WorksheetsU.S. Government Semester Final
Total questions: 60
Worksheet time: 30mins
In a democracy, supreme authority belongs to the
Rulers
People
State
Eite
In a democracy, the will of the majority
cannot be used to deprive rights of a member of the minority.
cannot be changed or improved upon.
is always unanimous.
is not open to compromise.
Which of the following is among the characteristics of the states?
government
all of the answers
population
territory
Which statement about social contract theory is NOT true?
The state was created voluntarily by free people.
The people are superior to the state.
Governmental powers are granted by the people.
The state is a natural extension of the people’s family structure.
Among the broad purposes of the United States government spelled out in the Preamble to the Constitution is the obligation to
defend the country against Americans who oppose its policies.
create an autocratic form of government.
establish justice and promote the general welfare.
keep the executive and legislate branches of government separate.
The dominant political unit in the world today is the
territory.
union
state
commonwealth
A federal government is one in which
bureaucrats organize and control government.
all power is concentrated in the central government.
power is divided between the executive branch and the legislative branch.
power is divided between a central government and local governments.
A confederate government
has never been used in the United States.
is one in which all political power is located in the state’s capital.
is seen today in the European Union.
is common in the modern world.
The Divine Right Theory of the origins of government is characterized by
the God given right to rule.
rule by the people.
the one in charge of the military rules.
the gradual evolution of power to larger and larger units.
Leaders in a dictatorship
hold absolute power over the people.
derive their power from the people.
are limited in power by other branches of government.
are common in free societies.
The leader in a Parliamentary form of government is called
the President.
the Prime Minister or Premier.
the Emperor.
the King.
With the words “We the People”, the Constitution established its authority on the basis of
separation of powers.
popular sovereignty.
dictatorship.
limited government.
Which of the following best describes the concept of limited government?
Government is free to use any means to pursue its goals.
All political power belongs to the people.
Government must operate within certain rules established by the people.
The people must behave according to rules set by the government.
The president’s power to veto an act of Congress is an example of
limited government.
judicial review.
popular sovereignty.
checks and balances.
Which of the following is an example of checks and balances?
The U.S. Supreme Court declares that a law is unconstitutional.
Power is divided between the National Government and the States.
Congress passes a law.
The Senate observes senatorial courtesy.
The formal amendment process is an example of the concept of
the separation of powers.
federalism.
parliamentary government.
checks and balances.
The Constitution defines the separation of powers as the relationship between
legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
federal, state, and local governments.
presidential and parliamentary governments.
political parties.
The Constitution can be changed informally by
all of the answers.
key decisions of the Supreme Court.
custom.
actions taken by the president.
The first ten amendments to the Constitution are known as the
Articles of Confederation.
Declaration of Independence.
Code of Hammurabi.
Bill of Rights.
Which of the following is a method of formal amendment?
proposal by both houses of Congress and ratification by State legislatures
proposal by the House of Representatives and ratification by the Senate
proposal by the President and ratification by the Senate
proposal by the States and ratification by the U.S. Supreme Court
In the United States, a political party is made up of a group of people who
disagree on how to resolve the basic issues affecting the country.
work to control government by getting candidates elected to political offices.
support split-ticket voting.
work separately to support one major program or policy.
People who belong to a particular political party choose to do so
according to regulations of federal law.
based on the location of the State in which they live
according to regulations of State law.
voluntarily based on personal choice.
The two-party system developed in the United States mainly because
it was voted on and approved by both houses of Congress.
the Constitution established a democratic government.
leaders and voters agreed on the existence of two parties.
conflicts about the Constitution created opposing viewpoints.
Which of the following is a sign of weakened political parties?
campaigning for party candidates
newly registered voters
straight-ticket voting
split-ticket voting
An increasing number of Americans today
favor mandatory party membership.
hold political parties in high regard.
vote a straight party line.
identify with neither political party.
All of the following are significant reasons for nonvoting in United States elections today EXCEPT
rules and regulations that make registration and voting cumbersome.
widespread use of religious and literacy tests.
apathy or distrust of politics.
long term mental or physical illness or illness on election day.
More often than not, in off-year elections the party that holds the presidency
is not affected by off-year elections.
loses seats in Congress.
is defeated by third-party candidates.
gains seats in Congress.
As a rule, a greater number of people vote
in general presidential elections.
in off-year elections.
in primary or special elections.
for county offices rather than for State offices.
The United States has a
none of the answers
one-party system.
two-party system.
multi-party system.
A significant predictor of a person’s partisan voting behavior is his or her
party identification.
perceptions of government.
educational background.
political efficacy.
