What is seniority? What role does seniority play in determining leadership on congressional committees? How has the value placed on seniority changed over time?
What will be an ideal response?
An ideal response will:
1, Define seniority as the principle that one attains a position on the basis of length of service.
2, Explain that for most of the twentieth century before the 1970s, appointment by seniority was an unbreakable rule: The most senior committee member of the majority party automatically became chair of the committee, and the most senior member of the minority party automatically became the ranking minority member.
3, Note that after 1974, both Republicans and Democrats in the House instituted the secret ballot among party members for the election of chairs, and seniority was occasionally ignored.
4, Note that appointment of committee chairs in the House remains firmly in the hands of majority party leaders today, but in the Senate, seniority continues to be an important criterion for appointment to a chairmanship position.
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Indicate whether the statement is true or false.
Who directly calls forth the leader of the largest party to take office with a cabinet and become the prime minister?
A) The voters B) Parliament C) The monarch D) The House of Commons
Mancur Olson concluded that democracy is more conducive to economic development than other regime types because
a. rulers in democracies are interested in power and wealth. b. rulers in democracies use democratic policies to support economic growth. c. rulers in autocracies consume state resources irrationally. d. rulers in autocracies fail to develop income redistribution plans.
Which of the following statements about welfare is NOT true?
a. After the welfare reform of 1996, welfare recipients were required to work to get benefits. b. Food stamps, SSI, EITC, Medicaid, and TANF are the most important welfare programs. c. Welfare programs are federal programs, involving state and local governments in addition to the national government. d. Welfare reform passed Congress in 1996. e. Need-based welfare was abolished in 1996.