Guided Reading Activity 6-1

Name Date Class
Guided Reading Activity 6-1
Constitutional Powers
★ DIRECTIONS Use the information in your textbook to complete the diagram.
LEGISLATIVE POWERS OF CONGRESS
POWERS
EXAMPLES
★ DIRECTIONS Use the information in your textbook to complete the chart.
NONLEGISLATIVE POWERS OF CONGRESS
Powers
How They Work
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22 Guided Reading Activities

Name Date Class
Guided Reading Activity 6-2
Investigations and Oversight
★ DIRECTIONS Use the information in your textbook to complete the chart by listing three congressional
investigative powers that are similar to those of a court and explaining why these powers are effective.
Powers
CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATIVE POWERS
Why They Are Effective
★ DIRECTIONS Use the information in your textbook to complete the chart. Then list ways Congress
exercises its oversight power.
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LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT: AN EXAMPLE OF CHECKS AND BALANCES
Branch of Government Function Way to Exercise Checks and Balances
Congress
The Executive Branch
List three ways Congress exercises its oversight power.
1.
2.
3.
Guided Reading Activities 23

Name Date Class
Guided Reading Activity 6-3
Congress and the President
★ DIRECTIONS Use the information in your textbook to complete the diagram.
CAUSES OF CONFLICT BETWEEN CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT
Example Example Example Example
★ DIRECTIONS Use the information in your textbook to complete the chart. First, list the two important
areas in which Congress has recently gained power over the executive branch. Below the area titles, briefly
describe how Congress has accomplished each task.
Effort:
SUCCESSFUL CONGRESSIONAL EFFORTS TO CURB EXECUTIVE POWER
How Accomplished
Effort:
How Accomplished
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24 Guided Reading Activities

Name Date Class
Guided Reading Activity 7-1
How a Bill Becomes Law
★ DIRECTIONS Use the information in your textbook to complete these sentences.
BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS
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1. usually deal with individual people or places.
2. apply to the entire nation. They may be controversial, dealing with such
issues as , , or .
3. deal with internal matters of only one house of Congress.
4. When both houses of Congress agree, they may pass a , for example to correct
an error in an or to for a special purpose.
5. , on the other hand, do not have the force of law and do not require the
president’s signature. Yet, to take effect, of Congress must pass them.
6. Fewer than 10 percent of the bills introduced in Congress become public laws. Three reasons that so few
bills become laws are:
7. The ideas for new bills may come from , ,
, or officials in the branch.
8. To introduce a bill in the House, a member must .
9. To introduce a bill in the Senate, .
★ DIRECTIONS Use the information in your textbook to define the following terms:
INTRODUCING A BILL
A. pigeonholing F. recorded vote
B. hearings G. role-call vote
C. quorum H. veto
D. voice vote I. pocket veto
E. standing vote J. line-item veto
Guided Reading Activities 25

Name Date Class
Guided Reading Activity 7-2
Taxing and Spending Bills
★ DIRECTIONS Use the information in your textbook to complete the chart.
HOUSE AND SENATE INFLUENCE ON TAX BILLS
House
Senate
Name of Committee
Name of Committee
What It Does
What It Does
★ DIRECTIONS Use the information in your textbook to complete the chart.
HOW HOUSE AND SENATE APPROPRIATE MONEY
House and Senate Committees
Committee Name
What They Can Do
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What They Cannot Do
26 Guided Reading Activities

Name Date Class
Guided Reading Activity 7-3
Influencing Congress
★ DIRECTIONS Use the information in your textbook to complete the diagram. Identify the individuals
and groups that influence lawmakers. Write one influential person or group on each arrow.
MAJOR INFLUENCES ON LAWMAKERS
SENATOR
OR
REPRESENTATIVE
★ DIRECTIONS Match the political parties with the issues they support. Check the line under the name
of the political party that usually supports each type of issue.
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THE INFLUENCE OF PARTY POLITICS ON COMMON ISSUES
Republicans
Democrats
help for low-income people and projects
limited government intervention in the economy
less government spending
social welfare programs
greater government regulation of business
job programs through public works
less government regulation of business
local and state, rather than national, solutions to problems
Guided Reading Activities 27

Name Date Class
Guided Reading Activity 7-4
Helping Constituents
★ DIRECTIONS Use the information in your textbook to complete the chart.
LEGISLATORS’ CASEWORK
Examples of Casework
Purposes of Casework
★ DIRECTIONS Use the information in your textbook to complete the diagram. Give an example of
each of the ways in which legislators bring federal money and projects into their states.
BRINGING HOME THE BACON: HOW LAWMAKERS WORK FOR THEIR STATES’ SHARE
Pork-Barrel Federal Grants and Keeping Federal
Legislation Contracts Projects
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28 Guided Reading Activities