WorksheetsG10, 2023-24 Civics Exam
Total questions: 49
Worksheet time: 25mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
The original concept of citizenship to a state and rights for citizens began in -
a)
America
b)
Ancient Greece and Rome
c)
Ancient China
d)
Medieval Europe
2.
When U.S. citizens elect members of Congress, they are practicing:
a)
Direct democracy
b)
Representative democracy
c)
Monarchy
d)
Totalitarianism
e)
3.
Which of the following is a form of democracy?
a)
Totalitarianism
b)
Dictatorship
c)
Absolute monarchy
d)
Constitutional monarchy
4.
Which level of United States government holds the highest authority?
a)
local
b)
state
c)
regional
d)
federal
5.
What do an absolute monarchy and an autocracy have in common?
a)
a single ruler
b)
a written constitution
c)
a national court system
d)
a single legislative body
6.
The Mayflower Compact was a –
a)
letter that the colonists sent to King George III.
b)
pamphlet written by Thomas Paine.
c)
document that limited the power of the monarchy.
d)
written plan for government.
7.
In the Declaration of Independence, the colonists -
a)
stated their rights as citizens of this new country.
b)
bargained with King George.
c)
wrote out the plan for a three-branched government
d)
listed grievances against King George
8.
What was the purpose of listing complaints against the King in the Declaration of Independence?
a)
to demonstrate the need for a new king
b)
to justify the need for independence
c)
to persuade the king to fix those problems
d)
to prove that colonists needed a role in the British government
e)
Option 6
9.
Which of the following most inspired the writing of Jefferson, where he states, " We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, ...."?
a)
Common law
b)
Triangular trade
c)
French and Indian War
d)
Enlightenment
10.
The Constitution became the supreme law of our country when...
a)
nine states ratified it.
b)
a bill of rights was added.
c)
delegates signed it.
d)
the Supreme Court approved it.
11.
The original purpose of the Constitutional Convention was to –
a)
review and ratify the constitutions of individual states.
b)
draft a national bill of rights.
c)
revise the Articles of Confederation.
d)
prepare an agreement to limit excessive taxing by the states.
12.
Which provision of the Constitution resolves conflicts between state and federal laws?
a)
supremacy clause
b)
Bill of Rights
c)
necessary and proper clause
d)
concurrent powers clause
13.
A proposed amendment to the Constitution becomes law when it is ratified by...
a)
the Supreme Court.
b)
three-fourths of the states.
c)
a national election.
d)
the U.S. House and Senate.
14.
The Constitution describes Congress as the...
a)
legislative branch.
b)
judicial branch.
c)
arm of the president.
d)
defender of civil rights.
15.
A system of checks and balances allows the executive branch to –
a)
veto laws.
b)
refuse to approve treaties.
c)
impeach judges.
d)
declare laws unconstitutional.
16.
What power is granted only to the federal government?
a)
collecting taxes
b)
enforcing laws
c)
declaring war
d)
regulating trade within a state
17.
What power is granted only to the state governments?
a)
the power to coin money
b)
the power to establish courts
c)
the power to establish local governments
d)
the power to borrow money
18.
True or False: Borrowing money is a power of both the federal and state governments.
a)
True
b)
False
19.
Which action is protected by the First Amendment?
a)
censoring news when public safety is at stake
b)
using a blog to criticize government policy
c)
requiring citizens to register before voting in elections
d)
banning objectionable materials, such as newspapers or magazines
20.
The 9th Amendment states that rights not listed in the Constitution are:
a)
forfeited.
b)
subject to change.
c)
protected.
d)
suspended during wars.
21.
The 14th and 15th Amendments were written and ratified because -
a)
the 13th Amendment ended slavery, but discrimination continued.
b)
the 13th Amendment had gone too far in supporting “Jim Crow laws.”
c)
African American soldiers had not been paid for their military service.
22.
