CONGRESS TEST REVIEW
When members of Congress add
special amendments to a routine bill
this is called
• pork barrel politics
Bills originate where?
• in either
house except
for money
bills
Which house is subject to more
political pressure?
• House of
Representatives
True or false?
• House members are chosen by the
people in each congressional district.
• true
• Each state is guaranteed at least 1 seat
& terms last 2 years.
• true
• Representation in the House is based on
population.
• true
Which amendment requires members of
Congress to delay a pay increase until after the
next election?
• 27th
The presiding officer of the
Senate
• is the Vice President
• votes in case of a tie
• is President of the
Senate
• Dick Cheney
Special provisions not expected to pass on their
own are sometimes attached to a bill sure to
pass
• riders
This committee made up of members of
both houses formed to iron out
differences between 2 versions of the
same bill is called
• conference
committee
When the Constitution authorizes Congress to
spend money, what is that called?
• power of the
purse
Examples of checks and balances
• judicial review
• Senate approval of
presidential
appointments and
treaties
• Congressional
override of a veto
Incumbents are considered to
have the advantage because
• they can raise more
funds
• they have better
name recognition
• they can use staff
members to perform
services for
constituents
True or false?
• Congress is bicameral.
• true
• The House is based on population and limited to 435
members.
• true
• There is equal representation of each state in the
Senate resulting in 100 members.
• true
• The results of a census are used to reapportion the
seats in the Senate.
• false
The presiding officer of the
House is
• Nancy
Pelosi
When members of Congress gain favor
with their constituents by attending to
the individual needs of constituents…
• casework
The practice of talking a bill to death
is called a
• filibuster
Permanent subject matter
committees are called
• standing
committees
When members of Congress get federal
dollars spent back home in hopes of
getting reelected
• pork barrel
politics
Bicameral means
• two houses
When members of Congress send newsletters
free of charge back home…
• franking
privilege
Congress’ main job is to…
• make the law
The practice of reserving the job of
committee chair for the member of
the majority party who has served
longest on the committee is called…
• seniority
rule
The drawing of congressional
district lines to favor the party
or race in power is called…
• gerrymandering
To impeach means to …
• accuse
When members of Congress take trips for
investigative purposes they are sometimes
criticized for taking
• junkets
The term of office for the
Senate is
• 6 years, three times
as long as House
members
Number of Republicans in the
current House…
• 201
Examples of checks and balances
• presidential veto
• Congressional
override of that
veto
The current Senate has how many
Democrats?
• 49
The current Speaker of the
House is …
• Nancy Pelosi
Qualifications for becoming a
U.S. Representative
• 25 years old
• citizen for 7 years
• resident of the state
When Congress checks up on how the
executive branch (President) is
spending $ and enforcing laws, what
function is it exercising?
• oversight
Political arms of special interest
groups contribute to campaign
funds of members of Congress
• PACs (political action
committees)
The purpose of the Declaration
of Independence
• break ties
with the
British gov’t
In an indirect democracy, which of the
following are true?
• The elected representatives make the
decisions.
• true
• A small group makes the decisions.
• false
• One person makes the decisions.
• false
• The people make all the decisions.
• false
When the Constitution divides power
between a strong central gov’t and 50
state gov’ts, what is that called?
• federalism
The mention of three branches
of gov’t automatically calls to
your mind what principle of gov’t?
• separation of
powers, of
course!
When the Court declares a law
unconstitutional, it is exercising
which principle of gov’t?
• judicial review
When amendments are added to
the Constitution, how is our gov’t
changed?
• formally
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Exclusive powers of the national
gov’t?
coin money?
yes
make treaties?
yes
enforce laws?
no
declare war?
yes
The equal protection clause was
added to the Constitution with which
Amendment?
• 14th Amendment
The idea of a“wall of separation of
church and state” comes from which
Amendment?
• Establishment Clause
of the 1st Amendment
You cannot be punished for something
that was not a crime at the time that you
did it. What is this?
• ex post facto
law