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Worksheets12th Grade U.S. Government – Final Exam
Total questions: 120
Worksheet time: 3600secs
Which of the following is a basic purpose of government as outlined in the Preamble?
Establish political parties
Provide for the common defense
Guarantee equal income
Create state constitutions
A government in which citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf is called:
Direct democracy
Autocracy
Representative democracy
Confederation
What political philosopher argued that people have natural rights to “life, liberty, and property”?
Hobbes
Locke
Rousseau
Montesquieu
Which document first limited the power of the English monarch?
English Bill of Rights
Petition of Right
Magna Carta
Mayflower Compact
Under the Articles of Confederation, the national government:
Could tax states directly
Had a strong executive branch
Had no power to enforce laws
Controlled state militias
The principle that the government is restricted in what it may do is known as:
Limited government
Popular sovereignty
Federalism
Rule of law
The idea that power comes from the people is known as:
Judicial review
Republicanism
Popular sovereignty
Checks and balances
What resolved the issue of representation between large and small states?
3/5 Compromise
New Jersey Plan
Great Compromise
Virginia Plan
Which amendment guarantees freedom of speech, religion, and the press?
2nd
1st
10th
5th
Powers shared by both the state and federal governments are called:
Reserved powers
Delegated powers
Concurrent powers
Implied powers
Which clause establishes that federal law overrides state law?
Elastic Clause
Commerce Clause
Supremacy Clause
Full Faith and Credit Clause
The main job of the legislative branch is to:
Enforce laws
Interpret laws
Make laws
Evaluate laws
A term of office for a member of the House of Representatives is:
2 years
4 years
6 years
1 year
The Senate has the sole power to:
Declare war
Confirm presidential appointments
Impeach the president
Initiate spending bills
A bill must pass both houses of Congress in identical form before:
It becomes a law automatically
It is sent to the president
The Supreme Court reviews it
It goes to the states for approval
The president is elected to a term of:
2 years
4 years
6 years
8 years
Which role allows the president to direct the military?
Chief Citizen
Chief Diplomat
Commander in Chief
Chief Executive
The president’s cabinet is made up of:
State governors
Congressional leaders
Heads of executive departments
Federal judges
Which of the following is a constitutional requirement to be president?
At least 30 years old
Natural-born citizen
Previous political experience
Member of a political party
A presidential veto can be overridden by:
A majority vote in Congress
A 2/3 vote in each house
Approval by the Supreme Court
A national referendum
The main job of the judicial branch is to:
Enforce laws
Interpret laws
Make laws
Approve laws
The power of judicial review was established in:
McCulloch v. Maryland
Marbury v. Madison
Brown v. Board
Roe v. Wade
Federal judges are appointed by:
Congress
The people
The president
State governments
Federal judges serve:
10-year terms
Until the president replaces them
Life terms
20-year terms
The Supreme Court hears cases that usually involve:
Traffic law
State tax codes
Constitutional issues
Local ordinances
How many justices serve on the U.S. Supreme Court?
5
7
9
12
The principle of checks and balances ensures that:
The president controls Congress
Each branch can limit the others
State governments can override federal laws
Courts write and enforce laws
What is the highest law in the United States?
Acts of Congress
State constitutions
Executive orders
The U.S. Constitution
Which branch can declare laws unconstitutional?
Executive
Legislative
Judicial
State legislatures
Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress lacked a critical power. Which choice best identifies that weakness and how the Constitution addressed it?
Weakness: no power to tax; Fix: Constitution authorized Congress to levy taxes
Weakness: no federal courts; Fix: Constitution abolished the Supreme Court
Weakness: unlimited executive authority; Fix: Constitution eliminated the presidency
Weakness: excessive national army; Fix: Constitution banned standing forces
Identify one check the legislative branch has on the executive branch and one check the executive branch has on the legislative branch.
Legislative can override a veto; Executive can veto bills
Legislative can appoint cabinet secretaries; Executive can declare laws unconstitutional
Legislative can issue executive orders; Executive can ratify treaties alone
Legislative can command the military; Executive can pass statutes by proclamation
What is the significance of judicial review in the American legal system?
It allows courts to declare laws and executive actions unconstitutional, preserving the supremacy of the Constitution
It permits Congress to remove judges at will, ensuring popular control of the courts
It authorizes the president to rewrite statutes to fit constitutional requirements
It guarantees that state legislatures may nullify federal laws they oppose
Why is the system of checks and balances important for protecting democratic government?
