System of government
Questions and answers
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Name one branch or part of the government.
- Congress
- legislative
- President
- executive
- the courts
- judicial
The first three sections of the Constitution set up three branches: Congress (legislative) makes the laws, the President (executive) enforces them, and the courts (judicial) review them.
Textbook · The Federal Government ↗ -
What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
- checks and balances
- separation of powers
The Founders feared that one person or group could take over the country, so the Constitution gives each branch its own powers. Each branch can check the others, and none can rule alone.
Textbook · The Federal Government ↗ -
Who is in charge of the executive branch?
- the President
The President heads the executive branch, which enforces federal laws. The Vice President, the Cabinet and the executive departments and agencies all work under the President.
Textbook · The Executive Branch ↗ -
Who makes federal laws?
- Congress
- Senate and House (of Representatives)
- (U.S. or national) legislature
The Founders saw lawmaking as the most important power in government, so the first section of the Constitution gives it to Congress. A bill must pass both the House and the Senate before it goes to the President.
Textbook · Making Federal Laws ↗ -
What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
- the Senate and House (of Representatives)
At the Constitutional Convention the Founders could not agree whether seats should follow population or be equal for every state, so they made two chambers: the House, where bigger states have more members, and the Senate, where every state has two.
Textbook · The Legislative Branch (Congress) ↗ -
How many U.S. Senators are there?
- one hundred (100)
Each of the 50 states elects two Senators no matter its size, so the Senate has 100 members. California and Wyoming both have two.
Textbook · The Senate ↗ -
We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?
- six (6)
A Senator serves a six-year term, three times as long as a member of the House. A candidate must be at least 30 and live in the state they represent.
Textbook · The Senate ↗ -
Who is one of your state’s U.S. Senators now?
- Answers will vary. [District of Columbia residents and residents of U.S. territories should answer that D.C. (or the territory where the applicant lives) has no U.S. Senators.]
Every state elects two U.S. Senators, and the answer is a name: pick your state on the test page and the current names are filled in. D.C. and the territories have no Senators, and saying so is the accepted answer there.
100 questions · B: System of Government ↗ -
The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
- four hundred thirty-five (435)
The House has 435 voting members, each elected from a congressional district. California, the state with the most people, has 52 of them, while Wyoming has one.
Textbook · The House of Representatives ↗ -
We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?
- two (2)
Representatives face the voters every two years, the shortest term in the federal government. A candidate must be at least 25 and live in the state of the district.
Textbook · The House of Representatives ↗ -
Name your U.S. Representative.
- Answers will vary. [Residents of territories with nonvoting Delegates or Resident Commissioners may provide the name of that Delegate or Commissioner. Also acceptable is any statement that the territory has no (voting) Representatives in Congress.]
Each congressional district elects one member of the House, and the answer is a name: pick your state on the test page and the names are filled in. Territories have only nonvoting Delegates or Resident Commissioners, and naming one, or saying the territory has no voting Representative, is accepted.
100 questions · B: System of Government ↗ -
Who does a U.S. Senator represent?
- all people of the state
A member of the House speaks for one congressional district, but a Senator is elected statewide and represents everyone who lives in the state.
Textbook · The Senate ↗ -
Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?
- (because of) the state’s population
- (because) they have more people
- (because) some states have more people
House seats are divided among the states by population, so a state with more people gets more congressional districts. That is why California has 52 Representatives and Wyoming only one.
Textbook · The House of Representatives ↗ -
We elect a President for how many years?
- four (4)
A presidential term is four years, and a person can be elected President only twice, for eight years in all.
Textbook · Voting for President ↗ -
In what month do we vote for President?
- November
Presidential elections are held in November every four years. Only U.S. citizens may vote in them.
Textbook · Voting for President ↗ -
What is the name of the President of the United States now?
- Donald J. Trump
- Donald Trump
- Trump
The President heads the executive branch and is elected for four years. The name changes with elections, so check the current one at uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates.
Test updates · Civics Test (2008 Version) Updates ↗ -
What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?
- JD Vance
- Vance
The Vice President advises the President, sits in the Cabinet and takes over if the President cannot serve. The name changes with elections, so check the current one at uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates.
Test updates · Civics Test (2008 Version) Updates ↗ -
If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
- the Vice President
Several Presidents have died in office, and each time the Vice President took over, as the Constitution requires. That is why the Vice President’s role matters so much.
Textbook · The Vice President ↗ -
If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
- the Speaker of the House
The line of succession runs President, Vice President, Speaker of the House. If the first two cannot serve, the leader of the House of Representatives becomes President.
