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Unit 2, Legislative Branch and Election Process

Total questions: 65

Worksheet time: 1hrs 5mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
After a bill is introduced in either the House or Senate, what is the next step?
a)
It goes to the President to be signed into law.
b)
It goes to the Standing Committee.
c)
It goes to the Conference Committee.
d)
It goes to the other chamber of Congress for a vote.
2.
How long can a senator serve? A representative?
a)
6 years; 2 years
b)
4 years each
c)
6 years; 4 years
d)
2 years; 6 years
3.
Reapportionment of house seats is based on what?
a)
State Size
b)
State Population
c)
Number of Political Districts
d)
The number of chairs in the room
4.
Gerrymandering changes political districts to favor who?
a)
Political Parties
b)
Senators
c)
Citizens
d)
Gerry
5.

What happens after the President vetoes a bill?

a)

The Supreme Court can vote the bill into law

b)

The bill becomes law

c)

The bill is dead

d)

Congress can override it with a 2/3 vote

6.
Why must the Senate approve the President's Supreme Court Justice nominations?
a)
It allows part of the Legislative branch to check the power of the Executive branch
b)
So the Senate can filibuster the President's nomination
c)
It is required that all Executive decisions go through the Senate
d)
The Senate wants to feel involved in the government
7.

What is one thing that does not happen in the Standing Committee?

a)

A bill can be voted into law

b)

A bill can be killed

c)

A bill can be accepted and sent to floor action

d)

A bill can be accepted with changes and sent to floor action

8.

What is the purpose of the Conference Committee?

a)

House and Senate members conference over whether killed bills should return to floor action

b)

It sets the parameters for floor debate on a bill in the House

c)

Members of the House and Senate come together to determine a compromise between the House and Senate versions of a bill

d)

Members determine whether or not a bill is worthy of floor action

9.

What is the primary purpose of the Legislative Branch?

a)

To keep the Executive Branch in check.

b)

To write laws.

c)

To declare war.

d)

To take your money.

10.

Every state has at least ___________ Representative

a)

0 - States with low population are not guaranteed their own Representative

b)

1

c)

2

d)

7

11.

The legislative branch of the U.S. government is also called ________________--

a)

cabinet

b)

representatives

c)

Parliament

d)

Congress

12.

This house of Congress has 100 members and includes only 2 from each state

a)

House of Representatives

b)

Senate

c)

President

d)

Supreme Court

13.

A proposed law is called a _______________

a)

veto

b)

congress

c)

bill

d)

unconstitutional

14.
The main job of the legislative branch
a)
determine if laws are unconstitutional
b)
veto laws
c)
make laws
d)
approve laws made by the President
15.
What are 3 powers only the Senate can do?
a)
Impeach, approve treaties, approve appointments
b)
Impeachment trial, approve treaties, approve appointments
c)
Start money Bills, approve treaties, approve appointments
d)
Start money Bills, approve treaties, impeach
16.
Which of these are powers of Congress
a)
Raise & spend revenue,borrow money,print money,regulate trade,punish counterfeiting,decide rules for bankruptcy
b)
Declare war,create armed forces, rules for armed forces, protect from pirates
c)
Create post office, create Federal courts, create National capital, create copyrights/patents
d)
all of the above
17.

Who is the president of the Senate and casts tie breaking votes when needed?

a)

Speaker of the House

b)

Vice President

c)

Majority Whip

d)

Chief Justice

18.

How frequently does the Census happen?

a)

5 years

b)

10 years

c)

3 years

d)

1 year

19.

How is the number of members in the House of Representatives determined?

a)

Equality

b)

How big the state is

c)

The state's population

d)

The President picks

20.

True/False: Bills involving money originate in the Senate

a)

True

b)

False

21.

Who is responsible for confirming Presidential appointees for cabinet department heads and other top government offices?

a)

Congress

b)

Senate

c)

House of Representatives

d)

Supreme Court

22.

After being introduced on the floor, a bill moves to...

a)

The appropriate committee.

b)

The President’s desk.

c)

A floor debate.

d)

A roll-call vote.

23.

Congress is considered a bicameral body because...

a)

The Great Compromise established equal representation in the House.

b)

It has a House of Representatives and a Senate.

c)

It has 535 members.

d)

The Legislative branch is more powerful than the Executive branch.

24.

Which one of the following choices is an expressed/enumerated power of Congress?

a)

Establish Prisons

b)

Create Schools

c)

Create treaties

d)

Coin money

25.

A tax bill must start in which house?

a)

Senate

b)

House of Representatives

26.

Congress can pass bills over a presidential veto with ______ vote.

a)

1/2

b)

2/3

c)

3/4

d)

5/6

27.

The powers that are listed in the Constitution that belong to Congress are called

a)

implied powers.

b)

enumerated powers.

c)

congressional powers.

d)

powerful powers.

28.

Who approves presidential appointments, like ambassadors, judges, and cabinet members?

a)

Senate

b)

House of Representatives

29.

Which chamber of Congress is elected based on population?

a)

Senate

b)

House of Representatives

c)

The President

30.

Match the correct term: the number of seats distributed to each state in the House of Representatives

a)

reapportionment

b)

apportionment

c)

distrbution

d)

constituents

31.

Match the term: the redrawing of congressional districts to favor one political party over another

a)

redistricting

b)

gerrymandering

c)

scamming

d)

apportionment

32.

What is gerrymandering?

a)

the redrawing of states to benefit the country

b)

the amount of time members of Congress serve

c)

the redrawing of districts to benefit a political party or group

d)

the process of impeaching the president

33.

