American Government Basic Skills Practice Test

These questions are part of the practice quiz. Start practicing

• What is the purpose of the Preamble to the Constitution?
• Which constitutional provision is primarily associated with due process protections at the national level?
• What does the phrase 'consent of the governed' signify in American government?
• What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
• What is the significance of Marbury v. Madison?
• What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
• How many justices typically serve on the U.S. Supreme Court?
• What is the main function of the executive branch?
• Which amendment prohibits denial of the right to vote based on race?
• What did the Declaration of Independence do?
• Which amendment guarantees equal protection under the law?
• Which of the following is a power of the federal government under the United States Constitution?
• Which document establishes the framework of the U.S. government and its three branches?
• Which of the following is a reserved power?
• Which office leads the United States Supreme Court and the federal judiciary?
• What is the supreme law of the land?
• If the President vetoes a bill and Congress does not override, what is the outcome?
• Which court system has the highest authority for constitutional interpretation in the United States?
• The president heads which branch of government?
• How does the federal bureaucracy implement laws and policies?
• What does bicameralism mean in the U.S. Congress?
• Which statement best describes the purpose of the President's Cabinet?
• Which amendment explicitly extended suffrage to women?
• Which constitutional amendment ended slavery in the United States?
• What does the Equal Protection Clause require?
• What does the doctrine of stare decisis mean?
• How does the census affect representation in Congress?
• How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
• Which statement best describes the responsibility of the Judicial Branch?
• When is the typical deadline for sending federal income tax forms?
• Which action is required for a treaty to become binding on the United States?
• What is the difference between enumerated (expressed) powers and reserved powers?
• Representation in the House is based on which factor?
• What happens if the President vetoes a bill?
• Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?
• What is the primary function of due process as described in the material?
• Which statement correctly describes concurrent powers?
• Which body has two chambers within the U.S. government?
• What is judicial review and which case established it?
• What is freedom of religion?
• Which of the following is NOT a right protected by the First Amendment?
• Which body has the power to impeach federal officials?
• Name a landmark case that protects against self-incrimination.
• What is civic responsibility?
• For how many years is a U.S. Representative elected?
• What is the role of the federal bureaucracy?
• What must be approved by the Senate for presidential appointments to the Supreme Court and Cabinet?
• Which concept describes the division of government into three independent branches?
• Which document is known as the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
• What is the basic requirement to pass most laws in the House and Senate?
• How can you find out who your representative is?
• What is the highest court in the United States?
• Which clause empowers Congress to pass laws needed to carry out its enumerated powers?
• Who makes the federal laws?
• What is judicial review?
• Which principle asserts that the government's power derives from the consent of the governed?
• Name one branch or part of government.
• Which statement best distinguishes civil rights from civic responsibilities?
• Which branch is primarily responsible for interpreting the Constitution and determining constitutional limits?
• Which of the following statements about voting rights described is true?
• Who can appoint federal judges?
• What protection does the Fifth Amendment provide against being tried twice for the same offense?
• Which date marks the tax filing deadline?
• Who does a U.S. Senator represent?
• How many voting members are in the House of Representatives?
• How is representation determined in the House of Representatives?
• How many U.S. Senators are there?
• The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
• Which of the following best describes the effect of judicial review?
• What is the primary function of the Supreme Court?
• Between which ages must all men register for the Selective Service?
• Which branch interprets laws and resolves disputes?
• Which of the following is not listed as a way to participate in democracy?
• How does a civil case differ from a criminal case?
• What is the Necessary and Proper Clause and where is it found?
• Which of the following describes the elitist view?
• Which clause allows Congress to pass laws needed to exercise its enumerated powers?
• Which branch has the authority to approve funding for government programs?
• What is the writ of habeas corpus?
• Which statement is true about executive agreements?
• What is the primary job of the President as Commander in Chief?
• We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?
• What determines a state's representation in the U.S. House of Representatives?
• How do pluralist and elitist theories differ?
• Which clause makes the Constitution, federal laws, and treaties the supreme law of the land, above state laws?
• What is the primary role of political parties in the U.S. system?
• Which of the following is a right or freedom from the First Amendment?
• In impeachment, which body holds the trial and votes on removal?
• How many branches are there in the U.S. government?
• What is the primary function of interest groups?
• Under the Supremacy Clause, what happens when federal law conflicts with state law?
• Who is in charge of the executive branch?
• Which body has the power to impeach a president?
• How many U.S. Senators are there?
• Which body confirms presidential appointments?
• Which branch is primarily responsible for making laws?
• Which amendment lowered the voting age to 18?
• What is the purpose of the Electoral College?
• What is the Commerce Clause and why is it significant?
• Which of the following is a Cabinet-level position?
• Which of the following is a responsibility that United States citizens have?
• What are the two main steps in the impeachment process?
• Who signs bills to become laws?
• Which amendment extended the right to vote to women?
• What is the term length for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives?
• Which sequence best describes how a bill becomes law?
• What does the Bill of Rights protect?
• Which official represents all residents of a state in the U.S. Senate?
• What protections do civil rights address?
• What is the name of the President of the United States now?
• Which symbol is commonly associated with American patriotism in the context of the pledge?
• How are electoral votes allocated and what number is needed to win?
• What is the economic system in the United States?
