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WorksheetsThe Legislative Branch
Total questions: 26
Worksheet time: 13mins
What is an enumerated power?
tax exports that leave U.S.
declare war
issue hunting licenses
operate public school districts
What steps does the Constitution allow if there is evidence the President has committed treason?
The Supreme Court holds trial
The President can be impeached by the general public
The President can be impeached by the House and removed by the Senate
The President can be arrested and forced to resign
Give an example of an implied power
Congress investigates women serving in the military
Congress votes to raise income tax
Congress declares war on a country
Congress closes post offices on Saturdays
What is a CHECK on Congressional power?
the power to declare war
the power of the President to veto a bill
the power of the state to collect their own taxes
the power of the Supreme Court to try cases between states
Which official chairs the proceedings of the U.S. House of Representatives?
Sergeant-at-Arms
Speaker of the House
President pro tempore
Vice President of the United States
Why is Congress considered bicameral?
The Framers modeled it after the English Parliment
The Framers intended to make it the most powerful branch of the government
The Framers sought a compromise on the issue of state representation in Congress
The Framers believed that 535 would be too many
Where does Congess get its lawmaking powers from?
the President
the Constitution
the Senate
the states
Thousands of proposed laws are introduced in Congress each session. How does this fact influence the way Congress is organized?
The committee system allows the review of a large number of bills
The entire House or Senate must consider each bill
The Senate can only introduce bills that are more than three pages long
The states review the bill in their state legislature before the bill is brought to committee in Congress
According to the excerpt, which branch has the power to declare war...
the Executive Branch
Every branch
the Legislative Branch
the Judicial Branch
What is the next step in the law making process?
Governor signs the bill into law
The bill goes to the Senate for action
The people vote on the bill in an election
The bill goes to the Supreme Court for Judicial Review
To which house would a 28 year-old be elected?
to the House or the Senate
only to the House of Representatives
only to the Senate
to neither the Senate nor the House
What qualification do the Senate and House have in common?
Members have to be 35 years-old
Members have to be born in the U.S.
Members must have graduated from college or law school
Members must live in the state they represent
Which parts of the national government participated in the process described in the newspaper heading?
Senate and President
Supreme Ct. and President
HOR and President
Supreme Ct. and HOR
Which statement best summarizes the excerpt from the Constitution?
The President must review all passed bills
The House and Senate must have joint committees
Congress is a bicameral body
Laws must be Constitutional
What is Benjamin Conable saying about the way bills become laws?
The citizens did not chose their representatives wisely
Congress does not function very well; we need a new way of creating laws
Passing laws is a complex process, which is what the Founding Fathers intended to make laws pass quickly
Passing laws is a complex and time consuming process, and that is what the Founders wanted to keep frivolous (unsuitable) laws from being passed
Which pairing is correct?
Senate - based on population
Senate - lower house
House - 6 year term
House - 435 members
What does Congress rely on to stretch its powers?
its enumerated powers
the elastic clause
bills of attainder
ex post facto laws
Which of these is the major responsibilty of Congress
deciding who receives federal grant monies
finding jobs for constituents
serving their constituents
deciding where military bases should be built
Which of these is NOT an expressed power of Congress
establish laws of naturalization
regulate commerce
draft people into the armed forces
coin money
What is the action that the Constitution allows Congress to take if a federal official is involved in a serious wrong doing? Which chamber of Congress has the power to initiate the action?
filibuster; House of Representatives
franking priviledge, Senate
approval of treaty, Senate
impeachment, House of Represenatives
When it comes to making laws, do all three branches of government share the power equally?
Yes, all branches have the power to make laws
No, the Constitution delegates lawmaking power to Congress
No, the Constitution delegates lawmaking power to Congress and the President
No, the Constitution only allows the Judicial branch to make laws
What was a major weakness of the Articles of Confederation that the Constitution fixes in the enumerated powers of the Legislative Branch?
Bankers had too much power over the economy
The states had no power to govern themselves
Farmers had too much power over legislation
Congress had no power to tax
Choose the answer that best describes implied powers
Powers that are required to interpret the laws
Powers reserved for the Congress and the people
Powers needed to carry out the enumerated powers
Powers used to check the executive and legislative branches
What is the role of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate?
vote in the Senate in case of a tie vote
make sure fellow party members vote on important bills
preside over the Senate proceedings if the Vice President is absent from the Senate session
become the next President of the U.S. if the President dies
What happens if the House and the Senate pass different versions of the same bill?
The House bill is changed to match the Senate bill
The Senate bill is changed to match the House bill
A conference committee is appointed to resolve the differences
A standing committee from one house is chosen to resolve the differences
The President and Congress have different views on climate change. Congress sent the President a bill requiring all cars made in the U.S. run on electricity. The President vetoed the bill. Which step is required to pass the bill over the President's veto?
approval of the bill by a majority of each house in Congress
approval of the bill by the majority of the Supreme Court
approval of the bill by 2/3rds of each house in Congress
approval of the bill by 3/4ths of the state legislatures
