US Congress Overview Quiz

State Formation

• A new state can only be admitted if it is approved by Congress and the President. This process usually begins with an act of Congress authorizing a territory to write a state constitution.

Powers Reserved for State Governments

• The Tenth Amendment reserves powers not explicitly granted to the federal government to state governments.

Extradition Clause

• The Extradition Clause in Article IV of the Constitution obligates each state to return fugitive criminals to the state where the crime was committed.

Full Faith and Credit Clause

• The Full Faith and Credit Clause, found in Article IV of the Constitution, mandates that each state recognize judicial decisions made in other states.

Fugitive Slave Clause

• The Fugitive Slave Clause, found in Article IV of the Constitution, requires states to return escaped slaves to their owners.

House Membership Requirements

• The minimum age requirement for a member of the House of Representatives is 25 years old.

Senate Facts

• Senators serve six-year terms, with one-third of the Senate up for election every two years, ensuring continuous representation.
• Each state has two senators regardless of population.

House Power over Impeachment

• The House of Representatives is responsible for initiating the impeachment process against a federal official. The House votes to impeach or not, but the Senate holds the impeachment trial.

Speaker of the House

• The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives and serves as the leader of the majority party in the House. They are responsible for setting the legislative agenda and directing debate.

Necessary and Proper Clause

• The Necessary and Proper Clause (or Elastic Clause), in Article I of the Constitution, allows Congress to make laws that are "necessary and proper" for carrying out its listed powers.

Census

• The Constitution mandates a population count, or census, every ten years to determine the number of Representatives each state will have.

Key Powers of Congress

• One of the key powers granted to Congress is declaring war.

Separation of Powers

• Separation of Powers refers to the division of government powers into three distinct branches: the legislative branch (Congress), the executive branch (President), and the judicial branch (courts).

Presidential Veto Override

• Congress can override a presidential veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and the Senate.

Facts About the Presidency

• The President serves a four-year term and is subject to a two-term limit.
• The President has the power to grant pardons for federal crimes.

President's Treaty Power

• The President has the power to negotiate treaties with foreign nations, but the Senate must ratify them with a two-thirds majority vote.

President's Exclusive Powers

• The President has the power to grant pardons for federal crimes.

Presidential Eligibility

• To be eligible for the presidency, a candidate must have been a natural-born citizen of the U.S., resided in the U.S. for at least 14 years, and be at least 35 years old.

President's Commander-in-Chief Role

• The President serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, having ultimate authority over the military.

Cherokee Removal

• The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Cherokee Nation in Worcester v. Georgia, recognizing their sovereignty. However, the federal government ultimately ignored this ruling, forcing the Cherokee people from their lands through the Trail of Tears.

Interracial Marriage

• The Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia invalidated Virginia's ban on interracial marriage.

Implied Powers

• Implied powers are those that are not expressly stated in the Constitution but are considered necessary for Congress to carry out its enumerated powers.

Student Rights

• The Supreme Court upheld students' right to engage in symbolic speech in Tinker v. Des Moines.

Presidential Responsibility

• One of the President's main responsibilities is to appoint federal judges, including Supreme Court justices.

Supreme Court ruling on Georgia's law

• The Supreme Court ruling in Worcester v. Georgia established that Cherokee people were a distinct, sovereign nation.

Obergefell v. Hodges Impact

• Obergefell v. Hodges legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

Equal Protection Clause in Loving & Obergefell

• The Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause formed the legal basis for the Supreme Court's rulings in both Loving v. Virginia and Obergefell v. Hodges

Tinker v. Des Moines Student Actions

• The students involved in Tinker v. Des Moines wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam War.

Obergefell v. Hodges Recognition

• The Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges recognized the constitutional right of same-sex couples to marry.

Executive Orders

• Executive orders are directives issued by the President with the force of law.

Role of Supreme Court Justices

• The primary role of Supreme Court justices is to interpret the Constitution and decide cases that involve federal law.

Executive Branch Check on Legislative Branch

• The President can veto legislation passed by Congress.

Number of Supreme Court Justices

• There are nine justices currently serving on the Supreme Court.

Judicial Review Establishment

• The principle of judicial review was established by the Supreme Court in Marbury v. Madison.

Original Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court

• One of the Supreme Court's original jurisdictions is cases affecting ambassadors.

Judiciary Act of 1869

• The Judiciary Act of 1869 established the Supreme Court's size at nine justices.

Supremacy Clause

• The Supremacy Clause in Article Six of the Constitution states that federal law is supreme over state law, when laws conflict.

Marbury v. Madison Principle

• The Supreme Court's decision in Marbury v. Madison established the principle of judicial review—the power of the judiciary to declare acts of the legislative and executive branches unconstitutional.

McCulloch v. Maryland Argument

• McCulloch argued that the National Bank was necessary to carry out Congress's enumerated powers, even though the power to create a bank was not specifically listed in the Constitution.

McCulloch v. Maryland Impact

• The Supreme Court's decision in McCulloch v. Maryland strengthened the powers of the federal government by affirming the principle of implied powers and the Supremacy Clause.

Gibbons v. Ogden Ruling

• In Gibbons v. Ogden, the Supreme Court ruled that the Commerce Clause gives Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce, including navigation.

Worcester v. Georgia Issue

• The main issue in Worcester v. Georgia was the state of Georgia's attempt to assert jurisdiction over Cherokee lands.

“The Power to Tax Involves the Power to Destroy”

• This phrase, used in McCulloch v. Maryland meant that if a state could tax a federal entity out of existence, it would fundamentally undermine the federal government's ability to carry out its powers.

Gibbons v. Ogden Effect on Federal Powers

• Gibbons v. Ogden gave Congress broad power over interstate commerce, expanding federal power and narrowing the scope of state government's power in this area.

Worcester v. Georgia Justice Seekers

• The Cherokee Nation sought justice through the Supreme Court in Worcester v. Georgia regarding their rights to their lands and sovereignty.