PRACTICE CONSTITUTION TEST NAME_____________________

PERIOD_____
Multiple Choice

1. _______ What part of the Constitution lists the six goals and states that the
people of the U.S. are the authority for the Constitution?
A. the first seven articles B. the bill of rights
C. the Preamble D. the first amendment

2. _______ To which branch of government does the Constitution give the power to
make laws?
A. the military branch B. the legislative branch
C. the judicial branch D. the executive branch

3. _______ A member of the U.S. House of Representatives serves a ____ term.

A. four year B. six year C. two year D. one year

4. _______ How is the number of representatives from the 50 states that serve in the
House decided upon?
A. by the population of the state B. by the land area of a state
C. by the # of large cities in a state D. by the year a state was admitted
in the Union.
5. _______ How many states were needed to approve the US Constitution?
A. 3 B. 9 C. 12 D. all 13

6. _______ How many senators are elected from each state?

A. ten B. six C. three D. two

7. _______ What is the number of years in a term of office for a senator?

A. two years B. four years C. six years D. eight years

8. _______ Who presides over the Senate?

A. the Secretary of State B. the Speaker of the House
C. the Vice-President of the US D. the Chief Justice

9. _______ Where must all revenue bills begin?

A. in the Senate B. in the House of Representatives
C. in the Cabinet D. with the President

10. _______ How can Congress override a Presidential veto of a bill?

A. by a 1/3 vote in both houses B. by taking it to the Supreme Court
C. by a 2/3 vote in both houses D. by a 100% vote in both houses

11. _______ What is one thing the federal government is forbidden to do?
A. establish post offices B. grant titles of nobility
C. coin money D. fix the standard of weights
12. _______ What is one power that is denied to the states?
A. provide a public education B. tax people
C. make treaties with other countries D. build roads

13. _______ Who has the power to enforce the laws?

A. the Supreme Court B. the President
C. the House D. the Senate

14. _______ How long is the term of office of the President?

A. two years B. four years C. five years D. six years

15. _______ The Electoral College meets to

A. impeach the President B. appoint Supreme Court Justices
C. vote for the President D. override a President’s veto

16. _______ How long must a person be a citizen of the U.S. in order to run for Pres?
A. 7 years B. 9 years C. 20 years D. since birth

17. _______ Who is next in line for the presidency AFTER the vice-president?
A. the Secretary of State B. the Speaker of the House of Reps
C. the president pro-tempore D. the Senate majority leader

18. _______ Who has the power to command all of the armed forces of the U.S.?
A. the Senate B. the House C. the President D. the Chief Justice

19. _______ What are the first ten amendments to the Constitution called?
A. the Reconstruction Amendments B. the Preamble
C. the Revolutionary Amendments D. the Bill of Rights

20. _______Which amendment guarantees freedom of religion, speech and the press?
A. I B. III C. V D. X

21. _______ When a tie among electoral votes occurs, the _____ decides the winner
of the presidency.
A. House of Representatives B. Senate
C. Vice-President D. Congress

22. _______ According to Amendment XXII, how many terms of office may a
President serve?
A. one B. two C. three D. four

23. _______ According to Amendment XXVI, how old must a U.S. citizen be in
order to vote?
A. 17 B. 18 C. 21 D. 25
24. _______ How many senators make up the Senate?
A. 438 B. 150 C. 100 D. 200

25. _______ How many members are in the Supreme Court?

A. 15 B. 5 C. 8 D. 9

26. _______ The Vice-President is president of the Senate but only votes
A. when asked by the President B. when there is a tie
C. when a member is sick D. he can’t vote

27. _______ What vote of the states is needed to approve an amendment?

A. 1/2 B. 2/3 C.3/4 D. All 50

28. _______ The ____ says that the federal government is superior over state gov’ts.
A. Elastic Clause B. Bill of Rights
C. Supremacy Clause D. Articles

29. _______ The idea of sharing powers between the state and federal governments
is known as _____.
A. federalism B. Original Jurisdiction
C. Judicial Review D. Nationalism

30. _______Powers given to Congress are called ____ powers.

A. delegated B. reserved
C. shared D. concurrent

31. _______ Powers given to the states are called ____ powers.
A. delegated B. reserved
C. shared D. concurrent

32. _______ Powers shared by federal and state governments are called ___.
A. delegated B. reserved
C. balanced D. concurrent

33. _______ Which is an example of a reserved power?

