GOV FINAL CIT TEST

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GOV FINAL CIT TEST

Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

Name one right only for United States citizens.

a.	freedom of speech	c.	attend public school
b.	run for federal office	d.	freedom of religion

We elect a President for how many years?

a.	four (4)	c.	six (6)
b.	two (2)	d.	eight (8)

What major event happened on September 11, 2001, in the United States?

a.	Terrorists attacked the United States	c.	An accident at Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant occured
b.	Hurricane Andrew struck the United States	d.	The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?

a.	April 15	c.	March 15
b.	May 15	d.	July 4

During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?

a.	Communism	c.	the Great Depression
b.	slavery	d.	climate change

What is one reason colonists came to America?

a.	to join a civic group	c.	for the experience traveling across the ocean
b.	none of these answers	d.	freedom

What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?

a.	obey the law	c.	be respectful of others
b.	serve on a jury	d.	pay taxes

Who is known as the “Father of Our Country”?

a.	George Washington	c.	Ben Franklin
b.	Abraham Lincoln	d.	John Adams

If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?

a.	the Vice President	c.	the President Pro Tempore
b.	the Secretary of State	d.	the Speaker of the House

10.

When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?

a.	July 4, 1776	c.	December 7, 1787
b.	July 4, 1789	d.	March 4, 1789

11.

There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.

a.	Citizens seventeen (17) and older can vote.	c.	Citizens eighteen (18) and older can vote
b.	Citizens by birth only can vote.	d.	Only citizens with a job can vote.

12.

What does the judicial branch do?

a.	reviews laws	c.	all of these answers
b.	decides if a law goes against the Constitution	d.	resolves disputes

13.

When do we celebrate Independence Day?

a.	June 30	c.	January 1
b.	March 4	d.	July 4

14.

What is an amendment?

a.	the Preamble to the Constitution	c.	a change (to the Constitution)
b.	an introduction	d.	the beginning of the Declaration of Independence

15.

Which of the following occured first chronologically?

a.	the Spanish-American War	c.	World War I
b.	the Cold War	d.	the Civil War

16.

Who makes federal laws?

a.	the President	c.	the states
b.	the Supreme Court	d.	Congress

17.

What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?

a.	life and pursuit of happiness	c.	life and death
b.	life and right to own a home	d.	liberty and justice

18.

What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?

a.	inventor of the airplane	c.	third President of the United States
b.	youngest member of the Constitutional Convention	d.	U.S. diplomat

19.

What did Susan B. Anthony do?

a.	made the first flag of the United States	c.	founded the Red Cross
b.	the first woman elected to the House of Representatives	d.	fought for women’s rights

20.

What is freedom of religion?

a.	No one can practice a religion.	c.	You can’t choose the time you practice your religion.
b.	You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion	d.	You must choose a religion.

21.

What did the Declaration of Independence do?

a.	gave women the right to vote	c.	declared our independence from Great Britain
b.	freed the slaves	d.	declared our independence from France

22.

What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?

a.	the President	c.	Congress
b.	the United States	d.	the state where you live

23.

What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?

a.	all of these answers	c.	give an elected official your opinion on an issue and join a community group
b.	vote and join a civic group	d.	write to a newspaper and call Senators and Representatives

24.

What is the capital of the United States?

a.	Philadelphia, PA	c.	New York, NY
b.	Boston, MA	d.	Washington, D.C.

25.

Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?

a.	Canadians	c.	Floridians
b.	no one	d.	American Indians

26.

Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.

a.	World War I	c.	World War II
b.	Korean War	d.	Mexican-American War

27.

Who did the United States fight in World War II?

a.	Japan, China, and Vietnam	c.	Austria-Hungary, Japan, and Germany
b.	the Soviet Union, Germany, and Italy	d.	Japan, Germany, and Italy

28.

What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?

a.	disobey the laws of the United States	c.	never travel outside the United States
b.	not defend the Constitution and laws of the United States	d.	give up loyalty to other nations

29.

What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

a.	ended the Civil War	c.	freed the slaves in the Confederacy
b.	freed the slaves in the United States	d.	allowed women the right to vote

30.

What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?

a.	English	c.	Dutch
b.	Canadians	d.	Africans

31.

What are the two major political parties of the United States?

a.	Democratic-Republican and Whigs	c.	American and Bull-Moose
b.	Democratic and Republican	d.	Reform and Green

32.

Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?

a.	to provide protection (police)	c.	to declare war
b.	to provide schooling and education	d.	to issue driver’s licenses

33.

What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?

a.	Established the United Nations	c.	Saved (or preserved) the Union
b.	Purchased Alaska	d.	Declared war on Great Britain

34.

For how many years do we elect Senators to serve?

a.	Ten (10)	c.	Four (4)
b.	Six (6)	d.	Two (2)

35.

Who is in charge of the executive branch?

a.	the President	c.	the Prime Minister
b.	the Chief Justice	d.	the Speaker of the House

36.

