System of government
Questions and answers
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Name the three branches of government.
- Legislative, executive, and judicial
- Congress, president, and the courts
The first three sections of the Constitution set up the federal government as three parts: the legislative branch (Congress), the executive branch (the President) and the judicial branch (the Supreme Court).
Study guide · The Federal Government ↗ -
The President of the United States is in charge of which branch of government?
- Executive branch
The Constitution puts the President at the head of the executive branch, the part of government that enforces federal laws, with the Vice President, the Cabinet and the departments under him.
Study guide · The Federal Government ↗ -
What part of the federal government writes laws?
- (U.S.) Congress
- (U.S. or national) legislature
- Legislative branch
The Founders thought making laws was the most important power, so the first section of the Constitution gives it to Congress, the legislative branch, which is why Congress is also called the national legislature.
Study guide · The Legislative Branch (Congress) ↗ -
What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
- Senate and House (of Representatives)
At the Constitutional Convention some wanted seats by population and others equal seats for every state, so Congress got two chambers: the House, where bigger states have more members, and the Senate, where every state has two.
Study guide · The Legislative Branch (Congress) ↗ -
Name one power of the U.S. Congress.
- Writes laws
- Declares war
- Makes the federal budget
Congress makes federal laws: a member writes a bill, and it passes when a majority of both the House and the Senate vote for it. Congress also declares war and sets the federal budget.
Study guide · Making Federal Laws ↗ -
How many U.S. senators are there?
- One hundred (100)
Every one of the 50 states elects two senators no matter how many people live there, which makes 100 members of the Senate.
Study guide · The Senate ↗ -
How long is a term for a U.S. senator?
- Six (6) years
Senators are elected for six years, three times as long as House members. A candidate must be at least 30, a U.S. citizen and live in the state.
Study guide · 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.
128 questions · B: System of Government ↗ -
How many voting members are in the House of Representatives?
- Four hundred thirty-five (435)
The House has 435 voting members, each elected from a congressional district. States with more people get more districts: California has 52, Wyoming only one.
Study guide · The House of Representatives ↗ -
How long is a term for a member of the House of Representatives?
- Two (2) years
Every seat in the House is up for election every two years. Candidates must be at least 25, U.S. citizens and live in the state of their district.
Study guide · The House of Representatives ↗ -
Why do U.S. representatives serve shorter terms than U.S. senators?
- To more closely follow public opinion
With an election every two years, representatives answer to the voters far more often than senators with six-year terms, so the House is meant to reflect what the public thinks right now.
128 questions · B: System of Government ↗ -
How many senators does each state have?
- Two (2)
Each state, from Wyoming to California, has exactly two senators, so the Senate's 100 members represent the 50 states equally.
Study guide · The Senate ↗ -
Why does each state have two senators?
- Equal representation (for small states)
- The Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)
At the Constitutional Convention the small states feared being outvoted, so the Founders compromised: seats in the House by population, but the same two senators for every state.
Study guide · The Legislative Branch (Congress) ↗ -
Name your U.S. representative.
- Answers will vary. Find your representative at house.gov
The answer depends on where you live: each congressional district elects one member of the House. Look up yours by address at house.gov. Residents of a territory may name its nonvoting delegate.
128 questions · B: System of Government ↗ -
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 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 (2025 Naturalization Civics Test) Updates ↗ -
Who does a U.S. senator represent?
- Citizens of their state
- People of their state
Unlike a House member, who speaks for one district, a senator is elected statewide and represents everyone in the state.
Study guide · The Senate ↗ -
Who elects U.S. senators?
- Citizens from their state
Senators are chosen in a statewide election by the voters of the state they will represent, and only U.S. citizens may vote in federal elections.
Study guide · The Senate ↗ -
Who does a member of the House of Representatives represent?
- Citizens in their (congressional) district
- Citizens in their district
- People from their (congressional) district
- People in their district
Each state is split into congressional districts and each district elects one representative, who speaks for the people living there rather than for the whole state.
Study guide · The House of Representatives ↗ -
Who elects members of the House of Representatives?
- Citizens from their (congressional) district
Voters in each congressional district choose their own representative every two years, so it is the citizens of that district, not the whole state, who elect a House member.
Study guide · The House of Representatives ↗ -
Some states have more representatives than other states. Why?
- (Because of) the state’s population
- (Because) they have more people
- (Because) some states have more people
House seats are divided by population: California, the state with the most people, has 52 voting members, while Wyoming, with the fewest, has one.
Study guide · The House of Representatives ↗ -
The President of the United States is elected for how many years?
- Four (4) years
Citizens vote for President in November and the winner serves a four-year term, which can be followed by one more term of four years.
Study guide · Voting for President ↗ -
The President of the United States can serve only two terms. Why?
- (Because of) the 22nd Amendment
- To keep the president from becoming too powerful
Franklin Roosevelt was elected four times, and in 1951 the 22nd Amendment limited a person to two elections as President so that no one could hold the office too long.
Study guide · Franklin Roosevelt ↗ -
What is the name of the President of the United States now?
- Donald J. Trump
- Donald Trump
- Trump
The President is elected every four years, so the answer changes with elections. USCIS keeps the current name at uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates.
Test updates · Civics Test (2025 Naturalization Civics Test) Updates ↗ -
What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?
- JD Vance
- Vance
The Vice President is elected together with the President, so the name changes with elections. USCIS keeps the current one at uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates.
Test updates · Civics Test (2025 Naturalization Civics Test) Updates ↗ -
If the president can no longer serve, who becomes president?
