If you select a wrong answer, you can keep guessing till you get the right answer. Then, to move on to the next question, you click the right arrow below. (You can click the left arrow to look back at a previous question.) We encourage you to retake the quizzes periodically to refresh your knowledge.
Legislative Branch
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Question 1 |
A | To monitor the budget |
B | To create and pass laws |
C | To nominate judges for the federal court |
D | To run the country on a daily basis |
Question 2 |
A | The Senate and the Office of Management and Budget |
B | The House of Representatives and the Cabinet |
C | The House of Representatives and the Senate |
D | The Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches of the government. |
Question 3 |
A | To create laws about trade |
B | To make laws about taxes |
C | To interpret the Bill of Rights |
D | To declare war |
Question 4 |
A | Two years |
B | Four years |
C | Six years |
D | There is no time limit on Congress. |
Question 5 |
A | January 1st through October 20th |
B | January 20th through August 31st |
C | January 3rd through July 31st |
D | October 30th through June 1st |
Question 6 |
A | Only one per state |
B | Only two per state |
C | One per every one million residents |
D | A maximum of six based on population |
Question 7 |
A | 60 |
B | A two-thirds majority. |
C | Half of the votes cast plus one |
D | 51 |
Question 8 |
A | Like the President, only two |
B | A maximum of twenty-four years |
C | A maximum of five terms |
D | There is no limit |
Question 9 |
A | Ask the Supreme Court to vote to override the President. |
B | Rewrite the bill and pass it as an Amendment to the Constitution |
C | Override the President by having at least 60% of each house vote in favor of the bill. |
D | Override the President by having two-thirds of each house vote in favor of the bill. |
Question 10 |
A | To elect the President of the Senate |
B | To hold trials for major government officials who have done wrong |
C | To pass new laws |
D | To approve nominees to the Supreme Court |
Question 11 |
A | The population of the state. |
B | The number of registered voters in a state from the last Presidential election |
C | The number of representatives is the same for each state |
D | The state Senate decides the number every ten years |
Question 12 |
A | They can only serve for a maximum of four terms |
B | They can only serve for two terms |
C | There is no term limit, since it is a lifetime election |
D | As long as the people elect them, there is no limit. |
Question 13 |
Only the House of Representatives can:
A | Declare war for the country |
B | Hold a trial that could remove a President from office |
C | Initiate laws that create taxes |
D | Approve treaties made by the President |
Question 14 |
A | Sixty percent of the votes cast |
B | 251 |
C | 218 |
D | Fifty percent of the votes cast plus one |
Question 15 |
A | 1 |
B | 2 |
C | 6 |
D | One for every 100,000 residents |
Question 16 |
A | 50 |
B | 100 |
C | 200 |
D | 250 |
Question 17 |
A | 4 |
B | 2 |
C | 6 |
D | 8 |
Question 18 |
A | 435 |
B | Depends on the total population. It increases with population. |
C | 535 |
D | 250 |
Question 19 |
A | 4 |
B | 2 |
C | 6 |
D | 8 |
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How a Bill Becomes Law
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Question 1 |
Which is the proper order of events for a bill to become law?
A | Bill is Drafted (then) Introduced to House/Senate (then) Conference Committee (then) Floor Action (then) Vote (then) President Signs/Vetoes |
B | Bill is Drafted (then) Introduced to House/Senate (then) Floor Action (then) Vote (then) Conference Committee (then) President Signs/Vetoes |
C | Bill is Drafted (then) Conference Committee (then) Introduced to House/Senate (then) Floor Action (then) Vote (then) President Signs/Vetoes |
Question 2 |
Which of the following are true about bills being referred to committees?
A | The entire bill can be referred to multiple committees.
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B | Different sections of the bill can be sent to different committees.
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C | If the committee never acts upon the bill (by passing the time limit, for instance, it is essentially killed. |
D | All of the above are true |
Question 3 |
The chairman of a committee can form a subcommittee to delegate the bill to.
A | True. |
B | False. |
Question 4 |
While in committee, if substantial amendments are required, the committee can introduce a new, modified bill. This is called:
A | An “Amendatory Bill” |
B | A “Clean Bill” |
C | A “Dutch Bill” |
D | None of the above, the committee may not introduce a new, modified bill. |
Question 5 |
How many members of the House must be present to vote on a bill?
A | 100 |
B | 218 |
C | All of them |
D | There's no minimum number. If representatives don't care enough to attend, bills they dislike will pass. |
Question 6 |
What is cloture?
