Multiple Choice Identify the
choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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The founders of the American republic
believed that a central legislature should hold most of the power exercised by a national government.
Their experience with King George III of England and his royal governors had left them with a deep
suspicion of strong executive authority.
For this reason,
the founders made Congress the central institution of American government and gave it more
powers than any other branch. As James Madison said, Congress is "the first branch of the
government." The founders granted Congress the most critical function of a democracy-translating
the public will into public policy. They devoted the first article of the Constitution to Congress.
That article reads:
All legislative powers herein granted shall he vested in a Congress of the
United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives
Congress is thus
charged under the Constitution with the legislative power-the power to make laws. Congress is often
considered to be the branch of government that is closest to the people. That is because members of
Congress are elected directly by the people . In contrast, the president and vice president dent are
elected through the electoral college, and Supreme Court members are appointed by the president with
the approval of the Senate . Thus, among this nation's leaders, members of Congress are most
directly accountable to its citizens . Because of this, Congress is sometimes called "the voice
of the people ."
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1.
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Which of the following would be
considered the legislative branch of government?
a. | Supreme
Court | c. | Congress | b. | the Justice Department | d. | President |
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2.
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Which of the following would be
considered the executive branch of government?
a. | President | c. | Congress | b. | Library of Congress | d. | Supreme Court |
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3.
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Why is the Congress considered
the branch of government that is closest to the people?
a. | It is elected through
representatives | c. | it is elected
directly by the people | b. | it makes the laws | d. | It is part of the electoral
college |
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4.
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Why did the founders make the
congress the central institution of the American government?
a. | they thought it would strengthen the
executive branch | c. | they wanted more
power to go to the big states | b. | they were members of congress themselves | d. | they thought congress would be a strong check on the executive
branch |
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Bicameral Legislature (bicameral means
two)
The founders of this nation did not agree about the organization of Congress. In
fact, one of the most serious conflicts at the Constitutional Convention was a long and heated debate
between the large and small states over congressional representation. After a month of struggle, the
delegates finally adopted the Great Compromise.
By a narrow margin, the Convention
voted for a bicameral legislature, a Congress of two houses. The houses, (chambers) were to be
called the Senate and the House of Representatives . Each American state, large or small, would be
represented by two senators, so all states would have equal power in the Senate. In the House,
however, the number of representatives from each state would be determined by the size of each
state's population. The larger a state's population, the more representatives it would
have. The Constitution requires that each state, no matter how small, have at least one
representative.
The bicameral legislature allows each house to check the power of the other
house so neither branch can become too powerful. The House is elected directly by the people
and is sometimes called the common peoples chamber. The Senate is elected by the states and in the
beginning senators were appointed by state officials. The house of representatives is similar to the
English House of Commons and the Senate is similar to the English House of Lourdes. The Senate was to
be a safeguard against the passage of "emotional" legislation by the House. As George
Washington was said to have remarked, "We shall pour House legislation into the Senatorial
saucer to cool it."
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5.
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How many chambers are there in
the U.S. Congress?
a. | one -
Legislature | c. | one -
Congress | b. | two - House and Senate | d. | two - Commons and Lourdes |
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6.
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What was the “great
compromise” in the Constitutional Convention.
a. | agreement over the branches of
government | c. | agreement over the
power of the president | b. | agreement over admission of new states | d. | agreement over representation in the
congress |
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7.
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According to George Washington
and the founding fathers, the _____ is likely to act out of emotion and the _____ is likely to act
out of reason and logic.
a. | Both houses react the
same | c. | Lourdes -
Commons | b. | House - Senate | d. | Senate - House |
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8.
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The House and the Senate tend
to balance each other and prevent one chamber from becoming too powerful.
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9.
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The upper house of congress is
the ____ and the lower house is the _____ .
a. | House of Representatives -
Senate | c. | Judicial Branch - Executive
Branch | b. | Executive branch - Legislative Branch | d. | Senate - House of
Representatives |
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Congressional
Meetings
Each Congress lasts for a meeting period, or a term, of two years. The
terms are numbered consecutively, with the first term dating back to March 4, 1789. The date for the
convening, or formal opening, of each term was reset by the Twentieth Amendment in 1993, and the
terms now begin on January 3 of odd numbered years unless Congress sets another date.
Each
term of Congress is divided into two regular sessions, or meetings-one for each year. Until about
1940, Congress remained in session for only four or five months, but the complicated legislation and
increased demand for services from the public in recent years have forced Congress to remain in
session through most of each year. Both chambers, how ever, schedule short recesses, or breaks, for
holidays and vacations. Congress remains in session until its members vote to adjourn. Neither
chamber may adjourn a session without the consent of the other. Only the president may call Congress
to meet during a scheduled recess . Such meetings are called special sessions, and only twenty-six of
them have ever been held. The fact that Congress now meets nearly year-round makes the need for a
special session unlikely.
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10.
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How long does congress remain
in session?
a. | until the president adjourns
it | c. | until a special session is
called | b. | until members vote to
adjourn | d. | until the session is
over |
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11.
