1. What is the term length for a U.S. Supreme Court justice?
- A. Six years
- B. Ten years
- C. Life tenure (during good behavior) ✓
- D. Four years
Article III of the Constitution states that federal judges, including Supreme Court justices, hold their offices during 'good behavior,' which in practice means lifetime appointment. There is no fixed term length.
2. What is the minimum age requirement to serve as a U.S. Senator?
- A. 25 years old
- B. 30 years old ✓
- C. 35 years old
- D. 40 years old
Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution requires that a U.S. Senator must be at least 30 years old, a U.S. citizen for at least 9 years, and an inhabitant of the state they represent.
3. How many total U.S. senators represent each state?
- A. One
- B. Two ✓
- C. Three
- D. It varies by state population
Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution grants every state exactly two senators regardless of population, ensuring equal representation for all states in the Senate.
4. What document established the first national government of the United States before the Constitution?
- A. The Mayflower Compact
- B. The Declaration of Independence
- C. The Articles of Confederation ✓
- D. The Federalist Papers
The Articles of Confederation, ratified in 1781, created the first national government of the United States. It proved too weak, leading to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and the current Constitution.
5. What is the process called when the House of Representatives charges a federal official with misconduct?
- A. Veto
- B. Filibuster
- C. Impeachment ✓
- D. Ratification
Under Article I, Section 2, the House of Representatives has the sole power of impeachment, which is the formal process of bringing charges of misconduct against a federal official. The Senate then holds the trial.
6. What is the minimum age requirement to serve as President of the United States?
- A. 25 years old
- B. 30 years old
- C. 35 years old ✓
- D. 40 years old
Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution requires the President to be a natural-born citizen, at least 35 years old, and a resident of the United States for at least 14 years.
7. How many times can a President of the United States be elected to office?
- A. Once
- B. Twice ✓
- C. Three times
- D. There is no limit
The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, limits the President to two elected terms. It was passed after Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to four terms, which many felt gave any president too much power.
8. What was the primary purpose of the Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia in 1787?
- A. To declare independence from Britain
- B. To write the Bill of Rights
- C. To revise or replace the Articles of Confederation ✓
- D. To elect the first President
The Constitutional Convention of 1787 was originally called to revise the weak Articles of Confederation. Delegates instead drafted an entirely new Constitution to create a stronger national government.
9. Which country gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States?
- A. Britain
- B. Spain
- C. France ✓
- D. Germany
The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the United States, dedicated on October 28, 1886. It was designed by French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and symbolizes freedom and democracy.
10. What was the main purpose of the Underground Railroad in the 1800s?
- A. To build a national railway system
- B. To help enslaved people escape to freedom in the North or Canada ✓
- C. To transport goods between northern and southern states
- D. To connect the eastern and western United States by train
The Underground Railroad was a secret network of people and safe houses that helped enslaved African Americans escape to free states in the North or to Canada before and during the Civil War era.