Civics Practice Test

What are TWO Cabinet-level positions?

• Secretary of Weather and Secretary of Energy

• Secretary of the Interior and Secretary of History

• Secretary of Health and Human Services and Secretary of the Navy

• Secretary of State and Secretary of Labor

US Senators are elected for how many years?

• Ten

• Six

• Four

• Two

The President is elected for how many years?

• Ten

• Four

• Eight

• Two

Answer explanation

We elect a president for a 4-year term. A candidate can run for president as many times as he or she wants. The person can only be elected president for eight years, or two terms of four years each. The Constitution says how many terms a president can serve. For example, President Dwight D. Eisenhower became president for the first time in 1953. Then he ran for president again. He won the election and, in 1957, became president for another four years.

What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

• gave the United States independence from Great Britain

• gave women the right to vote

• ended World War I

• freed slaves in most southern states

Answer explanation

The Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves. Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, during the Civil War. It said that slaves in the Southern states were free. Slaves could then join the United States Army. 185,000 African Americans fought in the Civil War. They fought for the Union and for freedom.

Who was President of the United States during the Great Depression and World War II?

• Harry Truman

• Franklin Roosevelt

• Herbert Hoover

• Calvin Coolidge

Answer explanation

Franklin Roosevelt was president of the United States during the Great Depression and World War II. Franklin Roosevelt became president in 1933. The United States economy was weak. Banks failed. Many people did not have jobs. Franklin Roosevelt tried to fix the economy. He made rules for banks and the stock market. He started programs to create jobs and help workers across the country. The United States joined World War II in 1941. Americans joined Britain and the Soviet Union to fight against Germany, Italy, and Japan. Franklin Roosevelt was the president until he died in 1945. Roosevelt led America through the challenges of the Great Depression and World War II.

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

• citizens seventeen (17) and older can vote

• citizens by birth only can vote

• only citizens with a job can vote

• citizens eighteen (18) and older can vote

Answer explanation

The United States added four amendments to the Constitution on who can vote. Congress added the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870. That amendment says that a male citizen of any race can vote. The Nineteenth Amendment says that any citizen, even women, can vote. Congress added the Twenty-fourth Amendment to the Constitution in 1964. It makes suffrage taxes illegal. Suffrage taxes were taxes that citizens had to pay in order to vote. These suffrage taxes were used to stop some people from voting, especially African Americans. The Twenty-sixth Amendment was added in 1971. This amendment states that all citizens 18 years of age or older can vote.

Who is the Commander-in-Cheif of the military in the United States?

• the Vice President

• Secretary of Defense

• Attorney General

• the President

Answer explanation

The president is the commander in chief of the military. The president is a civilian, not a military official. The writers of the Constitution wanted the commander in chief to be a civilian who is elected by the people.

What are the TWO major political parties in the United States?

• Democratic-Republicans and Whigs

• Reform and Green

• American and Bull-Moose

• Democratic and Republican

Answer explanation

The Democratic Party and the Republican Party are the two major political parties in the United States. Political parties are groups of people who organize to help candidates win elections and to create public policies. The members of the two major political parties are called the Democrats and the Republicans. The symbol of a donkey represents the Democrats. The symbol of an elephant represents the Republicans. Party membership is voluntary. Many people belong to a political party.

How many justices are on the United States Supreme Court?

• ten

• nine

• twelve

• eleven

Answer explanation

There are nine justices on the Supreme Court. The president nominates Supreme Court justices. The Senate votes to confirm them. Supreme Court justices have the job for life or until they decide to retire.

What is ONE right or freedom from the First Amendment to the United States Constitution?

• trial by jury

• speech

• to bear arms

• vote

Answer explanation

The First Amendment protects the right of speech, assembly, and press. It protects the right to petition the government and freedom of religion. Democracy works only if people can talk to each other and share their opinions. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects these rights.