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How long is a regular session
of congress?
a. | one
year | c. | two
years | b. | half a year | d. | four years |
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12.
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Who calls for Special Sessions
of Congress?
a. | Both
houses | c. | the
Senate | b. | the House | d. | the President |
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Apportionment of the House of
Representatives
The Constitution says that each state will get representatives based on
its population. Because representation in the House is based on population, the more people a
state has, the more representatives it sends to the House. California, for example, with an estimated
population of over 34 million in 2000, has fifty-two representatives . Georgia, with a population of
over 6.5 million, has eleven representatives. Each state is guaranteed at least one seat, no matter
what its population . Today, seven states have only one representative. In addition, the District of
Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, and the American Virgin Islands each send nonvoting delegates to the
House. Puerto Rico, a self-governing possession of the United States, is represented by a nonvoting
resident commissioner.
If representation in the House is to be based on population, it is
necessary to know what the population is. The Constitution directs Congress to take a census, or
official count of the population, every ten years. This was originally meant to allow Congress to
increase the number of House seats according to changes in the population. For a time, the number of
representatives in the House grew with each census . By 1910, the number had reached 435.
In
the census year of 1920, as the population swelled, House leaders and many Americans expressed
concern about the size of the House. Many thought the House was growing too big for effective action
. In 1929, President Herbert Hoover called a special session of Congress and urged Congress to
provide apportionment guidelines for the upcoming 1930 census . As a result, Congress passed the
Reapportionment Act of 1929. The act provided that the number of representatives would remain fixed
at 435 . The law provides the following:
1 .The size of the House remains stable at 435. 2.
The Census Bureau determines the number of seats each state should receive 3 .The Census Bureau
presents a plan to the president that shows the distribution of seats. 4. The president submits
this information in a message to Congress . If Congress does not voice its
opposition within sixty days, the plan goes into effect.
In the last few decades, Americans
have moved from northeastern and Midwestern states to states in the South and the West. The South and
West have increased their power in congress. | |
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13.
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How many states do not have
enough population to have at least one representative in congress?
a. | seven | c. | fourteen | b. | one | d. | none - each state is guaranteed at least one
representative |
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14.
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The Reapportionment Act of 1929 set the number of representatives in the House
to
a. | 535 | c. | 100 | b. | at least 1 | d. | 435 |
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15.
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How often do they take a census
in the United States?
a. | when requested by
congress | c. | every 2
years | b. | every other year | d. | every 10 years |
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16.
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According to the
Reapportionment Act of 1929, who determines the number of seats each state
should receive
a. | the
President | c. | the
Congress | b. | the Supreme Court | d. | the Census Bureau |
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Congressional
Districting
Senators are elected to represent all of the people in the state. In contrast,
representatives are elected by the known as a congressional district . The 435 members of the House
are chosen by the voters in 435 separate congressional districts across the country. If a
state's population allows it to have only one representative, the entire state is one
congressional district. The boundaries of the congressional districts are drawn by state legislatures
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Congressional districts have not always been used by all the states . The Constitution makes
no provisions for congressional districts. In the early 1800s, each state was given the right to
decide whether or not to have districts at all. Most states set up single member districts. Voters in
each of these districts elected one of the state's representatives . In states that chose not to
have districts, representatives were chosen at large, from the state as a whole. In these states,
voters could cast votes for all of that state's representatives . If one party's candidate
won a plurality of votes, all of a state's representatives in Congress would be from that
party.
Over the years, many people became dissatisfied with this system . In 1842, Congress
passed an act that required all states to send representatives to Congress from single-member
districts. The act gave each state legislature the responsibility of drawing its own district lines.
Later revisions of the law required that districts contain, as nearly as possible, equal numbers of
people . This requirement is important because it means each House member represents approximately
the same number of people, so the people are equally represented in the House. Districts were also
required to be of compact territory, which meant that states could not draw boundaries that spread
one district into parts over the state.
The requirements of the 1842 act were largely ignored
by states . Many state legislatures continued to seek advantages for their own political parties.
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17.
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Who draws the boundaries for
congressional districts?
a. | the U.S. House of
Representatives | c. | the state
legislatures | b. | the state courts | d. | the U.S. Congress |
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18.
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Why are there no districts for
Senators?
a. | Senators represent smaller
congressional districts | c. | Senators are
elected on the basis of state population | b. | Senators represent the entire state | d. | Senators are not mentioned in the
constitution |
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19.
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Which statement is
true
a. | The representation system fixed in
the constitution is the one we abide by today. | c. | The constitution does not mention congressional
representation | b. | The representation system in the constitution was absolutely
democratic | d. | Over the years we have modified the
systems for representation to be more democratic |
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20.
