Unit 3 – National Government Reading Questions
Name__________________________________________________________ Block____________
Section 1: Introduction to the National Government
1. What are two ways to prevent an abuse of power by the government?
2. What are the three branches of government and their main powers?
Branch Of Government
Main Power
Section 2 Reading Questions– Legislative Powers
1. What were some of the problems with the powers of Congress under the Articles of Confederation? (List at least
three)
2. James Madison wanted to use general language in the Constitution such as “Congress shall have the power to
make all laws that are necessary”. This general language lets Congress decide what powers are necessary.
What problem did some of the Framers see with using general language in the new Constitution?
3. The other option for our founding fathers was to write down exactly what powers Congress would have in
specific language, such as “Congress shall have the power to collect taxes.”
What is the problem with specific or enumerated powers?
4. What was the solution our founding fathers came to about Congress’s powers?
5. There are 17 enumerated (expressed) powers in Article _____ Section ______ of the US Constitution.
6. List four enumerated (expressed) powers:
7. What is the clause that gave Congress the general or implied powers?
8. General (implied) powers are used to carry out the enumerated (expressed) powers. What is a general or
implied power that could be necessary and proper to raise and support an army?
Unit Three Reading Questions: National Government and Policymaking Process
Section 3 Reading Questions– Roles of the President
1. List the seven roles of the president and describe each role.
 Role - _________________________Description - ______________________________________
 Role - _________________________Description - ______________________________________
 Role - _________________________Description - ______________________________________
 Role - _________________________Description - ______________________________________
 Role - _________________________Description - ______________________________________
 Role - _________________________Description - ______________________________________
 Role - _________________________Description - ______________________________________
2. The president presides over the federal _________________, or the various other agencies and organizations
that carry on the daily business of government.
3. What is a cabinet in relation to the National Executive?
4. List three cabinet departments and describe the role of each department.
 _______________________________________________________________
 _______________________________________________________________
 _______________________________________________________________
5. What is the purpose of regulator boards and commissions?
6. What is the purpose of executive agencies?
Section 4 Reading Questions – Judicial Powers
1. What is the Supreme Court’s ultimate power?
2. Through its decisions, what does the Court help to define?
3. What five sources of information do the founding fathers use to interpret the US Constitution?
4. What does it mean to have a strict construction of the US Constitution?
5. What does it meant to have a loose construction of the US Constitution?
6. What court case established the key principle of Judicial Review? ______________v. _______________
Note: Section 4 Reading Questions continued on next page!
Unit Three Reading Questions: National Government and Policymaking Process
7. What is Judicial Review?
8. Where did the power of Judicial Review come from? (What were its origins)?
Section 5 Reading Questions – Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances
1. The Constitution divides power in the national government among _______________________.
2. This separation of powers was a key part of the principle of ____________________________.
3. In the framer’s view, what was the purpose of separating the powers of government among three branches?
4. How did the framers take the principle of separation of powers one step further?
5. What is an example of Checks and Balances in action?
Section 6 Reading Questions - How a Bill Becomes a Law
1. Name 5 people/groups that can propose an idea for a bill.
2. Once a bill is written, complete the chart below with the steps:
a. ____________________ the bill
b. ____________________ holds meetings on the bill
c. ____________________ the bill
d. ____________________ on the bill
3. If a bill passes both the House and the Senate, the bill goes to the _______________________ to sign.
4. If the President does not like the bill, he can __________ the bill.
Unit Three Reading Questions: National Government and Policymaking Process
Section 7 Reading Questions – Individuals, Interest Groups, and Mass Media Influence on Policymakers
1. Explain two ways individuals can influence public policy.
2. What is an interest group?
3. What is the purpose of an interest group?
4. List one interest group from the reading and explain why an individual might join one.