Civics Trivia Questions for Students — page 2

The Supreme Court's decision in Miranda v. Arizona was based mainly on the

• AEighth Amendment restriction against cruel and unusual punishment
• Bincorporation of the Fifth Amendment through the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment
• Cabolition of slavery by the Thirteenth Amendment
• DConstitutional prohibition of ex post facto laws

The largest portion of the federal budget covers the costs of

• Athe Department of Energy
• Bentitlement programs
• Cinterest on the national debt
• Dnational defense

Filibusters are less likely to occur in the House of Representatives than in the Senate because

• ASenate decorum forbids one senator from attempting to stop another's speech
• Bdebate in the House is in most instances strictly regulated by the rules
• Cthe House meets for substantially fewer hours per day than does the Senate
• DSenate sessions, unlike House sessions, are open to the public

Congress's power to determine national policy

• Ais severely limited by the "elastic clause" of the Constitution
• Busually increases as a president's popularity decreases, and vice versa
• Cincreases during times of war
• Dhas declined steadily since the ratification of the Constitution

The line-item veto was found unconstitutional because

• Ait gave legislative powers to the president
• Bit gave legislative powers to the bureaucracy
• Cit gave executive powers to the legislature
• Dit delegated too many powers to the states

The rules governing the electoral college make it especially important for presidential candidates to

• Aspend most of their time campaigning in the South
• Bwin as many states as possible, regardless of the size of the states
• Ccampaign most aggressively among those who will be chosen as electors
• Dconcentrate their campaign efforts on "battleground" states

Which of the following is NOT a way in which the powers of the executive branch are balanced by the legislative branch?

• AThe Senate may use the filibuster to block an executive order.
• BThe Senate can decline to ratify a treaty.
• CThe Senate can decline to approve a president's nominee for the Supreme Court.
• DCongress may impeach and convict a president for "high crime and misdemeanors."

House members are more concerned about their committee assignments than are senators because

• Athe rules make it extremely difficult for representatives to influence legislation on the House floor
• BHouse members may serve on only one committee at a time
• Cbills in the Senate must pass through all committees before reaching the floor
• DSenate committees have relatively little power to alter legislation

Among the executive branch's checks on the legislative branch is the president's power to

• Acall special sessions of Congress
• Bvote on acts of Congress
• Cintroduce bills to the floor of Congress
• Daddress Congress during its debate on bills

Which of the following best predicts how someone will vote in an election?

• AThe voter's religion
• BThe voter's political party affiliation
• CThe voter's gender
• DThe voter's socioeconomic status

All of the following statements about gerrymandering are true EXCEPT that it

• Acan divide like-minded voters into several districts to reduce their influence
• Bfavors incumbent candidates over challengers
• Chas been allowed by the Supreme Court in some instances
• Dincreases the control voters have over their elected officials

Which of the following does the Supreme Court NOT have the power to override?

• APresidential executive orders
• BLaws passed by Congress
• CConstitutional amendments
• DLaws passed by state legislatures

In Gideon v. Wainwright, the Supreme Court ruled that criminal defendants in state cases have the right

• Anot to incriminate themselves
• Bnot to be punished excessively
• Cto representation by an attorney
• Dto a speedy trial

Which of the following statements about political action committees (PACs) is most accurate?

• ATheir activities are not regulated by the Federal Election Commission (FEC)
• BThey may only campaign for issues, not for individual candidates
• CThey raise money to influence federal, state, and local elections
• DTheir activities are limited to national presidential elections

Which of the following best describes a block grant?

• AFunds with few restrictions that are provided to state or local governments for general purpose use
• BMoney that can only be used for a specific purpose
• CFunds distributed among states according to a set formula
• DMoney provided to individuals to fund research projects

Congress would be required to use the "elastic clause" of the Constitution to

• Aauthorize the treasury to print money
• Bchange citizenship requirements
• Cimpose workplace safety standards
• Dincrease tax rates

Which of the following is true of Congress's power of oversight?

• ACongressional oversight is primarily directed at the judicial branch.
• BConstituent input does not influence congressional oversight.
• CCongressional oversight activities most often take place at the committee and subcommittee levels.
• DState challenges to congressional oversight have severely weakened Congress's oversight powers.

