Unit 4: The Legislative Branch PRACTICE QUIZ

Which type of Congressional committee is created to conduct investigations or consider measures, usually on a specific topic, and are not renewed on a permanent basis?

• Select Committee

• Joint Committee

• Standing Committee

• Council Committee

Answer explanation

Two famous examples of select committees were the Senate Watergate Committee and the House Committee to Investigate January 6th.

Both of these committees were created to investigate certain matters, and were disbanded at the conclusion of the investigations.

Which of the following are requirements to run for the U.S. Senate? Select ALL that apply.

• Be at least 25 years old

• Be at least 30 years old

• Be a citizen for 7 years

• Be a citizen for 9 years

Answer explanation

Remember: the requirements to run for Senate are a little bit tougher than those to run for the House.

In turn, the term lengths are longer.

Who are Arizona's two Senators? Select both.

• Mark Kelly

• Nancy Pelosi

• Kevin McCarthy

• Kyrsten Sinema

Answer explanation

Kyrsten Sinema will be up for re-election in 2024, and Mark Kelly will be up for re-election in 2028.

If a bill is sent to the President for approval, and no action is taken for 10 days, but Congress is IN SESSION, what happens to the bill?

• The bill becomes law

• The bill dies

• The President gets extra time

• Congress gets to vote again

Answer explanation

The key difference is whether Congress is in or out.

In this instance, when Congress is in, the bill becomes law.

Which of the following are requirements to run for the U.S. House of Representatives? Select ALL that apply.

• Be at least 25 years old

• Be at least 30 years old

• Be a citizen for 7 years

• Be a citizen for 9 years

Answer explanation

Remember: the requirements to run for the House are a little more relaxed.

In turn, the term lengths are shorter.

Who Presides over the House of Representatives, and is elected by the majority party in the House of Representatives?

• President Pro Tempore

• The Senate Majority Leader

• The Speaker of the House

• The Vice President

Answer explanation

With each new Congress, a Speaker of the House is chosen by the Representatives.

Earlier this year, when Republicans gained the majority in the House, Rep. Kevin McCarthy was chosen to be the Speaker of the House for the 118th Congress.

Who is the leader/spokesperson of the majority party in the U.S. Senate?

• The President Pro Tempore

• The Senate Majority Leader

• The Speaker of the House

• The Vice President

Answer explanation

The House and the Senate each have Majority and Minority leaders.

They are elected by members of their own party in each chamber.

Congress' power to declare war is directly stated in the Constitution. Which TYPE of power does that make the power to declare war?

• Implied Power

• Expressed Power

• Inherent Power

• Constitution Power

Answer explanation

You can find each of Congress' expressed powers in Article 1, Section 8 of the US Constitution.

Congress' power to regulate commerce (business) is directly stated in the Constitution. The creation of a federal minimum wage for all hourly employees stemmed from this.

Which type of power is creating a federal minimum wage?

• Implied Power

• Expressed Power

• Inherent Power

• Constitution Power

Answer explanation

Implied powers ARE NOT stated in the Constitution.

They are drawn from those that are.

Who is the longest serving person in U.S. Senate in the Majority Party?

• The President Pro Tempore

• The Senate Majority Leader

• The Speaker of the House

• The Vice President

Answer explanation

A purely ceremonial position. If the Vice President is unable to serve as the President of the Senate, the President Pro Tempore steps in.