NAME ___________________________________________________ DATE _____________________ CLASS ______________
netw rks
Chapter 5 Test, Traditional
The Legislative Branch
DIRECTIONS: True/False Indicate whether the statement is true or false.
________ 1. A term of Congress lasts for two years.
________ 2. Political parties sometimes gerrymander their districts to ensure that each voter
belongs to one of the two major parties.
________ 3. Congress gets its lawmaking powers from the states.
________ 4. Congressional bills dealing with people’s claims against the government are
called general bills.
________ 5. The nonlegislative powers of Congress include the power to check other
government branches.
DIRECTIONS: Matching Match each item with its definition.
________ 6. congressional powers that are not stated
explicitly in the Constitution
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.
________ 7. specific powers of Congress listed in
the Constitution
________ 8. senatorial practice of talking a bill
to death
A. pork-barrel projects
B. expressed powers
C. filibuster
D. lobbyist
E. implied powers
________ 9. person hired by a private group to
influence government decisions
_______ 10. federal government projects that benefit
home districts or states
DIRECTIONS: Multiple Choice Indicate the answer choice that best completes the statement
or answers the question.
_______ 11. How often does Congress adjust the number of seats each state has in the House
of Representatives?
A. every 2 years
B. every 10 years
C. every session
D. every term
_______ 12. Permanent committees that continue their work from session to session
are called
A. conference committees.
B. joint committees.
Building Citizenship: Civics & Economics
C. select committees.
D. standing committees.
45
NAME ___________________________________________________ DATE _____________________ CLASS ______________
netw rks
Chapter 5 Test, Traditional cont.
The Legislative Branch
_______ 13. The elastic clause allows Congress to
A.
B.
C.
D.
make temporary treaties with foreign countries.
regulate trade between states.
stretch its powers to meet new needs.
tax U.S. citizens in times of economic crisis.
_______ 14. In impeachment proceedings, the House may
.
must
A. accuse/impeach
B. convict/impeach
, but the Senate
C. impeach/accuse
D. impeach/convict
_______ 15. Congress cannot
A.
B.
C.
D.
control interstate commerce.
favor one state over another.
impeach judges.
monitor the executive branch.
_______ 16. Committee staff members
approve presidential nominees.
deal with lobbyists.
serve on committees.
veto bills.
“The provision of the Constitution giving the war-making power to Congress, was
dictated, as I understand it, by the following reasons. Kings had always been involving
and impoverishing [making poor] their people in wars, pretending generally, if not
always, that the good of the people was the object. This, our Convention understood
to be the most oppressive of all Kingly oppressions; and they resolved to so frame the
Constitution that no one man should hold the power of bringing this oppression
upon us.”
—Abraham Lincoln, Letter to William Herndon,
February 15, 1848
_______ 17. According to the excerpt, which branch of government has the power
to declare war?
A. all three branches
B. the executive branch
46
C. the judicial branch
D. the legislative branch
Building Citizenship: Civics & Economics
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.
A.
B.
C.
D.
NAME ___________________________________________________ DATE _____________________ CLASS ______________
netw rks
Chapter 5 Test, Traditional cont.
The Legislative Branch
Number of House Number of House Number of House
Democrats
Republicans
Independents
109th Congress (2005–2007)
202
232
1
110th Congress (2007–2009)
233
202
0
111th Congress (2009–2011)
257
178
0
112th Congress (2011–2013)
193
242
0
_______ 18. In the years shown, the number of Republicans in the House was at its highest
point in the
A. 109th Congress.
B. 110th Congress.
C. 111th Congress.
D. 112th Congress.
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.
“[T]he value of the Representative or Senator increases in proportion to his length of
service. . . . The best plan for a constituency to pursue is to select a man of good
sense, good habits, and perfect integrity, young enough to learn, and re-elect him so
long as he retains his faculties and is faithful to his trust. Such a man grows into
power and high position as surely as the sparks fly upward.”
—Champ Clark, My Quarter Century of American Politics, 1920
_______ 19. What is Representative Clark’s opinion of the seniority system?
A.
B.
C.
D.
He believes the constituents should end it.
He finds that it encourages good habits.
He opposes it.
He supports it.
Building Citizenship: Civics & Economics
47
NAME ___________________________________________________ DATE _____________________ CLASS ______________
netw rks
Chapter 5 Test, Traditional cont.
The Legislative Branch
DIRECTIONS: Short Answer Answer each of the following questions.
Legislative Activity in the 111th Congress, Second Session
Total measures introduced (including bills, joint
resolutions, and other resolutions)
4,604
Total measures passed
1,490
Measures reported out of committee
683
Public bills passed into law
217
Private bills passed into law
2
20. Why is the number of measures introduced larger than the total number of measures
reported out of committee? What does this say about the committee system?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
21. Explain what the seniority system is and describe how it works.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
22. Describe the second step in the lawmaking process, after a bill has been introduced
on the floor.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
DIRECTIONS: Essay Answer the following question on a separate piece of paper.
23. Both public and private bills are submitted to Congress each session. Identify an issue
you believe should be regulated by law. Determine if the proposed bill would be a public
or private bill. Then explain your reasons for proposing the bill, using evidence and
examples to support your opinion.
48
Building Citizenship: Civics & Economics
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.
_____________________________________________________________________________