Summary of 2023 Revision table

Question 1

What is the composition of the Senate in the 118th Congress?

Answer 1

Dem 51, Rep 49, with 3 independents caucusing with Dems

This results in a Republican majority of 9.

Question 2

What is the composition of the House in the 118th Congress?

Answer 2

Rep 222, Dem 213

This indicates a Republican majority of 9.

Question 3

Who was the President Pro Tempore of the Senate during the 116th Congress?

Answer 3

Chuck Grassley (R-IA)

Question 4

Name the Majority Leader of the Senate during the 117th Congress.

Answer 4

Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

Question 5

What percentage of the 117th Congress identified as women?

Answer 5

27%

Question 6

Who was the Speaker of the House in the 118th Congress?

Answer 6

Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)

Question 7

Fill in the blank: The 117th Congress saw a __________ increase in minority lawmakers compared to the 107th Congress.

Answer 7

97%

Question 8

How many minority senators were there in the 117th Congress?

Answer 8

11

Question 9

Name one of the two newly elected Black Republicans in the House during the 117th Congress.

Answer 9

Burgess Owens (R-UT) or Byron Donalds (R-FL)

Question 10

What significant legislative struggle did President Biden face during the 118th Congress?

Answer 10

Obstruction from Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ)

Question 11

True or False: Women made up a larger share of congressional Democrats than Republicans in the 117th Congress.

Answer 11

True

Question 12

Who was the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court?

Answer 12

John Roberts

Question 13

What landmark case established judicial review?

Answer 13

Marbury v Madison 1803

Question 14

What does judicial activism typically refer to?

Answer 14

The Supreme Court making or transforming law

Question 15

What was the outcome of Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organisation?

Answer 15

Overturned Roe v Wade

Question 16

Fill in the blank: The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of overturning __________.

Answer 16

Roe v Wade

Question 17

Which case ruled on the constitutionality of a Mississippi law banning almost all abortion after 15 weeks?

Answer 17

Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organisation

Question 18

What is the significance of the case Brown v Board of Education?

Answer 18

Declared segregation in education unconstitutional

Question 19

What does the term ‘judicial restraint’ refer to?

Answer 19

Stricter adherence to the constitution

Question 20

Who led the Senate Republicans’ opposition to President Obama’s appointment of Merrick Garland?

Answer 20

Senate Republicans

Question 21

What was the outcome of the vote regarding Trump’s first impeachment?

Answer 21

No House Republicans voted in favor of either article

Question 22

What percentage of House Democrats were women in the 117th Congress?

Answer 22

40%

Question 23

What was the first significant bipartisan legislation passed during the Biden administration?

Answer 23

Infrastructure bill

Question 24

Who were the two Republican Senators that voted to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial?

Answer 24

Mitt Romney and Susan Collins

Question 25

Fill in the blank: The filibuster requires _______ Senators for a filibuster-proof majority.

Answer 25

60

Question 26

What is the record for the longest filibuster held by Strom Thurmond?

Answer 26

24 hours 18 minutes

Question 27

What major health care legislation did Obama have to drop due to resistance from House Democrats in 2010?

Answer 27

Public option in Health Care Reform

Question 28

What was the primary issue of contention regarding the 2018-19 Democrat-controlled Congress?

Answer 28

Funding for Trump's border wall

Question 29

Who was the first Hispanic senator to represent California?

Answer 29

Alex Padilla

Question 30

What was the outcome of the Supreme Court's ruling in Sebelius v Hobby Lobby Stores?

Answer 30

Upheld religious exemption for corporations

Question 31

What year was Roe v Wade decided?

Answer 31

1973

Question 32

What is the significance of the case United States v Windsor?

Answer 32

Struck down key provisions of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)

Question 33

What significant precedent was created regarding religious exemption for corporations?

Answer 33

Their position exempted them from a part of the Affordable Health Care Act ## Footnote This set a significant precedent for other corporations seeking religious exemptions.

