• 1. All of the following were powers that the Constitution explicitly gave to Congress EXCEPT:

a. to create courtsb. to establish a national bankc. to borrow moneyd. to establish a post office and post roadse. to raise and support an army and navy

• 2. Today the expressed powers of Congress listed in Article I of the Constitution• a. form the framework for policymaking and the basis of

congressional powers through the years• b. have been changed extensively through the formal

amendment process c. strictly limit the powers exercised by Congress• d. limit congressional powers very little since so many

other powers have evolved• e. are open to constant reinterpretation by the Supreme

Court

• 3. Which of the following is a special power granted by the Constitution to the House of Representatives?

a. The House must confirm all presidential nominations to federal office.

b. The House has exclusive control of all bills of revenue. c. The House has the Constitutional right to form a Committee of

the Whole to simplify the lawmaking process. d. The president must seek the "advise and consent" of the

House on all treaties with foreign countries. e. All bills of revenue must originate in the House.

• 4. All of the following accurately describe the organization of the House and Senate EXCEPT:

A. The House may prohibit amendments to a bill on the floor; the Senate may not.B. Both Houses consider legislation in legislative committees.C. Time limits on debate are set in the House; no time limits are set in the SenateD. The House forms a Committee of the Whole; the Senate does not.E. The Senate has a Rules Committee; the House does not.

• 5. The office of the Speaker of the House isA. controversial; many representatives believe that it should be abolishedB. less powerful than it was at the turn of the century, but still a powerful positionC. almost powerless today, but is an important ceremonial position D. much more powerful today than ever beforeE. so much les powerful than it was at the turn of the century that the office of the majority leader is now more powerful

• 6. All of the following are powers of the Speaker of the House EXCEPT:

A. recognition of members who wish to speakB. directing of business on the floorC. appointing new members to standing legislative committeesD. exercising substantial control over which bills get assigned to which committeesE. exercising political and behind-the-scenes influence

• 7. Which of the following is a largely ceremonial position in the Senate?

a. president pro temporeb. majority leaderc. majority whipd. minority whipe. Minority leader

• 8. The most important step in shaping a bill in the process of becoming a law is

a. introduction of the bill on the floor of the House or Senateb. feedback from the executive branch in a formal address by the presidentc. consideration in standing committees and subcommitteesd. consideration in conference committeese. debate on the floor

• 9. Which type of committee is formed exclusively to hammer out differences between the House and the Senate?• A. select committees• B. committees of the whole• C. standing committees• D. conference committees• E. joint committees•

• 10. What is the most usual fate of a bill introduced in Congress?• A. death by presidential veto B . death before it goes to committee• C. passage into law D. death on the floor• E. death by pigeonholing

• 11. Who / what is primarily responsible for assigning members of the House and Senate to legislative committees?

• A. the majority and minority leaders• B. the parties, primarily the majority party C. the Speaker of the House and the president of the Senate• D. the president and vice president• E. the Rules Committee •

• 12. Today committee chairmen are selected by• a. the president• b. the electorate• c. the seniority system; the committee member from the

majority party that has been on the committee the longest is automatically named chairman• d. the Speaker of the House and the President pro

tempore of the Senate• e. the seniority system largely, but the membership of the

majority party may select them by secret ballot•

• 13. Which of the following are important powers of the Rules Committee?• I. setting time limits on floor debate• II. deciding whether or not amendments will be allowed from the

floor• III. deciding which bills may be allowed to go to the floor• IV. deciding whether or not amendments must be germane to the

bill• a. I, II, III, and IV • b. I, II, and III only• c. III and IV only d. I and II only• e. I, II and IV only

• 14. Congressional caucuses• a. are primarily social groups of representatives or senators• b. decide who will hold key leadership positions in Congress• c. make recommendations to the president regarding action

on bills that he must sign d. almost always based their membership on ideological points of view• e. act informally, but they often actively promote their issue

or special interest

• 15. All of the following are characteristics of members of Congress EXCEPT:• a. Most are male.• b. Most are white. c.Most are Protestant• d. Most are from upper-middle or upper income backgrounds.• e. Representatives are generally older than are senators. .

• 16. A bill debated under "closed rules"• a. may be considered with strict time limits and no amendments

allowed from the floor.• b may have strict time limits, but amendments from the floor must

always be allowed• c. can exist only in the Senate• d. may have amendments from the floor, but no time limits may be

imposed• e. exists in both houses, but may have nongermane amendments

only in the Senate

• 17. Racial gerrymandering• I. involves rearranging district lines to allow a minoirty

representative to be elected• II. is controversial• III. was proven unconstitutional by the "one person,

one vote" Supreme Court decision• a. I and II only• b. I only• c. II and III only• d. I and III only• e. I, II, and III

• 18. All of the following are hurdles a bill must pass in BOTH houses before it becomes a law EXCEPT:• a. committee consideration and debate• b. the Rules Committee• c. Floor debate• d. a vote by a quorum of the membership• e. presidential signature or veto