A member of the president's cabinet is said to have "gone native" when that cabinet member

• Aresigns to take a position as a consultant to lobbying groups
• Baccepts bribes or expensive favors from businesses regulated by his or her department
• Ccedes control of his or her department to lifelong bureaucrats within the department
• Dplaces his or her department's priorities above the president's

Which of the following statements about presidential elections since 1972 is most accurate?

• AElections have become dominated by special interest groups.
• BVoters have become more focused on individual candidates.
• CVoters increasingly vote based on a party's platform.
• DVoters increasingly get their information from newspapers.

Which of the following plays the most significant role in forming a child's political views?

• AThe child's family
• BThe geographical area in which the child grows up
• CThe child's religion
• DThe media to which the child is exposed

Which of the following does NOT appear in the Constitution?

• AThe term length for members of Congress
• BSeparation of powers
• CThe electoral college
• DPolitical parties

Which of the following most accurately describes the right of American citizens to privacy?

• AThe Supreme Court has ruled that the right to privacy is implied by the Bill of Rights.
• BCommon law requires the government to respect citizens' right to privacy.
• CThe right to privacy is explicitly granted in the Preamble to the Constitution.
• DThe right to privacy is determined entirely by the states on a case-by-case basis.

The Supreme Court has used the Fourteenth Amendment to apply portions of the Bill of Rights to state law by citing the amendment's

• Aabolition of slavery
• Bprohibition on unreasonable search and seizures
• Cguarantee of privacy rights
• Ddue process clause

The origination clause of the Constitution states that

• Athe Bill of Rights must not be infringed upon by any state legislature
• Bthe Supreme Court has original jurisdiction over all constitutional matters
• Crevenue bills must be initiated in the House of Representatives
• DCongress and the president must jointly create the annual federal budget

How many votes in the Senate must a presidential nominee to the Supreme Court receive in order to be confirmed?

• AFifty-five percent
• BFifty-one percent
• CSixty percent
• DForty percent

All of the following are constitutionally mandated presidential powers EXCEPT the power to

• Aveto legislation
• Bnegotiate treaties
• Cdeclare war
• Dgrant reprieves and pardons

When the Founders met in 1787 to write the Constitution, their primary objective was to

• Areplace the weak central government created by the Articles of Confederation with a stronger one
• Bcreate a national court system for hearing disputes between citizens of different states
• Creturn to the states those powers that the Articles of Confederation had given to the central government
• Destablish a bill of rights that would protect citizens from the government

A presidential plurality victory occurs when

• Acandidates receive an equal number of electoral votes and the popular vote determines the winner
• Bthe winning candidate receives more than 50% of the popular vote
• Cthe Senate declares the formal winner
• Dthe winning candidate receives less than 50 percent of the popular vote

Which of the following presidential powers is shared with the Senate?

• ADeploying troops
• BForcing Congress into session
• CNegotiating treaties
• DDrafting appropriations bills

Political efficacy refers to the idea that

• Apolitical parties can provide a check to the political influence wielded by corporations
• Bpoliticians have a duty to inform their constituents about the democratic process
• Cindividuals believe that they can influence the government through participation in the democratic process
• Dthe system of checks and balances ensures that the government is both efficient and productive

Which group most frequently benefits from political action committee (PAC) donations?

• ACharitable organizations
• BIncumbents running for reelection
• CPolitical interest groups
• DFederal judges

The Supreme Court issued the opinion quoted below in its ruling on which of the following cases? "We conclude that in the field of education the doctrine of 'separate but equal' has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal."

• AEngel v. Vitale
• BBrown v. Board of Education of Topeka
• CMarbury v. Madison
• DGideon v. Wainwright

Which of the following is NOT true of executive orders?

• APresidents avoid using executive orders for controversial actions.
• BExecutive orders have the same effect as laws passed by Congress.
• CPresidents have made increased use of executive orders since the 1970s.
• DExecutive orders bypass congressional approval.

The responsibilities of the secretary of state are most likely to overlap with those of

• Athe chief national security advisor to the president
• Bthe secretary of the treasury
• Cthe speaker of the house
• Dthe secretary of the interior

Which of the following court decisions did NOT deal with the First Amendment?

