Question 1

The "father of the U.S. Constitution," James Madison, referred to Congress as

Accepted Answer

James Madison considered Congress to be the first and most important branch of government. As one of the primary authors of the Constitution, Madison believed that the legislative branch, which represents the people, should have the most power in government. This is reflected in the Constitution, which gives Congress significant authority in areas such as making laws, approving presidential appointments, and impeaching officials.

Question 2

How is membership from each state in the U.S. Senate determined?

Accepted Answer

Each state is represented equally in the U.S. Senate, regardless of population. This is known as the principle of equal representation. Each state has two Senators, regardless of the size of its population.

Question 3

The idea that the House of Representatives directly connects voter sentiment with popular representation, or that the House "should have an immediate dependence on, and an intimate sympathy with, the people" was expressed in

Accepted Answer

C

Question 4

A member of the House of Representatives must

Accepted Answer

A member of the House of Representatives must be a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, as per the U.S. Constitution.

Question 5

Once the number of representatives in the House of Representatives had been capped, it was necessary to allocate the appropriate amount of seats in the House to the states. This process is known as

Accepted Answer

The process of allocating seats in the House of Representatives to the states is known as reapportionment. This occurs every ten years after the census is taken and reflects changes in population distribution across the United States. Gerrymandering refers to the manipulation of electoral district boundaries for partisan gain, while stabilizing and reassessment are not relevant terms in this context. Distribution could be a possible term, but it is not specific enough to be the best choice.

Question 6

The idea that the House of Representatives directly connects voter sentiment with popular representation, or that the House "should have an immediate dependence on, and an intimate sympathy with, the people" was expressed by

Accepted Answer

James Madison expressed this idea in Federalist Paper No. 52.

Question 7

Our legislative branch consists of two chambers: The U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. This arrangement is referred to as

Accepted Answer

The term "bicameral" means having two chambers or houses, which is the case for the U.S. legislative branch with the House of Representatives and Senate. Therefore, the correct answer is E - a bicameral legislature.

Question 8

The first woman elected to Congress was

Accepted Answer

Jeannette Rankin from Montana was the first woman elected to Congress in 1916, almost 50 years before the next woman was elected.

Question 9

The term "gerrymandering" was coined because Governor Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts created a new congressional district that on the map appeared to his opponents as resembling a

Accepted Answer

Governor Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts created a new congressional district that on the map appeared to his opponents as resembling a salamander. The term "gerrymandering" was coined by combining Gerry's last name with "salamander."

Question 10

The first Congress in North America was

Accepted Answer

The House of Burgesses, established in Virginia in 1619, was the first legislative assembly of elected representatives in North America. The Albany Congress and Charleston Congress were both meetings of colonial delegates, but they were not technically Congresses. The First Continental Congress and Second Continental Congress were significant events in American history, but they were not the first Congress in North America.

Question 11

In its original language, the U.S. Constitution stated in Article I that the number of members in the U.S. House of Representatives should not exceed one for every __________ citizens.

Accepted Answer

Article I of the U.S. Constitution originally stated that the number of members in the U.S. House of Representatives should not exceed one for every 30,000 citizens. This was later changed by the Reapportionment Act of 1929, which fixed the number of representatives at 435.

Question 12

The ultimate authority for enacting new laws lies with

Accepted Answer

The ultimate authority for enacting new laws in the federal government lies with Congress, as outlined in Article 1, Section 1 of the United States Constitution. The president can propose laws and sign them into effect, but it is ultimately up to Congress to pass them. The Supreme Court and state governments/courts can interpret and sometimes strike down laws, but they do not have the authority to enact new ones.

Question 13

Congress provides representation for

Accepted Answer

Congress provides representation for all of these groups, as well as for all other ethnic and racial groups in the United States. Although the overall composition of Congress is not always reflective of the diversity of the population, there are members of Congress from all backgrounds who represent the interests of their constituents. Additionally, there are Congressional caucuses that specifically represent certain ethnic or racial groups, such as the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Question 14

Compared to most other countries that also have two chambers in the legislative body, one significant characteristic of the U.S. Congress is that

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Constitution grants powers to each branch that are just about equally divided, which is not necessarily the case in other countries with two-chamber legislative bodies. This system of checks and balances is a key feature of the U.S. government. The other options listed are not accurate characteristics of the U.S. Congress.

Question 15

The process of gerrymandering refers to

Accepted Answer

Gerrymandering refers to the manipulation of congressional district boundaries in such a way as to favor one political party or group over another. This can be achieved by packing voters of a particular party into a single district, or by spreading them out across multiple districts in order to dilute their influence. Gerrymandering is often used to create "safe" districts for incumbents, making it more difficult for challengers to unseat them in future elections. It is a controversial practice that many argue undermines the principle of fair representation in a democratic system.

Question 16

Each state is guaranteed a minimum of how many seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, regardless of population?

Accepted Answer

Each state is guaranteed at least one seat in the U.S. House of Representatives under the Constitution.

Question 17

Congressional districts must be equal to 650,000 people per district and each state must have at least one representative regardless of population size. Wyoming's population is 570,000 and thus the population is proportionately __________ in Congress.

Accepted Answer

Wyoming's population is 570,000, which is less than the 650,000 people per district standard, yet it still has one representative, making it overrepresented compared to states that meet or exceed the standard.

Question 18

In the U.S. House of Representatives, membership from each state is based upon

Accepted Answer

The membership of the U.S. House of Representatives is based upon the population of each state. Each state is allocated a number of seats based on the most recent census data, with larger population states receiving more seats than smaller population states. This system is known as apportionment.

Question 19

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives serve

Accepted Answer

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives serve terms of two years.

Question 20

Public Law 62-5, passed by Congress in 1911, capped the total number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives at

Accepted Answer

Public Law 62-5, passed by Congress in 1911, capped the total number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives at 435. This number has remained the same since then, despite changes in population and the creation of new states.

Quiz 6: Congress