Question

read the passage about lawmaking by state governments. then follow the instructions below.
state legislatures make state laws for internal issues, similar to how the u.s. congress makes federal laws for national issues. also like congress, almost all state legislatures are bicameral. bicameral means that they are divided into two chambers, usually called a state senate and a house of representatives. districts within each state elect legislators to represent their citizens.
just like at the federal level, states have a system of checks and balances. for example, a governor can use executive power to veto a bill passed by a state legislature. and the state legislature can override a governors veto with enough votes. similarly, the u.s. president has the executive power to veto bills passed by congress.
but unlike the federal government, many states have ways to involve citizens directly in lawmaking. state referenda allow citizens to vote directly on a new law or even repeal an unpopular one. state initiatives go further by allowing citizens either to suggest a bill to the legislature or to place the issue on the ballot for a popular vote.
use the passage above to decide whether each statement is true for states, the federal government, or both.

Explanation:

• "The legislature has two chambers": The passage states that "almost all state legislatures are bicameral" (bicameral means two - chambered) and the U.S. Congress (federal legislature) is also bicameral (the Senate and the House of Representatives).
• "The executive branch has the power to veto bills to prevent them from becoming laws": The passage says "a governor (state executive) can use executive power to veto a bill passed by a state legislature" and "the U.S. president (federal executive) has the executive power to veto bills passed by Congress".
• "Citizens can vote directly on new laws": The passage mentions "State referenda allow citizens to vote directly on a new law" for states, but there is no such direct - voting mechanism described for the federal government in the given passage.
• "The legislature can pass national laws": The U.S. Congress (federal legislature) passes federal (national) laws as stated in the passage. State legislatures pass state laws for internal state issues, not national laws.

Answer:

• The legislature has two chambers: True for many states and True for the federal government.
• The executive branch has the power to veto bills to prevent them from becoming laws: True for many states and True for the federal government.
• Citizens can vote directly on new laws: True for many states.
• The legislature can pass national laws: True for the federal government.