• ARoe v. Wade
• BDeJonge v. Oregon
• CDennis v. United States
• DNew York Times v. United States

The line-item veto was ruled unconstitutional because it

• Agave states the ability to override federal legislation
• Bempowered Congress to nullify executive actions
• Cviolated the legislative process by which bills become laws
• Dallowed Congress to eliminate sections of legislation without a two-thirds majority

Voters in which of the following categories would be LEAST likely to vote?

• AProfessionals
• BVoters aged 18-29
• CVoters who are active in their political parties
• DBlue-collar workers who belong to a union

Which of the following is true of federal judges?

• AThey are appointed for life and can only be removed by impeachment.
• BThey are appointed for life and cannot be removed from office.
• CThey are elected by Congress and serve ten-year terms.
• DThey serve four-year terms that coincide with the presidential term.

Which of the following statements is LEAST true of voters in federal, state, and local elections?

• AVoter turnout is lower in midterm elections than it is in presidential elections.
• BYoung adults are less likely to vote than senior citizens.
• CVoters lacking party affiliation tend to vote less regularly than those with strong party affiliation.
• DIndividuals are more likely to vote when they believe they know which candidate will win an election.

Failed felony prosecutions at the state level are sometimes retried at the federal level

• Aunder the "double jeopardy" provision of the Constitution
• Bon appeal by state prosecutors
• Cbecause new evidence has voided the state-level verdict
• Das civil liberties violations

Which of the following actions can the president take without congressional approval?

• ANegotiate and ratify treaties
• BAppoint Supreme Court justices
• CDeclare war
• DGrant reprieves and pardons

To which characteristic of American government does the term "federalism" refer?

• AThe Bill of Rights' protection of the rights of the accused
• BThe division and sharing of power between the national and state governments
• CThe power of the Supreme Court to review the constitutionality of laws
• DThe system of checks and balances within the national government

Which of the following describes a core principle of the Constitution as it was written in 1787?

• ADirect democracy
• BEqual representation
• CChecks and balances
• DUnitary government

People who join a political party other than the one to which their parents belong most often do so because of

• Apeer pressure
• Bpressure from their employers
• Creligious beliefs
• Deconomic issues

The primary function of political action committees (PACs) is to

• Acontribute money to candidates for election
• Borganize protest demonstrations and other acts of civil disobedience
• Ccoordinate local get-out-the-vote campaigns
• Dpromote the defeat of incumbents in the federal and state legislatures

Incumbent members of the House of Representatives win reelection more often than incumbent senators for all of the following reasons EXCEPT

• Arepresentatives may use federal funds to publicize their achievements via direct mail to constituents
• Brepresentatives more often run uncontested
• Crepresentatives' constituents more often belong largely to the representative's party
• Dsenators have more political power than representatives, and Senate races are accordingly contested more aggressively

A presidential veto would most likely be overturned in which of the following situations?

• AApproximately 30% of the senators and representatives are members of the presidential political party.
• BThe president's successful reelection campaign advocated bipartisanship.
• CThe majority of American citizens support the proposed legislation.
• DThe chief justice of the Supreme Court was appointed by the president.

An open primary is a primary election in which

• Avoters may vote in the election of a party other than the one to which they are registered
• Bvoters may register at their polling place on election day
• Ccandidates do not specify the office for which they are running
• Dvoters registered as "independents" may not vote

The legislative successes of the National Rifle Association, antiabortion activists, and other powerful interest groups demonstrate that

• AUnited States domestic policy grew more conservative in the 1990s
• Bthe power of interest groups depends on the degree of support for their positions in the White House
• Cmajority opinion on an issue can sometimes be overridden by the intensity of a minority's commitment to activism
• Dthe influence of political action committees has weakened in recent years

Which of the following accurately describes individual entitlements?

• ACongress must pay benefits to anyone who qualifies to receive them.
• BCongress provides funds to the states, and the states decide how best to spend the money.
• CCongress is allowed to fund these programs only when the federal government has a budget surplus.
• DCongress grants money to states, provided that certain criteria are met.