Government

1
Government

• VS.10a, USI.7b

2
Test your knowledge. Click on the answer to see
if you know what you think you know. If you
get something wrong take the time and follow the
links. Learn so that you can share.
3
1. How many members are there in Congress?
435 535 600 635
If you missed the question, please click here.
4
Try Again!
Back
5
CorrectGo to the next question.
Next
6
Congress

• Congress is made up of two houses.
• The House of Representatives which has 435
  members and the Senate which has 100 members. A
  total of 535 members.
• The House membership is based on the states
  population. Franklin Countys representative is
  Virgil Goode. Congressmen (we call members of
  the house congressman and not representative)
  Goode is on the Appropriation Committee. The
  Appropriation committee is the committee that
  determines where the federal money goes. All
  money bills must start in the house.
• The Senate has two representatives from each
  state. Virginias two senators are George
  Allen and John Warner. Senator Warner is a
  very powerful Senator. He is the chair of the
  Senates Arms Services Committee (this committee
  deals with our military).
• Congress is the lawmaking branch of our
  government.

Next
7
2. How many representatives does Virginia have
in the House of Representatives?
10 11 12
13
If you missed this question, please click here.
8
CorrectGo to the next question.
Next
9
Try Again!
Back
10
Congressional Membership

• Every 10 years our country does a census (a count
  of the population.)
• The census determines, among other things, how
  the House membership is divided. As states lose
  population, like northern states (the current
  trend) and other states gain (the south and some
  dry western states) the membership of Congress
  will reflect this. Virginia had 10 members for
  decades. It now has 11. Now that Virginia has
  started to have people move into her borders our
  representation in congress has reflected this
  increased population.

Next
11
Now comes the really fun part. if they
redistrict (which they often do after the
census), divide the state up differently to
reflect the total number of membership, they will
often draw very odd shaped districts. They do
this to help candidates win elections. If the
republicans are in majority they will determine
their districts in such a way as to help their
members have a better chance of winning and vice
versus if the democrats are in office. Blatant
redrawing of districts is called Gerrymandering.
Gerrymandering will cause lawsuits because it is
against the law.
Next
12
3. What is the term of office for our Senators?
George Allen
John Warner
2 years 4 years 6 years
8 years
If you missed this question, please click here.
13
Try Again
Back
14
CorrectNext Question
Next
15
Terms of Office
Next
16
4. What is the name of Virginias Lawmaking
Branch?
Congress House of Delegates General Assembly
If you missed this question, please click here.
17
CorrectNext Question
Next
18
Try Again
Back
19
General Assembly

• Virginias General Assembly is its lawmaking
  body.
• Just like Congress it is divided into two house
  House of Delegates and the Senate.
• The House of Delegates is made up of 100 members
  (our delegate is Allen Dudley).
• The Senate is made up of 40 members (our senator
  is Charles Hawkins).

Next
20
5. What House of Delegates district is Franklin
County in?
5 6 8 9
If you missed this question, please click here.
21
Try Again
Back
22
CorrectNext Question
Next
23
Franklin County is in the 9th district. The 9th
district stretches from Floyd County to the city
of Danville. Our delegate is Allen Dudley
however, there is an election this fall so this
may not be the case in 2006.
Next
24
6. What is the governing body in Franklin County?
General Assembly Board of Supervisors Town Council
If you missed this question, please click here.
25
Try Again
Back
26
CorrectNext Question
Next
27
Franklin Countys governing body

• The Board of Supervisors is Franklin Countys
  governing body. The county is divided into 7
  districts (Blue Ridge, Rocky Mount, Boone, Snow
  Creek, Gills Creek, Union Hall and Blackwater).
  Wayne Angle (Blackwater) is the chair of the
  Board.
• The board has public meetings once a month. This
  allows the countys citizens to present their
  requests in person and argue their merit.

Next
28
7. What is the lowest court in Virginia that
will try felony offenses?
General District Circuit Court Court of Appeals
If you missed this question, please click here.
29
Try Again
Back
30
CorrectNext Question
Next
31
The Virginia Court System
Next
32
8. Where are most traffic offenses tried?
General District Court Circuit Court Juvenile and
Domestic Relations Court Magistrates Office
If you missed this question, please click here.
33
Try Again
Back
34
CorrectNext Question
Next
35
Franklin County District Court

• Franklin County General District Court
• 22nd Judicial District of Virginia
• The court that most people have contact with is
  the general district court. The general district
  court handles most traffic violations. The
  general district court also hears minor criminal
  cases known as misdemeanors and conducts
  preliminary hearings for more serious criminal
  cases called felonies.
• General district courts have exclusive authority
  to hear civil cases with claims of 4,500 or less
  and share authority with the circuit courts to
  hear cases with claims between 4,500 and
  15,000. Examples of civil cases are landlord and
  tenant disputes, contract disputes and personal
  injury actions.
• There is a general district court in each city
  and county in Virginia. General district court
  judges are elected by the General Assembly for 6
  year terms.

http//www.courts.state.va.us/courts/gd/Franklin_C
ounty/home.html
Next
36
9. Which lower Virginia court has the ability to
try cases and hear appeals?
General District Court Court of
Appeals Juvenile Domestic Court Circuit
Court
If you miss this question, please click here.
37
Try Again
Back
38
CorrectNext Question
Next
39
Franklin County Circuit Court

• Franklin Circuit Court
• 22nd Judicial Circuit of Virginia
• The circuit court is the trial court with the
  broadest powers in Virginia. The circuit court
  handles all civil cases with claims of more than
  15,000. It shares authority with the general
  district court to hear matters involving between
  4,500 and 15,000. The circuit court has the
  authority to hear serious criminal cases called
  felonies.
• The circuit court also handles family matters,
  including divorce. In addition, the circuit court
  hears cases appealed from the general district
  court and from the juvenile and domestic
  relations district court.
• There is a circuit court in each city and county
  in Virginia. Circuit court judges are elected by
  the General Assembly for 8-year terms.

Next
40
10. What Amendment gives Virginia its powers to
govern.
1 4 9 10
41
Try Again
Back
42
Correct
Next
43
How did you do?
A word of advice. I know that this test was
difficult. If you missed more than you are
comfortable with then you need to read carefully
all of the links. I have chosen links that will
help you understand how our state system works.
Also, and I can NOT stress this enough, please
start reading the newspaper and watching the
news. You do not have to subscribe. You can
find everything you need to be in the know on
the web. The Richmond Times, the Roanoke Times
and the Washington Post all have free web
services. Reading the newspaper will help you in
teaching social studies. Trust me, I am a firm
believer in reading the newspapers.