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WorksheetsLegislative Branch Review
Total questions: 125
Worksheet time: 1hrs 12mins
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
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
A committee chair in the House of Representatives is always...
a member of the majority party in the chamber
the member with the longest service in the House
a trusted ally of the President
the member with the longest service on the committee
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.
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
Congress overrides a President's veto?
Congress impeaches a president?
Congress impeaches a judge?
Congress refuses to approve judicial appointments.
Congress proposes Constitutional Amendments?
Congress refuses to approve presidential appointments?
the President vetoes a bill?
Pork barrel legislation helps the reelection chances of a member of Congress because such legislation
Gives the member of Congress national standing and coverage on national television news
Helps earn the member of Congress a reputation for service to his or her district
Attracts more campaign contributions from PACs
Prevents other members of Congress from claiming the member is too liberal
A cloture motion passed in the Senate does which of the following?
Cuts off debate on a bill
Stops impeachment proceedings
Removes a Senator from their committee positioning
Changes the Senate leadership
A committee chair in the House of Representatives is always
The member with the longest years of service
The member most recently elected
A member of the majority party in the House
The member with the most popular votes
A difference between the House of Representatives and the Senate is that in the House
Legislative activity is more constrained by rules
Committees are not as important
Political party is inconsequential (doesn’t matter)
Bills are easier to pass through committee
Which branch of government has the authority to establish "inferior" federal courts?
Executive branch
Legislative branch
Judicial branch
State legislatures
While the President has the power to appoint federal judges, who must approve them?
(a)
Enumerated powers are the powers that are listed in the _____.
Bill of Rights
Constitution
Declaration of Independence
Magna Carta
To be germane is to be ______.
Irrelevant
On topic
German
Off topic
What is the key takeaway from Baker v. Carr?
Separate but equal
One man, one vote
Women's voting rights
Bakery owners' rights
What is a swing district?
A district that has swing sets on every block.
A district that does not favor one party or another.
A district that has banned swings.
A district that specifically favors the green party.
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
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.
The facts in Baker v. Carr occurred where?
North Carolina General Assembly
Tennessee State Capital
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
White House
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
Which committee is responsible for expanding the passage of bills?
Rules committee
Standing committee
Joint committee
Committee on Committee
Changing a voting district to create unfair political advantages for a particular party.
gridlock
politico model
germane
gerrymandering
If there is a major disagreement about a bill between the House and the Senate, what is assembled?
A Command Committee
A Conference Committee
A Presidential Conference
A Constitutional Convention
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 are safe seats?
Seats that typically go to a specific party.
Seats that are not guaranteed to stay a specific party.
Seats that go to independents.
Seats that are guaranteed to support partisan bills.
What are sequential referrals?
One committee refers a bill for a review to one other committee
Committees undergo referrals to review and ensure they work in a timely manner and avoid corruption, lobbying, etc.
Process by which a bill may be subject to multiple referrals to different committees in Congress.
Referral of committee's opinions for political tactics and purposes.
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.
A committee is considered to be a joint committee when ______.
There are Republican and Democrat members
There are members from the House and Senate.
There are members from the Cabinet and the House.
There are members from Legislative and Judicial Branch.
___________ made racial gerrymandering unconstitutional even with good intentions.
Baker v. Carr
McCuloch v. Maryland
U.S. v. Lopez
Shaw v. Reno
____________ is manipulating district lines in a state to affect voting.
Salamander
Gerrymandering
Jerry Mander
electoral college
Strom Thurmond had the longest ______, lasting 24 hours and 18 minutes to oppose the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
speech
filibuster
violent protest
interest
Representation in the Senate is based on what?
Equal #
Population
Representation in the House is based on what?
Equal #
Population
Who is at the head of the hierarchy of leadership in the House of Representatives?
Whip
President Pro Temp
Speaker of House
Which type of committee is permanent and handles most of Congress’ work?
Standing
Joint
Select/Special
Which type of committee contains members of both houses that address a long-term issue or program?
Standing
Select/Special
Joint
Which type of committee is temporary and handles a particular issue or investigation?
Standing
Select/Special
Joint
Payments required by law, or mandated, for certain programs.
Discretionary Spending
Mandatory Spending
Tariffs & Excess Tax
Funding that congressional committees debate and decide how to divide up.
Discretionary Spending
Mandatory Spending
Tariffs & Excess Tax
Which voting model is described as the following: Legislators should adhere to the will of their constituents.
Delegate Model
Politico Model
Trustee Model
Which voting model is defined as the following: Legislators should follow their own judgment until the public becomes vocal about a particular matter, at which point they should follow the dictates of constituents.
Delegate Model
Trustee Model
Politico Model
Which voting model is defined as the following: Legislators should consider the will of the people but act in ways that they believe are best for the long-term interest of the nation.
Trustee Model
Delegate Model
Politico Model
The drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit a party, group, or incumbent.
Redistricting
Gerrymandering
Voting Registration
Which Article of the US Constitution established the Legislative branch?