Which of the following is a unique power of the house?

a)

power to elect a president (if no electoral majority)

b)

"power of the purse"/raise taxes

c)

impeach federal officials

d)

all of the above

34.
What is a Filibuster?
a)
When someone talks for a long time in order to prolong a decision.
b)
When all the members of the Senate leave and take a break.
c)
The brand of fireworks that Fred and George Weasley use in Harry Potter.
35.
How is the number of state's representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives determined?
a)
By population based on the U.S. Census.
b)
By population based on a state report.
c)
By the Constitution, which specifies two representatives for each state.
d)
By each state according to their number of state legislators.
36.
Which of the following is a non-legislative power of Congress?
a)
power to tax
b)
power to borrow
c)
investigatory power
d)
war powers
37.
Where do bills begin?
a)
House 
b)
Senate
c)
Both
38.
Reapportionment is
a)
the allocation of seats in the House to each state after each census.
b)
the redrawing of district boundaries within each state.
c)
a court order to hold new elections because of voting irregularities.
d)
a budget procedure used in the House.
39.
This committee is made up of members of both houses
a)
Conference Committee
b)
Joint Committee
c)
Standing Committee
d)
Select or Special Committee
40.

What is step 1 of a bill becoming a law?

a)

The Bill is sent to a committee

b)

The Bill idea must be proposed to either house of congress

c)

It is sent to the president

d)

Both houses must approve of the bill

41.

Congress's power to coin money is

a)

an elastic power

b)

an enumerated power

c)

an implied power

d)

a nonlegislative power

42.

The elastic clause allows Congress to

a)

make temporary treaties with foreign countries

b)

regulate trade between states

c)

stretch its powers to meet new needs

d)

tax US citizens in times of economic crisis

43.

Which branch of government can declare war?

a)

All three branches

b)

Executive branch

c)

Legislative branch

d)

Judicial branch

44.

What is the legislative branch of the Maryland State government called?

a)

congress

b)

house of reresentatives

c)

general assembly

d)

senate

45.

Which of these is not a responsibility of Congress?

a)

to pass laws that affect the entire country

b)

to raise revenue (taxes)

c)

to spend money

d)

to pass laws that only affect the state of Maryland

46.

Which statement is true about Congress?

a)

The senate has proportional representation and the House has equal representation

b)

the senate and the house both have equal represenation

c)

the senate and the house both of proportional represention

d)

the senate has equal representation and the house has proportional representation

47.

A system of government in which powers are divided between national, state, and local governments

a)

checks and balances

b)

federalism

c)

separation of powers

d)

consent of the governed

48.

Government regulation ensuring that political power is not concentrated in the hands of individuals or groups

a)

federalism

b)

separation of powers

c)

checks and balances

d)

rule of law

49.

opposing political parties find common ground to compromise on legislation

a)

fiscal powers

b)

biartisanship

c)

republicans and democrats

d)

playing fairly

50.

a legislative act that singles out an individual or group for punishment without trial

a)

bills of attainder

b)

ex post facto laws

c)

habeas corpus

d)

trumpus post facto

51.

a law that applies to crimes that happened before the law was passed.

a)

ex post facto

b)

habeas corpus

c)

bills of attainder

d)

crime laws

52.

Act as study groups that report findings to both Houses

a)

joint committee

b)

standing committee

c)

conference committee

d)

committee hearing

53.

Committee that decides if a bill should be killed or moved along in the process

a)

conference committee

b)

standing committee

c)

select committee

d)

joint committee

54.

Study a specific issue and report to the House or Senate

a)

conference comttiee

b)

joint committee

c)

select committee

d)

standing committee

55.

Resolve differences between House and Senate versions of a single bill

a)

select committee

b)

standing committee

c)

joint committee

d)

conference committee

56.

an organization of people with similar policy goals who work to advance their ideas in government

a)

republicans

b)

interest group

c)

political party

d)

oligarchy

57.

Which of these is not a characteristic of interest groups?

a)

Influence government officials on specific issues and educate them about bills

b)

Donate money to political campaigns to help get individuals elected

c)

conduct state and national elections

d)

Vote for candidates favoring their views

58.

The process of interest groups making direct contact with lawmakers to convince them to support a certain position

a)

arguing

b)

persuading

c)

lobbying

d)

meeting

59.

What is a PAC

a)

a group of people who participate in protests

b)

an organization that typically works with interest groups to raise money for issues or political candidates

c)

the first part of PAC MAN

d)

a committee in congress that decides how congressional lunches should be packed.

60.

How can Super PACs make a difference in the election process?

a)

they can influence elected officials to vote on bills

b)

they can initiate protests about issues

c)

they can donate unlimited amounts of money to campaigns

d)

they can entice elected officials with hershey bars

61.

What was the main issue in the court case Baker v. Carr?

a)

should states be allowed to partisan gerrymander?

b)

Do federal courts have the power to decide cases about the apportionment of population into state legislative districts?

c)

how should legislative districts be redrawn?

d)

who should take part in the legislative reapportionment process?

62.

Which of these is not a characteristic of the Republican Party?

a)

lower taxes for all people

b)

minimum government control of the economy

c)

pro 2nd amendment

d)

Big Government

63.

Which of these is not true about third parties?

a)

they introduce alternative ideas

b)

they usually win elections

c)

they take votes away from the two main political parties

d)

they draw attention to issues that may be ignored

64.

Which of the following is a disadvantage of a closed primary election?

a)

voters can decide which primary election they want to vote in

b)

gives voters maximal flexibility-allowing them to cross party lines

c)

Independent voters are excluded from participating in the primaries

d)

dilute the parties’ ability to nominate

65.

a measure that appears on a ballot. Voters decide on the issue.

a)

initiative

b)

proposition

c)

referendum

d)

recall