• 19. The practice of one member of Congress supporting another member's pet project in return for support for his or her own project is known as• a. logrolling• b. incumbency. • c. gerrymandering• d. pork barrel legislation• e. filibustering

•20. All of the following types of votes are used in both the House and the Senate EXCEPT:• a. teller• b. voice• c. division• d. roll call• e. electronic

• 21. Which of the following is a constitutional duty of the vice president?• a. to preside over the Senate• b. to assist the president in performing his duties• c. to give the "State of the Union" message d. to be an ambassador-at-large to foreign countries• e. to preside over the House of Representatives• •

• 22. Which of the following are true statements regarding the qualifications for the presidency?• I. No president has been close to the minimum age requirement

(35) when elected to the office.• II. No one born in another country has ever been president.• III. No one has ever served as president who has lived in the

United States for at least fourteen years.• a. II and III only• b. I and II only• c. I and III only• d I, II, and III e. II

• 23. All of the following are expressed presidential powers in the Constitution EXCEPT:• a. may exercise executive privilege• b. appoints ambassadors and judges, with the "advice and

consent" of the Senate• c. may veto a bill passed by Congress• d commands the armed services• e. makes treaties with foreign nations, with the "advice

and consent" of the Senate

• 24. According to James Barber, which type of president is most likely to be genial and well-liked but less likely to have a distinguished term of office?• a. passive-active• b. passive-positive• c. passive-negative• d. active-negative• e. active-positive

• 25. A president's persuasive powers are generally aimed at which audience?• I. fellow politicians and leaders in Washington• II. party activists and officeholders outside Washington• III. the public• a. I only• b I and II only• c. I and III only• d. III only• e. I, II, and III

• 26. Which of the following accurately describes the president's line-item veto power?• a. The president's line-item veto power was declared

unconstitutional in 1997.• b. Presidents have always resisted the line-item veto power.• c. The president never has had a line-item veto power.• d. The president has always had a line-item veto power.• e. The president has had the line-item veto power since

1997.

• (refer to the following quote to answer questions 27 and 28)• There is no "absolute unqualified Presidential privilege of

immunity from judicial process under all circumstances." • 27. The above is a quote from• a. United States v. Nixon• b. the Federalist #51• c. the Bill of Rights d. Article II of the Constitution• e. Raines v. Byrd

• 28. The quote helps to define the presidential power of• a. executive privilege• b. appointment of federal officials• c. impoundment d treaty negotiation• e. persuasion

• 29. The concept of "divided government" refers to• a Congress having a majority party that is different from the

party affiliation of the president• b. division of power between national and state levels• c. one house of Congress one party as the majority, the

majority of the other house being from the other party d. a president of one party, the vice president from another• e. elected officials vs. appointed officials

• 30. A party's vice presidential candidate is usually chosen by• a. the party's presidential candidate b. a direct general election• c. the party convention delegates• d. the party "bosses"• e. the primaries

• 31. Which of the following government officials are appointed by the president, but do NOT need to be confirmed by the Senate?• a. the White House Staff• b Cabinet members• c. judges in District and Appellate Courts d. the Executive Office of the President• e. Supreme Court justices

• 32. All of the following are agencies in the Executive Office of the president EXCEPT:• a. Office of Management and Budget• b. Central Intelligence Agency• c. National Space and Aeronautic Administration• d. Council of Economic Advisers• e. Office of Personnel Management

• 33. All of the following were appointed as cabinet positions by George Washington EXCEPT:• a. Secretary of the Interior b. Secretary of State• c. Secretary of War• d. Secretary of the Treasury• e Attorney General

• 34. All of the following accurately describe the usual relationship between a president and the cabinet EXCEPT:• a. Cabinet members spend the large majority of their time

on departmental business.• b. Cabinet members seek to defend and promote their own

departments in cabinet meetings.• c. Cabinet members function as the president's

representative to the departments. d. The department secretaries usually act fairly independently from the president.• emembers often compete with one another for resources

and attention.

• 35. When the founders created the electoral college, they almost certainly believed that• a. the electors would vote for favorite sons, thus often

sending the election to the House of Representatives• b. the ideal way to select the president was by vote in the

state legislatures• c. popular vote should replace the electoral college as soon

as possible d. the electoral college would not work, but they needed a compromise to allow the Constitution to be ratified.• e. the electoral college would be split often into southern

and northern wings

• 36. Under the 22nd Amendment, which of the following would be ineligible to run for president?• a. a sitting president running for a third full term• b. a sitting vice president who had never run for president

before• c. a sitting president who had served 1 1/2 years of a

previous president's term plus one full term of his own• d. a sitting president running for a second term• e. a sitting vice president who had been president for one

term before

• 37. Today if a president becomes ill and cannot fulfill his duties, who determines whether he vice president becomes acting president?• a. the vice president and the cabinet, but if the president

disagrees, Congress decides the issue. b. both houses of Congress, but no one from the executive branch• c. the vice president and the cabinet, but only with the

approval of Congress• d. the vice president alone• e. the White House staff, with the approval of Congress