It prevents any one branch from concentrating power by allowing each branch to limit the others
It ensures that the strongest branch controls policy without interference
It replaces elections by letting branches select each other’s members
It abolishes separation of powers so decisions can be made quickly
Choose the best evaluation of how the Constitution creates a balance of power among the three branches, with examples of how this balance has been tested.
The Constitution separates powers and embeds checks such as vetoes, overrides, confirmations, and judicial review; historical tests include conflicts over war powers and New Deal legislation
The Constitution centralizes all power in Congress and excludes the courts; history shows no significant conflicts among branches
The Constitution gives the president unilateral lawmaking authority; historical tests largely involved state courts controlling federal policy
The Constitution requires the Supreme Court to enforce every law without review; history shows that Congress cannot check the executive
The primary purpose of government, according to the Preamble, is to:
Promote political parties
Ensure domestic tranquility
Create military alliances
Limit voting rights
A system in which powers are divided between national and regional governments is:
Unitary
Federal
Confederate
Aristocratic
The social contract theory argues that government power comes from:
Divine right
Military control
Consent of the governed
Hereditary rule
A state must have four characteristics. Which is NOT one?
Territory
Sovereignty
Military alliance
Government
A republic is a form of government where:
Citizens vote on every issue
Representatives are elected
One leader has total power
Military rule is constant
The concept of rule of law means:
Leaders are above the law
Only Congress must follow the law
No one is above the law
States do not follow federal laws
“Worth of the individual” and “equality of all persons” are characteristics of:
Authoritarianism
Totalitarianism
Democracy
Monarchy
An economic system based on private ownership and free markets:
Socialism
Communism
Capitalism
Feudalism
The U.S. government is classified as all of the following EXCEPT:
Federal
Presidential
Parliamentary
Representative democracy
The idea that government should be limited is known as:
Total government
Limited government
Expansive government
Parliamentary government
A system where the executive is chosen by the legislature:
Presidential
Parliamentary
Dictatorship
Theocratic
The belief that the people are the source of government power:
Judicial review
Federalism
Popular sovereignty
Separation of powers
A confederate system of government:
Strengthens the central government
Gives most power to the states
Creates a strong executive branch
Is the same as federalism
A public policy is:
A lawsuit
A government decision or action
A political party platform
A rule passed by private citizens
The Magna Carta limited the power of:
Parliament
English monarchs
Colonists
Judges
“No taxation without representation” was a response to:
French and Indian War
British taxes on colonists
The Articles of Confederation
The U.S. Constitution
The Articles of Confederation created a government that:
Had a strong national government
Had a weak central government
Included a president
Could draft soldiers
The Shays’ Rebellion showed that:
The states were too powerful
The Articles were too strong
A stronger central government was needed
Congress was too powerful
The Constitutional Convention was held in:
Boston
Philadelphia
New York City
Washington, D.C.
The Virginia Plan favored:
Small states
Equal representation
Large states
No representation
The New Jersey Plan favored:
Large states
Proportional representation
Small states
No national government
The Great Compromise created:
One-house legislature
A king
A two-house Congress
No representation for states
The 3/5 Compromise concerned:
Voting rights
Representation and taxation
Immigration
Judicial appointments
Supporters of the Constitution were called:
Anti-Federalists
Federalists
Loyalists
Nationalists
The Anti-Federalists demanded:
A monarchy
A Bill of Rights
No amendments
No Congress
The Constitution begins with the words:
“In Congress assembled”
“We the People”
“Four score and seven years ago”
“When in the course of human events”
The main idea of separation of powers is to:
Make government more efficient
Prevent abuses of power
Elect judges
Expand executive power
The Elastic Clause allows Congress to:
Amend the Constitution
Stretch its powers
Control the Supreme Court
Remove the president
The Bill of Rights is made up of the first:
5 amendments
10 amendments
15 amendments
20 amendments
The First Amendment protects all of the following EXCEPT:
Speech
Religion
Privacy
Press
The right to remain silent is protected by the:
8th Amendment
3rd Amendment
5th Amendment
1st Amendment
The Supreme Law of the Land is the:
Declaration of Independence
Bill of Rights
U.S. Constitution
Articles of Confederation
The amendment process requires:
1/2 of states
2/3 of Congress, 3/4 of states
3/4 of Congress, 1/2 of states
The president's signature
Powers written directly in the Constitution are:
Reserved powers
Implied powers
Expressed powers
Concurrent powers
The power to declare war belongs to:
The president
Congress
Supreme Court
State legislatures
The Constitution created a system of:
Total government
Judicial dictatorship
Checks and balances
Unitary rule
The Supremacy Clause means:
States can override Congress
Federal law is above state law
The president controls courts
Governors control the military
The Full Faith and Credit Clause deals with:
Interstate respect of legal documents
Federal judges
Military alliances
Taxation
The 10th Amendment deals with:
Free speech
Voting rights
State powers
Taxes
The preamble lists the:
Rights of citizens
Goals of government
Duties of the courts
Steps for amendments
Which principle states that the government must follow the law?