How many stars were on the original US Flag?

a.	10	c.	13
b.	25	d.	20

37.

Why does the flag have 13 stripes?

a.	because the stripes represent the number of signatures on the U.S. Constitution	c.	because it was considered lucky to have 13 stripes on a flag
b.	because the stripes represent the members of the Second Continental Congress	d.	because the stripes represent the original colonies

38.

What historical movement tried to end racial discrimination?

a.	Prohibition	c.	the Red Scare
b.	the Civil Rights movement	d.	Nativism

39.

The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.

a.	John Adams	c.	George Washington
b.	Thomas Jefferson	d.	James Madison

40.

Who signs bills to become laws?

a.	the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court	c.	the Vice President
b.	the President	d.	the Secretary of State

41.

What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?

a.	the Declaration of Independence	c.	the Bill of Rights
b.	the inalienable rights	d.	the Articles of Confederation

42.

Who was President during World War I?

a.	Warren Harding	c.	Woodrow Wilson
b.	Theodore Roosevelt	d.	Franklin Roosevelt

43.

Which of the following wars caused a cultural divide to occur in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s?

a.	the Persian Gulf War	c.	the Korean War
b.	the Vietnam War	d.	World War II

44.

Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in?

a.	Vietnam War	c.	Spanish-American War
b.	World War II	d.	Civil War

45.

Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states?

a.	create an army	c.	provide schooling and education
b.	coin or print money	d.	make treaties

46.

In what month do we vote for President?

a.	November	c.	January
b.	October	d.	February

47.

Soldiers cannot be forced to live in your home is the basic idea of which amendment in the US
Constituion?

a.	5th	c.	2nd
b.	3rd	d.	1st

48.

What happened at the Constitutional Convention?

a.	The Emancipation Proclamation was written	c.	the Virginia Declaration of Rights was written.
b.	The Declaration of Independence was written.	d.	The Constitution was written.

49.

Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?

a.	Some states have chosen to allow other states to have more	c.	Some states have more eligible people to run for office
b.	Every state has an equal number of Representatives.	d.	Some states have a larger population than others

50.

When must all men register for the Selective Service?

a.	men do not have to register	c.	at age sixteen (16)
b.	at any age	d.	between eighteen (18) and twenty-six (26)

51.

Who was the President of the United States during the Civil War?

a.	Frankin D. Roosevelt	c.	John F. Kennedy
b.	Abraham Lincoln	d.	George Washington

52.

What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?

a.	Atlantic Ocean	c.	Pacific Ocean
b.	Southern Ocean	d.	Arctic Ocean

53.

What is the “rule of law”?

a.	Only elected officials are allowed to follow the law.	c.	Once a law is passed, it can not be taken away.
b.	No one is above the law.	d.	Citizens are allowed to follow only the laws they agree with.

54.

Name two national U.S. holidays.

a.	Valentine’s Day and Presidents’ Day	c.	Citizenship Day and Columbus Day
b.	April Fool’s Day and Labor Day	d.	Labor Day and Thanksgiving

55.

What does the President’s Cabinet do?

a.	advises the President	c.	makes laws
b.	commands the U.S. Armed Forces	d.	all of these answers

56.

What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?

a.	the House of Lords and the House of Commons	c.	the Senate and the courts
b.	the Senate and the House of Representatives	d.	the House of Representatives and the courts

57.

How old does must one be to run for President of the United States?

a.	18	c.	30
b.	25	d.	35

58.

Who can veto bills?

a.	Congress	c.	the Speaker of the House
b.	Supreme Court Justices	d.	the President

59.

Which of the following best identifies the economic system used in the United States?

a.	Capitalism	c.	Communism
b.	Barter and Trade	d.	Fascism

60.

Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.

a.	Colorado River	c.	Mississippi River
b.	Rio Grande River	d.	Ohio River

61.

Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?

a.	the Secretary of Defense	c.	the Vice President
b.	the Attorney General	d.	the President

62.

At what age do citizens have to be to vote for the President?

a.	seventeen (17) and older	c.	twenty-one (21) and older
b.	eighteen (18) and older	d.	sixteen (16) and older

63.

We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?

a.	two (2)	c.	four (4)
b.	eight (8)	d.	six (6)

64.

Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.

a.	the Civil War	c.	the War of 1812
b.	World War I	d.	the Revolutionary War

65.

What is the name of the national anthem?

a.	America the Beautiful	c.	God Bless the U.S.A.
b.	The Star-Spangled Banner	d.	My Country Tis of Thee

66.

The idea of self government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?

a.	Congress shall make	c.	We the People
b.	We the Colonists	d.	We the British

67.

Who was the first President?

a.	Thomas Jefferson	c.	Abraham Lincoln
b.	George Washington	d.	John Adams

68.

