Unit 2: Legislative Branch

Who might you MOST expect to see talking with the president about a particular house bill?

• Constituent

• majority whip

• majority leader

• Speaker of the House

Why might a seat in the Senate be more attractive to a candidate than a seat in the House?

• Senators are paid more than House members

• Senators do not have to run for reelection as often

• Senators receive more benefits than House members

• The Senate spends less time in session than the House

The censure if a member of Congress results in which of the following?

• expulsion from Congress

• statement of formal disapproval

• time in jail

• fines

A member of the House represents a district that contains many oil wells in North Dakota. Which of these committee assignments should the member request from party leadership, in order to increase her chances of winning reelection?

• Agriculture

• Homeland Security

• Energy and Commerce

• Transportation and Infrastructure

Which of these statements is true about congressional districts and representation?

• Each congressional district contains about the same numbers of citizens

• Congressional districts are determined by special yearly elections

• Each of the 50 senators represents around the same number of citizens

• Gerrymandering of districts generally produces more diverse representation

Which of these bills would most likely have parts that must be sent to two separate committees by the Rules Committee?

• a bill to evaluate the safety of commercial train travel

• a bill to investigate the connection between cancer and air pollution

• a bill to recognize the service of a particular veteran

• a bill to set up a rewards program for successful schools

A senator represents a northern industrial state that produces automobiles. Which of these committee assignments should the member request from party leadership in order to increase his chances of winning reelection?

• Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

• Environment and Public Works

• Commerce, Science, and Transportation

• Small Business and Entrepreneurship

A candidate who runs for the U.S. House of Representatives must meet which of the following qualifications?

• at least 30 years old

• hold law degree

• legal resident of the state they wish to represent

• U.S. citizen from birth

Which if these statements describes what happens to a bill in conference committee?

• Research is done on the bill, and results are reported to another committee

• The bill is reviewed and testimony is taken on its content

• The bill is revised based on input from members of the public

• The differences between two versions of a bill are resolved

What is one way that the success of a political party during an election can influence which bills get to the House floor for a vote?

• An election allows people to directly vote on party officials who will control the House and submit all bills

• An election determines the majority party, and only majority party members can submit bills

• An election determines which party will control the Rules Committee, which sets the calendar for bills to be heard on the House floor

• An election determines which party will hold committee chairs and have the ability to research and revise bills