AP Government Test Review 2.1 to 2.3 Legislative Branch

  1. Identify 3 enumerated powers of Congress.

    1. Pass a federal budget

    2. Tax (raise revenue)

    3. Borrow money

    4. Coin money

    5. Declare war + maintain armed forces

    6. Regulate interstate commerce

  2. What is another term for enumerated?

    1. expressed

  3. Identify 2 reasons the House of Representatives considered to be closer to the people than the Senate.

    1. (1) Representatives have shorter 2-year terms, making them more accountable to their constituents, and (2) the number of representatives is based on population, ensuring that districts are more localized.

  4. Identify 3 types of laws that Congress is able to make as a result of the necessary and proper clause.

    1. 1) establishing a national bank, (2) creating federal agencies like the FBI, and (3) regulating interstate commerce.

  5. What landmark Supreme Court decision held that the necessary and proper clause grants Congress has implied powers?

    1. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819).

Topic 2.2   Structures, Powers and Functions of Congress

  1. Identify one congressional power that belongs solely to the Senate.

    1. the authority to confirm presidential appointments, such as federal judges and cabinet members.

  2. Describe the difference in constituencies of the House and Senate and how this can affect policymaking.

    1. House constituencies are smaller and represent local districts, while Senate constituencies represent entire states, meaning senators must often consider broader state-wide interests

  3. Explain why the number of filibusters has dramatically increased in recent decades.

    1. The number of filibusters has dramatically increased due to increased polarization and the use of the filibuster as a routine strategy to block legislation, rather than as a rare tactic.

  4. Describe the role of the Committee of the Whole in the House.

    1. The Committee of the Whole in the House speeds up the process of considering bills by needing fewer members to be present and making it easier to debate and change the bill.

  5. Describe the pressure that increased entitlement spending is putting on the federal budget.

    1. Increased entitlement spending, such as Social Security and Medicare, puts pressure on the federal budget by consuming a large portion of it, reducing the funds available for other programs and increasing the national debt.

  6. Describe the difference between discretionary and mandatory spending.

    1. Discretionary spending is money that Congress can allocate annually through the budget process, like for defense and education, while mandatory spending is required by law, such as for entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare.

  7. Identify two differences in the roles of the House and Senate.

    1. (1) The House initiates revenue bills, while the Senate handles treaties and confirms appointments, and (2) the House focuses on more immediate, local issues due to shorter terms, while the Senate deals with broader, long-term state and national concerns.

  8. While a simple majority is enough to pass a bill in both the House and Senate, why are 60 votes really needed in the Senate for controversial legislation?

    1. Although a simple majority is enough to pass a bill in the Senate, 60 votes are really needed for controversial legislation to overcome a filibuster through the process of invoking cloture, which limits debate and allows the bill to proceed to a vote.

Topic 2.3: Congressional Behavior

  1. What is reapportionment?

    1. the process of redistributing the seats in the House of Representatives among the states based on changes in population.

  2. Who is in charge of congressional redistricting?

    1. State legislatures

  3. Identify two redistricting practices that are unconstitutional.

    1. (1) racial gerrymandering, where districts are drawn primarily based on race, and (2) extreme partisan gerrymandering, where districts are manipulated to unfairly favor one political party.

  4. What argument could a person make in favor of having nonpartisan independent commissions take over redistricting? (Why might some people want independent groups to handle redistricting?)

    1. They believe it would reduce political bias and make elections fairer and more competitive.

  5. Why might some people argue that gerrymandering is undemocratic?

    1. Some people argue that gerrymandering is undemocratic because it manipulates district boundaries to favor certain groups or parties, undermining fair representation and reducing the competitiveness of elections.

  6. Describe the gerrymandering techniques, cracking and packing.

    1. Cracking spreads voters of one party across many districts to weaken their power, while packing puts them into a few districts to limit their influence elsewhere.

  7. Identify the facts of Baker v. Carr (1962).

    1. addressed the issue of legislative redistricting and established that redistricting issues are justiciable and can be reviewed by the courts.

  8. Identify the holding in Shaw v. Reno (1993).

    1. the Supreme Court held that racial gerrymandering, when done excessively, can violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution.

  9. Describe the politico model of representation.

    1. It means representatives use their own judgment on big issues but follow their constituents' wishes on smaller ones.

  10. Describe one effect of divided government.

    1. it can lead to gridlock, where political parties in different branches of government may have difficulty reaching agreements and passing legislation.