Font size
WorksheetsAP Gov Unit 2: Branches of Govt
Total questions: 90
Worksheet time: 50mins
The term “bicameralism” refers to the
establishment of two legislative chambers that have different structures and rules
members of the House of Representatives having two-year terms
president having veto power over both chambers of Congress
members of the House and Senate having to appease their mutual constituencies
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of Congress and the Presidency?
Congress has greater control over Judicial Appointments
Congress has greater control over Budgetary Policy
Congress has greater control over the Bureaucracy
Congress has greater control over military leadership
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the Presidency and Congress?
The President has greater control over Foreign Policy
The President has greater control over ratifying treaties
The President has greater control over Fiscal Policy
The President has greater control over Cabinet Appointments
Congress has...
Veto Power
Power of the Sword
Power of the Purse
Discretionary Authority
Which house of Congress is more formal, and has stricter rules over debate?
The House of Representatives
The Senate
Which of the following statements about motions for cloture is true?
They are applied only to budget appropriation bills.
They are applied to bills that failed in the previous session of Congress.
They force a bill out of committee so that the full House can vote on it.
They are used by senators to end a filibuster and bring a bill to a vote.
The practice in Congress whereby Representative A promises to vote for Representative B’s legislation, provided that Representative B will support Representative A’s legislation, is referred to as...
personal casework and services
partisan discipline
logrolling
pork barrel legislation
Which of the following is a unique power held by members of the Senate?
Control of the veto
The ability to filibuster
Control of the appropriations process
The ability to impeach the president
Nominations to the Supreme Court must be approved by a...
simple majority vote in the Senate only
simple majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate
two-thirds vote in the House of Representatives only
two-thirds vote in the House of Representatives and the Senate and a majority of the sitting justices on the Supreme Court
The power of the Rules Committee in the House of Representatives rests on its authority to...
place a bill on the legislative calendar, limit time for debate and determine the type of amendments allowed
initiate all spending legislation and hold budget hearings
Choose the President if no candidate wins a majority in the electoral college
choose the chairs of other standing committees and issue rules for the selection of subcommittee chairs
Which of the following scenarios is an example of the trustee model of representation?
Congress passes a bill allocating money to clean up nuclear waste sites after a wave of large-scale peaceful protests.
The NAACP leadership sends representatives to Washington to lobby for changes to the Voting Rights Act.
A presidential candidate advocates using an executive order to increase the minimum wage for federal contractors.
A member of Congress votes to close a popular tax loophole based on the belief that the money would be better spent paying down the national debt.
Which of the following is generally true of the gerrymandering of congressional districts?
It results in more Democrats being elected to the House.
It guarantees that all minority parties will be equally represented.
It creates districts that favor one political party over another.
It illegally violates the principle of one-person, one-vote.
Which of the following describes the ruling in Shaw v. Reno (1993)?
The Voting Rights Act was ruled unconstitutional.
Racial gerrymandering was ruled unconstitutional.
The poll tax was eliminated.
It was decided that congressional districts needed to be equal in size.
Executive agreements have been cited as evidence that
modern presidents often try to avoid legislative checks and balances on their authority
the executive branch has become too large and bureaucratic
presidents have less power in handling foreign policy than in handling domestic policy
interest groups have too much power in the contemporary governmental system
The primary function of the White House staff is to...
initiate policy
advise the president
represent the bureaucratic agencies
provide information to the Office of Management and Budget
In The Federalist 78, Alexander Hamilton states, “A constitution is, in fact, and must be regarded by the judges, as a fundamental law. It therefore belongs to them to ascertain its meaning.” Which of the following Supreme Court cases is most relevant to this statement?
Baker v. Carr (1962)
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
Shaw v. Reno (1993)
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
Supreme Court justices were given life terms subject to good behavior by the Framers of the Constitution in order to ensure that...
justices are free from direct political pressures
justices are encouraged to make politically popular decisions
cooperation between the judicial and legislative branches is assured
justices remain accountable to the public
Rules and regulations created by an agency such as the Federal Communications Commission are called...
constitutional law
common law
statutory law
administrative law
Congress has exerted the greats influence on the operation of a federal agency by doing which of the following?
