US Government Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. The House passes a bill, the president vetoes it, and a court may later review the resulting law. What principle is best illustrated by these interactions?
Federalism
Checks and balances
Direct democracy
Reserved state powers
2. Which body formally casts the votes that elect the president of the United States?
The US Senate
The Supreme Court
The president's Cabinet
The Electoral College
3. A state issues driver's licenses while the national government issues passports. Which principle does this division of responsibilities illustrate?
Federalism
Popular sovereignty
Judicial review
Separation of church and state
4. Which group includes the heads of executive departments who advise the president?
The congressional conference committee
The Electoral College
The Cabinet
The federal grand jury
5. After a census, one state's share of the national population has declined relative to other states. What may happen during congressional reapportionment?
The state may lose its two Senate seats
The state may receive an additional Supreme Court justice
The state may lose one or more House seats
The state's governor may appoint extra representatives
6. A state establishes licensing requirements for professionals working entirely within that state. Which constitutional idea most directly supports this type of state authority?
The president's commander-in-chief power
Congress's power to coin money
The Supreme Court's original jurisdiction
Powers reserved to the states under the Tenth Amendment
7. Which option describes one route for adding an amendment to the US Constitution?
The president proposes it, and the Supreme Court approves it
A majority of voters approves it in a nationwide referendum
A simple majority of Congress passes it twice in consecutive sessions
Two-thirds of both houses of Congress propose it, and three-fourths of the states ratify it
8. Congress passes a bill, but the president vetoes it. What can Congress do to enact the bill over the veto?
Approve it by a simple majority in the Senate alone
Approve it by a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate
Ask the Supreme Court to sign it into law
Send it to state legislatures for ratification
9. A city official tries to stop a peaceful speech solely because it criticizes the government. Which constitutional protection is most directly involved?
The Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable searches
The Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination
The First Amendment protection of speech
The Tenth Amendment reservation of powers
10. The government seeks to take away a person's liberty without notice or a fair legal procedure. Which constitutional principle is most directly at issue?
Due process of law
The establishment clause
The guarantee clause
The reservation of powers to the states
11. A defendant in a serious criminal prosecution cannot afford an attorney and is denied legal counsel. Which amendment is most directly implicated?
The Sixth Amendment
The Third Amendment
The Seventh Amendment
The Second Amendment
12. A federal court rules that a law conflicts with the Constitution and therefore cannot be enforced. Which power is the court exercising?
Executive privilege
Legislative oversight
Senatorial advice and consent
Judicial review
13. What is the supreme law of the United States?
The Declaration of Independence
The US Constitution
The Federalist Papers
The Articles of Confederation
14. How long is one term for a member of the US House of Representatives?
Four years
Two years
Six years
A lifetime term
15. A federal official is impeached. Which statement correctly describes the constitutional roles of the House and Senate?
The Senate brings the charges, and the House conducts the trial
Both chambers bring charges, and the Supreme Court conducts every trial
The House brings the charges, and the Senate conducts the trial
The House conducts the trial, and state governors decide the outcome
16. A member of Congress wants to introduce a bill that raises federal tax revenue. In which chamber must that bill originate?
The House of Representatives
The Senate
Either chamber, but only with presidential approval
A joint committee made up equally of both chambers