A | Cloture is a motion used in the Senate to pass a bill that has been stalled by a filibuster. |
B | Cloture is a motion to close or "kill" a bill. |
C | Cloture is a motion used in the Senate to limit further discussion on a bill that is being blocked by a filibuster. |
Question 7 |
If each chamber of Congress approves a similar bill, they do not have to be exactly the same (but very close) to be sent to the President to be signed or vetoed.
A | True. |
B | False. |
Question 8 |
The group of Congress members from each house that are made up of senior members who are appointed by their presiding officers to reconcile difference between bills passed in the House and Senate is called:
A | Reconciliation Committee |
B | Conference Committee |
C | The Ways and Means Committee |
Question 9 |
Once the Conference Committee has reached an acceptable compromise on the details of a bill, they …
A | Sent the new bill to the President to sign or veto. |
B | Send a written report to their respective chambers that must be approved before it is sent to the President. |
C | Have the Speaker of the House and the Senate majority leader sign off, making the bill an official law. |
Question 10 |
If Congress is still in session, what happens if the President does not sign or veto a bill within 10 days?
A | It automatically becomes law. |
B | It automatically dies. This is called a Pocket Veto. |
C | It goes to the Supreme Court who makes a decision. |
Question 11 |
If the President actively vetoes a bill, he or she will send a report to Congress. Then what's true?
A | It can never become a law until the next White House Administration, if the bill again passes through Congress.
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B | Only a bill incorporating his revisions can possibly be passed. |
C | The veto can be overridden if 2/3s of both the House and Senate vote in favor of the bill. |
D | The veto can be overridden if 2/3 of the members of the chamber that originally drafted the legislation vote for it.
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Question 12 |
If you as a citizen thought a piece of legislation was vitally important, and it was stuck in a House committee, and you had some lobbying power -- lots of money or friends in Congress -- what should you push for?
A | That the Speaker of the House or Senate Majority Leader use his or her authority to bring it to the floor for a vote. |
B | That the Speaker of the House or Senate Majority Leader use his or her authority to add more members to the committee to change the vote outcome. |
C | That a majority of House members (at least 218) sign a petition to force it out of committee. |
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Executive Branch Quiz
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Question 1 |
A | The Majority Leader of the Senate |
B | The Secretary of State |
C | The Speaker of the House |
D | The Attorney General |
Question 2 |
A | When the President signs a bill, it become law. |
B | The President can serve four or eight years. |
C | The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the military. |
D | The President must have been a Senator or Congressman. |
E | The President must be born an American Citizen. |
Question 3 |
A | When Congress refuses to accept a Presidential decision. |
B | When Congress votes against a bill. |
C | When the President refuses to sign a bill passed by Congress. |
D | When the President issues a warning to Congress.
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Question 4 |
A | Make laws in specific areas. |
B | Advise the President. |
C | Take orders from the President. |
D | Run departments of the Executive branch. |
Question 5 |
A | Commerce, Defense, Housing and Urban Development. |
B | Interior, Energy, Transportation. |
C | Environment, Science and Technology, Foreign Affairs. |
D | Veteran’s Affairs, Health and Human Services, Treasury. |
Question 6 |
A | The Defense Department. |
B | The State Department. |
C | The National Security Agency (NSA). |
D | The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) |
Question 7 |
A | It means that a President was voted out of office by the Senate. |
B | It means that a President and vice-president are both voted out of office. |
C | It means that a President is indicted by the House of Representatives (and forced to face a trial before the Senate) |
D | It means that a President has been found guilty of serious crimes by the Senate in which the Senate acts as a jury. |
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Judicial Branch Quiz
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Question 1 |
A | Reviews and clarifies laws. |
B | Decide salaries of the executive and legislative branches. |
C | Resolves disputes between parties. |
D | Decides if a law goes against the Constitution (“is unconstitutional"), |
Question 2 |
A | The Senate and the House of Representatives. |
B | The President. |
C | A majority of the current Supreme Court justices. |
D | The Senate. |
Question 3 |
A | 12 |
B | 5 |
C | 7 |
D | 9 |
Question 4 |
A | The Senate and the House of Representatives. |
B | The President. |
C | A majority of the current Supreme Court justice. |
D | The Senate. |
Question 5 |
What happens when two parties disagree as to the interpretation of a federal law?
A | The Senate votes and decides the correct interpretation. |
B | The Senate and House meet in a joint session and vote on the correct interpretation. |
C | One of many joint committees of the Senate and the House vote, since there are too many disputes for the whole Senate and House to decide each one. |
D | The dispute is brought before federal district court. If it is not resolved, it goes to an appellate court, and if it is still not resolved, to the Supreme Court. |
Question 6 |
Which of the following is false?
