Benchmark 1 American Government Practice Test

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• In a unitary system, where is most political power held?
• What is a presidential veto and how can it be overridden?
• What system gives national, state, and local governments separate and shared powers?
• Which amendment prohibits Cruel and Unusual Punishment?
• Added to the Constitution to protect individual freedoms is called?
• Name the principle that limits governmental powers to those granted by the people and the Constitution.
• Which amendments expanded suffrage to African Americans, women, and 18-year-olds respectively?
• Which statement best describes treaty making with the United States?
• Which of the following is NOT a goal listed in the Preamble?
• Which term describes the body that reviews and interprets laws for constitutionality?
• What is the purpose of political action committees (PACs)?
• What is the difference between a standing committee and a select committee?
• Free Exercise Clause protects individuals' rights to practice religion freely without what?
• Which is an example of a delegated (expressed) power?
• In a confederal system, which level holds most authority?
• Which clause allows Congress to make all laws necessary to carry out its expressed powers?
• What is the "iron triangle" in U.S. government?
• Which group of documents — Magna Carta, Petition of Rights, and English Bill of Rights — influenced the U.S. Constitution?
• Which branch includes the President who has the power to enforce or veto laws?
• Which amendment guaranteed due process and equal protection?
• Which amendment provides rights to a grand jury, indictment, no double jeopardy, freedom from self-incrimination, due process of law?
• Which clause empowers Congress to make laws necessary to carry out its enumerated powers?
• Which description best captures the primary function of the legislative branch?
• Establishment Clause prohibits the government from doing what?
• In the Executive Branch, who has the power to enforce laws, sign treaties with other nations, and make war?
• How many electoral votes are required to win the presidency?
• Which plan proposed representation based on equal representation for each state?
• Which statement about the U.S. Senate is true?
• What is the difference between a bill and a law?
• If the President vetoes a bill, how can Congress still pass it?
• How many total electors are there in the Electoral College?
• What is one of Congress's roles in the federal budget process?
• Which term describes a system where both national and state governments have power?
• Which amendment protects freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition?
• Which amendment prohibits housing soldiers in private homes during peacetime?
• Which reform reduced corruption in government jobs by replacing the spoils system with merit-based hiring?
• Which statement best describes the United States' form of democracy?
• Outline the basic steps for how a bill becomes a law.
• Which branch includes the House and Senate, which have the power to make and fund laws?
• Gideon v. Wainwright guaranteed what for defendants who cannot afford counsel?
• What is the difference between de jure segregation and de facto segregation?
• Which body has the sole power to declare war?
• The Great Compromise helped resolve debates between large and small states by creating which structure?
• How is a constitutional amendment ratified?
• What is the Electoral College and how many votes are needed to win?
• Which amendment mentions powers reserved to the states?
• Which power allows the President to reject laws?
• Which clause is commonly referred to as the Elastic Clause?
• Believed the Constitution was necessary to create a federal government.
• The Fourteenth Amendment extends due process and equal protection to state governments.
• Which concept allows courts to declare laws unconstitutional?
• Which of the following is NOT considered a standard characteristic of a state?
• In a federal system, can power be shared between national and state governments?
• What are the typical term lengths for a U.S. Senator and a U.S. Representative?
• Which stage of the public policy process involves selecting among policy options and designing solutions?
• Which power type is held by the federal government and explicitly listed in the Constitution?
• Which document served as the first framework for the U.S. national government before the Constitution?
• What term describes trade between states?
• The process by which an amendment is proposed by two-thirds of both houses of Congress and ratified by three-fourths of the states is known as the
• Which branch carries out the laws?
• Which amendment guarantees due process and equal protection of laws for citizens?
• What is the purpose of the Necessary and Proper Clause?
• What is gerrymandering?
• What is due process?
• The Necessary and Proper Clause is commonly used to justify which concept?
• A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments is called?
• Which amendment extended voting rights to women?
• What principle asserts that government derives its power from the consent of the governed?
• The term for a legislature with only one chamber is
• Which factor contributes to incumbency advantage?
• What does it mean that the U.S. Congress is bicameral?
• What is the primary purpose of the policy adoption/legislation stage?
• Reserved powers of the states refer to powers not delegated to the federal government. Which option best describes this?
• Which collection of early English documents influenced the U.S. Constitution?
• What is the power of the Supreme Court to declare laws and actions unconstitutional called?
• McCulloch v. Maryland established which principle?
• What is the primary role of the judicial branch?
• Which body has the constitutional responsibility to impeach federal officials?
• Interstate Commerce refers to which of the following?
• Limited government is the principle that governmental powers are constrained by which sources?
