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WorksheetsMock 3
Total questions: 80
Worksheet time: 3hrs 40mins
The U.S. Constitution does not explicitly give the power of judicial review to the Supreme Court. In fact, the Court did not use this power—which gives it the authority to invalidate laws and executive actions if they conflict with the Constitution—until the 1803 case of Marbury v. Madison. In that case, Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that a statute was unconstitutional. He argued that judicial review was necessary if the Court was to fulfill its duty of upholding the Constitution. Without it, he felt that the legislature would have a “real and practical omnipotence.” Moreover, several of the Constitution’s framers expected the Court to act in this way. Alexander Hamilton and James Madison emphasized the importance of judicial review in the Federalist Papers, a series of essays promoting the adoption of the Constitution. However, the power of judicial review continues to be a controversial power because it allows the justices—who are appointed rather than elected—to overturn laws made by Congress and state lawmaking bodies.
Q. Which of the following statements is an implication of judicial review?
a. The Constitution is a historic document with little influence over how the government operates today.
b. The Constitution must explicitly state which branch of government is to have what authority.
c. The framers never meant for the Supreme Court to have this power.
d. The Constitution is a living document that continues to be interpreted.
“We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread sovereign lord King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, king, defender of the faith, [etcetera], having undertaken for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith, and the honor of our king and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia; do. . . solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic, for our better ordering and preservation, and furtherance of the ends aforesaid: and by virtue hereof do enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and officers, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.” —from The Mayflower Compact (1620)
Q. Why is this document considered a founding document in American self-government?
A. The signers pledge to one another that they will form a civil government and obey its laws.
B. The signers received the right to govern themselves by a charter granted by King James.
C. It is the first formal constitution written in what became the United States.
D. It is the first document establishing a government that was put to a popular vote.
Q. Which of the following describes the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II?
A. relocation from the coasts to the interior of the country
B. relocation moved from the Mountain West to the West Coast
C. relocation from the West Coast to the interior West and Southwest
D. relocation from the East Coast to the West and West Coast
Q. Which president issued Executive Order 9066, which led to the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II?
A. Dwight D. Eisenhower
B. Franklin D. Roosevelt
C. Harry S Truman
D. Woodrow Wilson
The U.S. Constitution does not explicitly give the power of judicial review to the Supreme Court. In fact, the Court did not use this power—which gives it the authority to invalidate laws and executive actions if they conflict with the Constitution—until the 1803 case of Marbury v. Madison. In that case, Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that a statute was unconstitutional. He argued that judicial review was necessary if the Court was to fulfill its duty of upholding the Constitution. Without it, he felt that the legislature would have a “real and practical omnipotence.” Moreover, several of the Constitution’s framers expected the Court to act in this way. Alexander Hamilton and James Madison emphasized the importance of judicial review in the Federalist Papers, a series of essays promoting the adoption of the Constitution. However, the power of judicial review continues to be a controversial power because it allows the justices—who are appointed rather than elected—to overturn laws made by Congress and state lawmaking bodies.
Q. Which of the following best describes the process of judicial review?
a. to declare a law unconstitutional
b. to follow public opinion polls
c. to determine the country’s changing needs
d. to propose new laws
“Today, education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments. Compulsory school attendance laws and the great expenditures for education both demonstrate our recognition of the importance of education to our democratic society. It is required in the performance of our most basic public responsibilities, even service in the armed forces. It is the very foundation of good citizenship. Today it is a principal instrument in awakening the child to cultural values, in preparing him for later professional training, and in helping him to adjust normally to his environment. In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education. Such an opportunity, where the state has undertaken to provide it, is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms.
“We come then to the question presented: Does segregation of children in public schools solely on the basis of race, even though the physical facilities and other ‘tangible’ factors may be equal, deprive the children of the minority group of equal educational opportunities? We believe that it does.” —U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren in a 1954 decision that ruled that separate schools for African Americans and whites were unconstitutional - Source: Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
Q. Which of the following is NOT a value of education as expressed in the quotation?
a. to expose children to music and the arts
b. to explain the government’s education budget
c. to prepare those who might serve the country as soldiers
d. to produce good citizens
“Today, education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments. Compulsory school attendance laws and the great expenditures for education both demonstrate our recognition of the importance of education to our democratic society. It is required in the performance of our most basic public responsibilities, even service in the armed forces. It is the very foundation of good citizenship. Today it is a principal instrument in awakening the child to cultural values, in preparing him for later professional training, and in helping him to adjust normally to his environment. In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education. Such an opportunity, where the state has undertaken to provide it, is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms.
