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U.S. Government Final Exam Review

Total questions: 63

Worksheet time: 32mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Where did the original concept of citizenship and rights for citizens begin?

a)

America

b)

Ancient Greece & Rome

c)

Medieval Europe

d)

Ancient China

2.

Which part of the Constitution states that the laws made by Congress are the supreme law of the land?

a)

the Preamble

b)

Article I

c)

the 14th Amendment

d)

Article VI

3.

What are U.S. citizens practicing when they elect members of Congress?

a)

representative democracy

b)

direct democracy

c)

authoritarianism

d)

totalitarianism

4.

What is a form of democracy?

a)

totalitarianism

b)

dictatorship

c)

absolute monarchy

d)

constitutional monarchy

5.

What is a legal requirement for voting in the U.S.?

a)

property ownership

b)

18 or older

c)

reading skills

d)

high school diploma

6.
Which level of United States government holds the highest authority?
a)
City Government
b)
County Government
c)
State Government
d)
Federal Government
7.

What do a monarchy and an autocracy have in common?

a)

single ruler

b)

written constitution

c)

national court

d)

single legislative body

8.

What was the Mayflower Compact?

a)

A letter to King George III.

b)

A pamphlet by Thomas Paine.

c)

A document limiting monarchy power.

d)

A written plan for government.

9.

In the Declaration of Independence, the colonists -

a)

stated their rights.

b)

bargained with the King.

c)

protested the Acts.

d)

listed grievances against the King

10.

What part of the Declaration of Independence does the second half of this passage represent?

a)

list of grievances

b)

statement about rights of men

c)

official claim of independence

d)

argument for right to revolt

11.

Why list complaints against the king?

a)

to need a new king

b)

to justify independence

c)

to persuade king to fix problems

d)

to prove colonists needed a role in government

12.

What inspired the first paragraph of the excerpt?

a)

common law

b)

Triangluar Trade

c)

French and Indian War

d)

The Enlightenment

13.

When did the Constitution become the supreme law?

a)

Nine states ratified it.

b)

A bill of rights was added.

c)

Delegates signed it.

d)

The Supreme Court approved it.

14.

What was the original purpose of the Constitutional Convention?

a)

Review state constitutions.

b)

Draft a national bill of rights.

c)

Revise the Articles of Confederation.

d)

Limit excessive state taxing.

15.

What provision resolves conflicts between state and federal laws?

a)

Supremacy Clause

b)

Bill of Rights

c)

Necessary and Proper Clause

d)

Concurrent Powers Clause

16.

An amendment to the Constitution becomes law when ratified by

a)

the Supreme Court.

b)

3/4's of the States

c)

a national election

d)

the U.S House and Senate

17.

What is Congress described as in the Constitution?

a)

Legislative Branch

b)

Judicial Branch

c)

President's arm

d)

Civil rights defender

18.

What does the system of checks and balances allow the executive branch to do?

a)

veto laws

b)

disapprove treaties

c)

impeach judges

d)

declare laws unconstitutional

19.

What power is exclusive to the federal government?

a)

enforce laws

b)

declare war

c)

collect taxes

d)

regulate state trade

20.

What power is only given to state governments?

a)

coin money

b)

establish courts

c)

establish local governments

d)

borrow money

21.

What power is shared by federal and state governments?

a)

Regulating trade with foreign nations

b)

Maintaining an army

c)

Regulating trade within a state

d)

Borrowing money

22.

What does the 9th Amendment state about rights not listed in the Constitution?

a)

forfeited

b)

subject to change

c)

protected

d)

suspended during wars

23.

What is protected by the First Amendment?

a)

Censoring news for public safety

b)

Criticizing government policy on a blog

c)

Registering before voting

d)

Banning objectionable materials

24.

Why were the 14th and 15th Amendments written and ratified?

a)

The NAACP insisted on ending discrimination against African Americans.

b)

The 13th Amendment didn't fully guarantee the rights of former slaves.

c)

The 13th Amendment overly supported “Jim Crow laws.”

d)

African American soldiers weren't paid for their military service.

25.

What speech is protected by the First Amendment?

a)

lying about someone

b)

criticizing government

c)

silence when arrested

d)

inciting a riot

26.

The Bill of Rights secures fair, legal treatment for citizens by protecting them from?

a)

Bail

b)

Double Jeopardy

c)

Speedy Trials

d)

Grand Jury

27.

The rights to have a trial by jury and to call witnesses are examples of

a)

affirmative action.

b)

constitutional reforms.

c)

13th Amendment freedoms.

d)

due process

28.

Which two amendments were ratified closest together?

a)

19th and 23rd

b)

15th and 19th

c)

19th and 26th

d)

16th and 23rd

29.

In 1960, who didn't have the right to vote in national elections if they were 21 years old?

a)

African American.

b)

Congress member.

c)

Resident of Washington, D.C.

d)

Female

30.

What event increased interest in lowering the voting age to 18?

a)

Civil Rights Movement

b)

Vietnam War

c)

Civil War

d)

Persian Gulf War

31.

If freedom of assembly were not protected, Americans would be unable to:

a)

join political groups promoting new policies.

b)

give public speeches condemning the president.

c)

trust newspapers to print the truth about the government.

d)

write letters criticizing government policies.

32.

Who did the Nineteenth Amendment grant suffrage to?

a)

teenagers

b)

African Americans

c)

Hispanic Americans

d)

women

33.

Which amendment was ratified by the states the fastest?

a)

13th

b)

15th

c)

17th

d)

24th

34.