• What is required to override a presidential veto?
• What is civil rights?
• Which amendment guarantees freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition?
• If the President is unable to serve, who becomes President?
• Which of the following is a promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
• What is the term for a formal constitutional change that requires approval by states?
• Which amendment ensures equal voting rights regardless of race?
• What is gerrymandering?
• Which branch has the power to declare war?
• Which practice is not required by the voting amendments described?
• Which of the following describes the pluralist view of democracy?
• Name a landmark case that desegregated public schools.
• Which branch is primarily responsible for interpreting and applying laws?
• Why do some states have more representatives than other states?
• What are the two major political parties in the United States?
• To end a filibuster in the Senate, what is typically required?
• What does the Constitution do?
• What is the difference between express and implied powers?
• What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
• Which of the following is NOT a power granted to the federal government?
• What is the difference between a unitary, confederal, and federal system?
• Under which principle do power and governance be divided between national and state governments?
• What does logrolling mean in legislative practice?
• What is another name for the Elastic Clause?
• If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
• Which branch is responsible for enforcing laws?
• Which statement about the tax deadline is correct?
• What is the political party of the President now?
• How are civil liberties different from civil rights?
• Why do you need to know who your U.S. Senators are?
• Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
• Which two commitments are affirmed when reciting the Pledge of Allegiance?
• How are amendments proposed and ratified?
• What is the primary role of the President in shaping foreign policy?
• What does due process protect in the Constitution?
• Which of the following is the correct voting age to vote for President?
• The Pledge of Allegiance expresses loyalty to which two things?
• What is the purpose of the Bill of Rights?
• Which constitutional idea is associated with applying most of the Bill of Rights to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment?
• What is the purpose of federalism in the U.S. government?
• Who has the power to veto legislation?
• How many voting members are in the U.S. House of Representatives?
• We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?
• Which document declared independence from Great Britain?
• What body has the power of judicial review?
• The number of Supreme Court justices?
• How many members are in the U.S. House of Representatives, and what determines a state's representation?
• What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
• Which statement best reflects the Supremacy Clause?
• What vote is required in both houses to override a presidential veto?
• What is included in the 'due process' protections at the national level?
• How is representation determined in the Senate?
• What is the difference between a treaty and an executive agreement?
• What does the incorporation doctrine accomplish?
• Enumerated powers are primarily powers of which level of government?
• Which statement correctly describes enumerated powers?
• The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are the first three words?
• Which of the following best describes the Electoral College's purpose?
• What does the 'power of the purse' refer to?
• Which age range is the correct window for Selective Service registration?
• Which statement best represents the Pledge of Allegiance?
• There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. How many amendments address voting rights?
• What is the president's appointment power and what must happen for appointees to take office?
• Which body approves treaties?
• What are two Cabinet-level positions?
• What does due process of law require under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments?
• What does the President's Cabinet do?
• What is federalism's impact on education policy in the United States?
• Which landmark case established judicial review?
• What constitutional principle divides power between national and state governments?
• What is meant by the President's role as Commander in Chief?
• We elect a President for how many years?
• What is the purpose of the War Powers Resolution?
• Which principle means that government authority comes from the people?
• What is the purpose of checks and balances in the U.S. government?
• What does the Supremacy Clause establish?
• Which of the following is a right of everyone living in the United States?
• What is the purpose of standing committees in Congress?
• Which body must confirm presidential appointments to the federal judiciary?
• Which of the following is a valid way to participate in democracy?
• Which level of government has the power to coin money?
• How does the Supreme Court interpret laws?
• Which part of the U.S. Constitution protects individual rights and liberties from government overreach?
• What is a reserved power?
• What is the purpose of a system of checks and balances?
• What does the Supremacy Clause establish?
• Which of the following is a right listed in the Declaration of Independence?
• What is the capital of Georgia?
• In what month do we vote for President?
• What is the difference between enumerated powers and concurrent powers?
• What does the principle of separation of powers mean?
• What does the judicial branch do?
• Who vetoes bills?
• Which branch is responsible for making laws?
• Which rights are guaranteed by the First Amendment?
• What happens after both houses pass a bill?
• What does due process require before the government deprives a person of life, liberty, or property?
• Which amendment protects the right to bear arms?
• Which statement best describes a citizenship obligation mentioned in the material?
• What is an amendment?
• What concept is illustrated by "We the People"?
• Which document begins with the words "We the People"?
• What is the term length for a U.S. Senator?
• What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?
• If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
• How many amendments does the Constitution have?
• In a unitary system, where is most political power located?
• Which amendment abolished slavery in the United States?
• Which power is held by the federal government that the states do not have?
• Which of the following is a right that only United States citizens have?
• What is the purpose of the President's veto power?
• How many U.S. Senators does each state have?
• Which activity is characteristic of interest groups?
• Which document outlines the powers of the federal government?
• What is the purpose of the State of the Union address?
• What rights are protected by the Bill of Rights?
• Which best describes the role of political parties in a democracy?
• What is the purpose of the Necessary and Proper Clause?
• Which statement describes amendment ratification?
• Which of the following is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?
• Knowing your U.S. Senators helps you do what?
• Which statement describes the role of the Supreme Court?
• According to the description, at what age can citizens vote?
• Which concept prevents any single branch from becoming too powerful?