“We come then to the question presented: Does segregation of children in public schools solely on the basis of race, even though the physical facilities and other ‘tangible’ factors may be equal, deprive the children of the minority group of equal educational opportunities? We believe that it does.” —U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren in a 1954 decision that ruled that separate schools for African Americans and whites were unconstitutional - Source: Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
Q. Chief Justice Warren most likely mentions compulsory school attendance and government spending on education in order to
a. argue that the government should reduce its efforts in the field of education.
b. support the position that segregated schools are not inherently unequal.
c. encourage young Americans to remain in school long enough to get a high school diploma.
d. strengthen the argument that education is a critical function of government.
On June 22, 1941, Germany attacked the Soviet Union with three million soldiers, mainly German. Hitler thought the war with Soviet Russia would end in six months or less. It lasted for four years, getting worse and worse. On the Russian front, where Hitler’s German tyranny fought Stalin’s Russian tyranny, the German army lost. Russia’s win over the Germans changed the course of World War II and helped the Allies—England, Russia, and the U.S.—win the war. From 20 million to 27 million Russian people, both soldiers and civilians, lost their lives.
Q. Which of the following statements is true based on the above paragraph?
1) The war with Soviet Russia ended in six months.
2) More than 27 million Russian soldiers lost their lives.
3) Germany’s decision to go to war with the Soviet Union turned out as predicted by German strategists.
4) The Soviet Union’s hard-won defeat of Germany was instrumental in winning World War II.
From the U.S. Constitution: Every Order, Resolution, or Vote to which the Concurrence of the Senate and House of Representatives may be necessary (except on a question of Adjournment) shall be presented to the President of the United States; and before the Same shall take Effect, shall be approved by him, or being disapproved by him, shall be repassed by two thirds of the Senate and House of Representatives, according to the Rules and Limitations prescribed in the Case of a Bill.
Q. How would Congress pass a law if the President vetoed, or rejected, it?
1) The law would need a two-thirds vote of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
2) The law would need a majority vote of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
3) The law would need the concurrence of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
4) The law would need a unanimous vote of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The Federalist Papers are a group of articles written by Alexander Hamilton and other Founding Fathers of the U.S. The Federalist Papers try to get people to agree with the United States Constitution. Seventy-seven of the 85 articles were printed in The New York Packet and The Independent Journal between 1787 and 1788. The authors hoped that the articles would get people to like the Constitution and get more states to vote for the Constitution. Today, the Federalist Papers show how the Founding Fathers, who wrote the Constitution, thought about the Constitution and what the Constitution means.
Q. Which of the following is the best explanation of what the Federalist Papers are?
1) The Federalist Papers are 85 articles printed in The New York Packet and The Independent Journal between 1787 and 1788.
2) The Federalist Papers, written by the Founding Fathers to gain support for the Constitution, explain what the Constitution meant to the Founding Fathers.
3) The Federalist Papers are newspapers that show the Federalist point of view of the Founding Fathers.
4) The Federalist Papers, written by The New York Packet and The Independent Journal, were an attempt to get states to vote down the Constitution.
Q. Which of the following statement is true based on this map:
1) The locations of mountains in Africa has changed significantly since 1911.
2) West Africa is actually in the east.
3) Europe had a large influence over Africa in 1911.
4) Portugal was one of the few nations with no relationship to Africa.
The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Q. In 1914, the Supreme Court ruled that the Federal government could not convict Freemont Weeks of illegal gambling because the evidence against him was found during a search of his home without a warrant. What right was the Supreme Court upholding in this decision?
1) The right to be secure in your person.
2) The right to protection against unreasonable search and seizure.
3) The right to being supported by oath or affirmation.
4) The right to protection against self-incrimination.
The world is divided into time zones to reflect the local perceived time, since the sun is visible in a different portion of the sky from different locations on Earth. As you travel quickly westward in a plane or other fast-moving vehicle, you “lose” time because you travel through different time zones.
Q. Which of the following is an example of the principle of losing time?
1) When you fly across the U.S. from Los Angeles to New York, you need to set your watch forward three hours when you arrive.
2) When you fly across the U.S. from New York to Los Angeles, you need to set your watch backward three hours when you arrive.
3) When you take a train from Seattle, Washington south to San Diego, California.
4) When you fall asleep on an airplane and lose track of the time.
On July 16, 1945, the U.S. held its first successful test of an atomic bomb. The end of World War II was near. To end the war in Japan, the U.S. tragically dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. Dropping a bomb on Hiroshima was not needed to win the war. The U.S. did not even give enough time for Japan to realize the terrible effects of the bomb before bombing Nagasaki. This display was not just to end the war. The costs for creating the atomic bomb were a staggering $2 billion. The display of might at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was intended to justify the cost of developing the bomb and put the U.S. in a powerful position over the Soviet Union.
Q. Which of the following statements is an opinion, not a fact?
1) The U.S. dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.
