Exam topics
Chapter 5
1. Section One
● CONGRESS AND THE PEOPLE
Although the people hold sovereign power in the system
of American government, they elect representatives to
make and carry out laws.
=> Therefore, Congress is the body through which the will
of the people becomes law.
=> Congress is a bicameral legislature whose two houses
are the House of Representatives and the Senate.
- In the House, the process of apportionment is
how seats are distributed among the states
based on population.
- Each House seat is meant to represent about
the same number of people; therefore, larger
states have more representatives.
=> Congress can deny federal spending with which it
disagrees by refusing to enact an appropriation—a bill
that sets aside funds for a specific purpose.
- Congress can also refuse to approve treaties the
president has made with foreign governments and
reject presidential appointees, such as potential
Supreme Court justices
=> Congress also has the power to impeach officials in
both other branches.
- Additional checks on the executive branch include
voting to override a veto and conducting
congressional oversight, or checking up on how the
executive branch is operating and whether it is
following laws Congress has passed.
2. Section two
● CLAUSES
- necessary and proper clause or the elastic
clause, suggests that Congress also has implied
powers to “make all laws that are necessary and
proper” for executing government.
Additionally, Americans assume that Congress—and the
other branches—have inherent powers, or those that all
governments of independent nations possess. Finally,
there are some powers explicitly denied Congress.
● EXPRESSED POWERS
The expressed powers of Congress mainly fall into three
categories: financing, commerce, and defense.
- indirect taxes, or taxes levied on one person but
passed on to another for payment to the
government.
- direct tax, or a tax an individual pays directly to
the government—far exceeds that of indirect
taxes.
- Congress also borrows money to allow the
government to function even when there is not
enough revenue to cover spending—a situation
known as a budget deficit.
- commerce clause, gives Congress the power to
regulate interstate commerce. This widereaching
power has been used in unexpected but
constitutional ways, such as the basis for parts
of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
● IMPLIED POWERS
The necessary and proper clause gives Congress implied
powers it may need to carry out its expressed powers
● NONLEGISLATIVE POWERS
- subpoenas, legal documents that require a person
to testify in a certain matter—contribute to
impeachments, and confirm replacements if the
vice presidency is vacant.
● LIMITS ON THE POWERS OF CONGRESS
Congress’s powers are limited by the system of checks
and balances
 - the power to suspend the writ of habeas corpus,
a court order that forces the police to present a
person in court to face charges, except in cases
of rebellion or invasion.
- Furthermore, Congress cannot pass bills of
attainder, laws that punish a person without a
trial, or ex post facto laws, laws that criminalize
an action that took place in the past and was
legal at the time.
- give members the authority to speak on the
House floor; assign bills, or proposed laws to
specific committees;
- schedule if and when a measure comes up for
debate and how it is debated
=> Other House officials include elected floor leaders and
party whips.
4. Section four

3. Section three

5. Section five

● REQUIREMENTS TO BE A MEMBER OF THE

HOUSE
- must be at least 25 years old
- have been a U.S. citizen for at least seven years
- live in the state—and customarily the district—he
or she represents.
- Informally, members typically require an appealing
personality to win election in the first place, as
well as the means to raise money for expensive
campaigns.
● REAPPORTIONMENT AND REDISTRICTING
=> The process of reapportionment ensures that seats
are redistributed every 10 years based on census
results. In this process, some states may lose seats
and others may gain them.
=> the party in power in a state legislature will redraw
boundaries for political purposes, a process known as
gerrymandering.
● LEADERSHIP IN THE HOUSE
=> the presiding officer of the House and its most
powerful member is the Speaker of the House.
- the Speaker the power to preside over debates;
Chapter 6 Chapter 12
1. Section one 1. Section one

2. Section two 2. Section two

3. ● Federal Election Commission: government agency
created to enforce the Federal Election Campaign
Act and administer the related
● public-funding program: party-building activities
political party activities that do not support
specific candidates
● issue ads: advertisements that support or
oppose candidates’ views without specifically
calling for their election or defeat
● leadership PACs: groups formed by officeholders
that are separate from the officeholders’
4. Section three campaign organizations
● 527: group a tax-exempt organization created to
influence an election

3. Section three
Chapter 15
1. Section one 2. Section two

2. Section two
3. Section three
● UN Security Council: a 15-member division of the
United Nations that is charged with maintaining
international peace and security
3. Section three ● trust territory: a colony or territory placed under
administration by another country or countries

4. Section four

Chapter 14
1. Section one