I
II
III
The War Powers Act of 1973 requires the President to inform Congress within 48 hours of troop development.
True
False
Which amendment set the order of presidential succession?
22nd Amendment
25th Amendment
19th Amendment
The Connecticut Compromise did which of the following?
It guaranteed that slaves would count as three-fifths of a person in calculating a state's representation in Congress
It insured that states would continue to influence the national government through a federalist system
It created two houses of Congress with different bases for determining congressional determination
It established that a state's representation in Congress would be based solely on the state's population of free citizens
It ensured that citizens of larger states would have more power than citizens of smaller citizens
Which of the following economic powers are given to Congress in the U.S. Constitution?
The power to tax and borrow money
The power to regulate interstate and foreign commerce
The power to broadly protect property rights
The power to print and coin money
All of the Above
(T or F) The Virginia plan called for each state to be equally represented in the new congress
True
False
(T or F) The Framers believed that, like the separation of powers and checks and balances, federalism would act as a check on the national government
True
False
Which of the following statements about gerrymandering is true?
It has been banned by United States Supreme Court decisions starting with Baker v. Carr
It was used traditionally to maintain urban control of the House of Representatives.
It can be used by a political party to draw boundary lines to control as many districts as possible.
It guarantees greater constituency control over elected representatives.
All of the following are ways that the legislative branch can check the powers of the executive branch EXCEPT:
Congress may pass a law declaring a presidential action unconstitutional.
The Senate may refuse to approve a presidential appointment.
Congress may override a presidential veto.
Congress may remove the president through its impeachment and conviction powers.
Which of the following is an example of congressional oversight?
Assisting constituents with particular problems
Holding hearings for review of an executive agency's activities
Reporting campaign contributions to the Federal Election Commission
Conducting ethics investigations of congressional leadership
After a national census has been taken, changes in population distribution cause the changing of congressional seats among the states. This effect is commonly called
Congressional redistricitng
Apportionment
Gerrymandering
Repportionment
How many members are in the House of Representatives?
100
335
435
535
How many years is a Representative's term?
2 years
4 years
6 years
8 years
How long is a Senator's term?
2 years
4 years
6 years
8 years
What is the name of the head of the House of Representatives?
House Leader
Speaker of the House
President
Majority Leader
Which of the following statements about the rules of procedure in the House and Senate is correct?
The rules in each chamber are determined by the majority whip
The rules are specified in Article I of the Constitution
The rules can be changed by the President during a national emergency
The House operates more by formal rules while the Senate operates more on informal understandings.
Which of the following identifies the formal procedure for ending a filibuster?
Oversight
Logrolling
Pocket veto
Cloture
How many Senators in the US Senate?
27
100
435
500
Who is the leader of the Senate?
Speaker of the House
Vice President of the United States
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
The President
Where does a filibuster take place?
The House of Representatives
The Senate
Both Houses of Congress
Neither House of Congress
According to Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution, "All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives." This is commonly referred to as what?
power of the purse
money snachers
confirmation power
executive power
Opened the door to equal protection challenges to redistricting and the development of the "one person, one vote" doctrine by ruling that challenges to redistricting did not raise "political questions" that would keep federal courts from reviewing such challenges
Baker v. Carr
Shaw v. Reno
Gideon v. Wainwright
Marbury v. Madison
Legislative redistricting must be conscious of race and ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, but race may not be the sole rationale behind redistricting decisions
Baker v. Carr
Shaw v. Reno
Mc Donald v. Chicago
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission
What is a body of voters in a specified area who elect a representative to a legislative body called?
Constituency
Coalition-building
Bicameral
Revenue
What is a legislative sub-organization in the United States Congress that handles a specific duty called?
Congressional committee
Standing committee
Select committee
Conference committee
Which type of committee is established as permanent committees that specialize in the consideration of particular subject areas.
Congressional committee
Standing committee
Select committee
Conference committee
Which type of committee is appointed for a specific purpose, such as the Watergate investigation?
Congressional committee
Standing committee
Select committee
Conference committee
Which type of committee is formed when the Senate and the House pass a particular bill in different forms, and they need to collaborate to create a final version?
Congressional committee
Standing committee
Select committee
Conference committee
Who is the office mandated by the Constitution and chosen by the majority party, and is second in line to succeed to the presidency?
Speaker of the House
President of the Senate
President Pro Tempore
Majority Leader
Who is the person named by the Constitution as the presiding officer of the Senate?
Speaker of the House
President of the Senate
President Pro Tempore
Majority Leader
Who is the high-ranking senator of the majority party who presides over the US Senate in the absence of the vice president?
Speaker of the House
President of the Senate
President Pro Tempore
Majority Leader
Who is the principal leader of the minority party in the House of Representatives or in the Senate?
Speaker of the House
President of the Senate
Majority Leader
Minority Leader
Who is the third-highest ranking individual in the majority party and is responsible for counting heads and rounding up party members for votes?