• The division of power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches is called what?
• What role do political parties play in government?
• Which clause allows Congress to stretch its powers to meet unforeseen needs?
• What is the purpose of impeachment?
• What is the primary function of Congress?
• Which amendments address voting rights, including extending suffrage to historically excluded groups?
• What power allows Congress to overturn a President's veto with 2/3 approval?
• Which is NOT a standard of review used in equal protection analysis?
• What does the Supreme Court do to laws?
• What role does the mass media play in a democracy?
• Which of the following is not typically part of the iron triangle?
• What is the purpose of the Bill of Rights?
• Which body has the power to declare war?
• What does Congress do to laws?
• Which statement about the Senate's representation is true?
• How does a bill become a law, step by step?
• Which compromise combined parts of the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan regarding representation?
• What document is the United States' supreme law?
• Which amendment guarantees the right to a jury trial in civil cases when you are being sued over $20?
• What is the War Powers Act of 1973 intended to do?
• What type of democracy does the United States primarily employ?
• Which constitutional principle prevents any one branch from becoming too powerful?
• Brown v. Board of Education held that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional because it violated what?
• What is the primary role of the federal bureaucracy?
• Name a landmark case that ended segregated public schools as unconstitutional.
• Which amendment guarantees the right to a speedy and public trial, and to have an attorney?
• Which case establishes the Supreme Court's power of Judicial Review?
• Which amendment protects citizens against unreasonable searches or seizures?
• What is federalism?
• How is a constitutional amendment proposed?
• Which clause gives Congress the authority to regulate commerce among states and with other nations?
• A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power?
• Which branch interprets the laws?
• Which powers are specifically granted to the federal government to operate in areas like war, currency, and interstate commerce?
• What is the primary purpose of the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution?
• Which two routes are available for ratifying a constitutional amendment?
• Which group argued for a strong central government and supported ratification of the Constitution?
• Which plan proposed representation based on population?
• Incorporation doctrine refers to applying which part of the Bill of Rights to the states via the Fourteenth Amendment?
• Which official holds the power to veto legislation?
• Which amendment guarantees a speedy and public trial, and the right to an attorney?
• The term for a two-house legislature is
• Which constitutional clause establishes that federal law takes precedence over state law when there is a conflict?
• Which branch is associated with 'Carries out the laws'?
• What does the Fourth Amendment protect?
• What best describes the Connecticut Compromise?
• In 1787, the Continental Congress replaced the Articles of Confederation with a strong federal government capable of enforcing the rule of law in every state. What is the name of this document?
• In 1777, the Continental Congress established a weak federal government in favor of strong state governments. What was the name of this document?
• Which document replaced the Articles of Confederation and created a stronger central government?
• Which document includes protections for individual freedoms?
• What is federalism?
• How many voting members are in the Senate and in the House of Representatives respectively?
• Civil liberties vs civil rights: Which protects individuals from government infringement of fundamental freedoms?
• Which institution is the primary interpreter of federal law?
• What is the Electoral College?
• What is judicial review and which case established it?
• Which clause is commonly cited as allowing implied powers for Congress?
• What does consent of the governed mean?
• Which body confirms presidential appointments to the federal judiciary and executive agencies?
• Which group insisted on a Bill of Rights to protect individual liberties?
• How would you summarize the President's role in foreign policy as Chief Executive and Chief Diplomat?
• What does checks and balances entail?
• What is judicial review and which case established it?
• What is the meaning of the rule of law?
• Which sets of tests are used to determine constitutionality under equal protection?
• What must happen for a treaty to become legally binding in the United States?
• What is incumbency advantage?
• Name two Senate powers that check the President.
• In 1787 ten amendments were added to the Constitution to protect specific rights. What is the name of this document?
• What is the difference between expressed powers and implied powers?
• The clause commonly referred to as the Elastic Clause is found in which part of the Constitution?
• How many Senators are in the U.S. Senate per state and what is the basis of Senate representation?
• The Supremacy Clause is located in which article of the Constitution?
• What is the President's role as Chief Diplomat?
• What was the primary purpose of the Great Compromise?
• Shays' Rebellion is best described as which of the following?
• What does the Supremacy Clause establish?
• De facto segregation is best described as which of the following?
• What is the term for power derived from the people that justifies a government's authority?
• Two common ways citizens can participate in governance?
• Which term describes powers that are shared by both federal and state governments?
• Which amendment forbade voting discrimination based on race?
• Which branch of government is primarily responsible for making laws?
• Direct Democracy is best described as which of the following?
• Which branch has the power to fund government?
