NAME ______________________________________________________ PER _______
Study Guide: Chapter 11 – Powers of Congress
Directions: Read the assigned section and complete the study guide considering the
impact/role of government in all of your answers. The Vocabulary should be defined in
YOUR OWN WORDs. The Main Ideas should be explained with detail in YOUR OWN
WORDs.
Section One: The Scope of Legislative Powers
Vocabulary:
1. Expressed Powers
2. Implied Powers
3. Inherent Powers
4. Strict Constructionist
5. Liberal Constructionist
6. Consensus
Main Ideas:
1. What are five specific restrictions on Congress?
2. What are five specific powers given to Congress?
3. Who led the Strict Constructionists?
4. What was Jefferson’s view of be these time of government?
5. Who led the Liberal Constructionists?
6. What was Hamilton’s view of an ideal government?
Section Two: The Expressed Powers of Money and Commerce
Vocabulary/People:
1. Tax
2. Direct Tax
3. Indirect Tax
4. Deficit Spending
5. Public Debt
6. Commerce Power
7. Legal Tender
8. Bankruptcy
Main Ideas:
1. What is the Commerce Clause?
2. Why is the Commerce Clause significant?
3. Why was it important for Congress to have the power to tax as given in the
Constitution?
4. What are six specific limits on taxes?
a. _
b. _
c. _
d. _
e. _
f. _
5. Go to http://www.usdebtclock.org and look to see what the current national
deficit is. Write that number here
_____________________________________________. What is the current
federal budget deficit? ____________________________________________.
Why are they two different numbers?
6. Why is Gibbons v Ogden (1824) significant?
7. Why was the Supreme Court’s ruling in Gibbons v Ogden widely popular?
8. What are four explicit limits on the use of Commerce Power?
a. _
b. _
c. _
d. _
9. Why did the Framers believe in a need for a single system of hard money?
10. What are greenbacks?
NAME ______________________________________________________ PER _______
Study Guide: Chapter 12 – Congress in Action
Directions: Read the assigned section and complete the study guide considering the
impact/role of government in all of your answers. The Vocabulary should be defined in
YOUR OWN WORDs. The Main Ideas should be explained with detail in YOUR OWN
WORDs.
Section One: Congress Organizes
Vocabulary:
7. Speaker of the House
8. President of the Senate
9. President Pro Tempore
10. Party Caucus
11. Floor Leader
12. Whip
13. Committee Chairman
14. Seniority Rule
Main Ideas:
7. What is the purpose of the State of the Union Address?
8. What is the Constitutional requirement for the State of the Union Address?
9. Review the current members for each of the following positions (remember they
are incorrect in your text):
a. Speaker of the House
b. Senate Majority Leader
c. President of the Senate
10. What role does the President of the Senate play in comparison to the Senate
Majority Leader?
11. What is the policy committee?
12. Which specific reasons explain why the majority power has more power than the
minority party?
13. What role do the whips play in making policy?
14. What role do the Committee Chairs play in making policy?
Section Two: Committees in Congress
Vocabulary/People:
9. Standing Committee
10. Select Committee
11. Joint Committee
12. Conference Committee
Main Ideas:
1. Which committees tend to be more significant than others? Why?
2. Evaluate the Permanent Committees Chart on p. 330. What considerations might
lead a member of Congress to want to serve on a particular committee?
3. Describe the role of the House Rules Committee.
4. What is the other name of Select Committees? What role do they typically play?
5. What role does a joint committee play?
6. What role does a conference committee play?