2) The costs for creating the atomic bomb were $2 billion.
3) Dropping a bomb on Hiroshima was not needed to win the war.
4) On July 16, 1945, the U.S. held its first successful test of an atomic bomb.
This map shows the ancient pyramids in Giza, Egypt.
Q. What kind of information does the map show that a photograph might not show?
1) What the pyramids look like
2) The type of ground the pyramids are on
3) How far away different pyramids are from each other
4) The damage that’s been done to the pyramids over time
In 1945, the U.S. dropped the first two atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ending World War II. This was a needed step to save lives. William Shockley did a study for the U.S. Secretary of War. This study said that if the U.S. attacked Japan, 1.7 to 4 million Americans would be hurt, and 400,000 to 800,000 would die. Five to ten million Japanese people would die. The total number of deaths at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was around 200,000. The need to use a nuclear weapon is appalling to humanity. However, if the U.S. had attacked Japan traditionally, more people would have died than the number who died at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Measured in human life, the bombings were necessary.
Q. Which of the following statements supports the author’s conclusion that the U.S. bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki were necessary and saved lives?
1) In 1945, the U.S. dropped the first two atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ending World War II.
2) William Shockley did a study for the U.S. Secretary of War.
3) This study said that if the U.S. attacked Japan, 1.7 to 4 million Americans would be hurt, and 400,000 to 800,000 would die.
4) The need to use a nuclear weapon is appalling to humanity.
Use the campaign poster to answer the following question.
Q. Which of the following questions would be most useful in determining the value of the information presented on Governor Montanez’s campaign sign?
a. What is Bill Wyoming’s definition of “great”?
b. What qualifies Bill Wyoming to predict the quality of a future governor?
c. How good a season did Bill Wyoming have last year?
d. Does Bill Wyoming live in Sylvia Montanez’s state?
Isolationism refers to the national policy of avoiding political or economic relations with other countries.
Q. Which of the following is an example of American isolationist policy?
a. the Neutrality Act of 1935, an arms embargo designed to try to keep the United States out of a European war
b. bombing al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center
c. the unsuccessful attempt to overthrow Cuban leader Fidel Castro in 1961
d. joining with 11 nations to form the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949
Q. According to the graph, how many eligible U.S. citizens are NOT registered to vote?
a. 19 million
b. 56 million
c. 76 million
d. 92 million
“We might as easily reprove the east wind, or the frost, as a political party, whose members, for the most part, could give no account of their position, but stand for the defence [sic] of those interests in which they find themselves.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882), American essayist
“A party of order or stability, and a party of progress or reform, are both necessary elements of a healthy state of political life.” —John Stuart Mill (1806–1873), British philosopher
Q. Which of the following party systems would Emerson most likely support?
a. one in which citizens are loyal to a political party at all costs
b. a single-party system
c. a system with a liberal party that advocates for change and a conservative party that maintains tradition
d. one in which citizens are independent and think for themselves
“We might as easily reprove the east wind, or the frost, as a political party, whose members, for the most part, could give no account of their position, but stand for the defence [sic] of those interests in which they find themselves.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882), American essayist
“A party of order or stability, and a party of progress or reform, are both necessary elements of a healthy state of political life.” —John Stuart Mill (1806–1873), British philosopher
Q. Which of the following party systems would Mill most likely support?
a. one in which citizens are loyal to a political party at all costs
b. a single-party system
c. a system with a liberal party that advocates for change and a conservative party that maintains tradition
d. one in which citizens are independent and think for themselves
Q. Which of the following is NOT a purpose of this form?
a. notifying the government that you have changed your name
b. registering with a political party
c. applying for U.S. citizenship
d. registering to vote in an upcoming local election
Q. Which of the following expresses a FACT rather than an opinion?
a. States have different requirements about who is eligible to vote.
b. The voting age should be changed from 18 to 21 years of age.
c. Every state should institute a “voter-motor” program in which people can register to vote at the same time that they are registering their motor vehicle.
d. The government should allow non-citizens to vote.
“This whole nation of one hundred and thirty million free men, women, and children is becoming one great fighting force. Some of us are soldiers or sailors, some of us are civilians. . . . A few of us are decorated with medals for heroic achievement, but all of us can have that deep and permanent inner satisfaction that comes from doing the best we know how—each of us playing an honorable part in the great struggle to save our democratic civilization.” —Radio address of Franklin D. Roosevelt, October 12, 1942
Q. Read the quotation and identify which term best describes it.
a. isolationism
b. nationalism
c. socialism
d. pacifism
Q. The most important way that the Supreme Court can check the power of Congress is which of the following?
a. veto bills.
b. shorten legislative terms.
c. declare laws unconstitutional.
d. initiate impeachment proceedings.
Q. How do the president and Congress share wartime power?
a. Only Congress can declare war, but the president commands the armed forces.
b. The president can declare war, but Congress must authorize funds for the military.
c. Congress and the president work together to command the armed forces and negotiate peace treaties.
d. Congress declares war, but only the president can write laws after a war is declared.
Q. What is the main point of the political cartoon above, “Going Through the Form of Universal Suffrage?”
a. Voting is a privilege to be earned by the citizenry.
b. Voters should always cast their ballots strictly along party lines.
c. Universal suffrage is meaningless when political bosses control the ballot box.
d. Voting is the right of every working person.
“The . . . parties solemnly declare in the names of their respective peoples that they condemn recourse to war for the solution of international controversies, and renounce it as an instrument of national policy in their relations with one another.” —Kellogg-Briand Pact, Article I, 1928
Q. Read the quotation and identify which term best describes it.
a. isolationism
b. nationalism
c. socialism
d. pacifism
“The free States alone, if we must go on alone, will make a glorious nation. Twenty millions in the temperate zone, stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific, full of vigor, industry, inventive genius, educated, and moral; increasing by immigration rapidly, and, above all, free—all free—will form a confederacy of twenty States scarcely inferior in real power to the unfortunate Union of thirty-three States which we had on the first of November.” —Rutherford Birchard Hayes, January 4, 1861
Q. Read the quotation and identify which term best describes it.
a. isolationism
b. nationalism
c. socialism
d. regionalism
Q. Based on the information in the map, which of the following might be true of Kerry’s campaign strategy?
a. It focused on winning the states in the Southeast.
b. Kerry targeted his campaign efforts in his home state of Massachusetts.
c. It targeted states that have large populations and a large number of electoral votes.
d. It focused on winning most of the states with small populations.
Q. Which of the following is NOT a true statement?
a. George W. Bush won a larger number of states.
b. John Kerry was popular in New England.
c. If Kerry had won Florida’s electoral votes, he would have become president.
d. If Kerry had won South Dakota’s electoral votes, he would have become president.
The U.S. Constitution gives the president the power to veto, or reject, a bill passed by Congress. The president typically states his objections to the bill when he announces the veto. Because it takes a two-thirds vote from both the House of Representatives and the Senate to override a veto, Congress often changes the bill to make it more acceptable to the president. Sometimes Congress adds provisions to a bill that the president strongly favors. The president does not have the power of line-item veto, in which lines or parts of a bill can be rejected individually. The president must accept or reject the bill as Congress has written it.
Q. Which of the following statements can you infer from the passage?
a. Congress is more powerful than the president.
b. Congress tries to get the president to accept its provisions by attaching provisions to a bill that the president supports.
c. A president is more effective when members of the same political party are the majority in Congress.
d. If a president vetoes a bill, there is no way to get it passed into law.
California Legislative Races
The California State Legislature is made up of two houses: the senate and the assembly. The senate is the upper house. There are 40 senators, each representing about 800,000 people. The assembly is the lower house. There are 80 assembly members, each representing about 400,000 people. Senators and assembly members receive an annual salary of $99,000 plus per diem; legislative leaders receive a slightly higher salary.
Assembly members are elected to two-year terms and are limited to serving three terms. Senators are elected to four-year terms and are limited to serving two terms. California’s legislative districts are “nested,” so that two assembly districts comprise one senate district.
The California Voter Foundation has compiled information on each of this year’s 80 state assembly races and 20 state senate races. (Half the senate seats are up for election in each election year—this year the odd-numbered seats are up.) In this guide you will find a list of the candidates running in each district, their party affiliation, and contact information. You will also learn how to access candidates’ websites, which typically feature campaign literature, endorsement lists, position papers, and information about how to contribute or volunteer.
Q. Based on the guide, which statement is true about California legislators?
a. Each senator represents more people than each assembly member.
b. Each assembly member represents more people than each senator.
c. Senators have term limits, but assembly members do not.
d. Assembly members have term limits, but senators do not.
California Legislative Races
The California State Legislature is made up of two houses: the senate and the assembly. The senate is the upper house. There are 40 senators, each representing about 800,000 people. The assembly is the lower house. There are 80 assembly members, each representing about 400,000 people. Senators and assembly members receive an annual salary of $99,000 plus per diem; legislative leaders receive a slightly higher salary.
Assembly members are elected to two-year terms and are limited to serving three terms. Senators are elected to four-year terms and are limited to serving two terms. California’s legislative districts are “nested,” so that two assembly districts comprise one senate district.
The California Voter Foundation has compiled information on each of this year’s 80 state assembly races and 20 state senate races. (Half the senate seats are up for election in each election year—this year the odd-numbered seats are up.) In this guide you will find a list of the candidates running in each district, their party affiliation, and contact information. You will also learn how to access candidates’ websites, which typically feature campaign literature, endorsement lists, position papers, and information about how to contribute or volunteer.
