wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

NEW

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Legislative Branch Quiz

Total questions: 35

Worksheet time: 21mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Choose whether the statement describes the House, Senate, Neither or Both.

Members serve a six year term.

a)

House

b)

Senate

c)

Neither

d)

Both

2.

Choose whether the statement represents the House, Senate, Neither, or Both

Every seat is up for election every 2 years.

a)

House

b)

Senate

c)

Neither

d)

Both

3.

Choose whether the statement describes the House, Senate, Neither or Both:

Members must be at least 30 years old.

a)

House

b)

Senate

c)

Neither

d)

Both

4.

Choose whether the statement describes the House, Senate, Neither, or Both.

This chamber is led by the Vice President of the U.S.

a)

House

b)

Senate

c)

Neither

d)

Both

5.

Choose whether the statement describes the House, Senate, Neither, or Both.

This chamber can impeach officials or accuse them of wrongdoing.

a)

House

b)

Senate

c)

Neither

d)

Both

6.

When is the only time that the Vice President votes in the Senate?

a)

When there is a tie on the Senate Floor

b)

When the majority votes no.

c)

When he is in attendance

d)

When the majority votes yes.

7.

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

8.

If something happens to both the President AND the Vice President who would be next to lead the United States?

a)

Secretary of Defense

b)

Speaker of the House

c)

Secretary of State

d)

President Pro Tempore

9.
The Elastic Clause, necessary and proper and __________________ all go together!
a)
shared powers
b)
implied powers
c)
expressed powers
d)
delegated powers
10.

After being introduced on the floor, a bill moves to

a)

the appropriate standing committee

b)

floor debate

c)

the president's desk

d)

a roll-call vote

11.

A twenty-eight-year-old citizen could be elected

a)

to the House of the Senate

b)

to neither house of Congress

c)

only to the House of Representatives

d)

only to the Senate

12.

Gwen is considering running for Senate. She is a US citizen by naturalization. How long would she have to have been a citizen of the US and how old would she have to be?

a)

7 years a citizen and 25 years old

b)

9 years a citizen and 30 years old

c)

14 years a citizen and 35 years old

d)

5 years a citizen and 21 years old

13.

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.

14.

The Constitution say "Congress can coin money and regulate its value" When Congress creates the Federal Reserve System in order to coin money this is an example of...

a)

An expressed power

b)

An implied power

15.

Both the United States Congress and the Virginia General Assembly have two legislative houses that work together to make the laws. This is known as having a ____ legislature.

a)

Bicameral

b)

Polarized

c)

Bipolar

d)

Bureaucracy

16.

There are many political organizations that have common beliefs and interests in a certain cause. Their goal is to influence public policy making and they can best be categorized as:

a)

Concerned Parents

b)

Congressional Groups

c)

Lobbyists

d)

Special Interest Groups

17.

The tactic sometimes used by Senators to delay the passing of a proposed bill until the Sponsor can withdraw it is a ___.

a)

Lobbyist

b)

Government shut down

c)

Filibuster

d)

Required 2/3 override

18.

How does the constitutional republic of the United States reflect the ideas expressed in this document?

a)

by establishing a tradition of civic participation

b)

by allowing states to challenge federal laws in court

c)

by maintaining rule of law and holding all citizens accountable

d)

by creating a separation of powers between branches of government

19.

Based on the passage from the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution, which foundational principle is being described below?

“We the People of the United States, … do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

a)

rule of law

b)

limited government

c)

due process of law

d)

equality of mankind

20.

The diagram shows the connections between colonists' views on government and historical documents.

Which phrase completes this diagram?

a)

habeas corpus

b)

natural rights

c)

due process of law

d)

representative self-government

21.

Which foundational principle is reflected in the creation of three branches of government?

a)

natural rights

b)

social contract

c)

separation of powers

d)

consent of the governed

22.

The passage is from Anti-Federalist Paper #84, written by John DeWitt in 1787.

“The Constitution proposed to your acceptance is designed, not for yourselves alone, but for generations yet unborn. The principles, therefore, upon which the social compact is founded, ought to have been clearly and precisely stated, and the most express and full declaration of rights to have been made. But on this subject there is almost an entire silence.”

Based on the passage provided, with which statement regarding ratification of the U.S. Constitution would DeWitt agree?

a)

The Constitution should limit local government.

b)

The Constitution should protect individual rights.

c)

The Constitution should create a strong national government.

d)

The Constitution should protect the rights of the individual states.

23.

Which answer has steps of how a Bill becomes a Law in the correct order

a)

Bill is introduced, bill is debated in House/Senate, Bills get assigned to a committee, bill is voted in the House/Senate, bill is sent to the president

b)

Bill is debated in House/Senate, Bills get assigned to a committee, bill is voted in the House/Senate, Bill is introduced, bill is sent to the president

c)

Bill is introduced, Bills get assigned to a committee, bill is debated in House/Senate, bill is voted in the House/Senate, bill is sent to the president

d)

Bill is sent to the president, Bill is debated in House/Senate, Bills get assigned to a committee, bill is voted in the House/Senate, Bill is introduced,

24.

Which section of the Constitution gives Congress its power?

a)

Article I, section 8

b)

Article II, Section 4

c)

Article III, Section 1

d)

the Bill of Rights

25.

The newspaper headline below describes an event in U.S. history.


Which parts of the national government participated in the process described in the newspaper headline?

a)

Senate and President

b)

Supreme Court and President

c)

House of Representatives and Senate

d)

Supreme Court and House of Representatives

26.
After a bill passes the first house it goes to the second house, what happens to it there?
a)
They sign it into law
b)
It goes through the same steps as it did in the first house
c)
They veto it
d)
It is edited by an editor
27.
When the bill finally passes the second house it probably has changes, which means it must then go to a ______________ committee
a)
calendar committee
b)
whole committee
c)
presidential committee
d)
conference committee
28.
The conference committe's job is to?
a)
vote on which version of the bill they want.
b)
Work out differences between the  two different versions of the bill 
c)
Amend the bill
d)
Sign the bill into law
29.

Complete the Chart:

a)

Limiting the power of Congress

b)

Limiting the power of the Supreme Court

c)

Ways the Congress impacts foreign affairs

d)

Ways the Congress impacts domestic affairs

30.

Which branch of government has the power to ¨declare war¨?

a)

the legislative

b)

the executive

c)

the judicial

d)

the president

31.

What parts of the government made this headline happen?

a)

Senate and President

b)

Supreme Court and President

c)

House of Representatives

d)

Supreme Court and House of Representatives

32.

SS.7.CG.3.7

The diagram shows some of the steps involved in passing a federal law. What is the next step in the lawmaking process?

a)

The President signs the bill.

b)

The bill is sent to the Senate.

c)

The bill is sent to a conference committee.

d)

The bill is debated on the floor of the House.

33.

SS.7.CG.3.7

A bill is passed by both the House and the Senate. the bill is then submitted to the President. Which is NOT an option for the President?

a)

let the bill die in committee

b)

sign the bill and it becomes law

c)

veto the bill and inform Congress of the reasons for the veto

d)

not sign the bill and after 10 days, if Congress is not in session, the bill dies

34.

Which is not an enumerated power of congress?

a)

Power to establish lower courts

b)

power to declare war

c)

power to maintain highways

d)

power to collect taxes

35.

This diagram shows some of the steps involved in how a bill becomes a law. Which answer completes the diagram?

a)

The bill is sent to the Senate standing committee, debated and then approved

b)

The senate passes its own version of the bill

c)

The bill goes to a conference committee for revision

d)

Congress overturns the president’s veto by 2/3 vote