Ch. 11

The flashcards below were created by user kizerk on FreezingBlue Flashcards.

  1. The provision that gives Congress broad powers to legislate beyond its enumerated powers is called the
    elastic clause
  2. The Constitution's Article I, Section 9 prohibits all of these EXCEPT
    the use of enumerated powers
  3. The Supreme Court ruling United States v. Lopez (1995) overturned a law banning firearms in and around schools because
    Congress had overstepped its authority in a matter that should be decided by the states.
  4. Which of these powers is unique to the House of Representatives?
    origination of revenue bills
  5. Because members of the Senate and the House come to
    Washington as representatives of states and districts, the federal system infuses ________ into congressional affairs.
  6. How often does reapportionment of House seats occur?
    every 10 years
  7. Who is largely responsible for redrawing congressional district lines?
    state legislatures
  8. What is one of the results of the Supreme Court
    decisions allowing districts to be redrawn along racial lines as long as
    it is not the only criteria used?
    • Policies favored by a majority of African Americans
    • are less likely to be enacted because of the decreased strength of Democrats in the House.
  9. Which is NOT a reason why Republicans have been historically able to raise more money than Democrats?
    The Republicans have made major inroads with Hispanics and African Americans.
  10. What is the best predictor of voting behaviors of members of Congress?
    party affiliation
  11. Partisanship has ______ since the 1970s.
    been on the rise
  12. What are David and Oleszek measuring when they track the way a member of a Congress votes in terms of his or her party?
  13. How has it been possible for Republicans to control the congressional agenda virtually unopposed from 1995 to 2006?
    • Despite their small majority, the GOP had enjoyed
    • unprecedented unity, which enabled them to pass nearly all of their bills during this period.
  14. What type of committee, specified in the House and Senate rules, is relatively permanent?
    standing committee
  15. What is the only way a bill that has been killed in committee can reach the floor?
    thru a discharge petition
  16. T/F In the Great Compromise, the framers decided to
    apportion the House of Representatives on the basis of population and the Senate on the basis of equal representation.
  17. By all accounts, the U.S. Congress is highly representative of the population it serves.
  18. T/F African-American representation in the Congress reached its peak during the post-Civil War Reconstruction period.
  19. T/F Today, all congressional districts are roughly equal in population.
  20. T/F Incumbents have a harder time raising money and so tend to spend less than their challengers.
  21. T/F Open seat elections are those in which the incumbent does not run for reelection.
  22. T/F Due to the short Congressional term, there are very few "safe" seats and most are contested at each election.
  23. T/F The Republican party has dominated the Congress since 1955.
  24. T/F The path by which a bill becomes a law is so strewn with obstacles that few bills survive.
  25. While oversight is a function of Congress, in actuality Congress does very little oversight of the executive branch.
Card Set:
Ch. 11
2010-11-01 03:19:23

Show Answers: