Powers of Congress
What are powers explicitly written in the Constitution, such as coining money 💰, declaring war ⚔️, and establishing post offices 📬?
→ Answer: Enumerated powers
Where must all revenue bills originate?
House of Representatives
: Which power allows the president to reject a bill passed by Congress?
→ Answer: Veto power
Who can declare laws unconstitutional?
→ Answer: Supreme Court
What case established judicial review?
Marbury v. Madison
What powers are not directly listed in the Constitution but are inferred from the Necessary and Proper Clause 📝, like creating a national bank 🏦?
→ Answer: Implied powers
What happens to a bill if the president doesn’t sign it after 10 days while Congress is in session?
It becomes law
What is an executive order?
→ Answer: A directive with the force of law that does not require Congress
How can Congress limit the president’s military actions?
→ Answer: Power of the purse / War Powers Resolution
Which case ended racial segregation in public schools?
→ Answer: Brown v. Board of Education
Which powers are reserved for the states rather than Congress, such as establishing local schools 🏫 and conducting elections 🗳️?
→ Answer: Reserved powers
What is the term for adding unrelated provisions to a bill to help it pass?
Riders / Pork-barrel legislation
Who does the president appoint that requires Senate confirmation?
→ Answer: Cabinet members, federal judges, ambassadors
→ Answer: Cabinet members, federal judges, ambassadors
What check does the Senate have over judicial appointments?
→ Answer: Confirmation power
Which case expanded Congress’s commerce power?
→ Answer: Gibbons v. Ogden
Which chamber has the sole power to impeach federal officials ⚖️?
→ Answer: House of Representatives
What vote is needed to override a presidential veto?
→ Answer: 2/3 in both chambers
What military power does the president have as Commander-in-Chief?
→ Answer: Authority over armed forces (cannot declare war)
How can Congress check an executive order?
→ Answer: Pass a law overruling it / defund implementation
Which case allowed the Amish to refuse compulsory schooling past 8th grade on religious grounds?
→ Answer: Wisconsin v. Yoder
What constitutional clause gives Congress the ability to pass laws necessary for executing its powers?
Necessary and Proper Clause
What process reconciles differences between House and Senate versions of a bill?
→ Answer: Conference committee
What is the president’s main constitutional power over foreign policy?
→ Answer: Negotiating treaties
What is the check Congress has over presidential veto power?
→ Answer: Veto override (2/3 vote)
Which case limited congressional power under the commerce clause?
→ Answer: U.S. v. Lopez