Chapter 5 – Congress: The Legislative Branch
Reading Study Questions
1. What are the three special powers held by Congress?
2. What is impeachment?
3. What three things limit the powers of Congress?
4. List the powers denied to Congress by the Constitution
5. What determines the size of the House? What is the total number of representatives in the House?
6. How long does a Representative serve? (per term)
7. In what ways does gerrymandering take place?
8. List the requirements to be a member of the House of Representatives.
9. How many members does the Senate have?
10. How long does a Senator serve? (per term)
11. List the requirements to be a member of the Senate.
12. Name and explain the three basic types of committees.
13. What is an advantage of the seniority system?
14. Why is it so important to be a member of the majority party?
15. Who is the presiding officer in the House?
16. What powers make the Speaker of the House so influential? (3 reasons)
17. Why are party whips so important? (2 reasons)
18. Who is the presiding officer in the Senate?
19. Who is the President Pro Tempore? How is this person chosen?
20. Who is the most powerful leader in the Senate? Why?
21. What are the 6 main steps that a bill must go through before becoming a law?
22. In the House and Senate, who is responsible for referring bills to a committee?
23. What is the significance of floor rules?
24. What is a filibuster?
25. What are the four things that the President can do with a bill that has been passed by both houses?
Chapter 5 – Congress: The Legislative Branch
Reading Study Questions
1. What are the three special powers held by Congress?
2. What is impeachment?
3. What three things limit the powers of Congress?
4. List the powers denied to Congress by the Constitution
5. What determines the size of the House? What is the total number of representatives in the House?
6. How long does a Representative serve? (per term)
7. In what ways does gerrymandering take place?
8. List the requirements to be a member of the House of Representatives.
9. How many members does the Senate have?
10. How long does a Senator serve? (per term)
11. List the requirements to be a member of the Senate.
12. Name and explain the three basic types of committees.
13. What is an advantage of the seniority system?
14. Why is it so important to be a member of the majority party?
15. Who is the presiding officer in the House?
16. What powers make the Speaker of the House so influential? (3 reasons)
17. Why are party whips so important? (2 reasons)
18. Who is the presiding officer in the Senate?
19. Who is the President Pro Tempore? How is this person chosen?
20. Who is the most powerful leader in the Senate? Why?
21. What are the 6 main steps that a bill must go through before becoming a law?
22. In the House and Senate, who is responsible for referring bills to a committee?
23. What is the significance of floor rules?
24. What is a filibuster?
25. What are the four things that the President can do with a bill that has been passed by both houses?