GOV TEST AND QUIZ STUDY

  • Bicameral legislature

    • Q: What term describes a legislative body with two separate chambers or houses?

  • Trustee

    • Q: Who is an individual entrusted with making decisions based on judgment rather than strictly following the wishes of their constituents?

  • Incumbency

    • Q: What is the term for the period during which an individual holds a particular office or position?

  • Majority Party

    • Q: In a legislative body, what is the political party that has the most seats and holds the majority called?

  • Speaker of the House

    • Q: Who presides over the U.S. House of Representatives and is second in line to succeed the President?

  • Minority Leader

    • Q: Who leads the political party with fewer seats in a legislative body, serving as a counterbalance to the majority party?

  • Conference Committee

    • Q: What type of committee is formed to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of a bill?

  • Discharge Petition

    • Q: What legislative procedure allows a majority of members to force a bill out of committee for a vote on the floor?

  • Committee of the Whole

    • Q: What legislative process allows the entire House to consider and amend a bill more freely?

  • Filibuster

    • Q: What is the term for the deliberate use of long speeches to delay or obstruct legislative action?

  • Pocket Veto

    • Q: What presidential power allows the President to indirectly veto a bill by holding onto it without formally vetoing it?

  • War Powers Resolution

    • Q: What legislative measure limits the President's ability to commit armed forces without congressional approval?

  • Unanimous Consent

    • Q: What legislative procedure allows a bill to be considered without debate in the Senate if no senator objects?

  • Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

    • Q: What nonpartisan agency provides budgetary and economic information to Congress?

  • VA General Assembly

    • Q: What is the legislative body responsible for making laws in the state of Virginia?

  • VA House of Delegates

    • Q: x is the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly?

  • Apportionment

    • Q: What is the process of allocating seats in the House of Representatives based on population changes?

  • Delegate

    • Q: What type of representative strictly follows the wishes and opinions of their constituents?

  • Redistricting

    • Q: What is the process of redrawing electoral district boundaries in response to population changes?

  • Minority Party

    • Q: In a legislative body, which political party has fewer seats and serves as the opposition to the majority party?

  • Majority Leader

    • Q: In a legislative body, who is the leader of the political party with the most seats and holds the majority?

  • President pro tempore

    • Q: Who is the high-ranking official in the Senate who presides over the chamber in the absence of the Vice President?

  • Select Committee

    • Q: What type of committee is formed for a specific purpose and limited duration, often to investigate a particular issue?

  • Seniority

    • Q: In the context of a legislative body, what principle awards privileges to members based on their length of continuous service?

  • Hold

    • Q: In legislative procedure, what is the action by a senator to temporarily block consideration of a bill or nomination?

  • Cloture

    • Q: What legislative procedure is used to end a filibuster and bring a bill to a vote?

  • Reconciliation

    • Q: What legislative process is used to fast-track budget-related bills by limiting debate and preventing filibusters?

  • Congressional Review

    • Q: What legislative oversight process allows Congress to review and potentially overturn regulations issued by federal agencies?

  • Omnibus Spending Bill

    • Q: What type of bill combines multiple smaller appropriations bills into one comprehensive piece of legislation?

  • 17th Amendment

    • Q: Which constitutional amendment established the direct election of U.S. Senators by the people of the state?

  • Censure

    • Q: What formal reprimand or condemnation by a legislative body is issued against one of its members for misconduct?

  • Impeachment

    • Q: What is the constitutional process for removing a president, federal judge, or other federal officials from office?

  • Politico

    • Q: In politics, what term describes an individual who acts in a practical and opportunistic way rather than according to a consistent ideology?

  • Gerrymandering

    • Q: What is the practice of manipulating electoral district boundaries to favor one political party over another?

  • Party Caucus

    • Q: What is the term for a closed meeting of members of the same political party to discuss strategy or choose candidates?

  • Whip

    • Q: In a legislative body, what is the role of an official who ensures party discipline and attendance at key votes?

