Judicial Branch

Question 1

What are expressed powers?

Answer 1

Expressed powers are those listed in the constitution that are given to Congress.

Question 2

What is the Necessary and Proper Clause? Where can it be found?

Answer 2

The Necessary and Proper Clause gives Congress the power to make any law that is necessary and proper. Can be found in Article I, Section 8, Clause 18.

Question 3

What is a bill?

Answer 3

A suggestion to create a new law or to make a change to an existing law.

Question 4

What is a joint resolution?

Answer 4

A resolution that requires both bodies of Congress to pass a law through a ⅔ majority vote after the president vetoes the bill.

Question 5

What is a concurrent resolution?

Answer 5

A resolution of a law that is passed by both houses that doesn’t require the president’s approval.

Question 6

What is a pigeonhole?

Answer 6

An expression to describe how bills introduced to Congress die off or are never acted on.

Question 7

What is a quorum?

Answer 7

The least number of members in a legislative body that must be present in order to conduct business.

Question 8

What is a filibuster?

Answer 8

Tactics (usually long speeches) that are used to defeat the US senate from having a final vote on a bill.

Question 9

What is a cloture?

Answer 9

A procedure that can be used to limit or end floor debate in a legislative body.

Question 10

What is a veto?

Answer 10

When the president rejects a proposed bill, and the bill is then sent back to Congress.

Question 11

What is a pocket veto?

Answer 11

When a president doesn’t sign a bill within a 10 day period, and the bill becomes vetoed.

Question 12

What is the first step of the bill to law process?

Answer 12

Bill is sent to the Clerk of the House. The clerk gives the bill a number and a title.

Question 13

What is the second step of the bill to law process?

Answer 13

After the bill is read by the clerk. The bill is sent to a committee to be debated and changed. Then the house will vote on the bill. If the majority agrees, the bill is sent to Senate. If the majority disagrees, the bill dies out.

Question 14

What is the third step of the bill to law process?

Answer 14

The bill is sent to Senate. Bill is read to the senate by the clerk. If necessary, changes can be made to the bill through the conference committee. Then the Senate will vote on the bill. If the majority agrees, the bill is sent to the president. If the majority disagrees, the bill dies out.

Question 15

What is the fourth step of the bill to law process?

Answer 15

The bill is sent to the President. The president can veto the bill, pocket veto the bill, or pass the bill into law. Congress can override the veto with a 2/3 majority vote.

Question 16

What factors limit the powers of Congress?

Answer 16

The Delegated Powers of the Constitution limit the powers of Congress. They express what power Congress has and doesn’t have.

Question 17

List and define the three types of delegated powers.

Answer 17

The expressed powers, the implied powers, the inherent powers.

Question 18

What is commerce power, and why is it so important?

Answer 18

The commerce clause gives Congress the power to tax.

Question 19

Which bills must always originate in the House?

Answer 19

According to Article I, Section 7, Clause 1 of the Constitution, “bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House.” Tax bills must first be acted upon by the House.

Question 20

Who decides which committee will get a bill?

Answer 20

The speaker of the House determines which committee gets a bill.

Question 21

Why is the Senate often called “the greatest deliberative body in the world”?

Answer 21

There is no rule that requires a member to speak only for a certain amount of time. They can speak about anything he or she wants.

Question 22

What is implied power?

Answer 22

Laws are created in order to carry out expressed power.

Question 23

What is inherent power?

Answer 23

The power that the government exercises in order to function.

Question 24

What are the qualifications of being president?

Answer 24

Must be 35 years old, must be a natural-born citizen, must have been a resident of the United States for 14 years.

Question 25

What is a natural-born citizen?

Answer 25

Anyone born in the US. Anyone born outside the US with parents that are citizens or at least one parent who’s lived in the US for a year.

Question 26

How do elections work?

Answer 26

An election is held once every four years, the president is voted in by the electoral college.

Question 27

How do the presidential terms work?

Answer 27

The presidential term is 4 years per one term. President can only run 2 terms or 8 years.

Question 28

Which Amendment limits the president to two consecutive terms?

Answer 28

The 22nd Amendment was added in 1951 to limit a president to two consecutive terms.

Question 29

Which Amendment says if a president is vacant, VP becomes president?

Answer 29

The 25th Amendment says if a President is vacant, VP becomes president.

Question 30

What is the line of succession?

Answer 30

President, Vice President, Speaker of the House, President pro tempore of the Senate, Secretary of State, and Secretary of Treasury.