which of the following determines who holds the position of speaker of the house?

a the president
b the house
c the senate
d the joint houses of congress

And you think it's .... ??

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaker_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives

The correct answer is (b) the House of Representatives.

To determine who holds the position of Speaker of the House, the House of Representatives, which is one of the two chambers of Congress, plays a significant role.

The Speaker of the House is elected by members of the House of Representatives themselves through a voting process. Typically, this occurs at the beginning of each new session of Congress or whenever a vacancy in the position arises.

To get the exact answer to this question, you could consult the rules and procedures outlined in the U.S. Constitution, specifically in Article I, Section 2, Clause 5, which states that "The House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and other Officers."

Additionally, you could also refer to the specific rules and regulations established by the House itself, such as the House Rules Manual or the House Democratic Caucus Rules, depending on the current majority party in the House. These documents provide the specific details of the election process and the criteria for selecting the Speaker of the House.