A member of Congress is primarily responsible to

A) the people he or she represents.B) special interest groups.C) lobbyists.D) his or her governor.

.A) the people he or she represents

The most important job of Congress is

A) leading our military forces.B) making laws.C) governing cities.D) helping lobbyists.

B) making laws

Congress is made up of

A) presidents and vice-presidents.B) judges and mayors.C) interest groups and lobbyists.D) representatives and senators.

D) representatives and senators.

Which is an example of a power of Congress?

A) regulate commerceB) borrow moneyC) declare warD) all of the above

D) all of the above

In order to reach the President, a bill must pass through

A) the state legislatures.B) only the Senate.C) a standing committee.D) both houses of Congress.

D) both houses of Congress.

The most powerful member of the House of Representatives is the

A) Speaker.B) U.S. President.C) president pro tempore.D) majority floor leader.

A) Speaker.

Only a member of Congress can

A) draw up a bill.B) veto a bill.C) introduce a bill in Congress.D) all of the above.

C) introduce a bill in Congress.

A filibuster can occur

A) only in the House.B) in either house of Congress.C) only in the Senate.D) if the majority party agrees.

C) only in the Senate.

Which of these people could not serve as President?

A) a person who is a natural-born U.S. citizenB) a person who has lived in the United States for 15 yearsC) a person who is 30 years oldD) a person who has been elected to office

C) a person who is 30 years old

Presenting the State of the Union message to Congress shows the President's

A) limitations.B) legislative powers.C) term of office.D) role as ambassador.

B) legislative powers

A President can

A) serve more than two terms.B) carry out laws.C) make laws.D) be a U.S. immigrant.

B) carry out laws.

The President needs approval from Congress in order to

A) keep some information secret.B) use executive privilege.C) appoint a Supreme Court Justice.

D) speak with other countries.

C) appoint a Supreme Court Justice

Who is the defendant in this case: The People of the State of Florida v. Jones?

A) The PeopleB) The State of FloridaC) the governmentD) Jones

D) Jones

Which can decide the facts in a case?

A) the accusedB) the conflictC) the juryD) the lawyers

C) the jury

The major purpose of the Supreme Court is to

A) hear cases about kidnapping.B) hear cases about foreigners.C) conduct special jury trials.D) serve as final court of appeals.

D) serve as final court of appeals

Which courts are the workhorses of the federal court system?

A) state appeals courtsB) state supreme courtsC) state trial courtsD) district courts

D) district courts

In the court system, what is a circuit?

A) a geographic areaB) a group of judgesC) a set of legislatorsD) a type of job

A) a geographic area

Which best describes the U.S. Supreme Court?

A) a strong trial courtB) part of the executive branchC) one of the district courtsD) the highest court in the land

D) the highest court in the land

Judicial review gives the judicial branch

A) the right to overturn a law.B) rights in the Constitution.C) the right to study precedents.

D) the duty to hear disputes among states.

A) the right to overturn a law.

The Supreme Court hears cases involving

A) disputes between states.B) representatives of foreign governments.C) appeals from state and federal courts.D) all of the above.

D) all of the above.

Civil laws are laws that

A) settle disagreements.B) protect property rights.C) imprison people for more than one year.D) tell how accused people should be tried.

A) settle disagreements

Criminal laws are laws that

A) keep people from stealing cars.

B) help settle disagreements.C) protect children.D) tell which acts are crimes.

D) tell which acts are crimes

Which is the main question asked in a civil case?

A) Did the person commit a crime?B) What is a fair settlement?C) Who do I believe?D) What is a fair penalty?

B) What is a fair settlement?

What are laws?

A) rules of society that are enforced by governmentB) beliefs about what is right or wrongC) beliefs that most people in our society shareD) rules of society determined by judges

A) rules of society that are enforced by government

What is an example of vandalism?

A) shoplifting from a storeB) homicideC) kidnappingD) breaking windows

D) breaking windows

Taking something of value from someone without using violence is known as

A) homicide.B) larceny.C) robbery.D) embezzlement.

