Civics question 20 of 128 65/20 set
Name one power of the U.S. Congress.
3 accepted answers
- Writes laws
- Declares war
- Makes the federal budget
You only need to give one of these. The officer accepts any of them.
Source: official USCIS question list for the 2025 version of the civics test. This site is independent and not affiliated with USCIS.
Background
Congress writes laws, declares war, and makes the federal budget, and naming any one of those answers the question. The budget power matters most in daily practice, because no federal money can be spent unless Congress appropriates it, which gives the legislature leverage over every part of the executive branch. The war power has a more complicated history: Congress has formally declared war only a handful of times, the last during World War II, while military action since then has proceeded under authorizations and other legal arguments. Congress also holds powers this question does not list, including taxation, regulating commerce among the states, confirming appointments in the Senate, and impeachment.
This background section is written by US Citizenship Test Practice to explain the civics fact. It is not part of the USCIS question list, and the official answer above is the one to give at the interview.
Where this question sits
It is part of System of Government, inside the American Government section of the test. It is also one of the 20 questions in the 65/20 set, so it is worth knowing well.
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