What did Congress do 50 years after the 17th Amendment?

a)

Replaced it with the Twenty-fourth Amendment.

b)

Granted voting rights to women and minorities.

c)

Welcomed the first African American senator.

d)

Eliminated poll taxes.

35.

Which amendment took the longest to ratify?

a)

Eliminate poll taxes.

b)

Make the Bill of Rights binding for states.

c)

Guarantee African Americans the right to vote.

d)

Free slaves and outlaw slavery.

36.

Why is Congress bicameral?

a)

Legislative branch needed 3 houses

b)

To make it the most powerful branch

c)

Compromise on state representation

d)

535 members would be too many

37.

What does the elastic clause allow Congress to do?

a)

Regulate trade between states.

b)

Tax citizens in economic crisis.

c)

Stretch its powers to meet needs.

d)

Make temporary treaties with foreign countries.

38.

Congress cannot -

a)

impeach judges

b)

monitor executive branch

c)

control interstate commerce

d)

favor one state

39.

What is the correct order of actions on congressional bills?

a)

floor action → committee action → conference action

b)

conference action → floor action → committee action

c)

committee action → floor action → conference action

d)

floor action → conference action → committee action

40.
Congress gets its lawmaking powers from the -
a)
President
b)
Constitution
c)
Senate
d)
States
41.

What is a part of the lawmaking process?

a)

checking president's power

b)

debating bills in Congress

c)

approving presidential appointments

d)

performing case work

42.

Where does a bill go after being introduced on the floor?

a)

floor debate

b)

the appropriate standing committee

c)

a roll-call vote

d)

the president's desk

43.

What power does Congress have regarding currency?

a)

make laws

b)

establish post offices

c)

regulate commerce

d)

coin money

44.

What is considered Congress’ most important power?

a)

making laws

b)

collecting taxes

c)

regulating commerce

d)

borrowing money

45.

What power helps Congress manage the federal budget?

a)

Coining money

b)

Organizing the military

c)

Borrowing money

d)

Declaring war

46.

A 28-year-old citizen could be elected:

a)

to the House or the Senate

b)

only to the House

c)

only to the Senate

d)

to neither house

47.

What common qualification do both houses of Congress have?

a)

Must be born in the U.S.

b)

Must be at least 30 years old

c)

Must have a college degree

d)

Must live in the state they represent

48.
How often are Senators up for reelection?
a)
every six years
b)
every four years
c)
every two years
d)
every year
49.

What is a constitutional requirement for becoming U.S. president?

a)

political experience

b)

35 years old or older

c)

naturalized citizen

d)

resident for 25 years

50.

Who must approve presidential appointees to head cabinet departments and other top government offices?

a)

Vice president

b)

Congress

c)

Supreme Court

d)

Senate

51.

Who can cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate?

a)

Vice President

b)

Secretary of State

c)

Speaker

d)

Attorney General

52.

When would federal courts have jurisdiction?

a)

disputes between two citizens of the same state

b)

violations of local ordinances

c)

disputes between two states

d)

violations of state laws

53.
In which type of court do federal trials and lawsuits usually begin?
a)
state supreme courts
b)
federal district courts
c)
federal appeals courts
d)
municipal courts
54.
The job of an appeals court is to:
a)
review decisions made in the lower courts
b)
sentence people who are convicted in federal courts.
c)
decide the defendant’s guilt or innocence.
d)
decide whether a law is allowed by the U.S. Constitution.
e)
Option 6
55.
What does it mean when a judge uses precedent to arrive at an opinion?
a)
The judge does not refer to the U.S. Constitution.
b)
The judge relies heavily on previous opinions in similar cases.
c)
The judge asks for the opinions of several other justices.
d)
The judge arrives at an opinion unlike any in the past.
56.
Which established the principle of federal judicial review?
a)
U.S Constitution
b)
Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas
c)
Judiciary Act of 1789
d)
Supreme Court decision in Marbury v. Madison
57.
How does a case come before the Supreme Court?
a)
All federal cases automatically come before the Supreme Court.
b)
The Senate determines the cases that the Supreme Court will hear each year.
c)
The justices of the Supreme Court choose the cases they will hear.
d)
Any case in which a state government loses is appealed to the Supreme Court.
58.
Which Supreme Court case allowed the government to restrict the rights of individuals during a time of national crisis?
a)
Olmstead v. United States (1928).
b)
Korematsu v. United States (1944).
c)
Mapp v. Ohio (1961).
d)
Miranda v. Arizona (1966).
59.
Which of the following correctly describes the composition of the U.S. Supreme Court?
a)
five associate justices
b)
nine associate justices and one chief justice
c)
five assistant justices, five associate justices, and one chief justice
d)
eight associate justices and one chief justice
60.
What is the significance of the Supreme Court decision in the case Marbury v. Madison?
a)
It was the first case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.
b)
It allowed the judicial branch to declare acts unconstitutional.
c)
It established the U.S. Supreme Court’s jurisdiction in cases between states.
d)
It overturned the practice of “separate but equal” in schools.
61.
The term concurrent powers means that the national government -
a)
has supremacy over state governments.
b)
shares power with state governments.
c)
follows the legislative lead of state governments.
d)
sets the standard that all states must follow.
62.
What type of power is used to build roads and bridges?
a)
Implied
b)
Inherent
c)
Reserved
d)
Concurrent
63.
The U.S. Constitution forbids states from -
a)
making treaties with other nations.
b)
organizing local governments.
c)
regulating business within their own borders.
d)
setting educational requirements.