U.S. Citizenship Test Practice: Congress and the Legislative Branch
- Congress and the Legislative Branch
- 12 questions
- 12 minutes
These questions are about Congress: the Senate, the House of Representatives, who elects their members and what Congress can do. Tip: learn the numbers in pairs, 100 senators with 6-year terms and 435 representatives with 2-year terms.
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Question 1
Someone wants a new national law. Which part of the federal government must write and pass it?
Correct answer: B
Congress, the legislative branch, writes federal laws. The President signs or vetoes them, and the courts explain them.
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Question 2
A bill must pass both chambers of Congress. Which two chambers are they?
Correct answer: D
Congress is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives. A bill must pass both before it can go to the President.
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Question 3
Which of these powers does the Constitution give to Congress?
Correct answer: C
Only Congress can declare war. Vetoing bills, granting pardons and commanding the military are powers of the President.
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Question 4
Every state has the same number of U.S. senators. How many senators are there in total?
Correct answer: B
Each of the 50 states has two senators, so the Senate has 100 members. The number 435 is the count of voting members in the House.
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Question 5
A person is elected to the U.S. Senate. How long is one full term?
Correct answer: C
Senators serve six-year terms. About one-third of the Senate is up for election every two years.
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Question 6
The number of voting seats in the House of Representatives is fixed by law. How many are there?
Correct answer: B
The House has 435 voting members. Together with the 100 senators, Congress has 535 voting members; 538 is the number of electoral votes.
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Question 7
Members of the House of Representatives are elected more often than senators. How long is one House term?
Correct answer: A
Representatives serve two-year terms, so every House seat is on the ballot every two years.
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Question 8
Senators serve 6 years, but members of the House serve only 2. What is the main reason for the shorter House term?
Correct answer: C
Short terms mean representatives must face the voters often. The writers of the Constitution wanted the House to stay close to what the people want.
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Question 9
Wyoming has a small population and California has a very large one, but each state has two senators. Why?
Correct answer: D
This was part of the Great Compromise (also called the Connecticut Compromise) of 1787. States have equal representation in the Senate, while seats in the House are based on population.
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Question 10
Ohio elects two U.S. senators. Which people does each of them represent?
Correct answer: A
A senator represents all the people of his or her state, whether or not they voted for the senator. A member of the House represents one congressional district.
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Question 11
A member of the House of Representatives is elected by whom?
Correct answer: D
Each state is divided into congressional districts. The citizens who live in a district elect its representative.
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Question 12
Texas has many more members in the House of Representatives than Vermont. Why?
Correct answer: A
Seats in the House are divided among the states by population. After the census every 10 years, a state can gain or lose seats.
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