Limited government
Federalism
Popular sovereignty
Judicial review
Federalism divides power:
Between Congress and courts
Between national and state governments
Between citizens and government
Within the courts
Powers only given to the federal government are:
Concurrent
Reserved
Exclusive
Denied
A shared power is:
Making treaties
Taxation
Coining money
Declaring war
The Necessary and Proper Clause expands:
State power
Judicial power
Congressional power
Presidential power
A requirement by the federal government that states must follow is a:
Mandate
Veto
Filibuster
Resolution
Federal aid with conditions attached is a:
Categorical grant
Block grant
Tax incentive
Congressional bill
Extradition means:
Returning criminals to another state
Expelling foreign diplomats
Deporting non-citizens
Paying federal taxes
States must honor public acts of other states under:
Commerce Clause
Full Faith and Credit Clause
Supremacy Clause
Elastic Clause
Reserved powers belong to:
The people only
The federal government
The states
The Supreme Court
Local governments get their power from:
Congress
State governments
Courts
The Constitution
The main job of Congress is to:
Enforce laws
Make laws
Interpret laws
Judge cases
Congress is:
Unicameral
Bicameral
Non-elected
Appointed
Members of the House serve:
2-year terms
4-year terms
6-year terms
Life terms
Members of the Senate serve:
2-year terms
4-year terms
6-year terms
Life terms
The House is based on:
Equal representation
Population
The Senate has:
50 members
100 members
200 members
150 members
The Speaker of the House is:
Appointed by the president
Elected by the House
Selected by the Supreme Court
Elected by the Senate
The Senate’s presiding officer is:
Chief Justice
Vice President
Secretary of State
Senate Speaker
A filibuster is used to:
Speed up voting
Delay a vote
End a veto
Increase taxes
A committee that resolves differences between House and Senate bills:
Standing committee
Conference committee
Select committee
Joint committee
Tax bills must start in:
Senate
House
Supreme Court
Executive branch
Impeachment charges start in the:
Senate
House
Supreme Court
States
The Senate conducts:
Investigations
Impeachment trials
Elections
Judicial review
Cloture ends a:
Veto
Filibuster
Debate in the House
Committee meeting
A bill that is not signed for 10 days and Congress is not in session is:
Law
Pocket vetoed
Overridden
Tabled
The main job of the president is to:
Make laws
Interpret laws
Enforce laws
Judge cases
The president serves:
2-year terms
4-year terms
6-year terms
Life terms
To be president, a person must be:
25 years old
Natural-born citizen
Resident for 5 years
Former governor
The president leads the military as:
Chief Diplomat
Chief Citizen
Commander in Chief
Chief of Staff
The president makes agreements with other nations known as:
Treaties
Orders
Resolutions
Mandates
The Cabinet is made up of:
Supreme Court judges
Heads of executive departments
Congress members
Governors
The executive order is a power that allows the president to:
Reject laws
Enforce rules without Congress
The State of the Union address is:
Required by the Constitution
Optional
Only for judges
Only for governors
Presidential vetoes can be overridden by:
1/2 of Congress
3/4 of Congress
2/3 of each house
The Supreme Court
The 22nd Amendment limits the president to:
One term
Two terms
Four terms
Unlimited terms
The main job of the judicial branch is to:
Make laws
Enforce laws
Interpret laws
Amend laws
The highest court in the U.S. is the:
Court of Appeals
District Court
Supreme Court
Military Court
Judicial review allows the court to:
Make laws
Declare laws unconstitutional
Appoint judges
Veto laws
Judicial review was established in:
Brown v. Board
Gideon v. Wainwright
Marbury v. Madison
Roe v. Wade
Federal judges are appointed by:
Congress
President
States
Citizens
Federal judges serve:
Life terms
6-year terms
10-year terms
Until replaced
The Supreme Court has:
5 justices
7 justices
9 justices
11 justices
Most cases reach the Supreme Court through:
Original jurisdiction
Writ of certiorari
Executive appeal
Congressional referral
A dissenting opinion is written by:
The majority
The losing side
Congress
The president
A precedent is:
A suggested law
A previous court ruling
A constitutional amendment
A presidential order
