The U.S. Congress Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ways and Means

Presumably the name came about as a description by which the "ways and means" of revenues were collected! Members cannot serve on any other Committee although technically they can apply for a waiver. Three former Presidents served as Chairman of the Committee: Polk, Fillmore and McKinley.

Answer: False

Only the Senate and with 2/3 vote. Because the Senate has treaty ratification power, the Foreign Relations Committee tends to have more power than its House counterpart.

Answer: The Speaker of the House

Secretary of State Al Haig was obviously unaware that the Constitution had been amended when after the attempted assassination of President Reagan he suggested he was next in line of succession after the Vice President. The fact that the Speaker is third in line can have political consequences.

For example, had Republican President Richard Nixon been forced out of office prior to the appointment of Gerald Ford as Vice President during the Watergate scandal the Presidency would have passed to Speaker Carl Albert, a Democrat.

Answer: The House of Representatives

The framers felt that the House, as the only body at that time directly elected by the people, should have the initial control of the money flow in government. This in no way means the Senate has less authority in this area.

Answer: False

In parliamentary democracies, staffs range from 2 to 4 members at maximum. In the United States House ,staffs can be up to 18 members including in the Representatives districts and in the Senators state offices. A Senator's staff is even larger. Plus there are Committee staffers and institutional staffers.

But there are other organizations which support Congress as well such as the Library of Congress (Congressional Research Service) and Congressional Budget Office which expand the staff resources of Congress.

Answer: A continuing resolution

Toward the end of a Congressional session you will see the CRs flowing like a flood as Congress often cannot get to Appropriations bills especially if they are contentious. Sometimes governmental departments will operate on a CR rather than an Appropriation for a considerable amount of time.

Answer: False

It doesn't, but the House approach would be for the leadership of either Party to call votes (or roll calls) on endless technical issues thereby drawing things out so that either side can continue lobbying for their position.

Answer: The Speaker of the House and the Vice President

They sit in chairs above the President as the two next in line. Also they are the presiding officers over the two legislative bodies albeit the Vice President's role in the Senate is largely ceremonially except with tie votes in which case he/she casts the deciding vote. A speech before Congress has emerged over time. It was not the practice until the 20th century.

Answer: James K. Polk

Polk was one of the very few Presidents to deliver on all his campaign promises. He served one term and died shortly thereafter. Other Speakers have run for the Presidency and lost such as Henry Clay and James G. Blaine in the 19th Century. FDR's Vice President, James Garner, was a Speaker.

But normally it takes a great deal of time and effort to attain the office of Speaker and few wish to give that up in order to take a chance on running for President. Truman never served in the House. Madison served in the House but was never elected to the Speakership.

Answer: A Conference Committee

In many cases legislation passed by the two bodies contains different language. When this occurs a committee of key members involved in the crafting of the bill are appointed to hammer out compromise and then both chambers must pass the revised measure before it is submitted to the President for his signature into law.