Q. If a California assembly member was first elected in 2008, in 2012 the assembly member
a. was not allowed to run again.
b. could run for two more terms.
c. could run for one more term.
d. was not allowed to run that year but could run in 2013.
IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another . . . a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. . . . That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government. . . . Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. . . .
Q. Which best states the meaning of unalienable in the excerpt?
a. absolute
b. historical
c. resolute
d. governmental
Q. Based on the details in the poster, what is referenced by the shadow in the image?
a. Russian communism
b. Fascism in Italy
c. Japanese imperialism
d. Nazi Germany
Use the statement below, made by Sir Winston Churchill, to answer the following question.
“Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” —Speech to House of Commons November 11, 1947
Q. Based on the quote, it is clear Churchill believed that
a. democracy was the worst form of government that had been practiced by commoners.
b. improvements could be made to democracy, but it was the best form of government to date.
c. democracy was an extremely flawed form of government that should not be abandoned.
d. changes to democracy should not be implemented, but other known forms of government should be implemented instead.
Q. Based ONLY on the information above, it is clear that which of the following would not meet the requirements to serve as U.S. president?
a. a person who was born in the United States, is 41 years old, and has lived in the United States for 41 years
b. a person who is 68 years old, was born in France to a mother who was a U.S. citizen, and has lived in the United States for 51 years
c. a person who was born in the United States, is 34 years old, and has lived in the United States for 34 years
d. a person who is 50 years old and was a U.S. resident for 10 years, left the United States for 36 years, and then returned to live in the United States for 4 years
Q. What was the approximate overall enrollment of men 14–24 in college in 2012?
(A) 5,800
(B) 5,800,000
(C) 5,000,000
(D) 6,800,000
Q. Which statement best explains why both state and federal governments have the power to tax?
A. Politicians generally favor high taxes.
B. Governments must have revenue to be able to act.
C. The American system is built on double taxation.
D. Taxation without representation is tyranny.
The United States can be characterized as a Presidential Democracy and Great Britain can be characterized as a Parliamentary Democracy. While both the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of Great Britain head the executive branch of their respective governments, there are some significant differences between them. The British prime minister is elected by voters from one parliamentary district, then chosen by members of Parliament. The U.S. president is elected by all of a country’s voters via the electoral college system. The British prime minister serves a maximum term of five years before new elections must be held, but there is no limit on the number of terms that may be served. In contrast, the U.S. president serves a maximum of two four-year terms. The leaders also differ in terms of the powers they exert over other parts of the government. The U.S. president appoints members of the cabinet, with Senate approval, and can fire people without approval. The British prime minister appoints and fires members of cabinet, although the monarch must approve those decisions. The U.S. president cannot disband Congress and force new elections, but the British prime minister can disband Parliament and force new elections. The U.S. president also has the power to veto bills, while the British prime minister does not have the power to veto bills. 11. What is a major difference between the British prime minister and the U.S. president?
A. The prime minister, not the president, has the power to disband the legislature and force new elections.
B. The prime minister, not the president, has the power to veto bills.
C. The president, not the prime minister, has no term limits.
D. The president, not the prime minister, is also a member of the legislature.
Q. This print shows the burning of Washington, D.C., by British troops, which took place during what conflict?
A. American Revolution
B. Civil War
C. French and Indian War
D. War of 1812
In which fiscal year did the FBI most likely have funding cuts? Write your answer in the blank.
(a)
Q. Which statement best explains the rise in employees dedicated to intelligence analysis in these years?
A. top priority given to investigating organized crime
B. sharp increase in illegal surveillance of Americans
C. growing emphasis on fighting terrorism
D. shift from field agents to analysts
The following scenario describes an economic decision:
After graduating from high school, Juan applies to several job advertisements and receives an offer to work as a clerk in a retail store for $8 per hour. However, Juan decides to enroll in a community college and after two years he completes a technical training program that prepares him to become a welder. After completing the program, he finds employment as an apprentice welder and earns $20 per hour.
Q. Which was the opportunity cost in Juan’s decision?
The cost of tuition at the community college.
$20 — Juan’s wages as an apprentice welder.
$12 — The difference between Juan’s wages as a welder and a retail clerk.
The total wages he would have earned in two years while working as a retail clerk.
The following excerpt is from the 1803 Supreme Court decision Marbury v. Madison, which established the concept of judicial review:
“It is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is. Those who apply the rule to particular cases, must of necessity expound and interpret that rule. If two laws conflict with each other, the courts must decide on the operation of each.”
Q. This ruling is an example of which of the following concepts?
Checks and balances.
