Civics & Government Quiz

Which type of government is ruled by a small group of elites, such as nobles or military leaders?

• Democracy

• Monarchy

• Oligarchy

• Anarchy

In a constitutional monarchy, the monarch:

• Has total power over the government

• Is elected every term

• Has limited power defined by law

• Shares power equally with citizens

In a dictatorship, power is:

• Shared between elected leaders

• Held by the people

• Held by one person without legal limits

• Distributed among political parties

Which is an example of a representative democracy?

• Citizens directly vote on every law

• Kings make the laws

• Elected officials govern on behalf of citizens

• Military generals rule the country

Which of the following is a unitary system of government?

• United States

• France

• United Nations

• Confederate States of America

The U.S. Constitution created a federal system, which means:

• Only states make laws

• Only the president holds power

• Power is divided between national and state governments

• All power is held by Congress

After the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. operated as a:

• Monarchy

• Confederacy

• Federalism

• Dictatorship

Which Enlightenment thinker influenced U.S. democracy with ideas about natural rights?

• John Locke

• George Washington

• Karl Marx

• Thomas Hobbes

What does the principle of popular sovereignty state?

• Leaders should be rich and noble

• Government gets power from the people

• The president is more powerful than laws

• All laws must be religious

Which of the following best represents limited government?

• The president can make any law without approval

• Citizens must obey leaders without question

• Government is restricted by laws and the Constitution

• The monarchy has full control