B) larceny.

What is an example of a crime against the government?

A) larcenyB) homicideC) terrorismD) arson

C) terrorism

What is an indictment?

A) the right to make an arrestB) a crime that could send a person to prison for more than one yearC) the appointment of a lawyer by the courtD) a formal charge against a person accused of a crime

D) a formal charge against a person accused of a crime

Why might a defendant plead guilty to crime?

A) to get a lawyer appointed by the stateB) to avoid staying in prison for more than a yearC) to get a lesser charge or a lighter sentenceD) to save money

C) to get a lesser charge or a lighter sentence

The Constitution says a grand jury must review all cases that involve

A) murder.B) unsafe driving.C) serious federal crimes.D) felonies.

C) serious federal crimes.

During the dispositional hearing of a juvenile court case, the judge decides the

A) sentence.B) arrest.C) parole.D) bail.

A) sentence.

Juvenile courts are

A) federal courts.B) neither state nor federal courts.C) civil courts.D) state courts.

D) state courts.

At which step does a judge make the decisions concerning the defendant?

A) arrestB) initial hearingC) intakeD) aftercare

B) initial hearing

Why do judges set bail for certain defendants?

A) to allow police to arrest that defendantB) to formally charge the defendant with a crimeC) there is good reason to think the defendant was involved in a crimeD) to ensure that the defendant will return for the trial

D) to ensure that the defendant will return for the trial

A delinquent is a young person who

A) is found guilty of a crime.B) is arrested.C) serves a sentence outside prison.

D) is caught shoplifting.

A) is found guilty of a crime.

What is the purpose of a leasebetween a landlord and tenant?

A) to tell how the tenant may damage an apartment or houseB) to explain how much money it will cost the tenant to sue the landlordC) to state the rights and responsibilities of both partiesD) to pay for the cost of repairs to an apartment or house

C) to state the rights and responsibilities of both parties

Probate cases involve

A) landlord and tenant disputes.B) the property of a deceased person.C) divorces.D) buyer and seller agreements.

B) the property of a deceased person

Which is not a civil case?

A) personal injuryB) trespassingC) property damageD) speeding

D) speeding

What is the first step in a civil lawsuit?

A) filing a discoveryB) filing a complaintC) questioning a witnessD) hiring a judge

B) filing a complaint

What are contracts?

A) legal agreements between mediators and defendantsB) legal agreements between defendants and judgesC) legal agreements between tenants and landlordsD) legal agreements between buyers and sellers

D) legal agreements between buyers and sellers

Political parties act as “watchdogs” when they

A) set goals.B) provide leadership.C) check another party’s actions.D) select candidates.

C) check another party’s actions.

What was the first political party established in the United States?

A) the DemocratsB) the FederalistsC) the RepublicansD) the Whigs

B) the Federalists

How can third party candidates change the outcome of an election?

A) keep voters away from pollsB) confuse votersC) take votes from a main partyD) distract media from main candidates

C) take votes from a main party

Voting precincts are generally made up of

A) fewer than 1,000 voters.B) more than 1,000 voters.C) fewer than 100 voters.D) none of the above.

A) fewer than 1,000 voters.

What are planks?

A) platform position statements

B) independent votersC) voting districtsD) meetings to choose candidates

A) platform position statements

Which is NOT a requirement for voting in a general election?

A) being at least 18 years oldB) being a U.S. citizenC) being a member of a political party

D) being a state resident where you vote

C) being a member of a political party

Presidential elections are held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in

A) October.B) November.C) September.D) January.

B) November.

An absentee ballot is

A) mailed in before election day.B) marked at a polling place.C) punched into a card.D) mailed in after election day.

A) mailed in before election day.

In a primary election,

A) voters nominate candidates.B) one candidate is elected.C) political parties nominate candidates.

D) voters decide on ballot issues.

C) political parties nominate candidates.

What are polling places?

A) places where people can voteB) places where candidates make speechesC) places where people choose ballotsD) places where people cast their votes through the mail

A) places where people can vote