Quiz Glorious Rivals Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Glorious Rivals Quiz: 20 Questions on Bipartisanship, Reform, and American Politics

This quiz covers the entire book Glorious Rivals, from its prologue through the conclusion. Questions are grouped into four sections: Plot & Sequence, Character Motivation, Theme & Symbol, and Synthesis. Each question is either multiple‑choice or short‑answer. The full answer key follows all questions, with brief explanations drawn directly from the book’s content.

Quiz Questions

Plot & Sequence (8 questions)

  1. The prologue describes the creation of a commission that successfully broke a policy stalemate. Which commission was it?

    • A. The Greenspan Commission
    • B. The National Commission on Energy Policy
    • C. The 9/11 Commission
    • D. The Super‑Committee

  2. In Chapter 1, which senator’s support for the Compromise of 1850 is used to illustrate political courage?

    • A. John F. Kennedy
    • B. Henry Clay
    • C. Daniel Webster
    • D. John C. Calhoun

  3. Chapter 2 introduces a central metaphor for American democracy. What is it?

    • A. A leaky ship
    • B. A house battered by a storm
    • C. A clock running down
    • D. A garden overgrown with weeds

  4. The evolution of which Senate procedure is traced from a rare tool to a common cause of gridlock?

    • A. The filibuster
    • B. The cloture motion
    • C. The nuclear option
    • D. Unanimous consent

  5. Which 1990s crisis is presented as a successful example of bipartisan collaboration?

    • A. The savings and loan crisis
    • B. The Y2K crisis
    • C. The 1995 government shutdown
    • D. The Asian financial crisis

  6. In Chapter 5, what peace process used secret talks after a public breakdown?

    • A. The Oslo Accords
    • B. The Good Friday Agreement (Northern Ireland)
    • C. The Dayton Agreement
    • D. The Camp David Accords

  7. The “Watergate Babies” reforms of the 1970s inadvertently had what effect on Congress?

    • A. They strengthened party leaders and centralized control.
    • B. They decreased the number of committees.
    • C. They created term limits for committee chairs.
    • D. They eliminated closed rules.

  8. Which 2013 budget deal is highlighted as a rare moment of success, forged by a personal connection?

    • A. The Simpson‑Bowles plan
    • B. The Ryan‑Murray deal
    • C. The Budget Control Act
    • D. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018

Character Motivation (5 questions)

  1. Short‑answer – Why did Senator Bob Bennett (R‑UT) lose his primary, according to Chapter 8?

  2. Why did President Obama keep a reserved, aloof style in his dealings with Congress, as described in Chapter 4?

    • A. He was following the advice of Karl Rove.
    • B. It was his natural temperament; he preferred to spend time away from lawmakers.
    • C. He was prohibited from meeting senators by White House ethics rules.
    • D. He believed bipartisanship was a waste of time.

  3. What motivated Senator Russell Long to help raise money for a Democratic colleague?

    • A. He was forced to by party leadership.
    • B. He valued the personal relationship and thought it important for his state.
    • C. He was paid by a lobbyist.
    • D. He wanted to switch parties.

  4. Why did George Mitchell insist on keeping the Good Friday Agreement talks secret?

    • A. He feared leaks to the British press.
    • B. The public talks had completely broken down and secrecy allowed candor.
    • C. He was trying to hide the talks from the U.S. Congress.
    • D. He had a personal feud with the media.

  5. Short‑answer – According to Chapter 7, what was the primary motivation of Jack Abramoff’s corruption?

Theme & Symbol (4 questions)

  1. The “Monocle restaurant” in Chapter 4 symbolizes what broader change in Washington?

    • A. The rise of cheap dining for staffers
    • B. The decline of social gathering places that fostered cross‑party relationships
    • C. The increasing influence of French cuisine on politics
    • D. The shift toward fast‑food in the Capitol

  2. What does the “spork effect” refer to in the committee system (Chapter 6)?

    • A. A utensil that combines spoon and fork
    • B. Jurisdictional overlap where multiple committees claim authority over the same issue
    • C. A rule that allows members to speak without time limits
    • D. A nickname for the Agriculture Committee’s derivative oversight