  • Joint Committee

    • Q: What type of committee is composed of members from both the House and the Senate to address specific issues?

  • House Committee on Rules (House Rules Committee)

    • Q: What committee in the House of Representatives is responsible for determining the rules and order of business for bills?

  • Markup

    • Q: In legislative terms, what is the process of revising, amending, and finalizing a bill in committee?

  • Veto

    • Q: What is the constitutional power of the president to reject a bill passed by Congress?

  • Pork

    • Q: In legislative contexts, what term describes government spending that benefits a specific district or constituency?

  • Earmark

    • Q: What is the practice of setting aside funds in a bill for a specific project or purpose?

  • Senatorial Courtesy

    • Q: What is the informal custom in the U.S. Senate where the president defers to the judgment of senators from a nominee's home state?

  • 27th Amendment

    • Q: Which constitutional amendment prohibits Congress from increasing its members' salaries during the current session?

  • Baker v. Carr

    • Q: What landmark U.S. Supreme Court case established the principle of "one person, one vote" in legislative apportionment?

  • Shaw v. Reno

    • Q: In what Supreme Court case was the issue of racial gerrymandering addressed, emphasizing the importance of not using race as the predominant factor in drawing district lines?

1. Constitutional Qualifications for House and Senate:

  • House of Representatives:

    • Age: At least 25 years old.

    • Citizenship: U.S. citizen for at least 7 years.

    • Residency: Inhabitant of the state they represent.

  • Senate:

    • Age: At least 30 years old.

    • Citizenship: U.S. citizen for at least 9 years.

    • Residency: Inhabitant of the state they represent.

2. Constitutional Structure of the House and Senate:

  • House of Representatives:

    • Composition based on state population.

    • Two-year terms.

    • Speaker of the House presides.

  • Senate:

    • Equal representation for each state (two Senators).

    • Six-year terms.

    • Vice President is President of the Senate.

3. Enumerated Powers of Congress:

  • Taxation and spending.

  • Commerce regulation.

  • Naturalization and bankruptcy laws.

  • Coinage and currency.

  • Post offices and post roads.

  • Copyrights and patents.

  • Federal courts.

  • Declare war.

  • Raise and support armies, maintain a navy.

  • Calling forth the militia.

  • Elastic Clause (Necessary and Proper Clause).

4. Checks Congress has against Executive Branch:

  • Approval of appointments.

  • Power of the purse (control over spending).

  • Impeachment and removal.

  • Senate ratification of treaties.

  • Oversight investigations.

5. Checks Other Branches Have Against Congress:

  • Presidential veto.

  • Judicial review.

  • Judicial interpretation of laws.

6. Unique Powers of the House and the Senate:

  • House: Initiates revenue bills.

  • Senate: Confirms presidential appointments, approves treaties, conducts impeachment trials.

7. Process by Which a Bill Becomes a Law:

  • Introduction.

  • Committee review.

  • Floor debate and vote.

  • Same process in both the House and Senate.

  • Presidential approval (or veto override).

8. Role of Political Parties in Each House and the Legislative Process:

  • Influence committee assignments.

  • Shape legislative agenda.

  • Party leaders play key roles in decision-making.

9. Committees of Congress:

  • House Ways & Means: Deals with taxation, trade, and other economic issues.

  • House Rules: Determines rules for debate on the House floor.

  • House Judiciary: Deals with legal matters and oversees the federal courts.

  • Senate Judiciary: Deals with legal matters, including the confirmation of federal judges.

10. Structure, Role, and Responsibilities of the VA General Assembly:

  • The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, consisting of the House of Delegates and the Senate.

  • Responsibilities include passing laws, approving the state budget, and representing the interests of constituents.

  • The structure involves committee work and floor sessions, similar to the U.S. Congress.

The Senate has 100 members, two from each state, who are elected to serve for a term of six years.

The House has 435 members, the number representing each state is determined by population. They serve for 2 years.