| A | B |
|---|
| What powers are specifically delegated to Congress in Article I, Sec. 8 of the Constitution? | enumerated powers |
| What powers are delegated to Congress by the “necessary and proper” or "elastic" clause? | implied powers |
| Which non-legislative power enables the House of Representatives to bring charges against the president for "high crimes or misdemeanors"? | impeachment |
| Who is the presiding officer that leads the House of Representatives? | Speaker of the House |
| Who is the presiding officer in the U.S. Senate? | Vice-president |
| Which two legislative bodies make up the U.S. Congress? | the House of Representatives and the Senate |
| What is the most basic function of the U.S. Congress? | to make laws |
| What is the name of the process used to distribute legislative seats in Congress amongst the states? | apportionment |
| How long is the term for a member of the House of Representatives? | two years |
| How long is the term for a member of the Senate? | six years |
| How many U.S. Senators does each state have in Congress? | two |
| On what basis are seats in the U.S. House of Representatives distributed among the states? | population |
| What is it called when two sides give in to each other to reach an agreement? | compromise |
| Where is most of the debate, compromise, and changes to bills made during the legislative process? | committees |
| What is it called when legislators who have the most experience are selected as leaders of committees? | seniority |
| What is it called when committees in Congress hold hearings to monitor the activities of the offices in the Executive Branch? | oversight |
| Where does a bill go if the House and Senate pass two different versions of the same bill? | Conference committee |
| What procedure can be used in the Senate to block a bill by "debating it to death"? | filibuster |
| In the U.S. Senate, what is needed to end a filibuster? | 60-vote majority |
| What is needed to over-ride a president's veto of a bill? | a 2/3 majority vote in each house of Congress |
| Where are appropriations bills supposed to begin? | the House of Representatives |
| Who has the power to confirm the president's appointees to government agencies and federal courts? | the Senate |
| Who has the power to begin impeachment proceedings? | the House of Representatives |
| What is required for the approval of treaties? | a 2/3 majority vote in the Senate |
| What is required for the removal of an official who has been impeached? | a 2/3 majority vote in the Senate |
| What is it called when the majority party in the state legislature re-draws the legislative district lines to benefit their party in future elections? | gerrymandering |
| Who has the power to re-draw the congressional district lines after each census? | the state legislatures |
| What is the #1 source of revenue for the federal government? | income taxes |
| Who pays the highest income tax rates? | high income earners |
| What pays for Social Security and Medicare? | payroll taxes |
| What is the #1 expense in the federal budget | entitlement programs (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid) |
| What is it called when the government spends more money in the budget than it collects from taxes? | deficit |
