Honors American Government
Study Guide #4
The Legislative Branch, Congress: Chapters 10, 11, 12
Master the following terms which may be found in Chapter 10
Section 1:
Section 2:
Section 3:
Term
apportion
Constituency
Session
reapportion
Adjourn
single-member district
Special session
at large
Gerrymandering
Section 4:
trustee
partisan
politico
oversight function
Franking privilege
Answer the following questions from Chapter 10:
Face the Issues:
Read page 266 and then answer both questions.
Section 2
1. How are the seats in the House of Representatives apportioned?
2. Explain the difference between a single-member district and an at-large district.
3. How did the case of Westberry v. Sanders change the makeup of Congress
Section 3
1. Why do Senators receive more attention than their colleagues in the House of Representatives?
2. How did the 17th Amendment change the way in which senators are chosen?
3. Considering the 17th Amendment, do you think this amendment has made things in the United States and within
individual states better or worse overall? (Hint – consider how it has affected two key principles of the Constitution
federalism and popular sovereignty)
4. Why did the Founding Fathers set a supermajority (two-thirds vote) as a requirement to expel a Senator from
the Senate?
Section 4
1. What is the oversight function?
2. What does a partisan value most when deciding how to vote on a bill?
All Chapter 10 questions will be due by Tuesday 21 February
Master the following terms which may be found in Chapter 11:
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4:
Section 5:
Expressed powers
tax
naturalization
appropriate
successor
Implied powers
direct tax
copyright
Necessary and impeach
Inherent powers
indirect tax
patent
Proper Clause censure
Strict constructionist
deficit financing
eminent domain
doctrine
subpoena
Liberal constructionist
public debt
Consensus
commerce power
legal tender
bankruptcy
Answer the following questions from Chapter 11 they are due on Friday 24th of February:
Section 1
1. Explain this sentence: Historically there has been a consensus in this country with regard to a broad rather than a
narrow construction (interpretation) of the Constitution.
Section 2
1. Re-read the four ways the Constitution limits the power of Congress to tax. (pages 295-296) What can you infer
about the Founding Fathers’ reasons for limiting this power?
Section 3
1. Can you think of any instance when the use of eminent domain may be abused? Explain your answer.
Section 4
1. Explain what it means to appropriate funds.
2. If the strict constructionists had won their battle to limit Congress’s implied powers, how might our government
be different today?
Section 5
1. During the Clinton impeachment hearings and trial, members of Congress from both parties were accused of
excessive partisanship. A. Explain this accusation. B. What evidence might support this claim?
The answers to the questions from Chapter 11 will be due on Wednesday 29th February: and there will be a
vocabulary quiz as well.
Master the following terms which may be found in Chapter 12:
Section 1:
Section 2:
Section 3:
Section 4:
Speaker of the House
standing committee
bill
filibuster
president of the Senate
select committee
joint resolution
cloture
president pro tempore
joint committee
concurrent resolution
veto
party caucus
conference committee
resolution
pocket veto
floor leader
rider
whip
discharge petition
committee chairman
Committee of the Whole
seniority rule
quorum
engrossed
The answers to the questions from Chapter 12 will be due on Tuesday March 6thth and there will be a
vocabulary quiz as well.
Section 1
1. What role does the Speaker of the House play?
2. What factors make committee chairman so influential?
Section 2
1. How do joint committees differ from conference committees?
2. Where is the real work of Congress done; in committee or when they are in session as an entire body? Why?
Section 3
1. Why do members of Congress attach riders to bills that are almost certain to pass? Would the Founding Fathers
approve or disapprove of this tactic?
2. What is a quorum and why must it be present to conduct business?
Section 4
1. Explain how a filibuster is supposed to work. How is a filibuster used today?
2. What is cloture and why is it hard to obtain?
The Test will be on Thursday March 8th