2.1 & 2.2 - Structure and Powers of Congress

Which of the following powers is shared by the House of Representatives and the Senate?

• Holding trials of impeachment

• Establishing federal courts

• Approving treaties

• Holding confirmation hearings

• Approving major presidential appointments

Which of the following enumerated powers would permit Congress to stimulate the economy by hiring unemployed citizens?

• The power to create immigration policies

• The power to regulate interstate commerce

• The power to pass a federal budget

• The power of legislative oversight

The United States Constitution says that Congress has the power to coin money.

This is an example of

• an enumerated power

• an implied power

• an inherent power

• a reserved power

• a concurrent power

The term “bicameralism” refers to the

• establishment of two legislative chambers that have different structures and rules

• members of the House of Representatives having two-year terms

• president having veto power over both chambers of Congress

• members of the House and Senate having to appease their mutual constituencies

• checks that Congress has over the federal bureaucracy

Which of the following clauses serves as the constitutional basis for the federal Real ID Act of 2005, a law that established uniform standards for state-issued identification cards and provided regulation of a state function?

• The due process clause

• The establishment clause

• The necessary and proper clause

• The commerce clause

Which of the following types of committee deals with broad areas of public policy and can be found in both houses of Congress?

• Rules

• Select

• Joint

• Standing

• Conference

Which of the following statements about the Senate is true?

• Each state is represented in the Senate according to its population.

• The Senate, unlike the House, has a Rules Committee.

• Individual senators can exercise substantial influence over the legislative process.

• The Senate has a strict time limit on debates.

• The Senate is more responsible than the House for initiating appropriations legislation.

Which of the following statements about rules of procedure in the House and Senate is correct?

• Debate by a determined minority in either chamber cannot be halted.

• The rules in each chamber are determined by the majority whip.

• The rules are specified in Article I of the Constitution.

• The rules can be changed by the President during a national emergency.

• The House operates more by formal rules, while the Senate operates more on informal understandings.

Which of the following statements about motions for cloture is true?

• They force a bill out of committee so that the full House can vote on it.

• They are applied to bills that failed in the previous session of Congress.

• They are applied only to appropriation bills.

• They are used by senators to end a filibuster and bring a bill to a vote.

• They occur whenever a bill is reported out of committee.

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates a member of Congress supporting pork-barrel legislation?

• A senator from a coal-producing state voting against a job-training program for coal miners

• A member of the House voting for urban renewal in exchange for increased funding for roads

• A senator from an agricultural state amending legislation to establish a potato research institute in his or her state

• A member of the House Armed Services Committee marking up a bill that will increase funding for military bases