Term
| What are the two houses that make up Congress? |
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Definition
| House of Representatives and the Senate |
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Term
Why are the two houses of Congress good places to discuss issues that might require new laws? |
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Definition
| Congress has the sole authority to make laws - given by the Constitution. |
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Term
| Why is so much of the business of Congress conducted in committees? |
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Definition
| This makes it easier to handle a great number of bills at one time. |
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Term
| Describe three non-legislative powers given in Congress. |
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Definition
| approve or reject presidential nominees for official appointments, impeach federal officials,remove federal officials from office |
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Term
| What do writs of habeus corpus, bills of attainder, and ex post facto laws have in common? |
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Definition
| they are all powers denied to Congress by the Constitution |
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Term
| What are the qualifications for members of the House of Representatives? |
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Definition
| age 25, citizen 7 years, resident in the state/district |
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Term
| What are the qualifications for the Senate? |
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Definition
| age 30, citizen 9 yrs., resident of the state |
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Term
| What action does Congress take after a bill is introduced in Congress? |
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Definition
| Both houses of congress assign introduced bills to a standing committee for discussion |
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Term
| What is the difference between public and private bills? |
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Definition
| a public bill addresses a national or general concern and a private bill focuses on individual people amd places |
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Term
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Definition
| formal statements expressing lawmaker's opinions or decisions |
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Term
Why is the action of a standing committee so important to the passage of a bill? |
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Definition
| they can pass, change, ignore, or kill a bill |
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Term
| Why do you think the President is elected rather than appointed by Congress? |
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Definition
| The president (executive) checks the legislative branch. Congress might appoint a president who would support their legislation. This would cause problems and break down the balance of power among the three branches. |
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Term
| Who are the first four officers in the line of succession to the presidency? |
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Definition
| vice president, Speaker of the House, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Secretary of State |
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Term
| According to the Constitution, what is the president's duty to Congress? |
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Definition
| The President must give Congress information on the state of the union in several yearly addresses. |
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Term
| As commander in chief, what responsibilities does the President have? |
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Definition
| the military, where and when to deploy (send) troops |
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Term
In what way is the president the country's chief diplomat? What duties does this include? |
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Definition
| He or she appoints ambassadors to foreign nations, makes treaties with other nations, and may offer aid to needy nations. |
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Term
| Why are trade sanctions and embargoes considered tools of foreign policy? |
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Definition
| They are used against nations considered dangerous to the U.S. They are intended to pressure the nation into changing its policies. |
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Term
| Name three cabinet departments and describe their main duties |
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Definition
1. Dept. of Energy - directs overall energy plan for the nation 2. Dept. of Veterans Affairs - directs services for armed forces veterans 3. Dept. of Education - provides advice and funding for schools |
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Term
| Why has the federal bureaucracy grown over the years? |
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Definition
| The nation and its needs have grown in number and complexity. |
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