A | The US Supreme Court can overrule the decisions of any court in the country. |
B | The US Supreme Court can make a ruling that changes how the Constitution is interpreted. |
C | The US Supreme Court can impeach the President of the United States. |
D | The US Supreme Court cannot overrule some of the decisions of state courts. |
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Who's Who in Government?
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Question 1 |
A | Barack Obama |
B | George Bush |
C | Al Gore |
D | John McCain |
Question 3 |
A | Nancy Pelosi |
B | John Boehner |
C | Hillary Clinton |
D | John McCain |
Question 4 |
A | Harry Reid |
B | Ralph Reed |
C | Dick Cheney |
D | John Boehner |
Question 5 |
A | Dr. Condoleezza Rice |
B | Colin Powell |
C | Hillary Clinton |
D | John Kerry |
Question 6 |
A | Colin Powell |
B | Eric Holder |
C | Alberto Gonzales |
D | Dr. Condoleezza Rice |
Question 7 |
A | Nancy Pelosi |
B | John McCain |
C | Mitch McConnell, Jr. |
D | Tom Daschle |
Question 8 |
A | Harry Reid |
B | Nancy Pelosi |
C | Eric Cantor |
D | Steny Hoyer |
Question 9 |
A | Ben Bernanke |
B | Janet Yellin |
C | Paul Krugman |
D | Alan Greenspan |
Question 10 |

A | Ban Ki-moon |
B | Hu Jintao |
C | Xi Jinping |
D | Mao Zedong |
Question 11 |
A | Mikhail Gorbachev |
B | Boris Yeltsin |
C | Nikolai Perestroika |
D | Vladimir Putin |
Question 12 |
A | John Major |
B | David Cameron |
C | Gordon Brown |
D | Tony Blair |
Question 13 |
A | Gabriel García Márquez |
B | Felipe Calderón |
C | Enrique Peña Nieto |
D | Vicente Fox |
Question 14 |
A | Helmut Kohl |
B | Angela Merkel |
C | Helmut Schmidt |
D | Gerhard Schröder |
Question 15 |
A | Stephen Harper |
B | Paul Martin |
C | John Major |
D | François Hollande |
Question 16 |
A | Timothy Geithner |
B | Jacob Lew |
C | Ben Bernanke |
D | Kathleen Sebelius |
Question 17 |
A | Sally Jewell |
B | Kathleen Sebelius |
C | Samantha Power |
Question 18 |
A | Harry Reid |
B | Eric Cantor |
C | John Boehner |
D | Mitch McConnell, Jr. |
Question 19 |
A | Kofi Annan |
B | Ban Ki-moon |
C | Boutros Boutros-Ghali |
D | Kurt Waldheim |
Question 20 |
A | Clarence Thomas |
B | John G. Roberts, Jr. |
C | Anthonin Scalia |
D | Samuel A. Alito |
Question 21 |
A | Leon Panetta |
B | John Kerry |
C | Chuck Hagel |
D | Donald Rumsfeld |
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Key Documents and Principles
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Question 1 |
A | It sets up the federal government. |
B | It protects basic rights of Americans. |
C | It explains which powers are reserved to states. |
D | It explains which powers are reserved to local governments. |
Question 2 |
A | The power of government comes from the people. |
B | It means the United States is a democracy. |
C | It means the United States is a republic. |
D | It refers to the court case that began our nation: The People vs. King George III. |
Question 3 |
What do we call changes or updates to the Constitution?
A | Bills |
B | Amendments |
C | The U.S. Code of Law |
D | Constitutional Articles |
Question 4 |
A | The Bill of Rights |
B | The Articles of Confederation |
C | The Federalist Amendments |
D | The Ten Freedoms |
Question 5 |
What five rights or freedoms are in the First Amendment?
A | Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, Right to Vote, Right to Bear Arms, Ownership |
B | Freedom of Speech, Ownership, Religion, Right to Vote, Right to Assemble |
C | Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, Right to Assemble, Freedom of the Press, Right to Petition the government |
D | Freedom to Bear Arms, Freedom of Speech, Protection from Unlawful Arrest, Freedom of Religion and Right to Vote |
Question 6 |
How many amendments does the Constitution have?
A | 21 |
B | 25 |
C | 27 |
D | 29 |
Question 7 |
A | You can practice any religion you want, or not practice at all. |
B | You can practice any religion but can’t be an atheist. |
C | The government cannot tax any religious organization. |
D | Religious services must be free, but people can make donations. |
Question 8 |
A | The President |
B | Congress |
C | The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court |
D | We the People of the United States |
Question 9 |
There are several amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Which of the following is not in a Constitutional Amendment?
