Unit 3 Test Review/Study Guide
Name:____________________
1. ___________________________________________ is the act of drawing congressional
districts to the advantage of the political party that controls the State legislature.
____________________________ may produce districts that have unusual shapes or
even defy description.
2. The Constitution provides that the total number of seats in the House shall be
______________________ (distributed) among the States on the basis of their
respective populations.
3. Members of the House of Representatives serve _____________ terms.
4. Article I of the Constitution directs Congress to ____________________—redistribute—
the seats in the House after each ______________ census.
5. These are the three Constitutional requirements for a House Rep.:
 ___________________________________________________________________
 ___________________________________________________________________
 ___________________________________________________________________
6. The Constitution says that the Senate “shall be composed of _____ Senators from each
State.” Today’s Senate consists of _______ Senators.
7. Senators serve for ________ terms.
8. These are the three Constitutional requirements for a Senator:
 ___________________________________________________________________
 ___________________________________________________________________
 ___________________________________________________________________
9. ___________________________ is the process by which Congress, through its
committees, checks to see that the agencies of the executive branch are working
effectively.
10.The ________________ powers are granted to Congress explicitly in the Constitution.
11.The ________________ powers are granted by reasonable deduction from the
expressed powers.
12.Congress may tax only for ___________________________, not for private benefit.
13.The ________________________________ — the power of Congress to regulate
interstate and foreign trade — is granted in the ________________________________
of the Constitution.
14.______________________________ is the process by which citizens of one country
become citizens of another.
15.The _____________________________________ is the foundation for Congress’s
implied powers.
16.Only ______________________________ can declare war.
17.__________________________ of the Constitution gives Congress the power to
propose amendments by a two-thirds vote in each house.
18.If no candidate for President receives a majority in the Electoral College, the
____________________________ decides the election.
19.The House has the sole power to _______________, or bring charges against the
individual.
20.The President makes treaties “by and with the Advice and Consent of the
___________________,... provided ________________ of the Senators present concur.”
21.All major appointments made by the President must be confirmed by the
_________________ by majority vote.
22.Congress convenes every ____________ years.
23.When Congress is organized, the President presents a
_______________________________ message to a joint session of Congress. This
message, in which the President reports on the state of the nation as he sees it, is given
annually.
24.The ______________________________________is the presiding officer of the House
of Representatives and the acknowledged leader of the majority party.
25.The Constitution designates the ________________________ as president of the
Senate. The president of the Senate has many of the same duties as the Speaker of the
House, but cannot _______________ on legislation except to _____________________.
26.______________________________________ are permanent panels in Congress to
which bills of similar nature can be sent.
27._____________________________________ are panels established to handle a specific
matter and usually exist for a limited time.
28.A ____________________________________—a temporary, joint body—is created to
iron out differences between bills passed by the House and Senate before they are sent
to the President.
29.A _________ is a proposed law presented to the House or Senate for consideration.
30.Most bills _________ in committee, are pigeonholed, or put away, never to be acted
upon.
31.Severe ________________ are placed on floor debate due to the House’s __________.
32.A ________________________ is an attempt to “talk a bill to death.” A senator may
exercise his or her right of holding the floor as long as necessary, and in essence talk
until a measure is dropped.
33.If at least 60 senators vote for ____________________, no more than another 30 hours
may be spent on debate, forcing a vote on a bill.
34.Any measure enacted by Congress must have been passed by
___________________________ in identical form.
35.The President may ____________ the bill, and it then becomes __________________.
36.The President may ____________ the bill, or refuse to sign it. The President’s veto can
be _________________ by ________________________________________________.
Questions to Consider:
1. Explain the President’s options when he receives a bill from Congress. Once the
President makes a decision, can Congress do anything else?
2. What is the purpose of the Necessary and Proper Clause? How does Congress use it?
3. Explain how Congress and the President share power over issues regarding foreign
relations and war.
4. Why is debate in the House more restricted than in the Senate? Make sure you explain
the terms “Filibuster” and “cloture” in your response.
5. Choose two Congressional powers and explain why you think the Framers gave these
powers to Congress instead of the States.
6. The Articles of Confederation did not give Congress the power to tax. Why do you think
the Framers of the Constitution decided to grant Congress this power?
7. Do the members of Congress represent a cross section of the American people? Why or
why not?
8. How does a Senator’s constituency differ from that of a Representative in the House?