Unit 2 - Congress

Congress in Action

Unit 2 Branches of Government - FRQ #1 Concept Application. Enter your name to begin with Roger the GoPup.

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SOCIAL STUDIES LAB

AP Government and Politics

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UNIT 2: BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT TOPIC: CONGRESS

FRQ #1 - Concept Application

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Scenario

A member of the House Ways and Means Committee introduces a major tax reform bill. During committee markup, members from both parties offer amendments, and the committee chair uses agenda setting power to decide which amendments receive a vote. After the committee approves the bill, House leadership schedules it for a floor vote under a closed rule, and the bill passes on a mostly party line vote. In the Senate, the bill is referred to the Finance Committee, but the minority party signals that it will use extended debate to block a floor vote. Because the bill does not have the support of sixty senators, the majority leader cannot secure cloture. During this period, constituents in several states hold town hall meetings and press their senators to change positions on the bill.

A

In the context of the scenario, describe the role that congressional committees play in shaping legislation before it reaches the floor.

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Model response and scoring note

Committees act as gatekeepers and specialists. In the scenario, the Ways and Means Committee holds a markup, where members debate and revise the bill and the chair controls which amendments get a vote. This shows that committees shape a bill content and decide whether it advances at all before the full chamber ever votes, giving committee members and chairs significant agenda setting power over legislation.

B

In the context of the scenario, explain how the rule described for the Senate affects the likelihood that the bill becomes law, compared with the process used in the House.

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Model response and scoring note

The House passed the bill under a closed rule with a simple majority, reflecting how a majority party with unified control can move legislation quickly through that chamber. The Senate operates under different rules that allow extended debate, so the bill needs sixty votes for cloture rather than a simple majority. Because the minority party can block a vote without cloture, the Senate rule described makes it less likely that the bill becomes law even though it already passed the House, showing how the two chambers rules create very different odds of final passage for the same bill.

C

In the context of the scenario, explain how the trustee model of representation could describe a senator response to the constituent activity described in the scenario.

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Model response and scoring note

Under the trustee model of representation, an elected official is expected to use personal judgment and expertise to decide what policy is best for the constituency as a whole, rather than simply mirroring whatever constituents say at a given moment. In the scenario, the town hall meetings put pressure on the senator to change a position on the tax bill, but a senator acting as a trustee could weigh that pressure against a personal assessment of the long term effects of the bill, informed by committee testimony or policy expertise, and choose to hold the original position on cloture even if it does not match what most town hall attendees wanted. This shows that under the trustee model, constituent pressure described in the scenario does not automatically change congressional behavior, because the senator judgment about the national interest can outweigh short term public pressure.

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Read each sample response below, decide how many of the 3 points it earns, then reveal the correct score to check your thinking.

Sample Response 1

Part A: In the scenario, the House Ways and Means Committee holds a markup on the tax bill where members offer amendments, but the committee chair decides which amendments actually get a vote. This shows committees act as gatekeepers, shaping and controlling a bill before it can reach the full House floor.

Part B: The House passed the bill with a simple majority under a closed rule, but the Senate requires sixty votes for cloture to end a filibuster. Because the minority party in the Senate refuses to allow a vote, the bill cannot reach the same simple majority threshold that worked in the House, making the bill less likely to pass overall even though it already passed the House.

Part C: Even though constituents pressured the senator at town hall meetings, a senator acting as a trustee could still rely on personal judgment and expertise about the tax bill long term effects rather than immediately changing a position on cloture. This shows the trustee model, where the senator judgment about the national interest can outweigh short term public pressure.

0 1 2 3

Correct score: 3 out of 3. Part A earns the point by naming the committee, the markup, and the chair control over amendments. Part B earns the point by comparing the House simple majority under a closed rule to the Senate sixty vote cloture requirement. Part C earns the point by correctly applying the trustee model, explaining that the senator can rely on personal judgment over the town hall pressure.

Sample Response 2

Part A: In the scenario, the Ways and Means Committee marks up the tax bill and the chair controls which amendments receive a vote, so the bill has to get through committee before the full House can even consider it.

Part B: The bill passed the House with a simple majority under a closed rule, but in the Senate it needs sixty votes for cloture and the minority party will not provide them. This makes the bill far less likely to become law than it was after it passed the House.

Part C: The town halls show that constituents wanted the senator to change positions, and elected officials should listen to the people who elected them so that they keep getting reelected in the future.

0 1 2 3

Correct score: 2 out of 3. Part A and Part B both earn credit for the same reasons as Sample 1. Part C does not earn the point because it describes constituents wanting change and officials listening to get reelected, which is closer to the delegate model. It never explains the trustee model or the idea that a senator can use personal judgment instead of following constituent pressure, so the specific concept asked for in the prompt is missing.

Sample Response 3

Part A: Congress has committees that work on bills before they become laws.

Part B: The House passed the bill by simple majority under a closed rule. The Senate needs sixty votes to end debate through cloture, and the minority party will not agree, so the bill is less likely to pass the Senate than it was to pass the House.

Part C: The senator has to think about what is best for everyone.

0 1 2 3

Correct score: 1 out of 3. Part A does not earn the point because it is a generic statement about committees working on bills, with no reference to the markup, the chair, amendments, or any other detail from the scenario. Part B earns the point because it correctly compares the House simple majority to the Senate sixty vote cloture requirement using scenario details. Part C does not earn the point because it never names or explains the trustee model, and it does not connect to the town hall pressure described in the scenario.

Sample Response 4

Part A: Congress is one of the three branches of government, along with the president and the courts, and it is in charge of making the laws for the country.

Part B: The president can veto bills that Congress passes, and Congress can override a veto with a two thirds vote in both chambers.

Part C: The Supreme Court can rule a law unconstitutional through judicial review, which is another check on the power of Congress.

0 1 2 3

Correct score: 0 out of 3. None of the three parts respond to what was actually asked. Part A describes the three branches in general instead of describing how committees shape legislation. Part B describes the veto and override process instead of comparing House and Senate passage rules. Part C describes judicial review instead of explaining the trustee model and constituent pressure. This response shows general civics knowledge, but it does not engage with the scenario or the specific prompts at all.

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