Federalism.
Natural rights.
Reserved powers.
The following excerpt is from a letter written in 1846 by William Dunne in Ireland to his nephew John Curtis, who had immigrated to America:
“I was and am very glad to here how well you have got on in America I think it was A good job that your father Mother and family went the time they did for there is nothing here but hardship and starvation… I suppose you have herd of it there was not one steme of potatoes in my house this three months it is very seldome that there does one come to market at all and what comes in not worth buying they cant be eat… Everyday went for the poor and bad wages the people are starving in the west of Ireland and turning out for something to eat we think that there will be a rebellion if there is not something done.”
Q. How did historical events in the 1840s influence Irish immigration to the United States?
Starvation and poor living conditions in Ireland led to increased immigration to the US.
A revolution occurred in America which led to decreased Irish immigration to the US.
Poor wages in America discouraged immigration from Ireland to the US.
Irish immigrants moved to America in search of better and cheaper potatoes.
Match the name of each major American war with its time span and the names of the opposing sides. Indicate the box where each item belongs. (Note: On the real GED® test, you will click on each item and “drag” it into the correct box.)
Q. Write the correct match under each heading.
Q. What member of NATO does not appear on the map because it is not located in Europe?
A. Australia
B. Mexico
C. New Zealand
D. United States
Q. What can you infer about the governments of the “nonaligned nations” such as Finland and Sweden?
A. They were led by socialist parties.
B. They did not have communist governments.
C. They were constitutional monarchies.
D. They had no standing armies.
Q. Which member of the Triple Alliance could not be entirely counted on if war broke out?
A. Austria-Hungary
B. Germany
C. Italy
D. Russia
Q. What two countries were most likely to be embroiled in war first if conflict broke out in Serbia?
A. Austria-Hungary and Russia
B. France and Germany
C. Italy and Germany
D. the Ottoman Empire and Great Britain
Match each of the Civil War Constitutional amendments with one of the results in the list. Indicate the box where each result belongs. (Note: On the real GED® test, you will click on each result and “drag” it into the correct box.)
Q. Define each amendment correctly.
Q. Which president resigned under threat of impeachment for his actions in the Watergate scandal?
A. Bill Clinton
B. Ulysses Grant
C. Andrew Johnson
D. Richard Nixon
Q. The president at the time of the Watergate scandal lost political support because of his involvement in what activity?
A. abuse of power and obstruction of justice after a burglary
B. accepting money in exchange for the appointment of new ambassadors
C. conflict over the policy to follow in Reconstruction
D. obstruction of justice after a sex scandal
Q. Why did Congress enact a law in 1867 ordering the military occupation of the South?
A. to combat the formation of the Confederate States of America
B. to enforce the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments
C. in response to the passage of “black codes” that limited the rights of former enslaved persons
D. in response to widespread, ongoing raids by Native Americans on southern cities
“At the present moment in world history, nearly every nation must choose between alternative ways of life. The choice is too often not a free one.
One way of life is based upon the will of the majority and is distinguished by free institutions, representative government, free elections, guarantees of individual liberty, freedom of speech and religion, and freedom from political oppression.
The second way of life is based upon the will of a minority forcibly imposed upon the majority. It relies upon terror and oppression, a controlled press and radio; fixed elections, and the suppression of personal freedoms.
I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.
I believe that we must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way.
I believe that our help should be primarily through economic and financial aid which is essential to economic stability and orderly political processes.” —Harry S Truman, address to Congress (1947)
Q. In this speech, which introduced the Truman Doctrine, President Harry Truman outlined the fundamental differences that divided which two sides?
A. Allies and fascist powers
B. the United States and Soviet Union
C. North and South
D. free democracies and terrorist organizations
“At the present moment in world history, nearly every nation must choose between alternative ways of life. The choice is too often not a free one.
One way of life is based upon the will of the majority and is distinguished by free institutions, representative government, free elections, guarantees of individual liberty, freedom of speech and religion, and freedom from political oppression.
The second way of life is based upon the will of a minority forcibly imposed upon the majority. It relies upon terror and oppression, a controlled press and radio; fixed elections, and the suppression of personal freedoms.
I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.
I believe that we must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way.
I believe that our help should be primarily through economic and financial aid which is essential to economic stability and orderly political processes.” —Harry S Truman, address to Congress (1947)
Q. Truman’s speech led to his adoption of what Cold War policy, which was followed by subsequent presidents?
A. containment, or attempts to prevent communist expansion
B. détente, or cooperation with the Soviet Union
C. intervention, or American involvement in the Vietnam War
D. anticolonialism, or U.S. support for the independence of European-held colonies
“At the present moment in world history, nearly every nation must choose between alternative ways of life. The choice is too often not a free one.