Requiring the agency to participate in interagency task forces
Dismissing an agency head who disagrees with congressional priorities
Reviewing the annual budget appropriations for the agency
Passing “sunset” legislation that terminates programs after a certain period
The Constitution states that all revenue bills must originate in
a White House budget resolution
the Congressional Budget Office
the United States Senate
the United States House of Representatives
How many Senators does each state get?
5
6
2
It's based on a state's population
The leader of the House of Representatives is called the ______ of the House.
Leader
Speaker
Who acts as PRESIDENT of the Senate?
The President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States
The Senate Pro Tempore
The House Speaker
composed of members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate; such committees oversee the Library of Congress and conduct investigations.
Joint Committee
A temporary legislative committee established for a limited time period and for a special purpose.
Select Committee
A permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area
Standing Committee
special joint committee created to reconcile differences in bills passed by the House and Senate
Conference Committee
Reviews most bills coming from a House committee before they go to the full House.
House Rules Committee
talk a bill "to death"
filibuster
end a filibuster
cloture
in office and running again
incumbent
unfairly drawing district lines
gerrymandering
area where constituents are
district
The Executive Bureaucracy
Cabinet meeting
Cabinet Departments
Executive Office of the President
A fundamental source of power for the federal bureaucracy lies in its
role in moving legislation out of subcommittees
role in mediating interstate conflicts
ability to convince Congress to fund most projects it supports
ability to set specific guidelines after receiving a general mandate from Congress
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service will spend money appropriated by Congress to maintain wildlife refuges. This action is an example of
the power of the filibuster
bureaucratic implementation of law
congressional oversight of the bureaucracy
an independent expenditure
Which of the following is an example of bureaucratic rule making?
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) collecting back taxes with interest from citizens
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) writing a regulation to support a clean water bill
Congress passing legislation to establish the Department of Homeland Security
The federal government listing a business opportunity on its clearinghouse Web site for government contracts
A BUREAUCRACY is
a system of government in which most of the important decisions are made by state officials rather than by elected representatives.
a system of government in which most of the important decisions are made by Congress
a system of government in which most of the important decisions are made by the President
a system of government in which most of the important decisions are made by the Supreme Court
Government Corporation
Independent Executive Agency
Independent Regulatory Commission
Cabinet Department (or part of Cabinet Department)
Government Corporation
Independent Executive Agency
Independent Regulatory Commission
Cabinet Department (or part of Cabinet Department)
When a bill passes the House and the Senate in different versions, the bill is resolved by which of the following types of committee?
Conference
Select
Rules
Reconciliation
The United States Constitution says that Congress has the power to coin money.This is an example of
an implied power
an enumerated power
a reserved power
a concurrent power
Despite concerns raised by her constituents, a member of the House of Representatives votes in favor of a bill, believing that in the long term it is in the best interest of her constituents. This is an example of which of the following models of representation?
Delegate
Politico
Trustee
Virtual
All of the following make it difficult for presidents to control the actions of federal agencies EXCEPT
bureaucratic inertia
the appointment of cabinet heads
issue networks (iron triangles)
the civil service system
In which of the following scenarios would a presidential veto most likely be upheld?
Two-thirds of the representatives and senators are members of the same party as the President.
The proposed legislation enjoys widespread bipartisan support.
The President is in a second term, removed from partisan politics.
The President has the support of the Supreme Court.
Which of the following is an example of the constitutional design of checks and balances?
The federal government requires state governments to provide unemployment insurance.
The Senate rejects a president’s nomination for secretary of state.
The Supreme Court overturns a lower court’s ruling on the application of the Fourth Amendment.
The Office of Management and Budget rejects a proposed regulation of air quality standards
All of the following statements are true EXCEPT
Congress never declared war during Vietnam or Korea "conflicts."