Textbook · The Vice President ↗ -
Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?
- the President
As Commander in Chief the President is in charge of everyone serving in the U.S. Armed Forces: over 2 million people in six branches, all of them volunteers.
Textbook · The Commander in Chief ↗ -
Who signs bills to become laws?
- the President
After a bill passes both the House and the Senate it goes to the President. If the President agrees with it, signing it makes it a law that everyone must follow.
Textbook · Making Federal Laws ↗ -
Who vetoes bills?
- the President
If the President disagrees with a bill passed by Congress, the President refuses to sign it. That refusal is a veto, and the bill does not become law.
Textbook · Making Federal Laws ↗ -
What does the President’s Cabinet do?
- advises the President
A cabinet is a group of advisors. The heads of the executive departments, the Vice President and anyone else the President chooses meet with the President to advise on running the government.
Textbook · The President’s Cabinet ↗ -
What are two Cabinet-level positions?
- Secretary of Agriculture
- Secretary of Commerce
- Secretary of Defense
- Secretary of Education
- Secretary of Energy
- Secretary of Health and Human Services
- Secretary of Homeland Security
- Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
- Secretary of the Interior
- Secretary of Labor
- Secretary of State
- Secretary of Transportation
- Secretary of the Treasury
- Secretary of Veterans Affairs
- Attorney General
- Vice President
The people who lead the executive departments, mostly titled Secretary, sit in the Cabinet along with the Vice President. The head of the Department of Justice is the one leader called Attorney General instead.
Textbook · The President’s Cabinet ↗ -
What does the judicial branch do?
- reviews laws
- explains laws
- resolves disputes (disagreements)
- decides if a law goes against the Constitution
Federal courts review laws when a case comes before them and decide whether a law follows the Constitution. Anyone who thinks a law breaks the Constitution can challenge it in federal court.
Textbook · The Judicial Branch ↗ -
What is the highest court in the United States?
- the Supreme Court
No other court can change a decision of the Supreme Court, so its ruling on a law or a case is final. The other federal courts are called lower courts.
Textbook · The Judicial Branch ↗ -
How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
- nine (9)
The Supreme Court has nine justices, one of whom is the Chief Justice of the United States. Justice is simply another word for judge. The number is set by law, so USCIS keeps the current one at uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates.
Test updates · Civics Test (2008 Version) Updates ↗ -
Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
- John Roberts
- John G. Roberts, Jr.
One of the nine justices is the Chief Justice, who leads the others in choosing which cases to hear. The name changes with appointments, so check the current one at uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates.
Test updates · Civics Test (2008 Version) Updates ↗ -
Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?
- to print money
- to declare war
- to create an army
- to make treaties
The Constitution keeps some powers for the national government alone: only it prints dollar bills and coins, declares war, creates an army and signs treaties with other countries.
Textbook · The Federal Government ↗ -
Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states?
- provide schooling and education
- provide protection (police)
- provide safety (fire departments)
- give a driver’s license
- approve zoning and land use
Each state runs its own system of schools, colleges and adult education. States also keep police and fire departments, issue driver’s licenses and decide how land may be used.
Textbook · State Governments ↗ -
Who is the Governor of your state now?
- Answers will vary. [District of Columbia residents should answer that D.C. does not have a Governor.]
Every state has an executive branch headed by a governor, like the President at the federal level. The answer is a name: pick your state on the test page and it is filled in. D.C. is not a state and has no governor, and saying so is the accepted answer there.
100 questions · B: System of Government ↗ -
What is the capital of your state?
- Answers will vary. [District of Columbia residents should answer that D.C. is not a state and does not have a capital. Residents of U.S. territories should name the capital of the territory.]
Each state has a capital city where its government sits, and it is often not the largest city. Pick your state on the test page and the name is filled in. D.C. is not a state and has no capital, and residents of a territory name its capital.
100 questions · B: System of Government ↗ -
What are the two major political parties in the United States?
- Democratic and Republican
Candidates for President are nominated by a political party, and two parties dominate: the Democrats, shown by a donkey, and the Republicans, shown by an elephant.
Textbook · The Vice President ↗ -
What is the political party of the President now?
- Republican (Party)
The President is nominated by one of the two major parties, so the answer changes with each presidential election. Check the current President’s party at uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates.
Test updates · Civics Test (2008 Version) Updates ↗ -
What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
- Mike Johnson
- Johnson
- James Michael Johnson (birth name)
The Speaker leads the House of Representatives and is next in line after the Vice President if the President cannot serve. The name changes with elections, so check the current one at uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates.
Test updates · Civics Test (2008 Version) Updates ↗