A | Any citizen 18 or older can vote. |
B | A U.S. citizen of any race can vote. |
C | People who have committed certain serious crimes cannot vote. |
D | Women can vote, not just men. |
Question 10 |
A | A bill must be passed by 2/3s of both the Senate and the House |
B | A Constitutional Convention must be called by at least 2/3s of the State Legislatures (34 states). At the Convention one or more proposals can be introduced and voted on. |
C | Either A or B. |
Question 11 |
A | By a vote of 3/4s of State Legislatures |
B | At a constitutional convention, if 3/4ths of the states support the amendment. |
C | By 3/4ths of American voters |
D | Either A or B. |
Question 12 |
A | The federal government has only the powers that the Constitution states that it has. |
B | The people, the states, and the local government have powers, too. |
C | Only God has unlimited powers. |
D | The Constitution is limited to governing the United States, and not other countries. |
Question 13 |
A | The Rule of Law. The King of England did not obey the laws, but acted like a tyrant and dictator. |
B | People have natural rights, such as the right to live and the right to be free. They should not be deprived of these rights. |
C | Separation of powers. The 13 U.S. colonies needed to separate from England and have their own power. |
D | Limited Government. Even though they were declaring independence from England, the government would limit the changes it would make. For instance, it didn't change any of the size or names of the 13 states. |
Question 14 |
What does the phrase "the rule of law" mean?
A | Everyone must obey the laws. |
B | No one is above the law. |
C | Even lawmakers must follow the law. |
D | Everyone is equal before the law |
E | All of the above. |
Question 15 |
Which of the following is not true about the Fifth amendment?
A | The Fifth Amendment guarantees a citizen a trial by jury for any serious crime |
B | The Fifth Amendment requires "due process" before a person can but put in prison, given capital punishment or have his/her property taken away. |
C | The Fifth Amendment says that a person cannot be forced to testify against himself. |
D | The Fifth Amendment says that a person cannot be tried twice for the same crime. (This is known as "double jeopardy.") |
E | The Fifth Amendment guarantees a citizen the right to a speedy trial. |
Question 16 |
Which of the following is not covered in one of the amendments to the Constitution?
A | The United States establishes a federal income tax. (1913) |
B | Citizens of Puerto Rico are granted U.S. citizenship and the right to vote for President and Vice President. (1917) |
C | The President is limited to no more than two terms. (1951) |
D | The pay raises that Congress can give itself are limited. (1992) |
E | Presidential electors are granted to the District of Columbia, in the Electoral College (1961.) |
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Structural Problems in Government
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Question 1 |
Why are structural problems so important to understand and take action on?
A | Structural problems affect the political process in one or more of the following ways: they increase the cost of government; they make it take longer for government to produce solutions; they decrease the quality of the solutions. |
B | Structural problems can affect almost all other political issues. |
C | Structural problems are not as visible as other problems. They also don't usually generate the emotion for the problem to become visible and reach "critical mass" and be solved. |
D | Structural problems can do damage for decades -- for as long as they are not fixed. |
E | All of the above. |
Question 2 |
Which one of the following is not a political structural problem?
A | Gerrymandering |
B | Earmarks. (Pork) |
C | Climate change |
D | Corporate domination of elections through massive spending. |
Question 3 |
Which one of these is not a political structural problems?
A | The overuse of the filibuster in the Senate. |
B | Social Security eventually running out of money because of large number of baby boomers relative to younger generations. |
C | Laws or machinery that prevent portions of the electorate from voting and having their votes count. |
D | Fast track authority that minimize's Congress's power to have a check on the President's ability to make treaties binding on the United States |
Question 4 |
Which one of the following is not a political structural problem?
A | A large percentage of the electorate that is uninformed, easily manipulated and lacks thinking skills to make choices. |
B | The fact that most members of Congress now spend a huge portion of their time in office trying to get re-elected, leaving much less time to think about and work on legislation. |
C | Fracking which is changing the "structure" of the rivers that the fracking chemicals are put in, and which changes the structure of the country''s energy supply. |
D | The Electoral College when it elects a president who received the second highest number of popular votes, rather than the candidate who received the most votes. |
Question 5 |
Besides political structural problems, there are economic, environmental and social structural problems that affect the country. For instance, economic structural problems affect the efficiency of the economy. Which one of the following is primarily an economic structural problem?
A | Overpopulation and over-consumption of limited natural resources. |
B | A decrease in quality journalism as newspapers are replaced by blogs and internet news sources. This can be harmful to the political process, since voters would have a harder time finding facts from authoritative sources. |
C | Under-regulation of financial institutions and the financial instruments they create. (This led to the global financial crisis starting in 2009.) |
D | Information overload and the stress that it causes people. When organizations send out their messages, it just adds to the load. |
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Elections, Voting and Parties
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Question 1 |
A | At post offices, because they are federal and forms are different in each state. |
B | Online (just search on “voter registration forms” (for your state). |
C | At various state agencies. |
D | At county voter registration offices. |
Question 2 |
Which of following is not always true about who can vote?
