The U.S. system of government: match the job, body, and place

This topic asks who does a government job, how Congress is organized, how long officials serve, which level of government has a power, and which answers change with time or place. For the oral interview, mark three things in each prompt: the job, the part of government, and the place.

Match each job to the correct part of government

Use the verb in the question as your best clue. Writing a bill, carrying out a law, and explaining a law are different actions. An appointment can involve more than one branch, so listen for the exact action: choosing a person is different from confirming that choice. A branch does not own a power just because it can check how another branch uses it.

Keep the two chambers and two levels separate

Congress has a House and a Senate, but they represent people in different ways. A House member serves one congressional district, and a state's number of House seats follows its population. A senator serves a whole state, every state has the same number in the Senate, and citizens of each state elect their U.S. senators. Keep four kinds of facts separate: total members, members per state, length of term, and area represented.

Also separate federal powers from state and local work. National defense, national money, treaties, and foreign policy belong on the federal side. Schools, police, fire protection, driver licenses, and other nearby services belong on the state or local side. Powers not given to the federal government can remain with the states.

Common traps

• Confusing branches with levels. Federal, state, and local tell you where government acts. Congress, the president, and the courts tell you which part does the work.
• Moving a power to the wrong branch or the most visible official. The president does not receive every national power, and Congress does not perform the courts' work. Match the action before choosing the actor.
• Swapping House and Senate facts. District versus whole state, population-based seats versus equal state seats, and shorter versus longer terms are separate pairs.
• Treating the Cabinet as a lawmaking chamber or a court. Cabinet officials lead executive departments and advise the president.
• Giving local services to the federal government or national powers to a state. Ask whether the action is for the whole country or is normally provided near the people who use it.

Some answers change when a person leaves office, and some depend on where the applicant lives. Do not learn one person's name from this lesson. Shortly before the interview, check who then holds the office named in the question. For a place-based question, use the applicant's current state, district, or territory. A name from an old practice set is not proof that the answer is still current.

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