WorksheetsRoles of Congress Members
Total questions: 43
Worksheet time: 59mins
Use the photo to select the answer that best completes the sentence below. Members of Congress wear many different hats and play many roles during the course of their work. An important role while spending time in their home districts is that of
legislator.
federal employees.
committee member.
constituent servant.
Use the chart to choose the answer that BEST completes the sentence. Representation in Congress is closest to the general population in terms of
education
ethnicity
gender
profession
What does this political cartoon suggest about congressional elections in the United States?
Candidates are required to give consideration to both sides of issues.
Candidates mostly tell the public whatever they think constituents want to hear.
Voters make it impossible for candidates to make up their minds on important issues.
Voters unfairly force candidates to take a stand on issues they might not be ready to address.
If representatives in the House wish to adjourn a session for more than three days, they must seek approval from
the judicial branch.
the executive branch.
members of the Senate.
their constituents.
Read this quotation from the Constitution. “The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.” —Article I, Section 2, Clause 1. This quotation relates to
the apportionment in the House.
the length of a session in Congress.
the length of service for a representative.
the establishment of the Electoral College.
Use this map of congressional seats across the United States in 2010 to answer the question. What does this map suggest about regional population change?
The Midwest has experienced little change in population.
The North, both west and east, has experienced a dramatic rise in population.
The Southeast has experienced a slight decline in population.
The South, both west and east, has experienced a slight rise in population.
Use the quotation to answer the question. “The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to [choose] three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three.” —Article I, Section 2, Clause 3. The number of seats later became redistributed automatically by
the Supreme Court’s decision in the Wesberry v. Sanders case.
the Supreme Court’s decision in the Powell v. McCormack case.
the passage of the Reapportionment Act of 1929.
the ratification of the 17th Amendment in 1913.
Read this excerpt from the text. “. . . several States used the general ticket system. Under that arrangement, all of the State’s seats were filled at-large—that is, elected from the State as a whole, rather than from particular districts. Every voter could vote for a candidate for each one of the State’s seats in the House.” What is one possible ramification of this system to elect representatives?
It could result in gerrymandering, which creates districts with very odd shapes.
It could result in the House becoming too large, which would make it unwieldy and ineffective.
A party with even a small majority could control all of the State’s seats in the House.
A minority party could have greater control over House seats than the party in the majority.
Read this quotation from the Constitution. “The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States; To borrow Money on the credit of the United States; To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes; . . .” —Article I, Section 8. This section of the Constitution falls under expressed powers related to
the subject of bankruptcy.
territories and other areas.
trade and borrowing.
the role of Congress in foreign policy.
The BEST way to understand the expressed powers of Congress is to
study the ways Congress has exercised its powers.
study statements made by the executive branch.
read a description of the powers in the Constitution.
read about the powers that other sovereign nations have.
Read this excerpt from the text about the borrowing power of Congress. “Congress has put a statutory ceiling on the public debt, however. The public debt is all of the money borrowed by the Federal Government over the years and not yet repaid, plus the accumulated interest on that money. That legal ceiling has never amounted to much more than a political gesture, however. Congress regularly raises the limit whenever the debt threatens to overtake it. The public debt is approximately $16 trillion.” What is the BEST explanation of the debt ceiling?
It is an unreachable goal for lowering debt within the Federal Government.
It primarily relates to money that Congress will borrow and pay in the future.
It is an arbitrary limit that has no relation to the amount of money Congress currently owes.
It can be moved by Congress whenever it seems politically necessary.
Which statement BEST characterizes the implied powers of the Federal Government?
They are explicitly given to Congress in the United States Constitution.
They are sensible assumptions that are made based on the expressed powers.
They are part of the amendments that have been added to the Constitution since 1789.
They are the consequences of making the American government federal in form.
Read this excerpt from the U.S. Constitution. “To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof." —Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 This article of the Constitution allows Congress to
influence how the judicial branch interprets laws.
interpret its expressed powers broadly.
protect itself from overreach by the executive branch.
check the power of the other branches of government.
Choose the answer that BEST completes the sentence. The 2009 government bailout of automotive companies was an example of
the implied powers of State governments.
the expressed powers of State governments.
the implied powers of the Federal Government.
the expressed powers of the Federal Government.
What is the significance of the Supreme Court’s decision in the Gibbons v. Ogden case?
It limited Congress’s ability to regulate interstate and international trade.
It shaped how the Necessary and Proper Clause has been interpreted since 1819.
It resulted in the creation of a new statute that became known as the Commerce Clause.
It resulted in an expansive interpretation of the Commerce Clause.
The Senate will turn down such a presidential appointment if it is opposed by a senator of the President’s party from the State involved. The Senate’s observance of this unwritten rule has a significant impact on the President’s exercise of the power of appointment; in effect, this rule means that some senators virtually dictate certain presidential appointments. This excerpt from the text refers to
the impeachment process.
congressional hearings.
senatorial courtesy.
the seniority rule.
