U.S. Government Pre-Test Questions

Question 1 In what year was the Constitution written ?

Answer

Question 2 What are the first ten amendments to the Constitution called?

Answer 2 The Bill of Rights

Question 3 Who was the author of the Declaration of Independence?

Answer 3 Thomas Jefferson

Question 4 What was the name of the document that served as the nation’s constitution following the Revolutionary War?

Answer 4 The Articles of Confederation

Question 5 Who is considered the father of the U.S. Constitution?

Answer 5 James Madison

Question 6 What is the Constitutional concept that distributes powers among the branches of government?

Answer 6 Separation of Powers

Question 7 What is the name of the system that gives each branch of government power over the other branches?

Answer 7 Checks and Balances

Question 8 Name the three branches of the national government.

Answer 8 Legislative, Executive, Judicial

Question 9 What is the name given to the famous papers written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay that argued for ratification of the U.S. Constitution?

Answer 9 The Federalist Papers

Question 10 How many women are currently on the U.S. Supreme Court?

Answer 10 Three ◦ Ruth Bader Ginsburg ◦ Sonia Sotomayor ◦ Elena Kagan

Question 11 What group of people elect the U.S. President?

Answer 11 The electoral college

Question 12 In an election, what is the person who already holds an office called?

Answer 12 The incumbent

Question 13 Who is currently Speaker of the U.S. House?

Answer 13 John Boehner

Question 14 How many Senators sit in the U.S. Senate?

Answer

Question 15 What is the name for a prolonged debate in the U.S. Senate that is designed to kill a bill?

Answer 15 Filibuster

Question 16 How many African-Americans have ever served on the Supreme Court?

Answer 16 Two ◦ Thurgood Marshall ◦ Clarence Thomas

Question 17 How long is the term for a supreme court justice?

Answer 17 Life (unless impeached)

Question 18 How many terms can a U.S. President serve?

Answer 18 Two

Question 19 Name two cabinet departments.

Answer 19 State Treasury Defense Justice Interior Agriculture Commerce Labor Health and Human Services Housing and Urban Development Transportation Energy Education Veterans Affairs Homeland Security

Question 20 Who is the current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?

Answer 20 Justice John Roberts