• What is a veto and how can it be overridden?
• How is the number of members in the U.S. House of Representatives determined, and what is the total voting membership?
• Which constitutional clause is primarily associated with preventing states from denying individuals equal protection of the laws?
• What kind of government is ruled by society's majority group who has authority over minority groups?
• What rights are protected by the First Amendment?
• Under the War Powers Act, the President must notify Congress after deploying forces within how many hours?
• What is a purpose of government as stated in the Preamble to the Constitution?
• Which event demonstrated the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and spurred calls for a stronger central government?
• Which statement best describes the legislative branch's primary function?
• Which amendment protects the right to bear arms?
• What system divides power between the President, Congress, and the Supreme Court?
• Which two chambers comprise the United States Congress?
• Name two ways Congress checks the Executive.
• Favored the Articles of Confederation because they feared the Constitution would give the federal government too much power, and create a Monarchy. Signed on to the Constitution after insisting on Bill of Rights.
• What is the role of PACs in elections?
• Which option best describes the essential characteristics of a state?
• What is incorporation in constitutional law?
• Which rights are protected by the First Amendment?
• Where is the Necessary and Proper Clause found, and what does it authorize?
• In the Legislative Branch, who has the power to create laws, fund government, impeach officials, and declare war?
• What paradigm does the Constitution represent with the words 'We the People'?
• Which branch makes the laws?
• Which of the following statements best describes the House of Representatives?
• Which two bodies make up the U.S. Congress?
• Which amendment is associated with the freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition?
• What is the purpose of interest groups?
• Which amendment abolished slavery?
• What does bicameral mean and why does the U.S. Congress have two chambers?
• In the lawmaking process, when is a conference committee typically formed?
• Which category of powers includes declaring war, coining money, regulating interstate trade?
• Which description highlights weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, including the lack of an executive and judicial branch and the inability to tax or regulate trade?
• Under the War Powers Act, deployments without Congressional authorization are limited to how many days?
• What fraction of state legislatures is required to ratify constitutional amendments?
• Which body confirms presidential appointments and ratifies treaties?
• What are the two primary duties of the legislature in the policymaking process?
• What does the President do to laws?
• Which amendment imposes term limits on the presidency?
• What powers does the President have in foreign policy?
• What power allows the Supreme Court to declare both Congressional and Presidential actions unconstitutional?
• What is the significance of the Fourteenth Amendment today?
• Which amendment protects against unreasonable searches and seizures?
• Which type of power are those that the Constitution explicitly lists?
• Which constitutional clause is associated with preventing the federal government from unilaterally exerting religious preferences at the national level?
• Which statement best describes civil rights protections?
• The 3/5 Compromise determined how slaves would be counted for representation and taxation
• Which amendment ensures due process of law and includes protections against self-incrimination and double jeopardy?
• Which of the following lists the four essential characteristics of a state or nation?
• Under the Great Compromise, how is representation allocated between the Senate and the House?
• Which statement best describes the iron triangle's composition?
• Which principle is most closely associated with the idea that political authority derives from the people?
• Which principle is primarily addressed by the Fourteenth Amendment?
• The Stamp Tax was a colonial tax on what kind of materials?
• Differentiate unitary, confederate, and federal systems.
• Distinguish civil liberties from civil rights.
• The rejection of a bill by the President is called?
• What does the Commerce Clause authorize Congress to do?
• To override a presidential veto, what majority is required in both houses?
• Which amendment provides protection against self-incrimination, grand jury rights, and due process?
• How does a republic differ from a direct democracy?
• In most states, how are electoral votes allocated?
• What protections does the Sixth Amendment guarantee?
• Which concept means that protections in the Bill of Rights apply to state governments through the Fourteenth Amendment?
• Which form of democracy involves decisions made by a representative elected by the people based on shared viewpoints?
• In the Judicial Branch, who has the power to determine if Congressional laws and Presidential actions follow the Constitution?
• What is popular sovereignty?
• Which branch includes the Supreme Court, which has the power to review and interpret laws?
• Which colonial document helped prepare Americans for self-government and influenced the later Constitution?
• Which term describes national, state, and local governments sharing power?
• What is the difference between enumerated (expressed) powers and implied powers?
• Which body interprets and reviews laws for constitutionality?
• The term 'elastic clause' is another name for which constitutional power?
• Which concept describes shared powers between national and state governments with federal authority in certain areas?
• Which clause provides the basis for implied powers by allowing Congress to enact laws not explicitly stated?
• What protections does the Fifth Amendment provide in criminal proceedings?
• Which branch is primarily responsible for interpreting the Constitution and protecting constitutional rights?