Read this excerpt from the text. The clerk calls the chamber to order and checks the roll of representatives elect. Those members-to-be then choose a Speaker, who will be their permanent presiding officer. By custom, the Speaker is a longstanding member of the majority party, and election on the floor is only a formality. The majority party’s members in the House have settled the matter beforehand. This excerpt describes
opening day in the House.
opening day in the Senate.
the State of the Union address.
a meeting of the House Rules Committee.
Use the cartoon to choose the answer that best completes the sentence. This political cartoon suggests that Senate investigations
would be less painful if they were handled by standing committees instead.
should only be undertaken in matters related to national security.
are not worth the time they require and the hardships they create.
are so rigorous and thorough that the process can be painful.
What are the similarities and differences of public bills and private bills?
Both are measures introduced by Congress, but public bills are introduced in the House, while private bills are introduced in the Senate.
Both are measures introduced by Congress, but public bills apply to the nation as a whole, while private bills only apply to certain people or certain places.
Both have the potential to become laws, but public bills are spearheaded by Congress, while private bills relate to the President’s agenda.
Both have the potential to become laws, but public bills are suggested by constituents, while private bills are proposed by members of Congress.
Read this excerpt from the text. “Most of the thousands of bills introduced in each session of Congress are pigeonholed. That is, they are buried; they die in committee. They are simply put away, never to be acted upon. The term comes from the old-fashioned, roll-top desks with pigeonholes—slots into which papers were put and often soon forgotten.” What is the main explanation for this occurrence?
It is very difficult to reach a consensus on most congressional subcommittees.
Floor leaders rarely take part in committee meetings when a bill is on the agenda.
The gridlock in Congress has become too difficult to surmount and many bills fall through the cracks as a result.
Many bills are introduced on behalf of a constituent and not because the senator or representative feels strongly about it.
A filibuster to block a vote on a bill is possible
only in the House, which is almost unrestrained.
only in the Senate, which is almost unrestrained.
mostly in the House, but occasionally in the Senate.
mostly in the Senate, but occasionally in the House.
This photo shows President Obama presenting a piece of legislation to the public.
Members of Congress will meet about the legislation.
The President will veto the bill.
The bill will become a new law to be implemented.
The bill will be referred to a subcommittee in one chamber.
Compared to the size of the House of Representatives, the Senate is
much smaller.
much larger.
about the same.
slightly larger.
The War Powers Resolution impacted the power-sharing arrangement between Congress and the President on the issues of war and national defense by
putting some restrictions on the President's power to commit American troops to combat.
making the President the commander in chief of the armed forces.
giving Congress the power to call forth the National Guard.
forbidding the President from declaring war against another nation.
Congress is called upon to exercise its electoral duties under which of the following circumstances?
when no candidate wins a majority of electoral votes
when a President is impeached
when the State legislatures question election results
when the results of a State election are challenged
Unlike a joint committee, a conference committee
works out a compromise bill between the House and Senate versions of a bill.
is composed of members of both houses.
is set up to serve a temporary purpose.
is investigative in nature.
When a bill is engrossed, it is
printed in its final form.
scheduled for debate on the House floor.
put to a vote.
sent to the President.
In both the House and Senate, a bill introduced by a member is next
given a number.
scheduled for floor debate.
sent to a standing committee.
sent to the President.
Explain why the Framers established a bicameral Congress. Read each question, and write your answer in complete sentences.
Describe the compensation and privileges of members of Congress. Read each question, and write your answer in complete sentences.
Explain Congress’s power of eminent domain in your own words. What is this power and what are the limits on its use? Read each question, and write your answer in complete sentences.
How do the copyright and patent powers help the American public? Provide an example to support your answer. Read each question, and write your answer in complete sentences.
How would a strict constructionist characterize the Federal Government? Which Framer supported this position? Use details from the text to support your answer.
Explain the process of removing a President from office. What role does the House of Representatives play? What role does the Senate play?
What are the criticisms of the seniority rule in Congress? Write a summary in your own words.
What are standing committees in Congress? What duties and functions do they perform? Include examples from the text in your answer.
Describe the role of conference committees in the legislative process.
How do House leaders schedule debate on a bill?
List the formal qualifications for election to the House and Senate.
How does a senator's term differ from a representative's? What is the reason for this difference?
What are the two main sources of congressional authority in the field of foreign affairs?
Describe the role of the House Rules Committee, whether it is a powerful or a less pivotal committee, and why it has been called the "traffic cop" of the House of Representatives.
Why might the President threaten to call a special session of Congress? Are members of Congress likely to heed or ignore this threat? Use details from the text in your response.