The War Powers Resolution was a response to the American public's anger about US troops fighting in Vietnam.
The War Powers Resolution was intended to give the president greater power and flexibility when conducting wars.
The War Powers Resolution required that military forces be withdrawn after 60 days unless Congress declared war or granted an extension.
The War Powers Resolution gave Congress more authority over the president's use of military force.
Article 2 of the Constitution sets up the _____________ to elect the president.
people
senators
supreme court
Electoral College
The Number of Electors a state receives is equal to the number of
senators a state has.
electors it has.
the state's Representatives in the House.
the state's senators and Representatives in Congress.
The Department of the Treasury does NOT
Collect taxes
Borrow funds (money)
Deal with foreign policy
Encourage global financial growth
Which of the following Departments handles foreign policy?
Department of State
Department of Justice
Department of Agriculture
Department of the Interior
What is NOT true of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)?
Its main responsibility is to prepare the president's budget.
It is part of the Executive Office of the Presidency
It oversees the implementation of national security policy.
It acts as a filter and manager of proposals of budgets and regulations by the executive departments.
How did Franklin Delano Roosevelt expand the powers of the president?
He was the first leader of a mass political party.
He presented himself as a the direct representative of the people.
He mobilized the the country for war.
He developed the role of the president as manager of the economy.
Which of the following is the best predictor of the Department of Education’s annual budget?
The rate of increase of teachers’ salaries
The size of the previous year’s budget
The budget recommendations of the National Education Association
The preferences of the Chair of the Senate Finance Committee
Federal benefits that must be funded by Congress and must be paid to all citizens who meet eligibility criteria are called
discretionary appropriations
individual entitlements
tax expenditures
distributive benefits
An example of a discretionary item in the federal budget is
veterans’ pensions
Social Security payments
spending on national parks
interest on the public debt
The largest portion of “uncontrollable spending” in the federal budget is designated for which of the following?
Interest on the national debt
Entitlement spending
Defense spending
Environmental programs
Policy that describes the impact of the federal budget (including taxes, spending, and borrowing) on the economy is referred to as which of the following?
Monetary policy
Trade policy
Capitalist policy
Fiscal policy
America's federal judiciary is established in...
Article I
Article II
Article III
Article IV
Which branch of government has the authority to establish "inferior" federal courts?
Executive branch
Legislative branch
Judicial branch
State legislatures
The court that has the authority to hear a case first has
Appellate Jurisdiction
Primary Jurisdiction
Original Jurisdiction
Secondary Jurisdiction
Most of the cases SCOTUS hears come from
Original Jurisdiction
Appellate Jurisdiction
While the President has the power to appoint federal judges, who must approve them?
(a)
How is the Judicial Branch able to check the power of the other branches?
By refusing to seat members of Congress
By impeaching members of the other branches
By using Judicial Review
By Judicial Declaration
The Supreme Court expresses its official opinion through the ________ _______
Judicial Review
Majority Opinion
Concurring Opinion
Dissenting Opinion
Which type of judicial philosophy goes by what is directly written within the Constitution to help to decide the case?
Judicial Restraint
Judicial Activism
The majority opinion, issued by the Supreme Court as the final decision of a case, becomes the standard or guide that will be followed in deciding similar cases in the future. this standard or guide is known as a
Precedent
Stare Decisis
Brief
Decision
The judicial philosophy that advocates the courts' active role in policymaking is called
strict constructionist
loose constructionist
judicial activism
judicial restraint
"It is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is. Those who apply the rule to particular cases, must of necessity expound and interpret that rule. If two laws conflict with each other, the courts must decide on the operation of each."
-Chief Justice John Marshall
Which of the following principles is most accurately reflected in the quote from John Marshall?
Republicanism
Judicial Review
Constitutionalism
Checks and Balances
What is the document that must be filed in order for SCOTUS to hear an appeal?
Writ of Breve
Writ of Mandamus
Writ of Habeus Corpus
Writ of Certiorari
What kind of opinion is written by a justice who disagrees with the majority opinion of the court?
