Name: Date: 1. In 1998, California had forty-five representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives while Louisiana had seven. What accounts for the difference in these numbers? A. area of the states B. population of the states 4. What changes cause reapportionment? A. changes in the wealth of a state B. changes in the population of a state C. changes in the boundaries of a state C. numbers of counties or parishes in the states D. wealth of the states 2. Which feature of the federal government is specifically described in the United States Constitution? A. president s cabinet 5. Which of these is the main function of the legislative branch? A. to make laws B. to enforce laws C. to define laws D. to interpret laws B. two-party political system C. congressional committee system D. Senate approval of nominations to the Supreme Court 6. The legislative branch of the federal government includes the 3. The practice of gerrymandering is intended to A. strengthen the power of a political party B. reduce the number of voters C. affect only the Senate and House of Representatives A. Supreme Court. B. advisers to the president. C. House of Representatives and Senate. D. governors of states. D. reduce the size of the electoral college page 1
7. The United States Constitution requires that a census be taken every ten years to reapportion 10. Why are the seats of the House of Representatives reapportioned every 10 years? A. membership in the House of Representatives B. the number of delegates to national nominating conventions C. Federal aid to localities D. agricultural subsidies A. to give interest groups more influence B. to modify political party alliances C. to account for changing populations D. to create new committees 8. Which change within the federal government results from the census that is taken every ten years? A. The Supreme Court gains new justices. B. Members of Congress face new term limits. C. Large states gain additional seats in the Senate. D. Some states lose or gain members in the House of Representatives. 11. Which of these officials is responsible for making laws? A. a federal judge B. the governor of a state C. a United States senator D. the Secretary of Defense 9. Which statement about the United States House of Representatives is accurate? A. Representatives are chosen by the legislatures of their states. B. The Constitution allows each state two representatives. C. The number of representatives from each state is based on its population. D. The political party of the president always holds a majority of House seats. 12. Which person is a member of the legislative branch? A. president B. Speaker of the House C. secretary of education D. ambassador to the United Nations page 2
13. Which national officials are elected exclusively by voters? A. president and vice president B. Supreme Court justices 16. What is the main job of a legislator? A. writing laws B. vetoing laws C. teaching laws D. enforcing laws C. cabinet members D. senators and representatives 17. For which activity is the legislative branch of the United States government mainly responsible? 14. It is said that the citizens of the United States elect the president. In reality, what body casts the official vote? A. the Supreme Court B. the Congress A. interpreting the Constitution B. punishing criminals C. carrying out laws D. making new laws C. the Electoral College D. the Republican and Democratic Parties 15. What is used to determine the number of electoral votes for each U.S. state? A. the number of U.S. congressional districts in the state B. the number of registered voters in the state C. the number of U.S. representatives and senators from the state 18. A congressional representative of the United States usually acquires office by which of the following methods? A. appointment by the President B. appointment by the Senate C. election by members of the presidential cabinet D. election by voters D. the number of public officials from the state page 3
19. Debating and voting on proposed laws is typically a primary function of which branch of a state government? A. the legislative branch B. the civil service branch C. the judicial branch D. the executive branch 21. State Populations Texas: 23,507,783 Florida: 18,089,880 Michigan: 10,095,643 Missouri: 5,842,713 According to the chart, which state has the largest delegation in the United States House of Representatives? A. Missouri B. Florida C. Michigan D. Texas 20. In 1998, California had 45 representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives while Louisiana had only seven. What accounts for the difference in these numbers? A. area of the states B. population of the states C. numbers of counties or parishes in the states D. wealth of the states 22. New York State and the United States have republican forms of government because both have A. a bill of rights B. a written constitution C. an elected legislature D. three branches of government page 4
23. Which action illustrates the concept of checks and balances? 25. Separation of powers and federalism are constitutional principles that A. President Harry Truman issuing an executive order to desegregate the military B. Congress overriding President Richard Nixon s veto of the War Powers Act C. the House of Representatives Ethics Committee reviewing members financial records D. President Jimmy Carter selecting Walter Mondale as his vice presidential running mate A. establish limits on the powers of government B. ensure legislative and executive equality C. increase the power of the national government and decrease the power of the states D. settle conflicts between state and national authorities 24. Congress proposes an amendment legalizing an income tax. The Supreme Court rules that the income tax is unconstitutional. These events illustrate the use of A. delegated powers B. checks and balances C. judical legislation D. the unwritten constitution page 5