• 38. According to the 25th Amendmhent, when the office of vice president is vacated• a. it is automatically filled by the Speaker of the House of

Representatives• b. it is automatically filled by the president pro tempore of

the Senate• c. it is filled by the president's appointment, with both

houses of Congress approving the nomination• d. it remains open until the next election e. it is filled by the president's appointment, but the approval of Congress is not necessary

• 39.What characteristic distinguishes the presidential/vice presidential team of Gerald Ford and Nelson Rockefeller?• a. neither of them was elected to their respective offices by

the American public. b. They are the only team in U.S. history that come from the same state• c. Both filled positions vacated by the death of the previous

occupant.• d. Both had held their respective positions previously.• e. Both resigned before they completed their terms of office.

• 40. According to the Constitution, who can be impeached from public office?• a. Only the president and v ice president of the United States• b. the president, vice president, court justicesand other civil

officers• c. The president, vice president, and members of Congress• d. only members of Congress and the president• e. only Supreme Court justices

• 41. Which of the following Weberian principles did the Pendleton Act reinforce?• a. hierarchical authoirty structure• b. task specialization• c. extensive rules• d. the merit principle• e. impersonality

• 42. All of the following are characteristic of the U.S. government bureaucracy EXCEPT:• a. Federal agencies are responsible to both Congress and

officials in the executive branch.• b. federal agencies share responsibilities with organizations

at state and local levels of government.• c. Government agencies in the U.S. operate under closer

public scrutiny than agencies in most other countries• d. U.S. government agencies regulate privately owned

enterprises, rather than operate publicly owned ones.• e. All U.S. government agencies are part of the fifteen

cabinet departments.

• 43. Andrew Jackson employed a spoils system in hiring government workers in order to• a. reward party loyalists with key federal posts.• b. ensure that upper-class, white males retained government

positions• c. make federal agencies more responsible to Congress• d. decrease the rapid turnover in the federal service• e. provide for a more hierarchical organization of the

bureaucracy

• 44. Which of the following most accurately describes the growth of the bureaucracy since the end of World War II?• a. The number of federal bureaucrats has increased dramatically

over the past fifty years.• b. The number of federal employees has remained a relatively

constant percentage of all civilian jobs.• c. Whereas the number of federal employees has grown slightly,

state and local government jobs have actually decreased.• d. Due to government cutbacks, the number of federal, state, and

local government jobs has decreased significantly• e. The federal bureaucracy that tends to foreign affairs has grown

significantly, but domestic agencies have all but disappeared.•

• 45. All of the following statistics accurately reflect characteristics of federal civilian employees EXCEPT:• a. nearly half are women• b. more than 25% are minority.• c. about one-third are employed by the Defense

Department.• d. only about 11% work in the Washington area.• e. federal civilian employees more closely replicate the

characteristics of the American public than do members of Congress.

• 46. Which of the following cabinet departments was created LAST?• a. Department of State• b. Department of Justice• c. Department of Energy• d. Department of Agriculture• e. Department of Commerce

• 47. The Federal Trade Commission, the National Labor Relations Board, the Federal Reserve Board, and the Securities and Exchange Commission are all examples of• a. cabinet departments• b. independent regulatory agencies• c. independent executive agencies• d. government corporations• e. agencies within the Department of Commerce

• 48. An example of a government corporation is• a. the Securities and Exchange Commission• b. the Social Security Administration• c. the U.S. Postal Service• d. General Services Administration• e. the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

• 49. Congress oversees the agencies in the executive branch in all of the following ways EXCEPT:• a. giving any one job to more than one agency, keeping any

single agency from• becoming all powerful.• b. influencing the appointment of agency heads• c. authorizing money that may be spent on a given program

by an agency• d. holding hearings to question possible agency abuses• e. firing agency heads, cabinet secretaries, and White House

staff

• 50. The president may exercise authority over the executive brach agencies in all of the following ways EXCEPT:• a. appointing people who support his point of view to

senior executive levels•b. issuing executive orders to agencies• c. exercising authority through the Office of Management

and the Budget•d. appointing federal court justices to investigate alleged

wrongdoings of an agency• e. reorganizing or combining agencies to reward or punish

them.

•51. The points of the iron triangle are•a. Congressional subcommittee to president to Supreme Court Chief Justice•b. Speaker of the House to president to Supreme Court Chief Justice•c. governors to president to mayors•d. subcommittee members to interest groups to agency heads•e. agency heads to department secretaries to president

• 52. The National Performance Review headed by Vice President Al Gore recommended that reforms in government organization include all of the following EXCEPT:• a. more centralization of control of governmental agencies in the

president's office• b. closing and/or consolidating offices• c. reducing programs• d. allowing funds for creatiive inovation• e. eliminating federal support for some agencies.