American Government

Principles of American Democracy

1. What is the supreme law of the land?

   Correct answer: The Constitution

   The Constitution is the highest law in the United States. It is the oldest written Constitution in the world.

2. What does the Constitution do?

   Correct answers (choose one): sets up the government, defines the government, protects basic rights of Americans

   The Constitution establishes the structure and powers of the government and guarantees fundamental rights to its citizens.

3. The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?

   Correct answer: We the People

   The first three words encompass all American citizens and emphasize that the U.S. government is ruled by the people.

4. What is an amendment?

   Correct answers (choose one): a change (to the Constitution), an addition (to the Constitution)

   The U.S. Constitution is a living document, meaning it can be added to or altered. The Constitution has been amended 27 times.

5. What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?

   Correct answer: The Bill of Rights

   The first 10 amendments to the Constitution were adopted on December 15, 1791. Known as the Bill of Rights, they detail the rights of the people in relation to the U.S. government.

6. What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?

   Correct answers (choose one): speech, religion, assembly, press, petition the government

   The First Amendment protects the right to freedom of expression as well as the right to peaceful protest and to petition the government.

7. How many amendments does the Constitution have?

   Correct answer: 27

   Since 1789, there have been 27 amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

8. What did the Declaration of Independence do?

   Correct answers (choose one): announced our independence from Great Britain, declared our independence from Great Britain, said that the U.S. is free from Great Britain

   Adopted on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence announced the separation of the United States from Great Britain.

9. What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?

   Correct answers (choose two): life, liberty, pursuit of happiness

   The Declaration of Independence proclaims that all people are created equal and that everyone has three fundamental rights, namely to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

10. What is freedom of religion?

    Correct answer: You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion.

    The First Amendment states that everyone in the U.S. has the right to choose what religion to follow, including the right to change your religion at any time.

11. What is the economic system in the United States?

    Correct answers (choose one): capitalist economy, market economy

    Capitalism is a type of economic system wherein private individuals, and not the government, own the majority of businesses and can generate profit.

12. What is the “rule of law”?

    Correct answers (choose one): Everyone must follow the law, Leaders must obey the law, Government must obey the law, No one is above the law

    The notion of the rule of law is a fundamental principle of the U.S. Constitution.

13. System of Government

    Name one branch or part of the government.

    Correct answers (choose one): Congress, legislative, President, Executive, the courts, judicial

    The United States government is divided into three parts to ensure a separation of powers. The three branches work together to govern the country.

14. What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?

    Correct answers (choose one): checks and balances, separation of powers

    Checks and balances ensure that no one branch in the U.S. government becomes too powerful.

15. Who is in charge of the executive branch?

    Correct answer: The President

    The President of the United States oversees the executive branch, which ensures that the laws of the country are obeyed.

16. Who makes federal laws?

    Correct answers (choose one): Congress, Senate and House of Representatives, U.S. or national legislature

    Congress is the only branch of government that can create new laws or change existing laws.

17. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?

    Correct answer: The Senate and House of Representatives

    The legislative branch of the U.S. government is responsible for making laws, and is comprised of the Senate and House of Representatives.

18. How many U.S. senators are there?

    Correct answer: 100

    Each of the 50 U.S. states elects two senators to represent them in the Senate. This excludes territories such as Puerto Rico and American Samoa, as well as the federal capital city of D.C., formally the District of Columbia. Fifty states with two senators each equals 100 U.S. senators.

19. We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?

    Correct answer: 6

    The term of office for a U.S. senator is six years, and every two years, one third of the Senate runs for reelection.

20. Who is one of your state’s U.S. Senators now?

    The answer will vary based on where the applicant lives. Note: District of Columbia residents and those living in U.S. territories should answer that D.C. (or the territory where they live) has no senators.

21. The House of Representatives has how many voting members?

    Correct answer: 435

    The House of Representatives has 435 members, who proportionally represent the population of all 50 states.

22. We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?

    Correct answer: 2

    All U.S. House members serve a two-year term, and may run for reelection every even year.

23. Name your U.S. Representative.

    The answer will vary based on where the applicant lives. Note: District of Columbia residents and those living in U.S. territories should answer that D.C. (or the territory where they live) has no House representatives.

24. Who does a U.S. Senator represent?

    Correct answer: All people of the state

    Each state has two senators who represent all the residents of that state.

25. Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?

    Correct answers (choose one): because of the state’s population, because they have more people, because some states have more people

    The number of representatives for a state depends on the state’s population — some states have more people, so those states will have more representatives.

26. We elect a President for how many years?

    Correct answer: 4

    The presidential elections take place every four years, and a president can serve for a total of two terms.

27. In what month do we vote for President?

    Correct answer: November

    The presidential elections occur every four years on the first Tuesday in November.

28. What is the name of the President of the United States now?

    Go to uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates to learn the name of the current U.S. president.

29. What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?

    Go to uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates to learn the name of the current U.S. vice president.

30. If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?

    Correct answer: The vice president

    The U.S. vice president is the head of the Senate, and will take over as president if the president dies or resigns.

31. If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?

    Correct answer: The Speaker of the House

    Next in line is the Speaker of the House if both the president and the vice president cannot serve.

32. Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?

    Correct answer: The president

    In addition to being Chief Executive, the president is also Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy.

33. Who signs bills to become laws?

    Correct answer: The president

    After Congress passes a bill, the President signs the bill into law.

34. Who vetoes bills?

    Correct answer: The president

    Only the president has the power to veto a bill, meaning he or she can prevent a bill from going into effect.

35. What does the President’s Cabinet do?

    Correct answer: Advises the president

    The president’s cabinet consists of the vice president and the heads of the 15 executive departments.

36. Name two Cabinet-level positions.

    Correct answers (choose two): Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of Defense

    Cabinet members advise the president on issues related to their respective departments.

37. What does the judicial branch do?

    Correct answers (choose one): reviews laws, explains laws, resolves disputes (disagreements), decides if a law goes against the Constitution

    The judicial branch interprets the laws and ensures they are applied fairly.

38. What is the highest court in the United States?

    Correct answer: The Supreme Court

    The Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. and has the final authority on interpreting the Constitution.

39. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?

    Correct answer: 9

    The Supreme Court is composed of nine justices, including one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices.

40. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?

    Go to uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates to learn the name of the current Chief Justice.

41. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?

    Correct answers (choose one): to print money, to declare war, to create an army, to make treaties

    The federal government has certain powers that are delegated to it by the Constitution, such as printing money and declaring war.

42. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states?

    Correct answers (choose one): provide schooling and education, provide protection (police), provide safety (fire departments), give a driver’s license, approve zoning and land use

    The states have powers reserved to them by the Constitution, such as providing education and public safety.

43. Who is the Governor of your state now?

    The answer will vary based on where the applicant lives. Note: District of Columbia residents should answer that D.C. does not have a Governor.

44. What is the capital of your state?

    The answer will vary based on where the applicant lives. Note: District of Columbia residents should answer that D.C. is not a state and does not have a capital. Residents of U.S. territories should name the capital of the territory.

45. What are the two major political parties in the United States?

    Correct answer: Democratic and Republican

    The United States has a two-party system, with the Democratic and Republican parties being the two major political parties.

46. What is the political party of the President now?

    Go to uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates to learn the political party of the current President.

47. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?

    Go to uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates to learn the name of the current Speaker of the House.

48. Rights and Responsibilities

    There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.

    Correct answers (choose one): Citizens eighteen (18) and older (can vote), You don’t have to pay (a poll tax) to vote, Any citizen can vote (Women and men can vote), A male citizen of any race (can vote)

    Several amendments have expanded the right to vote to more citizens, including women, people of different races, and younger citizens.

49. What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?

    Correct answers (choose one): serve on a jury, vote in a federal election

    U.S. citizens have specific responsibilities, such as serving on a jury and voting in federal elections.

50. Name one right only for United States citizens.

    Correct answers (choose one): vote in a federal election, run for federal office

    Certain rights, such as voting in federal elections and running for federal office, are reserved for U.S. citizens.

51. What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?

    Correct answers (choose two): freedom of expression, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom to petition the government, freedom of religion, the right to bear arms

    The Constitution guarantees certain rights to all people living in the United States, including freedom of speech and religion.

52. What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?

    Correct answers (choose one): the United States, the flag

    When saying the Pledge of Allegiance, Americans show loyalty to the United States and its flag.

The rest of the questions and answers, you can download the pdf format here