Which option best describes the main job of Congress?

• A. Drafting executive orders and appointing cabinet members.
• B. Interpreting the Constitution and resolving disputes in a court.
• C. Making laws, representing constituents, and overseeing the executive branch.
• D. Negotiating treaties and overseeing the federal budget.

Answer: (C)

The main job of Congress is to make laws, represent constituents, and oversee the executive branch. The lawmaking role is central: members draft, debate, and vote on bills that become laws, shaping national policy. Representing constituents means they advocate for the interests and needs of people in their districts or states, balancing local concerns with national priorities. Oversight of the executive branch involves monitoring how laws are carried out—conducting hearings, investigations, and approving budgets and appointments as needed to keep the government in check and functioning properly.

Other options mix duties from different branches or emphasize less central tasks. Drafting executive orders and appointing cabinet members are actions of the executive branch. Interpreting the Constitution and resolving disputes is the judiciary’s job. Negotiating treaties is primarily a president’s responsibility, with Senate consent rather than congressional leadership being the main focus.