US Government Quiz: Test Your Knowledge on the Structure and Functions of the US Government

Question 1

Which branch of government is responsible for making laws in the United States?

Accepted Answer

Legislative Branch

Answer

Executive Branch

Answer

Judicial Branch

Question 2

Who leads the executive branch of the US government?

Accepted Answer

President

Answer

Vice President

Answer

Chief Justice

Question 3

Which of the following courts is the highest court in the United States?

Accepted Answer

Supreme Court

Answer

District Court

Answer

Court of Appeals

Question 4

Which of these is a basic right protected by the Constitution?

Accepted Answer

Freedom of speech

Answer

Right to own a gun

Answer

Right to have a cell phone

Question 5

Which branch of government is responsible for interpreting laws?

Accepted Answer

Judicial Branch

Answer

Legislative Branch

Answer

Executive Branch

Question 6

Which amendment to the Constitution ended slavery in the United States?

Accepted Answer

13th Amendment

Answer

15th Amendment

Answer

19th Amendment

Question 7

What is the length of a term for a House of Representatives member?

Accepted Answer

2 years

Answer

4 years

Answer

6 years

Question 8

Which part of the government makes the rules and laws?

Accepted Answer

Congress

Answer

The President

Answer

The Supreme Court

Question 9

Who has the power to lead the army, navy and military?

Accepted Answer

The President

Answer

The Speaker of the House

Answer

The Chief Justice

Question 10

What important document sets out the main principles and structure of the American government?

Accepted Answer

The Constitution

Answer

The Declaration of Independence

Answer

The Bill of Rights

Question 11

Which of these is NOT included in the first ten amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights?

Accepted Answer

The right to own other people as property

Answer

Freedom of speech

Answer

The right to bear arms

Question 12

Which part of the government decides what the laws mean?

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court

Answer

The President

Answer

Congress

Question 13

What is the main purpose of the Electoral College?

Accepted Answer

To elect the President

Answer

To appoint Supreme Court justices

Answer

To make laws

Question 14

Which court is the highest in the United States?

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court

Answer

The Federal Court of Appeals

Answer

The District Court

Question 15

Name the three branches of the United States government.

Accepted Answer

Executive, Legislative, Judicial

Answer

Executive, Legislative, Diplomatic

Answer

Legislative, Judicial, Diplomatic

Answer

Executive, Judicial, Diplomatic

Question 16

Who leads the Executive branch?

Accepted Answer

President

Answer

Speaker of the House

Answer

Chief Justice

Answer

Vice President

Question 17

Which document is considered the blueprint for the US government?

Accepted Answer

Constitution

Answer

Declaration of Independence

Answer

Bill of Rights

Answer

Articles of Confederation

Question 18

Which branch of government makes the laws?

Accepted Answer

Legislative

Answer

Executive

Answer

Judicial

Answer

Diplomatic

Question 19

Who has the authority to declare war?

Accepted Answer

Congress

Answer

President

Answer

Supreme Court

Answer

Department of Defense

Question 20

Which amendment to the Constitution protects freedom of speech?

Accepted Answer

First Amendment

Answer

Second Amendment

Answer

Fifth Amendment

Answer

Tenth Amendment

Question 21

Which court has the final say on the law in the US?

Accepted Answer

Supreme Court

Answer

District Court

Answer

Court of Appeals

Answer

State Court

Question 22

Can the government do whatever it wants?

Accepted Answer

No

Answer

Yes

Question 23

Which of the three main branches of the US government makes laws?

Accepted Answer

Legislative

Answer

Executive

Answer

Judicial

Question 24

What is the main responsibility of the Judicial Branch?

Accepted Answer

Interpret laws

Answer

Create laws

Answer

Enforce laws

Question 25

Which amendment to the US Constitution protects freedom of speech?

Accepted Answer

First Amendment

Answer

Second Amendment

Answer

Fourth Amendment

Question 26

What is the process of adding changes to the Constitution called?

Accepted Answer

Amending

Answer

Revising

Answer

Ratifying

Question 27

What is the purpose of the Bill of Rights?

Accepted Answer

To protect individual liberties

Answer

To establish the powers of the government

Answer

To define the structure of government

Question 28

Which of the following courts is the highest court in the US?

Accepted Answer

Supreme Court

Answer

District Court

Answer

Court of Appeals

Question 29

How many members are in the House of Representatives?

Accepted Answer

435

Answer

535

Answer

600

Question 30

Which branch of the U.S. government is responsible for creating new laws?

Accepted Answer

Legislative Branch

Answer

Executive Branch

Answer

Judicial Branch

Question 31

Which of the following is a right granted to Americans by the Constitution?

Accepted Answer

The right to bear arms

Answer

The right to choose what type of government you live under

Answer

The right to get a job that pays a lot of money

Question 32

Which amendment to the Constitution ended slavery?

Accepted Answer

13th Amendment

Answer

15th Amendment

Answer

19th Amendment

Question 33

How many justices are there on the Supreme Court?

Accepted Answer

9

Answer

6

Answer

8

Question 34

Which document establishes the basic principles and structure of the US government?

Accepted Answer

Constitution

Answer

Bill of Rights

Answer

Declaration of Independence

Question 35

Which branch of the US government creates laws?