The right to not have to testify against yourself in a trial is one of the main ideas of which
amendment in the US Constitution?

a.	4th	c.	5th
b.	9th	d.	2nd

69.

How many U.S. Senators are there?

a.	fifty-two (52)	c.	fifty (50)
b.	one hundred (100)	d.	four hundred thirty-five (435)

70.

How many justices are on the Supreme Court?

a.	nine (9)	c.	twelve (12)
b.	eleven (11)	d.	ten (10)

71.

What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?

a.	the Gadsden Purchase	c.	the Louisiana Territory
b.	the Jackson Purchase	d.	Alaska

72.

Which amendment to the US Constitution abolished slavery in the United States?

a.	22nd	c.	25th
b.	13th	d.	16th

73.

Who does a U.S. Senator represent?

a.	Only the citizens in a certain area of the state.	c.	The people who live in U.S. territories.
b.	Only those that voted for the Senator.	d.	All people of the state.

74.

If both the President and Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?

a.	the Secretary of the Treasury	c.	the Secretary of State
b.	the President Pro Tempore	d.	the Speaker of the House

75.

All of the following are U.S. territories EXCEPT

a.	the Philippines	c.	Puerto Rico
b.	American Samoa	d.	Guam

76.

What are two Cabinet-level positions?

a.	Secretary of State Secretary of Labo	c.	Secretary of the Treasury Secretary of the Navy
b.	Secretary of Weather Secretary of Energy	d.	Secretary of the Interior Secretary of History

77.

Name one branch or part of the government.

a.	state government	c.	parliament
b.	United Nations	d.	Congress

78.

Which of the following states border Canada?

a.	South Dakota	c.	Iowa
b.	Alaska	d.	Oregon

79.

What is the highest court in the United States?

a.	the World Court	c.	the Circuit Court
b.	the Supreme Court	d.	the Court of Appeals

80.

Where is the Statue of Liberty?

a.	San Francisco Bay	c.	Boston Harbor
b.	New York Harbor	d.	Long Island

81.

The US Congress has the power to do all of the following except

a.	deny treaties made by the President.	c.	declare war.
b.	regulate the money supply.	d.	nominate judges for the Supreme Court.

82.

What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?

a.	fought for women’s suffrage	c.	ran for President of the United States
b.	fought for civil rights	d.	became a U.S. Senator

83.

There were 13 original states. Name three.

a.	New York, Kentucky, Georgia	c.	Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina
b.	Virginia, North Carolina, Florida	d.	Washington, Oregon, California

84.

For how many years do Supreme Court Justices serve?

a.	Ten (10)	c.	Six (6)
b.	Five (5)	d.	They serve for life

85.

What does the Constitution do?

a.	protects basic rights of Americans	c.	sets up the government
b.	defines the government	d.	all of these answers

86.

What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?

a.	to bear arms	c.	to vote
b.	speech	d.	trial by jury

87.

Why does the flag have 50 stars?

a.	because there were 50 people who originally came to the United States	c.	because there is one star for each state
b.	because there is one star for each president	d.	because there were 50 original colonies

88.

What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?

a.	Pacific Ocean	c.	Indian Ocean
b.	Arctic Ocean	d.	Atlantic Ocean

89.

“We the People...” is the beginning of what significant American document or speech?

a.	Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address”	c.	Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech
b.	the US Constitution	d.	the Declaration of Independence

90.

The House of Representatives has how many voting members?

a.	two hundred (200)	c.	one hundred (100)
b.	four hundred thirty-five (435)	d.	four hundred forty-one (441)

91.

Why did the colonists fight the British?

a.	because the British army stayed in their houses	c.	all of these answers
b.	because they didn’t have self-government	d.	because of high taxes

92.

Name one state that borders Mexico.

a.	Florida	c.	California
b.	Arkansas	d.	Alabama

93.

Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.

a.	the Cold War	c.	the Civil War
b.	World War I	d.	the War of 1812

94.

Who was the President during the Great Depression and World War II?

a.	Franklin Roosevelt	c.	Dwight Eisenhower
b.	Theodore Roosevelt	d.	Woodrow Wilson

95.

What is the supreme law of the land?

a.	the Articles of Confederation	c.	the Declaration of Independence
b.	the Constitution	d.	the Emancipation Proclamation

96.

Name one problem that led to the Civil War.

a.	the prohibition of alcohol	c.	women getting the right to vote
b.	slavery	d.	the discovery of petroleum

97.

What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?

a.	the President	c.	the people
b.	freedom of speech	d.	checks and balances

98.

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

a.	Thomas Jefferson	c.	George Washington
b.	Abraham Lincoln	d.	James Madison

99.

When was the Constitution written?

a.	1790	c.	1789
b.	1787	d.	1776

100.

What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?

a.	freedom of religion and freedom to make treaties with other nations	c.	freedom of speech and freedom to run for president
b.	freedom to petition the government and freedom to disobey traffic laws	d.	freedom of speech and freedom of religion