate on a bill.

51.

If the lawmaking process is compared to an obstacle course, which of the following would constitute an obstacle?

a.	the three readings
b.	being referred to the appropriate standing committee
c.	being reported out of committee favorably
d.	being engrossed

52.

Senators may vote to recess rather than adjourn when

a.	they wish to limit discussion of a particular issue.
b.	the end of the legislative session is nearly at hand.
c.	a member is threatening a filibuster.
d.	they wish to avoid referring a measure to committee.

53.

The conference committee

a.	is the final step before congressional approval of a bill.
b.	holds hearings to gather information.
c.	operates differently in the House than it does in the Senate.
d.	may refuse to report a bill.

54.

The President may veto a bill, but if he does, he must

a.	do so within five days.
b.	give his reasons for doing so.
c.	return the bill to conference committee.
d.	none of the above.

55.

List the steps by which a bill becomes a law....
1-
2-
3-
etc.