  3. Short‑answer – In the context of campaign‑finance reform, what does the “First Law of Holes” mean?

  4. The conclusion describes a “virtuous cycle.” What three elements does it connect?

    • A. Campaign money, media coverage, and public approval
    • B. Collegiality, legislative achievement, and public trust
    • C. Primary challenges, filibusters, and government shutdowns
    • D. Lobbying, earmarks, and transparency

Synthesis (3 questions)

  1. Chapter 5 (“The Dark Side of Sunlight”) argues that transparency can undermine deliberation. Which analogy from the chapter best supports this idea?

    • A. The installation of security cameras in the Capitol
    • B. The secret Good Friday Agreement talks after public failure
    • C. The use of the C‑SPAN to broadcast committee hearings
    • D. The Freedom of Information Act requests by journalists

  2. Short‑answer – How does the book explain why rule changes alone (like ending earmarks or reforming the filibuster) are insufficient to fix gridlock?

  3. In one sentence, state the central thesis of Glorious Rivals regarding the cause of Washington’s dysfunction.

Answer Key

Plot & Sequence

  1. B – The National Commission on Energy Policy (NCEP) is described in the prologue as a successful bipartisan effort that led to the 2005 energy bill.
  2. C – Daniel Webster supported the Compromise of 1850, angering his abolitionist constituents; John F. Kennedy later praised this as an act of political courage.
  3. B – The “house in a storm” metaphor is used in Chapter 2: the winds are media, money, and gerrymandering, but the real problem is the weakening of the structure itself.
  4. A – The filibuster evolved from a rarely used tool into a routine obstruction, as traced in Chapter 3.
  5. B – The Y2K crisis, addressed by Senators Bennett and Dodd, demonstrated effective bipartisan prevention.
  6. B – George Mitchell’s secret talks led to the Good Friday Agreement after public negotiations failed.
  7. A – The Watergate Babies reforms inadvertently centralized power in party leaders, increasing party control.
  8. B – The Ryan‑Murray budget deal of 2013 was achieved because the two chairs bonded over fishing and football.

Character Motivation

  1. Answer – Bob Bennett was ousted by a small, activist caucus in Utah’s GOP primary; the book uses this to show how ideological primaries can remove experienced legislators.
  2. B – President Obama’s aloofness was part of his personal style; he rarely socialized with lawmakers, unlike predecessors such as Bill Clinton.
  3. B – Russell Long helped a Democrat because he valued the personal relationship and saw it as important for Arizona, his home state.
  4. B – Mitchell needed a confidential setting because the public talks had collapsed; secrecy allowed frank discussion.
  5. Answer – Abramoff was motivated by greed and influence‑peddling; his scandal prompted ethics reforms that later backfired (e.g., the “toothpick rule”).

Theme & Symbol

  1. B – The Monocle restaurant was a gathering place where senators from both parties socialized; its decline symbolizes the loss of informal cross‑party interaction.
  2. B – The “spork effect” describes overlapping committee jurisdictions, exemplified by the Agriculture Committee overseeing derivatives.
  3. Answer – The First Law of Holes (“when you are in a hole, stop digging”) is used to argue that over‑zealous reforms can make dysfunction worse, so reformers should avoid further damage.
  4. B – The virtuous cycle is collegiality, achievement, and public trust, each reinforcing the other.

Synthesis

  1. B – The secret Good Friday Agreement talks show that, after public negotiation failed, privacy enabled a breakthrough; this undercuts the idea that full transparency always helps deliberation.
  2. Answer – The book argues that rules changes fail without addressing the erosion of personal relationships and collaborative norms; culture must be rebuilt for reforms to stick.
  3. Answer (example of acceptable response) – The central thesis is that Washington’s gridlock is caused primarily by the loss of personal relationships and collegiality among lawmakers, not by media, money, or gerrymandering alone.

Explore more: For a full summary, visit the Glorious Rivals main page. To discuss these questions, see the questions and answers section. For an analysis of the book’s ending, read the ending explained page.