WorksheetsUnit 5 Congress Review
Total questions: 15
Worksheet time: 15mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
Which two houses make up the United States Congress?
a)
Democrats and Republicans
b)
Chamber and Oval Office
c)
House of Commons and House of Lords
d)
Senate and House of Representatives
2.
Why is the United States Congress divided into two houses?
a)
All states have equal representation in one house to benefit smaller states, and representation is based on population in the other house to satisfy larger states.
b)
One political party sends the majority of representatives to one house, and the other political party sends the majority of representatives to the other house.
c)
One house checks the power of the executive branch, and the other house checks the power of the judicial branch.
d)
One house is made up of leaders of each state's government and the other house is made up of nationally elected representatives.
3.
What is the correct definition of a constituent?
a)
A private bill introduced by a congress person or senator
b)
a person from a congressperson's district or a senator's state
c)
a tactic used by members of Congress to delay a vote on a bill
d)
a leader of a group of congresspeople or senators from the same political party
4.
Why does Congress use a committee system?
a)
to allow smaller states to have equal representation in Congress
b)
to check the power of the president
c)
to prevent one political party from gaining a majority
d)
to make its large workload manageable
5.
Which of the following is NOT a type of congressional committee?
a)
joint committees
b)
standing committees
c)
filtered committees
d)
select committees
6.
What are expressed or enumerated powers of Congress?
a)
powers that are clearly stated in Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution
b)
powers that Congress exercises publicly
c)
powers that Congress was granted by the Articles of Confederation
d)
Powers that are granted to Congress by the federal government
7.
What are implied powers of Congress?
a)
powers that are not clearly stated, but that interpretation of the Constitution grants to Congress.
b)
powers that Congress exercises publicly
c)
powers that Congress was granted by the Articles of Confederation
d)
Powers that are granted to Congress by the federal government
8.
How does Clause 18 of Article I, Section 8, known as the "elastic" or the "necessary and proper" clause, affect the powers of Congress?
a)
The clause grants members of Congress the power to send mail without paying postage.
b)
The clause explains the powers that Congress must use to amend the Constitution.
c)
The clause limits Congress's power to check the authority of the executive branch.
d)
The clause grants Congress its implied powers.
9.
Which statement is NOT true?
a)
Senators and members of the House of Representatives must agree to serve at least two terms in office.
b)
Senators and members of the House of Representatives must live in the state they represent.
c)
Senators have to have been a U.S. citizen for nine years prior to being elected; members of the House of Representatives must be American citizens for seven years before being elected.
d)
Senators must be at least 30 years old; members of the House of Representatives must be at least 25.
10.
Which of the following is NOT a benefit of being a member of Congress?
a)
Members of Congress have both health insurance and life insurance.
b)
Members of Congress receive free office space, parking, and trips to their home state.
c)
Members of Congress have the franking privilege, which means that they can send job-related mail without paying postage fees.
d)
Members of Congress are exempt from the majority of state and federal laws.
11.
Why do members of Congress involve themselves in casework?
a)
It requires legislators to travel to foreign countries to address issues related to American interests, and involving themselves in it helps members of Congress gain credibility and respect among their peers and the American electorate.
b)
It is work that legislators do in committees to edit or revise the language of a bill, and involving themselves in it helps members of Congress increase the chances of their bills being passed and being turned into laws.
c)
It is work that legislators do to help their constituents address a problem, and involving themselves in it helps members of Congress win popular support and observe how effectively the executive branch is handling government programs.
d)
It involves criminal cases in which federal laws are broken, and involving themselves in it helps members of Congress better understand what bills to support and what bills to reject.
12.
What are the two types of legislative bills that can come before Congress?
a)
foreign and domestic
b)
Senate and House
c)
public and private
d)
Republican and Democrat
13.
Which role do committees play in the legislative process?
a)
Committees assign titles and numbers to bills and then meet with special-interest groups to develop the language each bill will contain.
b)
Committees advise the president to either sign or veto bills.
c)
Committees decide whether bills will be approved and passed to the full chamber for a vote, revised, replaced, or killed before they can be voted on.
d)
Committees update or modernize old and outdated laws.
14.
Why do members of Congress often support pork-barrel projects?
a)
They are underfunded projects that address social ills or issues, so members of Congress often support them because addressing and solving society's problems is a major part of their job.
b)
They are state-funded projects that contribute to the federal government, so members of Congress often support them because they are federal employees.
c)
They are government-funded projects that directly benefit legislators' home districts or states, so members of Congress often support them to help their constituents and the businesses in their districts or states.
d)
They are privately funded projects sponsored by special-interest groups, so members of Congress often support them because they want to garner campaign donations from those special-interest groups.
15.
How does a presidential veto affect a bill passed by Congress?
a)
It delays a bill passed by Congress from becoming law for one full year, after which the president must sign the bill into law.
b)
It kills a bill passed by Congress unless Congress votes to override the veto with a two-thirds majority in each house.
c)
It changes a bill passed by Congress to suit the president, who will send it back to Congress to pass or reject with a simple majority vote.
d)
It passes a bill approved by Congress and becomes law as soon as the Supreme Court rules it to be constitutional.
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