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Which political party has the
advantage when a state is required to re-draw the districts?
a. | the
Democrats | c. | the
Republicans | b. | the party that controls the state
legislatures | d. | the party that controls the
congress |
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Congressional Districts of Unequal
Population
Legislatures sometimes attempted to retain power by creating districts with
unequal populations. For example, at one point during the 1960s, in many states the largest district
had twice the population of the smallest district. Because all districts have equal representation, a
person's vote in the largest congressional district had only half the value of a person's
vote in the smallest district.
The Supreme Court finally addressed this issue. In Baker v.
Carr (1962), the Court ruled that the Tennessee state legislature's reapportionment scheme
violated the constitutional requirement of equal protection under the law. In 1964, it ruled in
Wesherry v. Sanders that congressional districts must have equal populations. This principle
has come to be known as the "one man-one vote" rule. That is, one person's vote
has to count as much as another's vote. The longstanding tendency of state legislatures to
apportion in ways that over represented rural voters began to change .
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21.
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What did the Supreme Court rule
in Baker v. Carr (1962)?
a. | one man one
vote | c. | The Tennessee reapportionment plan
violated the 14th Amendment | b. | reapportionment was an illegal method of
representation | d. | The Tennessee reapportionment plan
was legal according to the constitution |
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22.
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What did the Supreme Court rule
in Wesherry v. Sanders?
a. | It overturned Baker v
Carr | c. | one man one
vote | b. | The Tennessee reapportionment plan was
illegal | d. | The 14th Amendment violated the 1st
Amendment |
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23.
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What does “one man one
vote” mean?
a. | Rural areas should have more votes
than urban areas | c. | every member of
congress gets one vote | b. | each member in the house should represent the same number of
people | d. | men should have a vote but not
women |
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Gerrymandering
Since the
early 1800s, the practice of drawing district boundaries to benefit a certain party, group, or
candidate has been called gerrymandering. Gerrymandering often results in very oddly shaped election
districts . This practice took its name from Elbridge Gerry, governor of Massachusetts . In 1812, the
Massachusetts state legislature carved up Essex County in a way that favored Gerry's party. A
cartoonist, observing a map that detailed the strange shape of the district, penciled in a head,
wings, and claws and commented that the map now resembled a salamander. A news editor replied,
"Better say a gerrymander!"
Two different methods of gerrymandering have been used.
One way, called "packing" by politicians, involves drawing congressional district
boundaries so that districts include as many of the political party's voters as possible . The
other method, called "cracking," involves drawing the boundaries so that the
opponent's strength is divided among two or more districts . In this way, the opponent has a
more difficult time getting enough votes to win an election .
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gerrymandering has not been specifically outlawed, it is still used today, although much less
frequently. The "compact and contiguous" requirements, combined with the one person-one
vote ruling, usually have prevented the worst forms of gerrymandering. | | |
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24.
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What is the purpose of
Gerrymandering?
a. | Keep all of a parties voters in one
district | c. | keep voters spread
apart | b. | Maker sure that both parties are represented
equally | d. | Draw congressional district boundaries to give one party
an advantage |
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25.
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What type of Gerrymandering
involves drawing congressional district boundaries so that districts
include as many of the political party's voters as possible
a. | linking | c. | drawing | b. | packing | d. | dividing |
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26.
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What type of Gerrymandering
involves drawing the boundaries so that the opponent's strength is
divided among two or more districts
a. | dividing | c. | cracking | b. | packing | d. | drawing |
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27.
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Gerrymandering is no longer
used today.
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Racial Gerrymandering
The
Democrats controlled congress and the White House in the early 1990s The U .S . Department of Justice
required all of the states to draw the boundaries of congressional districts in a special way.
Specifically, the districts were to be drawn to maximize the voting power of minority
groups. Since most minorities vote Democrat, this was seen as a power grab by the Democrat
party. The result was often bizarre . North Carolina's newly drawn Twelfth Congressional
District was 165 miles long. It was a narrow strip that followed Interstate 85 . Georgia's new
Eleventh District stretched from Atlanta to the Atlantic Ocean, splitting eight counties and five
municipalities .
Many of these districts were challenged in court. In a series of cases, the
United States Supreme Court sided with the opponents of what came to be called "racial
gerrymandering." For example, in 1995, the Court attacked the concept of race-based
redistricting by declaring that Georgia's Eleventh District was unconstitutional . The Court
stated that assigning voters on the basis of race was offensive and demeaning to racial minorities.
In two cases decided in 1996, the Supreme Court ruled that the Twelfth District of North Carolina and
three Texas districts were also unconstitutional for this reason. | | | |
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28.
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What is racial
Gerrymandering?
a. | Making sure that poor people control
some of the congressional districts | c. | Drawing district lines to favor minority groups within a
state | b. | Making sure that white people control
congress | d. | Giving a state more representatives
to distribute among minorities |
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29.
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Why did the courts rule against
racial Gerrymandering?
a. | It violated one man one
vote | c. | it was offensive and demeaning to
minorities | b. | It violated the 12th amendment | d. | it made the senate more powerful than the
house |
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30.
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Which political party pushed
racial gerrymandering?
a. | Republican | c. | Both | b. | Neither | d. | Democrat |
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