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15 multiple-choice questions and 10 flashcards on The Legislative Branch: Congress, about 6% of the High School Government bank. Every one carries a written rationale.
The Legislative Branch: Congress is one of 12 chapters in CoStudy's High School Government bank, and it holds 15 of the bank's 240 multiple-choice questions — roughly 6% of the total. That proportion is not arbitrary: chapters follow the certifying body's published exam outline, and the number of questions in each is set by that domain's published weight, so the share of your practice time this chapter takes matches the share of the real exam it accounts for.
Studying by chapter is worth doing once you have a diagnostic score. A single overall percentage tells you whether you are close; it does not tell you which domain is dragging. Working a weak chapter in isolation, and re-testing it in isolation, is the fastest way to move a score that has stalled — and it is why the mock exams in CoStudy report by domain rather than as one number.
10 questions drawn from this chapter, with the full rationale shown — the controlling principle behind the right answer, and why each wrong option tempts and fails.
Marbury v. Madison (1803) established which key principle?
Answer: B — Judicial review — the Supreme Court's power to declare laws unconstitutional
Chief Justice Marshall's opinion established judicial review, foundational to the Court's role as constitutional arbiter.
The standing committee system in Congress primarily serves to:
Answer: D — Specialize members by policy area to draft and review legislation
Standing committees (e.g., Ways and Means, Armed Services) develop subject-matter expertise and act as gatekeepers for bills. Floor debate still occurs (A), committees do not replace the veto (C), and party caucuses choose leaders (B).
A conference committee is used to:
Answer: D — Reconcile differing versions of a bill passed by the House and Senate
D) After both chambers pass different texts, a conference committee negotiates a single version to be re-voted. A/B/C) Each is a different congressional function.
'Advice and consent' in the Senate refers to its role in:
Answer: A — Confirming treaties and presidential appointments
A) Article II, Section 2 requires two-thirds Senate approval for treaties and a simple majority for most appointments. B) Budgets require both chambers. C/D) Fabricated or off topic.
A bill passes the House 230–205 and the Senate 55–45. The president vetoes it. To become law over the veto, Congress must:
Answer: D — Re-pass it with a two-thirds vote in both chambers
Article I, Section 7 requires a two-thirds vote in BOTH the House and Senate to override. Simple majority (A) is insufficient; three-fourths (C) is the threshold for ratifying amendments, not overriding vetoes; the Court does not review pending legislation (B).
Cloture in the U.S. Senate requires:
Answer: B — 60 senators voting to end debate
B) Rule XXII sets the threshold at three-fifths (60 of 100). A) Simple majority is not enough to end a filibuster — the classic confusion. C) The VP breaks 50-50 ties, but doesn't move cloture. D) Unanimous consent is a different scheduling tool.
All bills to raise revenue must originate in the:
Answer: A — House of Representatives
A) Article I, Section 7 (Origination Clause). B) The Senate may amend but not originate revenue bills — a classic trap. C/D) Both are staff/executive bodies, not legislative originators.
Which of the following is an EXCLUSIVE power of the Senate?
Answer: C — Approving treaties by two-thirds vote
Treaty ratification (two-thirds Senate) and confirmation of appointments are Senate-exclusive. Revenue bills originate in the House (A), the House impeaches (B), and the Speaker leads the House (D).
Federal judges and Supreme Court justices serve:
Answer: D — During 'good behavior' — effectively for life unless impeached
Article III judges serve during good behavior (lifetime tenure absent impeachment) to ensure judicial independence.
House seats are reapportioned among the states every:
Answer: B — Ten years, following the decennial Census
B) Article I, Section 2 ties apportionment to the Census. A) Two-year terms are separate from apportionment. C/D) Wrong cycles.
4 cards from the 10 in this chapter.
What is the term length for senators?
6 years; about 1/3 are up for election every 2 years.
Give an example of executive checks on the legislative.
Veto power, calling special sessions, recommending legislation.
What are the two houses of Congress?
Senate (100 members) and House of Representatives (435 members).
What are the three branches of the U.S. government?
Legislative (Congress), Executive (President), Judicial (Supreme Court & federal courts).
These are a sample. The full The Legislative Branch: Congress chapter runs 25 items with per-chapter progress tracking, on the web and in the iOS app.
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