Majority Leader
Minority Leader
Majority Whip
Minority Whip
Who is the third-highest ranking individual in the minority party and is responsible for counting heads and rounding up party members for votes?
Majority Leader
Minority Leader
Majority Whip
Minority Whip
What is the term for a permanent committee that meets regularly and is responsible for legislation within certain subject areas?
Standing committee
Select committee
Joint committee
Conference committee
A situation in which no member present objects to a proposal, which helps to expedite proceeding.
Hold
Quorom
Cloture
Unanimous consent
The committee in the House of Representatives that reviews most bills coming from a House committee before they go to the full House
Committee of the Whole
Rules Committee
Discharge Petition
Filibuster
A meeting of a legislative or deliberative assembly using procedural rules that are based on those of a committee, except that in this case the committee includes all members of the assembly (the entire House/Senate).
Committee of the Whole
Rules Committee
Unanimous Consent
Discharge Petition
A meeting of a legislative or deliberative assembly using procedural rules that are based on those of a committee, except that in this case the committee includes all members of the assembly.
Filibuster
Discretionary Spending
Discharge petition
Treaty Ratification
Those areas of the budget that the congress can change year to year and includes the 13 appropriation bills that fund the various agencies of the federal government.
Treaty Ratification
Entitlements
Discretionary spending
Mandatory Spending
Spending on programs like Social Security, Medicare for the elderly and disabled, and Medicaid for the poor—is not approved by Congress each year. Instead, the government must provide program benefits to anyone who qualifies for them.
Discretionary Spending
Mandatory spending
Entitlements
Treaty Ratification
A program added to the Social Security system in 1965 that provides hospitalization insurance for the elderly and permits older Americans to purchase inexpensive coverage for doctor fees and other medical expenses
Medicare
Medicaid
Social Security
Budget Deficit
A federal and state assistance program that pays for health care services for people who cannot afford them.
Social Security
Medicare
Medicaid
Budget Deficit
National government politicians spending huge amounts of money in their local voting districts to encourage voters to re-elect them at the next election. The idea behind the practice is that the money allocated to the representative’s district will benefit the lives of the local constituents, thereby securing their support and votes.
Riders
Pork barrel legislation
Budget Deficit
Earmark
In legislative procedure, a rider is an additional provision added to a bill or other measure under the consideration by a legislature, having little connection with the subject matter of the bill. These are usually created as a tactic to pass a controversial provision that would not pass as its own bill.
Ominibus Bill
Franking Privilege
Pork Rolling Legislation
Riders
Aproposed law that covers a number of diverse or unrelated topics.
Logrolling
Pork Barrel Legislation
Omnibus Bill
Franking Privilege
The number of members whose presence is required before a meeting can legally take action.
Unanimous Consent
Hold
Quorum
Cloture
After a national census has been taken, changes in population distribution cause the changing of congressional seats among the states. This effect is commonly called
Congressional districting
Apportionment
Gerrymandering
Reapportionment
Which of the following is NOT true of the Congress?
Each house determines its own leadership and rules.
Terms of Congress last for twelve years.
Congress is unicameral in nature.
Only the President may call special sessions of Congress.
Which of the following best describes a non-legislative power of Congress?
Power to declare war
Power to tax
Impeachment power
Power to regulate commerce
Enumerated powers are the powers that are listed in the _____.
Bill of Rights
Constitution
Declaration of Independence
Magna Carta
Which committee is responsible for expanding the passage of bills?
Rules committee
Standing committee
Joint committee
Committee on Committee
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.
Congress is on the verge of another government shutdown since they have not agreed to a spending bill. The difficulties in working with the other party on these types of issues is most likely caused by
gerrymandering of Senate districts.
divided government.
lame-duck presidents.
a lack of seniority on the committees for the opposition party.
Which of the following is an enumerated power of Congress?
Conducting oversight hearings on matters related to national security
Creating environmental and pollution standards for American businesses
Establishing consumer safety standards
Determining an annual budget for government expenditures
Senators serve fora term of _____ years
two
four
six
ten
Representatives serve for a term of ______ years.
two
four
six
ten
How are the number of Senators determined?
There is one from each state
By population
There are two from each state
By the House of Representatives
What do Represenatives represent?
The district that elects them
The entire state they are from
The United States
Canada
What do Senators represent?
The district that elects them
The entire state they are from
The United States
Canada
Who is the leader of the Senate?
Speaker of the House
Vice President of the United States
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
The President
Declaring WAR is a...
Reserved power
Concurrent power
Enumerated power
Individual power
How is the HoR different from the Senate?
All Tax and revenue bills must originate in the house
The house has the power of impeachment
The house selects the president if no candidate wins a majority of the electoral vote
HoR: if a bill is stuck in committee a majority of members may vote for discharge petition
the house can form itself into the committee of the whole to speed along the passage of legislation
How does a subcomittee make changes to a bill after what was learned in public hearings?
Mark Up Sessions
Logrolling
schedule another debate
send it to rules committee