A | A person must be registered to vote. |
B | A person must be a US citizen to vote. |
C | A person who has committed a felony has lost the right to vote. |
D | A person must be at least 18 years old on the day of the election to vote. |
Question 3 |
Of two presidential candidates, candidates A and B, what does it mean if presidential candidate A had 52% of the popular vote (the total number of votes cast in the country), but 269 votes in the Electoral College? (The other candidate, B, won 48% of the popular vote and 271 electors.)
A | It means candidate A won, since he or she had the most votes. |
B | It means candidate A lost. |
Question 4 |
Why do many people consider the Electoral College system unfair?
A | States with smaller populations have relatively more electors, since each state has an equal number of senators. |
B | In all but two states, the winner gets ALL the electoral votes for that state, even if he or she only won 51% of the votes. |
C | A presidential candidate can get the majority of the popular vote and still lose |
D | All of the above. |
Question 5 |
Which party is roughly described by the following:
Socially liberal and economically conservative. It tends to support strongly defended civil rights, free market economics, and a more isolationist foreign policy alongside free international trade.
A | Constitution Party |
B | Green Party |
C | Libertarian Party |
D | Democratic Party |
E | Republican Party |
Question 6 |
Which party is roughly defined this way:
The party centers on social conservatism and free market economics. It argues that government should take a hands-off approach to the economy by reducing regulations and federal spending while lowering taxes.
A | Constitution Party |
B | Green Party |
C | Libertarian Party |
D | Republican Party |
E | Democratic Party |
Question 7 |
Which party is roughly defined this way:
Emphasizes social justice, and a participatory democracy where corporate influence is wholly rejected by government. It advocates community-based economics, environmental sustainability, and nonviolence.
A | Constitution Party |
B | Green Party |
C | Libertarian Party |
D | Republican Party |
E | Democratic Party |
Question 8 |
Which party is roughly defined this way:
This party argues against federal taxation and subsidization, all forms of government welfare, and social policies such as legalized abortion and same-sex marriage. It advocates free trade supplemented by heavy tariffs, noninterventionalism, and strict rules for immigration. It argues for a strict interpretation of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
A | Constitution Party |
B | Green Party |
C | Libertarian Party |
D | Republican Party |
E | Democratic Party |
Question 9 |
Which party is roughly defined this way:
This party argues that government should take a proactive role in combating social injustice, environmental matters, and unregulated business. This party is currently marked largely by its focus on welfare, income equality, and an internationalist foreign policy that strives to be less interventionist.
A | Constitution Party |
B | Green Party |
C | Libertarian Party |
D | Republican Party |
E | Democratic Party |
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Basic Economics for Politics
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Your performance has been rated as %%RATING%%
Question 1 |
A | Government Debt Payout. The amount that the federal government pays out each year on its debt. |
B | Gross Domestic Product. The total dollar amount of finished goods and services that a nation produces in a year. It equals consumer spending + business spending on capitol + government spending + exports minus imports. |
C | Gross Domestic Product. The total amount of goods produced, not counting government spending. |
D | Gross Domestic Product. Total amount of goods and services produced in a nation, not counting exports. |
Question 2 |
A | $900 billion |
B | $3.5 trillion |
C | $15 trillion |
D | $40 trillion |
Question 3 |
A | On average |
B | At most |
C | At least (the amount never goes below this number) |
D | Per person |
Question 4 |
A | By tracking the GDP every quarter. |
B | By tracking the CPI, the consumer price index. |
C | By tracking the poverty rate. |
D | By tracking the average tax rate. |
Question 5 |
A | It's the amount that all other countries owe the United States, and it's about $60 trillion. |
B | It's the total amount of debt of all individual Americans together owe banks and credit companies, and it's $6 trillion. |
C | It's the total amount that the federal government owes and it's about $3 trillion. |
D | It's the total amount that the federal government owes and it's about $17 trillion. (This includes about 5 trillion of intergovernmental holdings.) |
Question 6 |
A | It's a document that the president submits to Congress that includes the total income and expenses of the federal government for the next fiscal year. It's about $300 billion. |
B | It's a document that the president submits to Congress that includes the total income and expenses of the federal government for the next fiscal year. It's about $3.8 trillion in spending (and 2.9 trillion in income.) |
C | It's the amount that Congress gives to the President each year to run all the different government agencies. It's about $20 trillion a year. |
D | It's the amount that Congress gives the President to run the country for four years. It's about $80 trillion dollars. |
Question 7 |
Common trends in leading economic indicators tell us that.. [Pick two]
A | When they drop significantly, there will usually be a recession three months later. |
B | When they increase significantly, this usually indicates the end of a recession in three months. |
C | When they increase significantly, there will usually be a recession three months later. |
D | Really nothing about the future about the economy. |
Question 8 |
A | 50% |
B | 60% |
C | 70% |
D | 80% |
Question 9 |
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is...