Disproportionally few members of Congress
are married.
are minorities.
are white males.
have college degrees.
The United States Congress is bicameral, which means
it is divided into two parties.
it is divided into two houses.
it meets twice a year.
it has twice the members of the Senate.
Congressional terms last for two years, and each term
is divided into two parties.
is divided into two sessions.
lasts until a vote of no confidence.
has twice the members of the Senate.
The length of a United States senator’s term is
two years.
none of the answers.
six years.
four years.
The Senate is referred to as a continuous body because
senators are appointed for life.
the length of their term is longer.
all of its seats are never up for election at the same time.
senators have more power and prestige than members of the House.
The number of seats in the House of Representatives is set by
a nation-wide vote.
Congress.
the Census Bureau.
the Constitution.
The Framers of the Constitution favored bicameralism because
it was a compromise for fair and equal representation of the States at the national level.
one house would spend more money than two.
Great Britain had only one house of Parliament.
two houses could block the acts of a single President.
Which fact disqualifies a person from representing Utah in the Senate?
The candidate was born in Guatemala.
The candidate lives and works in Idaho.
The candidate is 43 years old.
The candidate has been a U.S. citizen for twelve years.
Which of the following is the main reason that the President rarely has to call Congress into special session?
Congress made it clear that it was tired of special sessions.
The President controls the Congress and does not need special sessions.
Congress now meets nearly year-round anyway.
The Supreme Court declared special sessions unconstitutional
In Congress, screening bills for floor consideration is a major duty of
constituent representatives.
constituent servants.
committee members.
lobbyists.
Which of the following is NOT one of the roles of the president?
Commander-in-Chief.
Chief Interpreter of the Constitution.
Chief Administrator.
Chief Diplomat.
Who becomes Acting President if the President is disabled?
the President pro tempore of the Senate
a candidate nominated by the President
the Speaker of the House
the Vice President
In which role does the President act as a symbol of the American people?
Chief of Party
Chief Administrator
Commander-in-Chief
Chief of State
According to the Constitution, the President must
have lived in the U.S. for at least 20 years.
have held at least one other major public office.
be at least 35 years of age.
be a man who owns property.
A President can serve no more than _______ years in office.
10
2
6
12
If the offices of both President and Vice President become vacant, who becomes President?
Secretary of State
President pro tempore of the Senate
Speaker of the House
Secretary of the Treasury
A formal duty assigned to the Vice President by the Constitution is to
preside over the Senate.
call Cabinet meetings.
choose the Secretary of State.
preside over the House.
When people vote for President, they are really voting for their State’s
Senators
Caucus
Electors
Primaries
If the presidential vote in the electoral college results in a tie,
a run-off election is held in the State legislatures.
the Senate votes to elect the president.
the House of Representatives votes to elect the president.
a run-off election is held in the electoral college.
Which of the following statements is NOT an argument against the electoral college system?
A strong third-party effort might throw the election into the House of Representative.
A candidate who loses the popular vote may still be elected president.
Electors are not bound to vote in any particular way.
The results depend upon how State congressional districts are drawn.
The smallest number of presidential electors a State can have is
3
1
4
2
One of the major flaws in the electoral college system is that
the incumbent President is usually reelected.
the majority party in Congress has an advantage when the electorate votes.
the winner of the popular vote might not win the presidency.
electors are required to vote according to the wishes of their constituency.
The court that first hears a case is said to have
original jurisdiction.
exclusive jurisdiction.
appellate jurisdiction.
concurrent jurisdiction.
The independence of the judicial branch is ensured by the
manner in which federal judges are chosen.
all of the answers.
terms federal judges serve.
fact that judges do not belong to a political parties.
According to most State constitutions, if a governor resigns or leaves office midterm, the _______ serves the remainder of the term.
attorney general
lieutenant governor
secretary of state
president of the senate
How long are the terms of State legislators?
2 or 4 years
2 or 3 years
1 or 2 years
1 or 3 years
Which statement is true about all counties in the United States?
They can only be created by the State.
Their size is based on the population of the State.
Their size is based on the size of the State.
They serve only a judicial function.
Many of our civil liberties—freedom of speech, press, assembly, religion—are guaranteed by the
17th Amendment.
1st Amendment.
3rd Amendment.
12th Amendment.
The Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment guarantees that
State governments will act as a watchdog over the National Government.
States will not deny people any basic or essential civil liberties.
the National Government will not interfere with constitutional rights.
States are not bound by their State constitutions in matters of individual rights.
The major Supreme Court case that challenged segregation and resulted in the integration of African Americans into public schools was
Korematsu v. United States.
McCulloch v. Maryland.
Dred Scott v. Sandford.
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.
