NOTE: THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS. IT WILL BE COMPLETED SOON

1. What is the supreme law of the United States?
a. the Declaration of Independence
b. the U.S. Constitution*
c. the Magna Carta
d. all of the above

2. Which of the following does the U.S. Constitution NOT do?
a. set up the government
b. define the government
c. proclaim political philosophy*
d. protect basic rights of Americans

3. Which of the following phrases contains the idea of self-government and is found in the beginning of the Constitution?
a. We the People
b. Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
c. A new birth of freedom
d. We hold these truths to be self-evident

4. A change or addition to the Constitution is called:
a. an amendment
b. a compromise
c. an executive order
d. a judicial decision

5. What do we call the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution?
a. the Articles of Confederation
b. the Bill of Rights
c. the Judiciary Acts
d. the Declaration of Independence

6. Which of the following is not a right or freedom protected by the First Amendment?
a. religion
b. trial by jury
c. assembly
d. press

7. How many amendments does the Constitution have?
a. 10
b. 27
c. 50
d. 435

8. Which of the following did the Declaration of Independence NOT do?
a. announced American independence from Great Britain
b. provided justifications for American independence from Great Britain
c. proclaimed that the purpose of government is to secure the natural rights of the people
d. identified the separation of powers as a key characteristic of good government

9. Which of the following is NOT a right identified in the Declaration of Independence?
a. the pursuit of happiness
b. liberty
c. life
d. equality

10. Freedom of religion means:
a. you can practice any religion
b. you can choose not to practice religion
c. all of the above
d. none of the above

11. Which of the following best describes the economic system in the U.S.?
a. managed economy
b. socialist economy
c. capitalist economy
d. barter economy

12. The principle that no one, including government officials, is above the law is known as:
a. the supremacy doctrine
b. common law
c. due process of law
d. the rule of law

13. Which of the following is NOT one of the three branches of the national government?
a. legislative
b. bureaucratic
c. executive
d. judicial

14. Which of the following stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
a. checks and balances
b. the Bill of Rights
c. federalism
d. the privileges and immunities clause

15. Who is in charge of the executive branch?
a. Congress
b. The President
c. The Supreme Court
d. The Speaker of the House

16. What does Congress do?
a. makes federal laws
b. enforces the the laws
c. decides disputes over the application of the laws
d. manages the legal systems of the states

17. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
a. the House of Commons and House of Lords
b. the Senate and House of Representatives
c. the Electoral College and National Assembly
d. Parliament and the Legislature

18. How many U.S. Senators are there?
a. 50
b. 100
c. 200
d. 400

19. How long is a U.S. Senator's term in office?
a. 2 years
b. 4 years
c. 6 years
d. 8 years

20. Who are the U.S. Senators from California?
a. Nanci Pelosi and Harry Reid
b. Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein
c. Bob Barr and Ralph Nader
d. Arlen Spector and Barny Frank

21. How many voting members does the House of Representatives have?
a. 345
b. 375
c. 415
d. 435     

22. How long is a U.S. Representative's term?
a. two years
b. three years
c. four years
c. six years

23. Who is the U.S. Representative for Azusa, California?
a. Hilda Solis
b. Nanci Pelosi
c. Matthew Martinez
d. Antonio Villlaraigosa

24. Who does a U.S. Senator represent?
a. all Americans
b. those who voted for him or her
c. all people of the state he or she was elected from
d. the Governor and Legislature of the State he or she is from

25. Why do some states have more Representatives than others?
a. because they have larger populations
b. because they were one of the original thirteen colonies
c. because they have been states longer
d. because they have more money

26. How long is a President's term in office?
a. two years
b. four years
c. six years
d. eight years

27. In what month do we vote for President?
a. October
b. November
c. December
d. January
 
28.  What is the name of the President of the United States now?
a. Bill Clinton
b. Barack Obama
c. Jedediah Bartlett
d. George W. Bush

29. What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?
a. Dick Cheney
b. Dan Quayle
c. Al Gore
d. Joe Biden

30. If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
a. the Vice President
b. the Secretary of State
c. the Speaker of the House
d. the Attorney General

31.  If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
a. the Prime Minister
b. the Secretary of State
c. the Speaker of the House
d. the Attorney General

32.  Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?
a. the Secretary of Defense
b. the President
c. the Speaker of the House
d. the Attorney General

33. Who signs bills to become laws?
a. the Speaker of the House
b. the President
c. the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
d. the National Clerk

34.  Who vetoes bills?
a. the Speaker of the House
b. the President
c. the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
d. the National Clerk

35.  What does the President’s Cabinet do?
a. advises the President
b. vetoes bills
c. votes on presidential policies
d. sets the foreign policy agenda

36.  Which of the following is NOT a Cabinet-level positions?
a. Secretary of Agriculture
b. Secretary of Commerce
c. Secretary of the Interior
d. Secretary of Technology

37.  Which of the following does the judicial branch NOT do?
a. reviews laws
b. resolves disputes
c. explains laws
d. makes laws

38.  What is the highest court in the United States?
a. the District Court
b. the Court of Appeals
c. the Supreme Court
d. the Executive Court

39.  How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
a. nine
b. eleven
c. thirteen
d. fifteen

40.  Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
a. William Rehnquist
b. John Roberts
c. Earl Warren
d. John Marshall

41.   Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government.  Which of the following is NOT a power of the federal government?
a. to print money
b. to declare war
c. to create an army
d. to create a public school system

42. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states.  Which of the following is NOT a power of the states?
 a. regulate interstate trade
 b. provide protection (police)
 c. provide safety (fire departments)
 d. give a driver’s license

43.  Who is the Governor of California?
a. Gray Davis
b. Arnold Schwarzenegger
c. Joe Biden
d. Jon Stewart

44.  What is the capital of California?
a. San Fransisco
b. Fresno
c. Sacramento
d. Davis

45.  What are the two major political parties in the United States?
a. Democratic and Republican
b. Libertarian and Green
c. Conservative Right and Liberal Left
d. Federalists and Democratic-Republicans

46.  What is the political party of the President now?
a. Republican
b. Democrat
c. Libertarian
d. Independent

47.  What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
a. Harry Reid
b. Joe Biden
c. Newt Gingrich
d. Nanci Pelosi

48.  There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote.  Which of the following is NOT one of them?
a. Citizens eighteen (18) and older (can vote).
b. You don’t have to pay (a poll tax) to vote.
c. Any citizen can vote.  (Women and men can vote.)
d. Non-citizen, legal residents can vote.

49.  Which of the following is a responsibility that is only for United States citizens?
a. serve on a jury
b. vote in a federal election
c. all of the above
d. none of the above

50. Only United States citizens have the right to:
a. vote in a federal election
b. run for federal office
c. all of the above
d. none of the above