Accepted Answer

Legislative

Answer

Executive

Answer

Judicial

Question 36

Who is in charge of the executive branch?

Accepted Answer

President

Answer

Chief Justice

Answer

Speaker of the House

Question 37

Which change to the US Constitution protects freedom of speech?

Accepted Answer

First Amendment

Answer

Second Amendment

Answer

Fifth Amendment

Question 38

Which of these is NOT a right given by the US Constitution?

Accepted Answer

Right to a free education

Answer

Freedom of religion

Answer

Right to own guns

Question 39

What is the longest a person can be president of the United States?

Accepted Answer

8 years

Answer

4 years

Answer

6 years

Question 40

Which amendment to the US Constitution ended slavery?

Accepted Answer

Thirteenth Amendment

Answer

Fourteenth Amendment

Answer

Fifteenth Amendment

Question 41

Which of these is **not** a specific check that one branch of government has over another?

Accepted Answer

The President can appoint ambassadors without the approval of the Senate.

Answer

The President can veto laws passed by Congress.

Answer

Congress can impeach and remove a Supreme Court Justice.

Answer

The Supreme Court can declare laws passed by Congress unconstitutional.

Question 42

What is the primary responsibility of the legislative branch?

Accepted Answer

To make laws

Answer

To enforce laws

Answer

To interpret laws

Answer

To appoint judges

Question 43

Who is the leader of the executive branch of the U.S. government?

Accepted Answer

President

Answer

Speaker of the House

Answer

Chief Justice

Answer

Senator

Question 44

What is the name of the principle that all people are treated equally under the law?

Accepted Answer

Equal protection

Answer

Rule of law

Answer

Due process

Answer

Popular sovereignty

Question 45

Which document establishes the basic structure and rules of the U.S. government?

Accepted Answer

Constitution

Answer

Declaration of Independence

Answer

Bill of Rights

Answer

Articles of Confederation

Question 46

What is the name of the highest court in the United States?

Accepted Answer

Supreme Court

Answer

Circuit Court of Appeals

Answer

District Court

Answer

State Supreme Court

Question 47

Which amendment to the Constitution protects freedom of speech?

Accepted Answer

First

Answer

Second

Answer

Fifth

Answer

Tenth

Question 48

What is the process by which citizens can propose and vote on new laws called?

Accepted Answer

Initiative

Answer

Referendum

Answer

Recall

Answer

Impeachment

Question 49

Which branch of government carries out the laws?

Accepted Answer

Executive Branch

Answer

Legislative Branch

Answer

Judicial Branch

Question 50

Who is the leader of the United States government?

Accepted Answer

President

Answer

Speaker of the House

Answer

Chief Justice

Question 51

Which document establishes the most important rules for the United States government?

Accepted Answer

Constitution

Answer

Declaration of Independence

Answer

Bill of Rights

Question 52

Which part of the government creates laws?

Accepted Answer

Congress

Answer

Senate

Answer

House of Representatives

Question 53

Which idea in a democracy ensures that everyone has a voice in government?

Accepted Answer

Equal representation

Answer

Majority rule

Answer

Minority rights

Question 54

What is the primary responsibility of the Federal Reserve in managing the US economy?

Accepted Answer

Regulating the money supply and interest rates

Answer

Distributing funds to individuals and businesses

Answer

Collecting taxes

Answer

Enforcing laws

Question 55

What is the main job of the Legislative Branch?

Accepted Answer

Make laws

Answer

Enforce laws

Answer

Interpret laws

Answer

Appoint judges

Question 56

Which amendment to the US Constitution protects our right to say what we think?

Accepted Answer

First Amendment

Answer

Second Amendment

Answer

Fourth Amendment

Answer

Fifth Amendment

Question 57

What is the difference between a citizen and a person who is not a citizen?

Accepted Answer

Citizens can vote, but non-citizens cannot.

Answer

Non-citizens can hold public office, but citizens cannot.

Answer

Citizens do not have to pay taxes, but non-citizens do.

Answer

There is no difference between a citizen and a non-citizen.

Question 58

Which of the following is an example of a duty as a citizen?

Accepted Answer

Voting in elections

Answer

Joining the military

Answer

Getting a driver's license

Answer

Going to school

Question 59

What is the name of the document that announced the United States' independence from Great Britain?

Accepted Answer

The Declaration of Independence

Answer

The Constitution

Answer

The Articles of Confederation

Answer

The Bill of Rights

Question 60

What branch of the US government creates new laws?

Accepted Answer

Legislative

Answer

Executive

Answer

Judicial

Question 61

Which amendment to the US Constitution guarantees freedom to express your opinions?

Accepted Answer

First

Answer

Fifth

Answer

Tenth

Question 62

What is the name of the important document that created the US government and outlines its rules?

Accepted Answer

Constitution

Answer

Declaration of Independence

Answer

Bill of Rights

Question 63

Who is the leader of the Supreme Court?

Accepted Answer

Chief Justice

Answer

Senior Justice

Answer

Presiding Justice

Question 64

What is one job of the Executive Branch?

Accepted Answer

Enforcing existing laws

Answer

Making new laws

Answer

Interpreting laws