Bicameralism and Congressional Leadership Practice Quiz

Bicameral refers to

• representative government

• two levels of government

• two dominant political parties

• two legislative chambers

The powers of the legislative branch of our government are listed where in the Constitution?

• Article I

• Article II

• Article III

• Article IV

The United States Constitution establishes a system of relatively equal bicameralism. Which of the following best supports this assertion?

• States have representation based on population in the House of Representatives, but have equal representation in the Senate.

• In order to pass legislation and send it to the President, both the House and the Senate must pass the same bill by majority vote.

• The Senate has the sole power to confirm those presidential appointments that require consent, and to ratify treaties.

• The Sixteenth Amendment gave Congress the authority to levy an income tax.

The size of the House of Representatives is set by

• the Constitution at 435

• the Constitution at 545

• law at 435

• law at 535

Which of the following is likely to have the most demographically similar constituents?

• a member of the House of Representatives

• a senator

• the president

• a Supreme Court justice

Under the Constitution as originally written, which of the following was selected by state legislatures?

• the president

• members of the House of Representatives

• senators

• the chief justice of the Supreme Court

In the event a tie should occur in the Senate, the Constitution provides who shall be the tie breaker?

• the Vice President

• the Speaker of the House

• the President

• the Secretary of State

The Speaker of the House

• is nominated by the President and approved by the Senate

• serves in an office mandated by the Constitution

• is first in the line of succession to the presidency

• is a nonpartisan position

The president pro tempore is

• the head of the majority party in the Senate

• a constitutionally recognized officer of the Senate who presides over the chamber in the absence of the vice president

• the second in the line of succession to the presidency

• chosen by Congress to act as chief executive if the president is temporarily disabled

The most important function of a party whip is to help

• fundraise for party candidates

• maintain party discipline in the legislature

• increase voter turnout among a party’s base

• coordinate the national convention, which is held every 4 years