Name:______________________________________________
STUDY
GUIDE
Date:___________________
POWERS OF CONGRESS
As you read Chapter 11, complete the following questions in preparation
for the Chapter 11 Test.
CHAPTER 11
I. THE SCOPE OF CONGRESSIONAL POWER
A. What are the three specific types of powers the Constitution delegates to Congress? Define.
1. ____________________ = ___________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________ = ___________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________ = ___________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
B. Strict Construction vs. Liberal Construction
1. Strict Construction
a. Define: ________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
b. Who was a firm supporter of strict construction in the early years of the republic?
_______________________________________________________________
c. What political party evolved out of the views of the strict constructionists?
_______________________________________________________________
d. What level of government in the federal system did the strict constructionists
emphasize?
_______________________________________________________________
2. Liberal Construction (Broad Construction or Loose Construction)
a. Define: ________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
b. Who was a firm supporter of liberal construction in the early years of the republic?
_______________________________________________________________
c. What political party evolved out of the views of the liberal constructionists?
_______________________________________________________________
d. What level of government in the federal system did the liberal constructionists
emphasize?
_______________________________________________________________
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II. THE EXPRESSED POWERS
A. The Power to Tax
1. Tax =_____________________________________________________________
2. Why do governments impose taxes?
a. _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
b. _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
c. _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. What are the four explicit limits on Congress’ power to tax?
a. _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
b. _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
c. _______________________________________________________________
(1) Direct Tax = _________________________________________________
(2) What is an example of a direct tax?
____________________________________________________________
d. _______________________________________________________________
(1) Indirect Tax = ________________________________________________
(2) What is an example of an indirect tax?
____________________________________________________________
B. The Power to Borrow
1. What is the constitutional limit on Congress’ power to borrow?
__________________________________________________________________
2. Deficit Financing
a. Define: ________________________________________________________
b. What problem has the United States encountered as a result of its deficit financing?
_______________________________________________________________
C. The Commerce Power
1. Define: ___________________________________________________________
2. Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)
a. Describe the background that led to the development of the case Gibbons v. Ogden.
_______________________________________________________________
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b. Who was the chief justice of the Supreme Court at the time the decision of Gibbons
v. Ogden was made?
_______________________________________________________________
c. What was the Supreme Court’s decision in Gibbons v. Ogden?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. Why has the commerce clause become so important in the operation of the federal
government?
__________________________________________________________________
D. The Currency Power
1. Why did the Framers feel it was necessary to include the currency power to create a
single national currency?
__________________________________________________________________
2. Legal Tender = _____________________________________________________
E. Bankruptcy
1. Who would file for bankruptcy?
__________________________________________________________________
2. What is bankruptcy?
__________________________________________________________________
F. War Powers
1. What war powers were granted to Congress in the Constitution?
a. _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
b. _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
c. _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. What is the purpose of the War Powers Resolution (1973)?
__________________________________________________________________
G. Additional Powers of Congress
1. Naturalization = _____________________________________________________
2. Postal Power = ______________________________________________________
3. Copyrights and Patents
a. Copyrights = ____________________________________________________
b. Patents = _______________________________________________________
c. Trademarks = ___________________________________________________
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4. Weights and Measures
a. What two systems of weights and measures has Congress authorized the use of in the
United States?
_______________________________________________________________
b. What cabinet department is responsible for keeping the official standards?
_______________________________________________________________
5. Power Over Territories and Other Areas
a. What are four federal territories of the United States?
(1) ____________________________________________________________
(2) ____________________________________________________________
(3) ____________________________________________________________
(4) ____________________________________________________________
b. Eminent Domain =________________________________________________
6. What are the two important judicial powers of Congress?
a. _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
b. _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
III. THE IMPLIED POWERS
A. Define: ______________________________________________________________
B. What part of the Constitution gives justification to the implied powers of Congress?
1. __________________________________________________________________
2. What is another name for this part of the Constitution?
__________________________________________________________________
C. Battle Over the Implied Powers
1. What touched off the debate over the implied powers of Congress? Why?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
a. Describe the background that led to the development of the case McCulloch v.
Maryland.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
b. Who was the chief justice of the Supreme Court at the time the decision McCulloch v.
Maryland was made?
_______________________________________________________________
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c. What was the Supreme Court’s decision in McCulloch v. Maryland?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
IV. THE NONLEGISLATIVE POWERS
A. Constitutional Amendments
1. Congress may propose a constitutional amendment with what size vote?
__________________________________________________________________
2. How many times has Congress actually proposed an amendment to the Constitution?
__________________________________________________________________
3. When may Congress call a national convention to propose an amendment?
__________________________________________________________________
B. Electoral Duties
1. Presidential Elections
a. What house of Congress may be called upon to elect the president?
_______________________________________________________________
b. When would this house of Congress be called upon to elect the president?
_______________________________________________________________
c. What process is used whenever this house of Congress must elect the president?
_______________________________________________________________
2. Vice Presidential Elections
a. What house of Congress may be called upon to elect the vice president?
_______________________________________________________________
b. When would this house of Congress be called upon to elect the vice president?
_______________________________________________________________
3. Vacancy in the Vice Presidency
a. What amendment provides a means of filling a vacancy should one occur in the vice
presidency?
_______________________________________________________________
b. How is a vacancy in the vice presidency filled? Be specific.
_______________________________________________________________
c. When has this process been used?
(1) ____________________________________________________________
(2) ____________________________________________________________
C. Impeachment
1. Who has the power to impeach?
__________________________________________________________________
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2. By what size vote is a public official accused?
__________________________________________________________________
3. Who tries a public official who has been impeached to see if they should be convicted?
__________________________________________________________________
4. By what size vote is a public official convicted?
__________________________________________________________________
5. What is the penalty for a conviction?
__________________________________________________________________
6. Impeachment of the President
a. Should a president be impeached, who would preside over the trial?
_______________________________________________________________
b. Who is the only president to have been impeached and tried?
_______________________________________________________________
D. Executive Powers
1. Approval of Political Appointments
a. Who must approve all political appointments?
_______________________________________________________________
b. By what vote must all political appointments be approved?
_______________________________________________________________
c. Explain the rule of “senatorial courtesy.”
_______________________________________________________________
2. Approval of Treaties
a. Who must approve all treaties?
_______________________________________________________________
b. By what vote must all treaties be approved?
_______________________________________________________________
E. For what reasons do Congress generally conduct investigations?
1. __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________