A. coining money B. establishing schools
C. declaring war D. establishing post offices

34. _______ Which is an example of a concurrent power?

A. passing copyright laws B. maintaining armed forces
C. building roads D. establishing schools

35. _______ If the president doesn’t act on a bill within ten days, what could
happen to that bill?
A. goes back to Senate B. pocket veto
C. goes back to House D. he throws it away
 36. _______If not born here, what process must a person go through to become a
United States citizen?
A. jurisdiction B. naturalization
C. federalism D. nationalism

37. _______ Who elects United States Senators?

A. the state legislatures B. the president
C. the US people D. they’re not elected

38. _______ How many times does Congress have to be in session each year?
A. 50 B. 100 C. 25 D. 1

39. _______ How often can the number of representatives from each state change?
A. every 5 years B. every 20 years
C. every 10 years D. they can’t change

40. _______ At what age do you qualify to run for US President?

A. 25 B. 30 C. 35 D. 40

41. _______ At what age do you qualify to run for US Senate?

A. 25 B. 30 C. 35 D. 40

42. _______ At what age do you qualify to run for US Representative?

A. 25 B. 30 C. 35 D. 40

43. _______ Where did the delegates meet to write the US Constiution?
A. Philadelphia, PA B. Bradley, IL
C. Washington DC D. New York City, NY

44. _______ The United States prohibits _________ under Amendment XVIII?
A. women from voting B. alcohol
C. illegal aliens D. search warrants

45. _______ If a foreign citizen wants to sue a state, where must that trial occur?
A. in that state court B. the Supreme Court
C. a federal court D. an appellate court

46. ________ How many electoral votes did Washington DC get with the 23rd
Amendment?
A. 2 B. 3 C. 4 D. 10

47. ________ How many Amendments have been nullified?

A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. none of them

48. ________ How many total members of Congress are there?

A. 435 B. 100 C. 535 D. 9
TRUE/FALSE – Write out the word!!!!!!!

49. _______ Supreme Court members serve for a lifetime.

50. _______ The President must sign all bills before they can become laws.

51. _______ All bills must be passed by both House and Senate before being sent to
the President.

52. _______ The Preamble is a way to change the Constitution.

53. _______ The states have the right to coin money.

54. _______ A foreign born citizen who becomes an American citizen may become
President.

55. _______ There have been 27 Amendments to the Constitution.

56. _______ A bill can also become law without the President’s signature.

57. _______ To become President, it takes the majority of the electoral votes.

58. _______ The U.S. Supreme Court is the highest court in America.

59. _______ The Constitution and its amendments guarantee rights to you and every
other American citizen.

60. _______ The Legislative Branch is the law making branch.

61. _______ The Executive Branch can find a law unconstitutional.

62. _______ All citizens have the right to a speedy, fair, and public trial.

63. _______ When someone is tried for the same crime more than once, it is known
as an unreasonably severe punishment.

64. ________ The Articles of Confederation was America’s first constitution.

65. ________ The opening date for Congress is January 1.

66. ________ A US Senator can also be a Supreme Court Justice.

67. ________ The leader of the Senate if the Vice President can’t lead is called the
President Pro – Tempore.

68. ________ A trial must be held in the state the crime was committed.
69. ________ Voting day is the first Monday after the first Tuesday in November.

70. ________ Congress can pass an ex post facto law.

71. ________ Supreme Court justices have to have been lawyers previously.

72. ________ Congress has the power to make all laws necessary and proper for the
good of the government.

73. _______ As an American citizen you have the duty to serve on a jury if asked.

74. _______ As an American citizen you have the responsibility to vote responsibly.

Write the letter “S” in the answer blank if the statement is about the Senate.
Write the letter “H” in the answer blank if the statement is about the House of Rep.
Write the letter “C” in the answer blank if the statement is about the whole Congress

75. _______ Members are elected to serve two years.

76. _______ Members are elected to serve six years.

77. _______ Members’ salaries cannot be raised or lowered during their term.

78. _______ The presiding officer (the one in charge) is called the Speaker.

79. _______ There are two members from each state in this body.

80. _______ All revenue (money/tax) bills start here.

81. _______ A member can serve an unlimited amount of terms.

82. _______ The Vice-President is the president of this legislative branch.

83. _______ This body can override the President’s veto by a two-thirds vote.

84. _______ Has power of impeachment

85. _______ Has power to try impeachment cases