- The Vice President (of the United States)
The Constitution's line of succession starts with the Vice President, who has taken over when Presidents died in office. The Speaker of the House comes next.
Study guide · The Vice President ↗ -
Name one power of the president.
- Signs bills into law
- Vetoes bills
- Enforces laws
- Commander in Chief (of the military)
- Chief diplomat
- Appoints federal judges
A bill passed by both houses goes to the President, who either signs it into law or vetoes it. The President also enforces the laws, commands the military and appoints federal judges.
Study guide · Making Federal Laws ↗ -
Who is Commander in Chief of the U.S. military?
- The President (of the United States)
The Constitution makes the President the Commander in Chief, in charge of everyone serving in the six branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Study guide · The Commander in Chief ↗ -
Who signs bills to become laws?
- The President (of the United States)
After a majority of the House and the Senate pass a bill, it goes to the President, and the President's signature is what turns it into a law everyone must follow.
Study guide · Making Federal Laws ↗ -
Who vetoes bills?
- The President (of the United States)
To veto means the President refuses to sign a bill passed by Congress. The bill then dies unless Congress votes to override the veto.
Study guide · Making Federal Laws ↗ -
Who appoints federal judges?
- The President (of the United States)
Federal judges are not elected. The President nominates a judge for the Supreme Court or a lower federal court, and the Senate must approve the choice.
Study guide · The Judicial Branch ↗ -
The executive branch has many parts. Name one.
- President (of the United States)
- Cabinet
- Federal departments and agencies
The executive branch is headed by the President and also includes the Vice President, the Cabinet of advisors and the executive departments and agencies, such as Homeland Security.
Study guide · The Executive Branch ↗ -
What does the President’s Cabinet do?
- Advises the President (of the United States)
A cabinet is a group of advisors. The heads of the executive departments, mostly called Secretaries, make up the President's Cabinet and give the President advice.
Study guide · The President's Cabinet ↗ -
What are two Cabinet-level positions?
- Attorney General
- Secretary of Agriculture
- Secretary of Commerce
- 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
- Secretary of War (Defense)
- Vice-President
- Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
- Administrator of the Small Business Administration
- Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
- Director of the Office of Management and Budget
- Director of National Intelligence
- United States Trade Representative
The leaders of the executive departments sit in the Cabinet. Most are called Secretaries, like the Secretary of State, but the head of the Department of Justice is the Attorney General.
Study guide · The President's Cabinet ↗ -
Why is the Electoral College important?
- It decides who is elected president.
- It provides a compromise between the popular election of the president and congressional selection.
Americans vote in November, but the President is formally chosen by the Electoral College, a middle way between a direct popular vote and selection by Congress.
128 questions · B: System of Government ↗ -
What is one part of the judicial branch?
- Supreme Court
- Federal Courts
The judicial branch is made of the Supreme Court, the highest court, and the lower federal courts: 13 courts of appeals and 94 district courts.
Study guide · The Judicial Branch ↗ -
What does the judicial branch do?
- Reviews laws
- Explains laws
- Resolves disputes (disagreements) about the law
- Decides if a law goes against the (U.S.) Constitution
Courts review laws when a legal case is brought before them and decide whether a law follows the Constitution, the supreme law of the land.
Study guide · The Judicial Branch ↗ -
What is the highest court in the United States?
- Supreme Court
No other court can change a decision of the Supreme Court, so its ruling on a law or a legal case is final.
Study guide · The Judicial Branch ↗ -
How many seats 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.
Study guide · Supreme Court Justices ↗ -
How many Supreme Court justices are usually needed to decide a case?
- Five (5)
A case is decided by a majority, more than half of the justices. With nine on the Court, at least five must vote the same way.
Study guide · Supreme Court Justices ↗ -
How long do Supreme Court justices serve?
- (For) life
- Lifetime appointment
- (Until) retirement
Federal judges are not elected and have no fixed term. Once nominated by the President and approved by the Senate, a justice serves until retirement or death.
Study guide · The Judicial Branch ↗ -
Supreme Court justices serve for life. Why?
- To be independent (of politics)
- To limit outside (political) influence
The Founders did not want judges deciding cases to please voters or parties, so justices are appointed rather than elected and serve for life, ruling by the Constitution alone.
Study guide · The Judicial Branch ↗ -
Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
- John Roberts
- John G. Roberts, Jr.
- Roberts
The Chief Justice leads the nine justices in choosing cases and running the courtroom. The name changes with appointments, so check the current one at uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates.
Test updates · Civics Test (2025 Naturalization Civics Test) Updates ↗ -
Name one power that is only for the federal government.
- Print paper money
- Mint coins
- Declare war
- Create an army
- Make treaties
- Set foreign policy
Only the federal government may print dollar bills and mint coins, declare war, create an army and make treaties with other countries.
Study guide · The Federal Government ↗ -
Name one power that is only for the states.
- Provide schooling and education
- Provide protection (police)
- Provide safety (fire departments)
- Give a driver’s license
- Approve zoning and land use
Powers the Constitution does not give to the federal government stay with the states, which run schools, police and fire departments and issue driver's licenses.
Study guide · State Governments ↗ -
What is the purpose of the 10th Amendment?
- (It states that the) powers not given to the federal government belong to the states or to the people.
The 10th Amendment draws the line between federal and state power: anything the Constitution does not hand to the federal government or forbid to the states is reserved to the states or the people.
Study guide · 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.]
The governor heads the executive branch of a state, as the president heads the federal one. The answer is a name: pick your state on the test page and it is filled in. D.C. has a mayor, not a governor, and saying so is the accepted answer there.
128 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 legislature and governor work, 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.
128 questions · B: System of Government ↗