One way of life is based upon the will of the majority and is distinguished by free institutions, representative government, free elections, guarantees of individual liberty, freedom of speech and religion, and freedom from political oppression.
The second way of life is based upon the will of a minority forcibly imposed upon the majority. It relies upon terror and oppression, a controlled press and radio; fixed elections, and the suppression of personal freedoms.
I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.
I believe that we must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way.
I believe that our help should be primarily through economic and financial aid which is essential to economic stability and orderly political processes.” —Harry S Truman, address to Congress (1947)
Q. Which action was adopted soon after Truman’s speech in part to implement his new policy?
A. the space race
B. escalation in Vietnam
C. the Marshall Plan
D. expansion of NATO
“When one surveys the world about him after the great storm, noting the marks of destruction and yet rejoicing in the ruggedness of the things which withstood it, if he is an American he breathes the clarified atmosphere with a strange mingling of regret and new hope. We have seen a world passion spend its fury, but we contemplate our Republic unshaken, and hold our civilization secure. . . .
The recorded progress of our Republic, materially and spiritually, in itself proves the wisdom of the inherited policy of noninvolvement in Old World affairs. Confident of our ability to work out our own destiny, and jealously guarding our right to do so, we seek no part in directing the destinies of the Old World. We do not mean to be entangled. We will accept no responsibility except as our own conscience and judgment, in each instance, may determine.
Our eyes never will be blind to a developing menace, our ears never deaf to the call of civilization. We recognize the new order in the world, with the closer contacts which progress has wrought. We sense the call of the human heart for fellowship, fraternity, and cooperation. We crave friendship and harbor no hate. But America, our America, the America builded on the foundation laid by the inspired fathers, can be a party to no permanent military alliance. It can enter into no political commitments, nor assume any economic obligations which will subject our decisions to any other than our own authority.” —Warren G. Harding, Inaugural Address (1921)
Q. Harding’s position is in part a reaction to the recent termination of what event, which he called “the great storm” and said was marked by “destruction” and a “world passion spend[ing] its fury”?
A. the French Revolution
B. World War I
C. World War II
D. the Cold War
“When one surveys the world about him after the great storm, noting the marks of destruction and yet rejoicing in the ruggedness of the things which withstood it, if he is an American he breathes the clarified atmosphere with a strange mingling of regret and new hope. We have seen a world passion spend its fury, but we contemplate our Republic unshaken, and hold our civilization secure. . . .
The recorded progress of our Republic, materially and spiritually, in itself proves the wisdom of the inherited policy of noninvolvement in Old World affairs. Confident of our ability to work out our own destiny, and jealously guarding our right to do so, we seek no part in directing the destinies of the Old World. We do not mean to be entangled. We will accept no responsibility except as our own conscience and judgment, in each instance, may determine.
Our eyes never will be blind to a developing menace, our ears never deaf to the call of civilization. We recognize the new order in the world, with the closer contacts which progress has wrought. We sense the call of the human heart for fellowship, fraternity, and cooperation. We crave friendship and harbor no hate. But America, our America, the America builded on the foundation laid by the inspired fathers, can be a party to no permanent military alliance. It can enter into no political commitments, nor assume any economic obligations which will subject our decisions to any other than our own authority.” —Warren G. Harding, Inaugural Address (1921)
Q. Harding states that the United States should “enter into no political commitments, nor assume any economic obligations which will subject our decisions to any other than our own authority.” This position is similar to what modern foreign policy debate?
A. the war on terrorism
B. immigration control
C. influence of the United Nations
D. free trade agreements
Q. What event most likely prompted Martin Luther King Jr. to write his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”?
A. Congress’s ongoing debate over the Voting Rights Act
B. success of the Montgomery bus boycott
C. criticism of the urgency of the demands from civil rights activists
D. founding of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Q. Which event most likely pushed Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965?
A. Freedom Summer
B. Freedom Rides
C. Montgomery bus boycott
D. sit-ins
Q. What was the purpose of this airlift?
A. to provide arms to German resistance fighters during World War II
B. to bring supplies to blockaded West Berlin during the Cold War
C. to strengthen advocates of peace in the last months of World War I
D. to deliver food and clothing to survivors of the Holocaust
During World War II, the Nazi government of Germany committed a horrific act: the murder by quasi-industrial processes of some 6 million European Jews who were deemed inferior. The Jews were stripped of their property, forced into ghettos, and eventually transported to camps, mainly in the occupied countries to the east of Germany, where they were systematically put to death. Huge numbers of other groups, such as prisoners of war and people with mental illnesses, were also murdered, but the murder of the Jews was different in that it was an attempt to exterminate an entire population.