A | An index of the cost of agricultural goods, usually indicative of the cost of food.
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B | An estimation of the cost consumers are willing to pay for certain goods. |
C | The measure of the cost of a set of goods that most people commonly buy. |
D | The measurement of luxury or non-essential consumer goods purchased, such as televisions, vacations, luxury cars, etc. – an indicator of how much money consumers are able to spend beyond necessities.
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Question 10 |
A | A measurement of how confident consumers are in the products they buy -- especially the product's durability. |
B | A monthly survey of people's confidence in the stock market over the next six months.
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C | A scientific survey of people's confidence in the economy that comes out monthly. |
D | A monthly survey of people's self-confidence. When people's self-esteem is high, they tend to buy more goods, thus stimulating the economy and creating jobs. |
Question 11 |
A | Less employment → Less need to maintain or build infrastructure → Government is not required to collect as much taxes. |
B | Less employment → Less Taxes → Government can no longer invest in maintaining or building the country's quality of life. |
C | Less employment → More Taxes → Government invests those extra taxes into maintaining and building the countries quality of life |
Question 12 |
A | State policy: Requiring the 50 states to meet production and employment quotas before dispensing funds (for education, agriculture, food stamps, etc.) |
B | International trade policy: Cutting export taxes to stimulate buying from consumers in other countries. |
C | Monetary policy: Planning changes in the money supply and interest rates.
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D | Fiscal policy: Making changes to the government’s own budget (lower taxes and higher spending) |
E | Military policy: Starting a war to stimulate spending and fuel consumption. |
Question 13 |
Through fiscal policy, what are two ways the government can stimulate the economy? [Pick two.]
A | Lower government spending – (Such as reducing infrastructure spending and lowering the number of government employees) |
B | Lowering taxes, giving people more money to keep and spend.
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C | Increasing taxes, giving the government more money to inject into the economy |
D | Increasing government spending which creates jobs and puts money in people's pockets – (Incidentally, this can cause the government to increase its debt.) |
Question 14 |
A | Changing the money supply by printing more money (or destroying more money.) |
B | Changing the Discount Rate, the interest rate that banks charge each other |
C | Increasing or decreasing the corporate tax rate. A lower tax rate leads to greater investment and money flow. |
D | Changing the Reserve Requirement, the percentage of money that banks are required to hold in reserve. |
E | Increasing or decreasing Open Market Transactions, buy buying or selling U.S. government bonds. |
Question 15 |
What is the "Fed," or the" Federal Reserve?"
A | The money the federal government keeps in reserve in Ft. Knox. |
B | A group of 12 commercial banks whose board of governors decides monetary policy for the U.S. government.
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C | A part of the US government within the Department of the Treasury. |
D | A division of the IMF, the International Monetary Fund. |
Question 16 |
A | Set the Reserve Requirement |
B | Conduct open market transactions, by buying or selling U.S. bonds |
C | Set the Discount Rate, the interest rate banks changer each other. |
D | Plan the fiscal policy for the coming year. |
Question 17 |
What four main factors affect long term economic growth?
A | Population rates; government tax rates; business interest rates; currency rates. |
B | Average physical health of workers; mental health of workers; quality of infrastructure; business tax rates. |
C | Natural resources; human resources; capital; technology. |
D | Fiscal policy; monetary policy; international trade agreements; consumer confidence. |
Question 18 |
A | The rate of unemployed people in the number of people over age 16 who have lost their jobs or are actively seeking employment in the last month as a percentage of the total workforce.
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B | The number of people who unemployed, underemployed, or have given up seeking employment. |
C | The ratio of unemployed people to fully employed people in the country in the past month. |
D | None of the above. |
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Economics -- Special Topics
Congratulations - you have completed Economics -- Special Topics
You scored %%SCORE%% out of %%TOTAL%%.
Your performance has been rated as %%RATING%%
Question 1 |
Imagine that three politicians are campaigning on a platform to create jobs and stimulate economic growth. Which of the three should you vote for, other things being equal?
