7.6 Printable Knowledge Check: The Legislative Branch: How Congress Works

This activity is part of Module 7: The Legislative Branch: How Congress Works from the Constitution 101 Curriculum. 

Complete questions in the following quiz to test your knowledge of basic ideas and concepts covered in this module.

1. The structure of the legislative branch, which is outlined in Article I of the Constitution, was the result of which compromise during the Constitutional Convention?
   • The Virginia Compromise
   • The New Jersey Compromise
   • The Connecticut Compromise 
   • The Great Dissent 
2. Which of the following can best be described as the primary responsibility of Congress?
   • Making laws
   • Enforcing laws
   • Interpreting laws
   • All of the above
3. According to Article I of the Constitution, which of these powers belong(s) to Congress?
   • Declaring war
   • Collecting taxes
   • Granting titles of nobility 
   • Both A and B
4. The Constitutional Convention established a two-house legislature, or this term, for the United States government.
   • Bicameral 
   • Unicameral 
   • Tricameral 
   • Parliamentary 
5. How many members currently serve in the U.S. House of Representatives?
   • 100
   • 270
   • 435
   • 538
6. How many members currently serve in the U.S. Senate? 
   • 100
   • 270
   • 435
   • 538
7. Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution establishes that Congress has the power to make all laws ___________.
   • Regardless of the will of the people
   • That are approved by the president 
   • Which are necessary and proper
   • That are convenient and expedient
8. Which landmark Supreme Court decision focused on whether Congress had the authority to create a national bank?
   • McCulloch v. Maryland
   • Brown v. Board of Education
   • Dred Scott v. Sandford
   • Marbury v. Madison 
9. In the debate over the national bank, ________ believed Congress did have the power to create one, while ____________believed it did not. 
   • Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson
   • Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton
   • Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton
   • Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr
10. In a landmark Supreme Court decision, Chief Justice John Marshall argued that, although there was no specified clause in the Constitution granting Congress the power to create a bank, ______.
    • The nation did not need a national bank anyway 
    • It was clearly unconstitutional for Congress to create a bank 
    • He had ruled in favor of the bank anyway because he didn’t like Thomas Jefferson
    • Congress could create one because it was consistent with other powers listed in the Constitution 
11. Justice Marshall used the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the Constitution to argue that ___________.
    • State law was superior to federal law
    • Federal law was superior to state law 
    • The Constitution was not always the supreme law of the land 
    • Maryland could tax the national bank
12. Which of the following was a significant question about the interpretation of the Commerce Clause in Article I of the Constitution?
    • What is the meaning of “commerce”?
    • What is the meaning of “among the several states”?
    • What is the meaning of “to regulate”?
    • All of the above
13. What is true about the president’s veto power, established by the Constitution?
    • The president can veto laws passed by Congress.
    • The president’s veto is absolute.
    • Congress can override a president’s veto with a two-thirds vote.
    • Both A and C 
14. During the 1930s, Congress’s power to regulate commerce was contested in several Supreme Court cases concerning the policies of the __________.
    • McKinley Tariff
    • New Deal
    • Northwest Ordinance 
    • Housing market
15. The case of Wickard v. Filburn (1942) dealt with Congress’s authority to do what?
    • Declare War
    • Change the number of justices on the Supreme Court
    • Regulate the amount of wheat that farmers could grow
    • Change the prices of oil and gas
16. During which era did Congress have the broadest authority to regulate commerce? 
    • 1800s to 1850s
    • 1870s to 1910s
    • 1930s to 1990s
    • 2000s to today 
17. In what case did the Supreme Court strike down the Gun Free Schools Act on the grounds that Congress had exceeded its authority to regulate commerce?
    • United States v. Lopez
    • United States v. Morrison 
    • Gonzales v. Raich 
    • NFIB v. Sebelius 
18. During which time period did the Supreme Court strike down the most federal laws?
    • 1803 to 1857
    • 1942 to 1995
    • 1995 to 2019 
    • Roughly the same in all three eras 
19. What has to happen before a bill becomes a law? 
    • Debate in committees
    • House approval or Senate approval
    • Sending the bill to the desk of the president
    • All of the above
20. The formal and enumerated powers of Congress are found in
    • Article I, Section 1
    • Article I, Section 8
    • Article II, Section 4
    • The Preamble

Answer Key: C, A, D, A, C, A, C, A, A, D, B, D, D, B, C, C, A, C, D, B

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