Congress at Work Study Guide Coach Lott

1. How many public bills passed by the 106th Congress were vetoed by the president? a. 12 c. 11 b. 580 d. 349

2. How many public bills—of the 592 passed by the 106th Congress—were enacted over presidential veto? a. 1 c. 332 b. 2 d. 17

3. How many public bills were passed by the 106th Congress? a. 332 c. 580 b. 17 d. 592 4. The diagram lists reasons why the president and Congress often disagree. Choose the answer that best completes the diagram. a. presidential committee system blocks legislation b. partisan politics c. separation of church and state d. members of Congress represent broader interests than the president

“You’ve got to give it all you can that first year. . . . You’ve got just one year when they treat you right, and before they start worrying about themselves. The third year, you lose votes. . . . The fourth year’s all politics. You can’t put anything through when half the Congress is thinking how to beat you.” —Lyndon Johnson

5. In this quote, President Johnson is referring to this which often causes conflict between Congress and the president. a. political timetables b. checks and balances c. partisan politics d. congressional committee organization 6.This group tends to vote in favor of business. a. PACs c. lobbyists b. Republicans d. Democrats 7.These bills deal with general matters and apply to the entire nation. a. public bills c. authorization bills b. private bills d. appropriations bills 8.These bills deal with individual people or places. a. appropriations bills c. private bills b. public bills d. revenue bills 9.This is an example of an entitlement. a. property taxes c. national health care service b. Social Security d. license plate fees

10.Representatives of interest groups that work to influence Congress are called a. Republicans. c. lobbyists. b. party partisans. d. Democrats.

11. There were this many proposed Constitutional Amendments for the 104th Congress to consider. a. 40 c. 69 b. 74 d. 264

12. The 104th Congress introduced this number of amendments dealing with school prayer. a. 11 c. 8 b. 26 d. 4 13. Choose the answer that best completes the chart, identifying the type of resolution that is used to appropriate funds, propose amendments, and correct errors. a. concurrent resolution c. rider b. simple resolution d. joint resolution

14. Choose the answer that best completes the chart, describing concurrent resolutions. a. have the force of the law b. do not require the president’s signature c. are passed by only one house of congress d. require the president’s signature 15. In which year were the fewest public laws enacted? a. 1996 c. 1981 b. 1995 d. 2001

16. In which year were the most public laws enacted? a. 2000 c. 1986 b. 1992 d. 1988 17. Which Congress, out of the following choices, enacted the fewest number of private bills? a. 104th c. 107th b. 97th d. 103d

18. Which Congress introduced the largest number of joint resolutions? a. 97th c. 101st b. 99th d. 102nd

19. Which Congress enacted the most number of public bills? a. 101st c. 97th b. 107th d. 100th 20. Choose the answer that best completes the chart. a. casework c. maintaining state projects b. pork-barrel legislation d. logrolling

Short Answer

21. Synthesizing Information Explain why conflict between the president and Congress often continues when the same political party controls each branch.

22. Describe all the steps a bill must go through to become a law. ( Include both the House and Senate )