Note to students: These questions have previously been used on exams for this course. Only ten questions are provided because this is NOT intended as a "study guide" for the exam. They are listed here so that you can see the type of questions and style of writing that your instructor may incorporate in exams. Some questions could be used again, but most will not.

Scroll to the bottom of the page for the answer key.

1. Congressional casework includes
1. Filing legal briefs on behalf of public interest groups.
2. Helping constituents solve red-tape problems with the federal bureaucracy.
3. Intervening with police when constituents are held without reasonable bail.
4. Introducing legislation that would regulate the judicial branch.

2. Legislative oversight involves
1. Maintaining control over expenditures by congressional staff.
2. Keeping an eye on how the executive branch carries out the provisions of congressional statutes.
3. Regulating the activities of lobbyists and political action committees.
4. Establishing procedures for implementation of congressional codes of conduct.

3. The demographic makeup of Congress
1. Is basically representative of the demographic balance of the U.S. population.
2. Has remained virtually unchanged for 200 years.
3. Overrepresents women and ethnic minorities.
4. Suggests some violation of the norm of political equality.

4. What is the single best predictor we have concerning the voting behavior of members of Congress?
1. Tradition
2. Political party
3. Ideology
4. Presidential leadership

5. How does the U.S. Congress differ from the British parliamentary system?
1. Congress is a less powerful body than the British Parliament.
2. Individual members of Parliament have more freedom to vote their own best judgment than do members of Congress.
3. Congress has more substantial powers independent of the executive than is found in the British Parliament.
4. Congress has no control over treaties negotiated by the president, whereas the British Parliament has the power to reject treaties.

6. The trustee theory of representation calls on representatives to
1. Reflect the views of his or her constituents.
2. Use his or her own best judgment of the issues.
3. Represent the views of his or her political party.
4. Concentrate on the needs of organized interest groups.

7. Which of these is not one of the purposes of congressional committees and subcommittees?
1. They consolidate bills to guarantee that some parts of a majority of proposals will eventually be voted on by the House and Senate.
2. They become areas of specialization whose members and staff develop expertise to handle complex issues.
3. They are useful to members of Congress who use their committee positions to generate benefits for their districts or states.
4. They serve as screening devices, allowing only a small percentage of bills to take up the time of the parent legislative bodies.

8. The "advice and consent" function refers to
1. the President's obligation to seek Congress' advice and consent before he exceeds an item in the federal budget
2. the provision in the War Powers Act which requires the President to consult with Congress before sending U.S. troops into zones of combat
3. the power of the Senate to confirm or reject Presidential appointments
4. the power of the House of Representatives to institute impeachment proceedings for "high crimes and misdemeanors"

9. (T/F) Congressional rules specify how things should be done and what is not allowed.

ANSWERS: