Legislative Branch Unit Test Name: _____________________________

Multiple Choice:

In each of the following questions, select the most correct answer and circle the letter beside it.

Each question is worth one point for a total of 30 possible points.

1. At the national level, how long is a U.S. Senators term of office?

A. 2 years

B. 4 years

C. 6 years

D. 8 years

2. What type of committee resolves the differences between similar versions of House and

Senate bills?

A. Conference Committee

B. Joint Committee

C. Select Committee

D. Standing Committee

3. Which of the following is not a role of the Speaker of the House?

A. Calls for votes of cloture, requiring 3/5 vote to pass

B. Decides who gets to speak first during debate

C. Picks the committee to which a bill goes

D. Schedules bills for action on the House floor

4. In which body do congressional members most often work out the detailed, day-to-day

considerations of proposed legislation?

A. Party Caucus

B. Committee

C. Full House or Full Senate

D. Specialized Voting Coalitions

5. Which of the following is not a reason why the committee system is an important part of the

lawmaking process?

A. It allows members of Congress to divide work among smaller groups, allowing congressional

representatives to specialize in specific issues.

B. It allows lawmakers the chance to listen to supporters and opponents of the bills, asking

questions of expert witnesses.

C. It allows congressional representatives the chance to focus the publics attention on pressing

issues in society.

D. It allows most bills to get through to the full floor debate, in which members of Congress try

to convince others to support or reject the bill.

6. Which of the following agencies is responsible for coordinating the budget-making work of

the Legislative Branch?

A. Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

B. General Accounting Office (GAO)

C. Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

D. Government Printing Office (GPO)

7. Which of the following situations is an example of an implied power of Congress?

A. Congress makes a law that punishes a counterfeiter for making fake money

B. Congress makes a law that creates the National Guard, a type of militia

C. Congress makes a law that drafts men over eighteen into the army

D. Congress grants a patent to a person who invents a new type of transportation

8. What does the U.S. Constitution mean when it says Congress cannot suspend the writ of

habeas corpus?

A. Congress may not make laws ordering the death of a particular person or a specific group of

people.

B. Congress may not make laws that allow police to keep a person in jail without telling him or

her why.

C. Congress may not make laws that stop a person from expressing himself in written or graphic

form.

D. Congress may not make laws that eliminate the rights found in the first ten amendments.

9. Why did the commerce clause allow Congress to prevent discrimination in a restaurant?

A. Since people in one state could visit a restaurant in another state, Congress could regulate the

restaurant as part of their power to regulate interstate trade.

B. Since a restaurant sold things, Congress could regulate the restaurant as part of their power to

regulate taxable goods and services.

C. Since a restaurant employed people and paid them wages, Congress could regulate the

restaurant as part of their power to regulate treatment of employees and customers.

D. Since a restaurant paid taxes, Congress could regulate the restaurant as part of their power to

regulate stores paying property taxes to the government.

The following two maps represent the fictional 99th

Congressional District of Colorado. The first

map (left) shows the district before the 1970 census redistricting. After the 1970 census, the

Democrat-controlled Coloradan legislature redrew the district lines. The second map (right)

shows the district after the 1970 census redistricting. Use the following information and the

maps to answer question number ten.

Information about the maps:

The 99th

Congressional District is made up of all the shaded counties. Non-shaded regions are

counties outside of the 99th

Congressional District. Counties with a D have more Democrats

while counties with an R have more Republicans. Each county has the same number of

people.

Before 1970 Census After 1970 Census

10. What is the best explanation for why the Democratic leaders in the Coloradan legislature

redrew the 99th

Congressional District the way they did?

A. The Democrats wanted to give the Republicans a better chance of winning the district

because competition between the parties yields better results.

B. The Democrats wanted to ensure that a Democrat would win election in the 99th

because they

wanted to win as many seats as possible.

C. The Democrats wanted to ensure the protection of the districts Republican Congressman, a

leader in the House of Representatives.

D. The Democrats wanted to create a district full of Republicans to take away Republican

influence in other districts.

11. Which of the following situations best describes congressional casework/constituent service?

A. A member of Congress votes to pass a gun rights bill supported by his district, increasing the

waiting period required to purchase a gun.

B. A member of Congress gets a government agency to investigate a veterans claim that his

insurance benefits have been unfairly canceled.

C. A member of Congress raises money in his district by holding a fundraising dinner in which

the Vice President gives a speech on current foreign policy issues.

D. A member of Congress joins a coalition of congressional members dedicated to improving

international trade with struggling African nations.

12. What is a filibuster?

A. When a Senator votes against his party on a bill

B. When a Senator refuses to let a bill get through committee

C. When a Senator continues to talk, preventing a vote on a bill

D. When a Senator decides to retire midway through his term of office

13. What clause in the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to make laws necessary and

proper to uphold legislative responsibilities?

A. Commerce clause

B. Expansionist clause

C. Faithful execution clause

D. Elastic clause

14. What is the decennial census?

A. When lawmakers evaluate the effectiveness of laws every ten years

B. When the government counts all the people in the country every ten years

C. When a member of Congress represents a congressional district for ten years

D. When a member of Congress introduces the same bill in each session for ten years

15. Which of the following trends occurs because Senators represent entire states while members

of the House of Representatives usually represent smaller congressional districts?

A. Senators tend to be more ideologically moderate compared to members of the House of

Representatives because Senate committees get resources from entire states while House

committees only get resources from specific districts.

B. Senators tend to be more ideologically moderate compared to members of the House of

Representatives because Senators must appeal to voters of a wider range of ideological

beliefs.

C. Senators tend to be more ideologically conservative or liberal compared to members of the

House of Representatives because Senators must raise money by appealing to specific special

interest groups within their whole state.

D. Senators tend to be more ideologically conservative or liberal compared to members of the

House of Representatives because Senators have a larger staff to help them understand the

issues facing their entire state.

16. Which of the following is not a way congressional staff members assist Congressmen?

A. Keep the Congressmans schedule

B. Vote on behalf of the Congressman in committee

C. Inform the Congressman of certain bills

D. Work with constituents to solve problems in the district

17. What is pork-barrel legislation?

A. Laws made by Congress that give money to pig farmers

B. Laws made by Congress that limit local spending

C. Laws made by Congress to spend money on national health care initiatives

D. Laws made by Congress that benefit local federal projects

18. What is the role of the House Rules Committee?

A. Decides how and when the House of Representatives will consider legislation

B. Decides which committee each member of Congress sits on when a new session begins

C. Decides how to structure bills relating to money

D. Decides what actions to take about bills being considered in the House that conflict with

similar bills in the Senate

19. Whom does the U.S. Constitution name as president of the Senate?

A. Senate Majority Leader

B. President Pro Tempore

C. Vice President

D. Senate Whip

20. What is the primary purpose of Congress oversight powers?

A. To quest