A | This candidate wants to invest 20 billion dollars in a public works project to repair roads and bridges. |
B | This candidate wants to invest 15 billion dollars in various promising technologies in development, and 5 billion in tech education. |
C | This candidate wants to give away 20 billion dollars of pollution credits. Thus the government doesn't have to take anything from the Treasury and industry is stimulated because the 20 billion saved can be used elsewhere. But air, water and soil pollution increases for the year. |
Question 2 |
Three more candidates are campaigning on an economic growth platform. Which of the three would likely stimulate the economy the most, while decreasing negative side-effects as well?
A | This candidate emphasizes service center and nonprofit job creation; green jobs; and tax credits for conversion to green energy by businesses and consumers. |
B | This candidate emphasizes increasing immigration so as to build the workforce and the number of consumers in the country. This policy would have benefits of increasing payments into Social Security. |
C | This candidate emphasizes decreasing taxes on corporations so as to stimulate investment. |
Question 3 |
How urgent and how much of a political priority is the 16 trillion dollar national debt, a debt that is about $50,000 for every man, woman and child in the country?
A | Not a problem at all. Deficit spending stimulates the economy. If the government spent less, less jobs would be created. |
B | A concern, but not a top priority. Debt that leads to investment can be healthy. Besides, China and other nations can't "call in our debt" and even if they could, they probably wouldn't because nations are so interdependent. |
C | It's one of the greatest threats to the economic survival of the country and every citizen's economic future. |
Question 4 |
What kind of deficit spending is considered good or sensible?
A | No deficit spending is good. |
B | Deficit spending that's backed dollar for dollar by what the federal government has in the Treasury. |
C | Deficit spending that leads to investments that produce economic growth. |
Question 5 |
What's the main cause of inflation?
A | An increase in the money supply, relative to production of goods and services. For example, if suddenly there was twice as much money in people's pockets, demand would increase, leading to higher prices since the amount of production and goods didn't increase. |
B | Manufacturers that charge more for products and give you less for the same price. That drives up the cost of living. |
C | Planned obsolescence. In other words, things don't last as long, and so you have to buy more stuff. |
Question 6 |
How serious is it if the US inflation rate stays at 4% for ten years?
A | It's just an annoyance. |
B | It's not a major problem for the economy, but if you are on a fixed income it becomes a problem. |
C | It will do major economic harm to the US economy, and drastically affect all but the very wealthy. |
Question 7 |
What is the main cause of the expected problems with Social Security?
A | Politicians failing to address the problem over the last 30 years when they knew it was coming. |
B | An "bubble" in the population, the large number of baby boomers born in the 50's. |
C | Globalization. Jobs going overseas decreases the jobs here, which decrease payments into Social Security over many years. |
Question 8 |
Tongue-in-cheek bonus question: Who is most to blame for the coming problems with Social Security?
A | Politicians. It's always the politicians! |
B | Generation X |
C | Baby boomers |
D | The Greatest Generation (Those who fought in WWII or lived then.) |
E | Millennials. (Generation Y) |
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State Government
Congratulations - you have completed State Government.
You scored %%SCORE%% out of %%TOTAL%%.
Your performance has been rated as %%RATING%%
Question 1 |
In the context of state governments, what is casework?
A | Researching a particular bill before proposing it. |
B | A legal case conducted by the state senate. |
C | Taking care of constituents’ problems or “errand-running” for particular citizens done by state senate or house members. |
D | Determining the impact of certain grants awarded to the state. |
Question 2 |
What are Amendatory or conditional vetoes?
A | The citizen’s ability to veto laws signed in by the state congress |
B | They are the governor’s only leverage for weighing in on U.S. constitutional amendments. |
C | These are the powers by the governor to send a bill back to the legislature with suggested changes. |
Question 3 |
"Requirements set by the national government to force states to perform a particular action or program" is the definition of...
A | Amendatory veto |
B | Line-item veto |
C | Inherent powers |
D | Mandate |
Question 4 |
Why are implied powers sometimes a topic of contention between state and federal governments?
A | The federal government has never fully acknowledged the existence of implied powers |
B | They allow the governor exemptions from certain federal tax laws |
C | It is sometimes hard to know which issues fall to the state or are under the explicit jurisdiction of the federal government |
D | None of the above |
Question 5 |
Which of the following are true about sunset legislation?
A | These are a type of legislation that has a specific expiration or renewal date. |
B | Sunset legislation can persuade legislators who are “on the fence” since legislators are more likely to vote for it because of its temporary nature. |
C | Sunset legislation is good for Issues that change rapidly (e.g., technology-related issues), since details pertaining to these issues must be updated periodically. |
D | All of the above. |
Question 6 |
__________ is a vote that requires a number greater than the majority, usually 2/3 or 3/4, to pass.
[Pay attention to the precise wording.]
