Topic 4 Congress Government

Which statement about the Senate is true?

• It has two members from each state
• Its members are chosen by state legislatures
• Each member represents a congressional district
• Seats are apportioned to each representative according to population

Which of the following correctly illustrates how the non legislative duties of Congress support the principle of checks and balances?

• A. The ability of Congress to call a national convention of delegates to amend the Constitution ensures that the States remain powerful.
• B. The confirmation powers of Congress ensure that the President must appoint people acceptable to Congress.
• C. The electoral duties of Congress help the election process run smoothly and result in the best representation of the electorate.
• D. The commerce power of Congress allows for the regulation of a broad array of economic activities.

The word impeachment can be defined as:

• conviction
• removal
• bring charges
• recall

The BEST way to understand the expressed powers of Congress is to

• A. study the ways Congress has exercised its powers.
• B. study statements made by the executive branch.
• C. read a description of the powers in the Constitution.
• D. read about the powers that other sovereign nations have.

Which statement BEST characterizes the implied powers of the Federal Government?

• A. They are explicitly given to Congress in the United States Constitution.
• B. They are sensible assumptions that are made based on the expressed powers.
• C. They are part of the amendments that have been added to the Constitution since 1789.
• D. They are the consequences of making the American government federal in form.

One way that Congress can limit the President's power of executive appointment is by

• A. the House refusing to appropriate the money necessary to enforce the terms of a treaty.
• B. Congress selecting the President's Cabinet officers.
• C. Congress requiring the President to withdraw unpopular Supreme Court appointments.
• D. the Senate rejecting a presidential appointment.

What is the significance of the Court's decision in McCulloch v. Maryland, 1819?

• A. The case established the constitutionality of the implied powers of Congress.
• B. The case confirmed that Congress cannot base its power to tax on its implied powers.
• C. The Court ruled that a constitutional amendment was needed to establish the implied powers.
• D. The Court sided with the States and limited the implied powers of Congress

Which of the following best summarizes how the Supreme Court defined Congress' power over commerce in the cases Gibbons v. Ogden, 1824, and United States v. Lopez, 1995?

• A. Gibbons v. Ogden broadened congressional commerce powers, and United States v. Lopez further expanded those powers.
• B. Gibbons v. Ogden expanded congressional commerce powers, and United States v. Lopez made it clear that congressional commerce powers were limited.
• C. Gibbons v. Ogden limited congressional commerce powers, and United States v. Lopez strengthened congressional commerce powers.
• D. Gibbons v. Ogden was found to have violated the reserved powers of the States, and United States v. Lopez broadened congressional commerce powers.

An example of a tax Congress has the power to levy is a tax on

• A. an individuals' income without regard to population.
• B. church services at the National Cathedral.
• C. cotton that Georgia exports to Canada.
• D. someone voting in a federal election

According to the power of eminent domain, which of the following actions can Congress take?

• A. Offer the owner of a vacant lot a fair price for a stretch of land needed for a new interstate highway ramp.
• B. Notify the owner of a warehouse that his building is going to be turned into a library.
• C. Purchase a block of homes at the price of undeveloped land to tear down and build a private university.
• D. Require an owner to tear down an apartment building in order to create a new public par