Blank worksheet for high school students to answer questions about the structure of the U.S. government.

Here is a detailed, accurate answer to each question on the “High School Government” worksheet:

---

1. How many branches of government are there, name them and their roles?

There are three branches of the U.S. federal government, established by the Constitution to ensure a system of checks and balances.

- Legislative Branch:
*Role*: Makes laws. It is composed of Congress — the House of Representatives and the Senate. Congress also has the power to declare war, approve budgets, and impeach officials.

- Executive Branch:
*Role*: Enforces or carries out the laws. Headed by the President, it includes the Vice President, Cabinet members, and federal agencies. The President can veto bills, command the military, and negotiate treaties (with Senate approval).

- Judicial Branch:
*Role*: Interprets the laws and determines if they are constitutional. Headed by the Supreme Court and lower federal courts. Judges review cases and can strike down laws that violate the Constitution.

---

2. Who makes up the Legislative Branch?

The Legislative Branch is made up of Congress, which consists of two chambers:

- The Senate:
Each state has 2 Senators, regardless of population. There are 100 Senators total (50 states × 2). Senators serve 6-year terms.

- The House of Representatives:
Members are elected based on state population. Each state gets at least one Representative, and more populous states get more. There are currently 435 voting members in the House.

Together, these two chambers create, debate, and pass federal legislation.

---

3. How many members are in the House of Representatives? Detailed answer

There are 435 voting members in the U.S. House of Representatives.

This number was set by the Apportionment Act of 1911, and later confirmed by the Reapportionment Act of 1929, which capped the size of the House at 435 members (except for a temporary increase to 437 when Alaska and Hawaii became states in 1959 — then returned to 435 after the next census).

Members are apportioned among the 50 states based on population as determined by the decennial U.S. Census. Every 10 years, seats are redistributed to reflect population changes — some states may gain or lose seats.

Each Representative serves a 2-year term and represents a specific congressional district within their state.

Additionally, there are non-voting delegates from U.S. territories (like Puerto Rico, Guam, etc.) and the District of Columbia, but they do not have full voting rights on the House floor.

---

4. Which state is the smallest?

The smallest state in the United States depends on whether you mean area (land size) or population.

- By land area:
Rhode Island is the smallest state, covering just 1,214 square miles (3,144 km²). It is often called “The Ocean State.”

- By population:
As of the 2020 Census, Wyoming is the least populous state, with about 576,851 residents.

> ✔ Since the question doesn’t specify, it’s safest to assume it means geographically smallest, which is Rhode Island.

---

Let me know if you’d like this formatted as a printable answer sheet or simplified for younger students!