Majority Opinion
Dissenting Opinion
Concurring Opinion
Minority Opinion
A guiding principle in which justices rely on precedent; basically states that the ruling in the lower court is upheld.
Dissenting Opinion
Amicus brief
Stare decisis
Original Jurisdiction
Literally meaning "friend of the court", these are submitted to the SCOTUS by non-parties in a case that have a stake in the case. Some justices read them. Some don't.
Amicus Curiae
Writ of habeus corpus
Miranda rights
Appellate jurisdiction
After the President nominates a federal judge...
They must be approved by a ⅔ majority in the senate
They must be approved by a simple majority in the senate
They must be approved by 60 senators
...they must be approve by a simple majority in the house
Enumerated powers are the powers that are listed in the _____.
Bill of Rights
Constitution
Declaration of Independence
Magna Carta
What case argued that redistricting in North Carolina was racial gerrymandering?
Shaw v. Reno
Baker v. Carr
McCulloch v. Maryland
Brown v. Board of Education
What amendment requires voters to vote for the President and Vice President separately.
22nd
16th
12th
21st
What amendment limits presidential terms to just two?
21st
20th
22nd
9th
Gerrymandering means __________.
Drawing distinct boundary lines to benefit a political party.
Changes in population.
Power to stop a bill congress has passed from becoming law.
Both formal and informal powers that influence relations with foreign nations.
Which of these is a requirement to become President?
35 years old.
Natural born citizen.
Lived in the U.S. for 14 years.
All of the above.
Pork barrel spending is known as...
Gov. spending on travel
Spending on farm animals and agriculture
Use of funds to please voters
Money spent by gov. for their own benefit
The practice of exchanging favors in known as...
Logrolling
Interest
Earmark
Caucuses
An order issued by the President.
executive privilege
executive order
executive agreement
gerrymandering
An earmark can be described as:
the mark put on your ear before it is pierced
an addition to a bill
a provision that marks an area of special focus
a provision that directs funding to a specific recipient
What is the intention of a rider on a bill?
Essentially piggyback on an existing bill to make it more desirable and get it passed.
Non-related bill added to a bill that is likely to pass.
An addition to a bill that guarantees its failure in Congress.
An addition that alters the meaning of the bill's initial intentions.
What did the 17th Amendment do?
Gave women the right to vote.
Gave all citizens the right to elect their senators.
Senators elected by state legislatures.
Gave African Americans the right to vote.
Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress ______.
Enumerated Powers
Enumerated Rights
Hidden Powers
Executive Powers
The term ______ ________ refers to the powers that the Constitution, quite literally, expresses for the different branches of government.
Expressed Powers
Implied Powers
Enumerated Powers
Mandatory Spending
Brown v. BOE overturning Plessy v. Ferguson is an example of
Judicial Restraint
Judicial Activism
Selective Incorporation
Civil Rights
Who determines the final budgets for bureaucratic agencies?
Each agency determines their own budget
Congress
the President
The Director of the OMB
How many expressed powers are there?
10
27
21
13
What is the basis or the implied powers of Congress?
Commerce Clause
Due Process Clause
Necessary and Proper Clause
General Welfare Clause
States must recognize the validity of the acts, records, court decisions, etc of other states.
Full Faith and Credit Clause
Contracts Clause
Bill of Attainder
Elastic Clause
Federal law is supreme over state law.
Contracts Clause
Elastic Clause
Supremacy Clause
Commerce Clause
Congress can make any law they deem is "necessary and proper".
Elastic Clause
Commerce Clause
Bill of Attainder
Privileges and Immunities Clause
The founding fathers combined the ideas of the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan to come up with -
Compromise of 1820
Three-fifths compromise
Great Compromise
Constitutional Convention
This Clause gives congress the power to regulate trade with foreign nations and between the state.
The Elastic Clause
The Full faith and Credit Clause
The Supremacy Clause
The Commerce Clause
McCulloch v. Maryland was about whether a state could _______ a U.S. bank.
tax
issue
nullify
ratify