Q. What development of the postwar world is in major part a result of the Nazis’ action?
A. the founding of the state of Israel
B. the Cold War
C. the founding of the United Nations
D. decolonization
The items in the following list refer either to segregation or desegregation in the American South. Indicate the box where each item belongs. (Note: On the real GED® test, you will click on each item and “drag” it into the correct box.)
Q. Write the options under the correct heading.
Between January 1965 and December 1966, the 89th United States Congress enacted the most extensive legislative program since the New Deal. These laws were transformative pieces of legislation and provided the cornerstone of President Lyndon Baines Johnson’s far-reaching Great Society agenda. The Clean Air Act of 1963 was aimed at decreasing air pollution. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned discrimination in housing and access to public facilities. The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 created the Job Corps to help unemployed poor people get jobs. Medicare was established in 1964 to provide health care to the elderly. The Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964 provided funding for mass transit systems in cities. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 provided federal funding for public schools for the first time and the Higher Education Act of 1965 provided tuition assistance to those attending postsecondary schools. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 ended national immigration quotas and opened the country to more immigration. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 protected the voting rights of African Americans. The Medicaid Act of 1966 ensured health care for the poor. The Model Cities Act of 1966 provided funds for urban renewal. The Child Health and Improvement and Protection Act of 1968 provided for prenatal and postnatal care. Finally, the Fair Housing Act of 1968 banned discrimination in rental housing. —Source: archives.gov [Source: https://www.archives.gov/legislative/resources/education/greatsociety-congress]
Q. What was a likely result of this legislation?
A. an end to poverty
B. an end to racial discrimination
C. increased social unrest
D. increased size of the federal government
Q. Unrest in the Balkans against Austria-Hungary is an example of which of these causative factors?
A. arms race among great powers
B. desire for autonomous ethnic states within multiethnic empires
C. scramble for colonies in Africa
D. competition for raw materials and new markets
Q. How were imperialism and nationalism connected?
A. Imperialism reduced the effectiveness of efforts to reduce class conflict.
B. Imperialism fed the glorification of military virtues.
C. Addition of new colonies fed national pride.
D. Obtaining new markets enhanced the success of nationalized industries.
Q. Which event can most definitively be seen as the end of the Cold War?
A. tearing down of the Berlin Wall
B. reunification of Germany
C. election of Solidarity government in Poland
D. dissolution of the Soviet Union
Q. What goal did President Woodrow Wilson have that was not achieved in the peace agreements that ended World War I?
A. United States joining the League of Nations
B. success of the Russian Revolution
C. preservation of the Ottoman Empire
D. punishment of Germany for starting the war
The items in the following list refer either to Germany, Italy, or the Soviet Union during the 1930s and World War II. Indicate the box where each item belongs. (Note: On the real GED® test, you will click on each item and “drag” it into the correct box.)
Q. Write the correct option under each heading.
Q. What was the purpose of the GI Bill passed during World War II?
A. to encourage more enlistments
B. to desegregate the armed forces
C. to provide veterans with educational and housing aid
D. to institute a draft calling for mandatory service
Teddy Roosevelt said, “Men with the muckrake are often indispensable to the well-being of society, but only if they know when to stop raking the muck, and to look upward to the celestial crown above them . . . If they gradually grow to feel that the whole world is nothing but muck, their power of usefulness is gone.”
Q. Who are the “men with the muckrake” he describes?
A. leaders of industry such as John D. Rockefeller
B. protesters against the Progressive Party
C. immigrants from Eastern Europe who worked in factories
D. journalists who attacked industry leaders and institutions as corrupt
Q. During which of the following periods did stock prices drop the most?
A. 1920–1921
B. 1922–1924
C. 1928–1930
D. 1930–1932
Q. What conclusion can be drawn from the map?
A. No further lands in Florida were taken after 1833.
B. The Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole, and Creek tribes were the only ones to lose their native lands.
C. The general trend shows U.S. seizure of native lands moving westward.
D. The Chickasaw tribe’s native lands were all in what is now Mississippi.
Q. Based on these population trends, which region will have the most difficulty generating enough jobs for its population in the future? Which region will have the most difficulty finding workers?
A. Africa; Europe
B. Europe; Asia
C. Latin America and the Caribbean; North America
D. North America; Europe
Q. Which of the following continents is in the Western Hemisphere?
A. Africa
B. Asia
C. Europe
D. South America
Q. Fossil fuels form about what percentage of U.S. energy supply and of U.S. energy consumption?
A. supply: about 50 percent; consumption: about 90 percent
B. about two-thirds of each
C. supply: about 90 percent; consumption: about 90 percent
D. supply: about 65 percent; consumption: about 80 percent
Q. How does the Federal Reserve System affect banking in the United States in general?
A. by requiring membership in the system
B. by implementing the president’s monetary policy
C. through taxation
D. through banking regulations