One way in which the Bill of Rights secures fair, legal treatment for citizens is by protecting them from...
a)
bail.
b)
double jeopardy.
c)
speedy trials.
d)
grand juries.
23.
The rights to have a trial by jury and to call witnesses in one’s defense are examples of:
a)
affirmative action.
b)
constitutional reforms from the 1900s.
c)
13th Amendment freedoms.
d)
due process.
24.
Which event helped promote interest in an amendment that would lower the voting age to 18?
a)
civil rights movement
b)
Vietnam War
c)
Civil War
d)
desegregation of the military
25.
Which came first in American history?
a)
voting rights for black men
b)
voting rights for women
c)
voting rights for 18-20 year olds
d)
26.
The Nineteenth Amendment of the year 1920 granted suffrage to which of the following groups?
a)
teenagers
b)
African Americans
c)
Hispanic Americans
d)
women
27.
Congress is bicameral because the framers:
a)
thought the legislative branch needed 3 houses
b)
intended to make it the most powerful branch of the government.
c)
sought a compromise on the issue of state representation in Congress.
d)
believed that 535 members would be too many.
28.
The "necessary and proper" clause of the Constitution allows Congress to...
a)
regulate trade between states.
b)
tax U.S. citizens in times of economic crisis.
c)
stretch its powers to meet new needs.
d)
make temporary treaties with foreign countries.
29.
Congress cannot...
a)
impeach judges.
b)
monitor the executive branch.
c)
control interstate commerce.
d)
favor one state over another.
30.
Where do bills go if the versions passed by the House and Senate differ?
a)
Standing Committee
b)
Conference Committee
c)
Subcomittee
d)
The Cabinet
31.
Congress gets its lawmaking powers from the -
a)
president.
b)
Constitution.
c)
Courts.
d)
states.
32.
Which of the following is a part of the lawmaking process?
a)
checking the power of the president
b)
debating bills on the floor of Congress
c)
approving presidential appointments
d)
performing casework
33.
After being introduced on the floor, a bill moves to -
a)
floor debate.
b)
a standing committee.
c)
a roll-call vote.
d)
the president’s desk.
34.
What Congressional power most directly involves our currency?
a)
establish the post office
b)
regulate commerce
c)
coin money
d)
declare war
35.
The expressed power that helps Congress manage the federal budget is the power to -
a)
coin money.
b)
organize the military.
c)
borrow money.
d)
declare war.
36.
A 28-year old could be elected ...
a)
Option 1
b)
to the House or the Senate.
c)
only to the House of Representatives.
d)
only to the Senate.
e)
to neither house of Congress.
37.
How often are Senators up for re-election?
a)
every six years
b)
every four years
c)
every two years
d)
every year
38.
Presidential appointees to head cabinet departments and other top government offices must be approved by
a)
the vice president.
b)
Congress.
c)
the Supreme Court.
d)
the Senate.
39.
The core group of advisors for the President is the -
a)
Cabinet.
b)
White House Office.
c)
National Security Council.
d)
Office of Administration.
40.
ho has the power to cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate?
a)
Vice President
b)
Secretary of State
c)
Speaker of the House
d)
Attorney General
41.
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
42.
The job of an Appeals Court is to...
a)
review decisions made in 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.
43.
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.
44.
Which of the following correctly describes the composition of the U.S. Supreme Court?
a)
five associate justices
b)
four 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
45.
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.
46.
Which part of the Constitution states that the laws Congress makes shall be the “supreme law of the land”?
a)
the Preamble
b)
Article I
c)
the Fourteenth Amendment
d)
Article VI
47.
Which of the following powers is a concurrent power?
a)
the power to impose taxes
b)
the power to make marriage laws
c)
the power to regulate education
d)
the power to hold elections
48.
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.
49.
The current President and Vice President of the United States are:
a)
Bush, Cheney
b)
Reagan, Bush
c)
Biden/Harris
d)
Trump/Pence
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