A | Filibuster |
B | Supermajority |
C | Veto |
Question 7 |
_____________ are a form of direct voting in which citizens can bypass the legislature and pass laws or amend their state constitution.
A | Recall elections |
B | Referendum |
C | Initiatives |
D | Authorized petition |
Question 8 |
True or false: Citizens always have the power to remove misbehaving state officials from office.
A | True |
B | False |
Question 9 |
At the state level, the Lieutenant Governor is similar to the Vice President at the federal level. Which of the following is true?
A | Succeeds the Governor if he or she dies in office. |
B | Is an elected official (like the Vice President) |
C | Presides over the state senate. |
D | All of the above. |
Question 10 |
________________ is the power of a governor to veto particular items in bills concerning the state’s budget.
A | Line-item veto |
B | Budget-item veto |
C | Governor's veto |
Question 11 |
What is the approximate breakdown of funding of education?
A | Elementary and secondary schools receive about 70% from the federal government, 20% from state governments and 10% from local governments. |
B | Elementary and secondary schools receive about 8% from the federal government, 50% from state governments and 42% from local governments. |
C | Elementary and secondary schools receive about 45% from the federal government,10% from state governments and 45% from local governments. |
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Local Government
Congratulations - you have completed Local Government.
You scored %%SCORE%% out of %%TOTAL%%.
Your performance has been rated as %%RATING%%
Question 1 |
What is the level of government below the state level?
A | (Federal) House districts |
B | Municipalities |
C | County or county equivalents |
D | Special districts |
Question 2 |
Townships or towns are the level of government beneath county government, as stated in the constitutions of 20 states. If you find yourself in a township, what part of the country are you probably in?
A | The South |
B | New England or the Mid-West |
C | In the West |
Question 3 |
What is the name of the Supreme Court ruling that states that municipal governments have no power except what is granted to them by their states?
A | Home rule |
B | Dillon's Rule |
C | The Marshall Doctrine |
Question 4 |
Many special districts and layers of local government can exist in the same geographical, such as school districts, water authorities, fire protection, harbor districts, conservation districts. Since they often affect each other, they, along with municipalities, counties and towns often form “regional councils of governments,” “metropolitan regional councils,” or “associations of governments.” Is it true or false that these regional councils have formal decision-making powers?
A | True |
B | False |
Question 5 |
True or false: If there is a local issue of great concern to you, and you have special information about a decision being made, it's best to find out when the decision is being made, and go to that meeting to provide your information.
A | True |
B | False |
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Federal Budget and Budget Process
Congratulations - you have completed Federal Budget and Budget Process.
You scored %%SCORE%% out of %%TOTAL%%.
Your performance has been rated as %%RATING%%
Question 1 |
The annual spending of the federal government is currently about how many trillion?
A | $3 trillion |
B | $4r trillion |
C | $12 trillion |
D | $16.7 trillion |
Question 2 |
The U.S. government's fiscal year (budget year) begins in what month?
A | January |
B | April |
C | July |
D | October |
Question 3 |
True or false: When the President sends his official budget request to Congress, it's only a plan for spending and for generating income. It does not include the state of the Treasury, in other words how much money the government has. Those numbers are in his annual Treasury report.
A | True |
B | False |
Question 4 |
What's "discretionary spending" mean?
A | That's the money that the President can spend any way he wants (within reason) without Congressional approval. |
B | That's the money that must be spent on entitlements like Social Security and Medicare. |
C | That's the spending that must be authorized each year, that's NOT spent on entitlements. |
Question 5 |
What's "mandatory spending" mean?
A | All essential spending, for instance on defense, public safety and public health. |
B | Spending that doesn't require annual authorization. It's usually for entitlement programs that people depend on. |
C | Money that pays the salaries of all government workers. |
Question 6 |
What is the sequester?
A | Across-the-board cuts of 7% to all federally funded programs for one year. |
B | Across-the-board cuts of 7% to all federally funded programs for eight years, if the government can't create a better plan to reduce spending. |
C | Across-the-board cuts of about 5.5 to 10% to certain federal programs for one year, if the government can't create a better plan to reduce spending. |
D | Across-the-board cuts of about 5.5 to 10% to certain federal programs for eight years, if the government can't create a better plan to reduce spending. |
Question 7 |
What is the general process and timeline for the creation of the budget?
A | The president and advisers begin in February of each year. They get a budget to Congress around the end of the year. Congress starts with committees in the Senate and House, leading to floor votes, a conference report process between both chambers of congress. Then appropriations are made based on the budget plan, hopefully before October. |
B | Same as above but it's not stretched out over almost two years, but happens in seven months from February to October. |
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