congress factual knowledge test

Question 1

how many members are there in the house of representatives

Answer 1

435

Question 2

how many members are there in the senate

Answer 2

100

Question 3

what terms do members serve in both houses

Answer 3

house of representatives - 2 years

senate - 6 years

Question 4

on average how many people are there in a congressional district

Answer 4

700,000

Question 5

how many congressional districts does Wisconsin currently have

Answer 5

8

Question 6

how many congressional districts does California have

Answer 6

53

Question 7

name 4 exclusive powers for the senate

Answer 7

• Confirm Presidential appointments.
• Ratify Treaties.
• Try the accused in cases of impeachment.
• Elect the Vice President in the case of Electoral College deadlock.

Question 8

what changes did the 17th amendment

Answer 8

direct election of senators

Question 9

what was the situation before the 17th amendment

Answer 9

senators origonally chosen indirectly by state legislatures

Question 10

name 4 exclusive powers of the house of representatives

Answer 10

• initiate money bills
• impeachment
• elect president if electoral college is in deadlock

Question 11

name 3 concurrent powers shared by both houses of congress

Answer 11

pass legislation
override the presidential veto
initiate constitutional amendment's
declare war
confirm a newly appointed vice president

Question 12

where does it stipulate congress’ powers in the constitution

Answer 12

article 1 section 8

Question 13

why was the house of representatives given the power to initiate money bills

Answer 13

at the time only directly elected, founding fathers believed that the directly elected representatives should have the first say in spending the peoples money

Question 14

how many times has the house used the power to impeach a member of either the executive or the judiciary

Answer 14

17 tiems since 1789

Question 15

how many times has the electoral college been deadlocked

Answer 15

twice 1800, and 1824

Question 16

which president was impeached by the house and tried by the senate in 1999

Answer 16

bill clinton

Question 17

what kind of majority is required in the senate to confirm an appointment made by the president

Answer 17

simple majority

Question 18

what is ‘senatorial courtesy’?

Answer 18

president can confer with any senator in his own party before he makes nomination to fill a vacancy for a federal office affecting the state

Question 19

what is the most important of the concurrent powers of congress

Answer 19

the passage of leigslation

all bills must pass through all stages in both houses, neither can override the other. Both must agree the same passage beofre it is sent to president for his signature

Question 20

give 2 reasons why north Carolina’s 12th congressional district is contentious

Answer 20

100 miles long and gerrymerederd for purposes of representation of minorities