Question 34

What did the ruling in Miranda v Arizona (1966) establish?

Answer 34

Right to remain silent until read rights; entitled to lawyer

Question 35

What was the outcome of Furman v Georgia (1972)?

Answer 35

Struck down all existing death penalty laws

Question 36

What did Gregg v Georgia (1976) restore?

Answer 36

States’ discretion on whether to impose the death penalty

Question 37

What was ruled in Atkins v Virginia (2002)?

Answer 37

Death penalty unconstitutional for mentally disabled

Question 38

What did Roper v Simmons (2005) establish?

Answer 38

Death penalty unconstitutional for juveniles

Question 39

What was the ruling in Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L. (2021)?

Answer 39

Backed the First Amendment right of a high school cheerleader to express her anger

Question 40

What did DC v Heller (2008) and McDonald v Chicago (2010) do?

Answer 40

Relaxed restrictions on handguns in those cities

Question 41

What did Printz v US (1997) rule regarding sheriffs?

Answer 41

Sheriffs in Montana and Arizona could not be compelled to carry out background checks

Question 42

What was the significance of Citizens United v Federal Electoral Commission (2010)?

Answer 42

Right of corporations to fund political broadcasts cannot be limited under the First Amendment

Question 43

What did FEC v McCutcheon (2014) strike down?

Answer 43

A 40-year-old ban on aggregate contributions a single donor may make in a single election cycle

Question 44

What happened with Merrick Garland's appointment in 2016?

Answer 44

GOP controlled Senate failed to initiate hearings

Question 45

What was the outcome of Robert Bork's confirmation vote in 1987?

Answer 45

Lost confirmation vote by 42-58 in Democrat controlled Senate

Question 46

What was the result of Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation in October 2020?

Answer 46

Confirmed with a 52-48 vote without bipartisan support

Question 47

What accusations were made against Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation?

Answer 47

Accused of sexual harassment by Christine Blasey-Ford

Question 48

What was required for Neil Gorsuch's confirmation in March 2017?

Answer 48

A change to the Senate filibuster rules

Question 49

What was the outcome of the Trump Administration's attempts to end the DACA program?

Answer 49

Repeatedly blocked in the Federal courts

Question 50

What did the Supreme Court rule in Department of Homeland Security v Regents of University of California?

Answer 50

Blocked attempts to end the DACA program

Question 51

What was ruled in US v Windsor regarding the Defense of Marriage Act?

Answer 51

Struck down for breaking the 5th, 14th, and 10th Amendments

Question 52

What did Reno v ACLU (1997) strike down?

Answer 52

The Communication Indecency Act for breaking the 1st Amendment

Question 53

What was the ruling in US v Lopez (1995)?

Answer 53

Struck down the Gun Free Zone School Act as an unacceptable extension of Federal power

Question 54

Who is the current Vice President under Biden?

Answer 54

Kamala Harris

Question 55

Who served as Attorney General under Trump?

Answer 55

Jeff Sessions / William Barr

Question 56

Which position did Barack Obama hold before becoming President?

Answer 56

Ex Senator

Question 57

What did the Executive Office of the Presidency (EXoP) establish in 1939?

Answer 57

Includes National Security Advisor, Economic Advisors, Budget Management & White House Chief of Staff

Question 58

How many executive orders did Biden sign as of April 27, 2023?

Answer 58

113 executive orders

Question 59

What was significant about Biden's initial executive orders?

Answer 59

Many reversed executive orders made by Trump, particularly on the environment and immigration

Question 60

What was the outcome of Obama's DACA changes in June 2012?

Answer 60

Survived the Trump presidency

Question 61

Fill in the blank: Biden had ______ executive orders in his first 16 days.

Answer 61

[48]

Question 62

What was the outcome of George W. Bush's vetoes?

Answer 62

12 vetoes – 8 successful, 4 overridden

Question 63

What did Trump use executive orders for?

Answer 63

Restrict immigration, order wall construction, ban transgender service in military, weaken Obamacare