GED Social Studies : US Government

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GED Social Studies

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Example Questions

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Example Question #1 : Us Government

The powers of the President are outlined in __________.

Possible Answers:

The Federalist Papers

The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution

Article II of the Constitution

The Declaration of Independence

Article III of the Constitution

Correct answer:

Article II of the Constitution

Explanation:

The powers of the President are collectively outlined in Article II of the United States Constitution.

Example Question #1 : Us Government

Who is responsible for appointing members to the Supreme Court?

Possible Answers:

The Vice-President

The House of Representatives

The Senate

The President

The Attorney General

Correct answer:

The President

Explanation:

Appointing Judges to the Supreme Court is a power reserved for the President of the United States.

Example Question #1 : Us Government

If a Presidential election takes place in 1860, the next election will take place in __________

Possible Answers:

1861.

1862.

1864.

1870.

1868.

Correct answer:

1864.

Explanation:

A Presidential election takes place every four years so if an election takes place in 1860 the next election will be in 1864. The most recent election was in 2012, so the next election will be in 2016.

Example Question #1 : The President

The head of which of these government branches can serve only two-terms?

Possible Answers:

Judiciary

None of these

Executive

All three of these

Legislature

Correct answer:

Executive

Explanation:

The head of the Executive Branch of the Federal government, the President, is limited to two terms. Originally this was enforced by tradition alone, following the precedent established by George Washington; however, after Franklin D. Roosevelt exceeded this limit during World War Two and the Great Depression, the limit was codified into the Constitution with the passage of the Twenty-Second Amendment.

Example Question #1 : The Senate

Any treaties that the Executive branch attempts to enter into are, according to the Constitution, to be subject to the "advice and consent" of the US Senate. Which other set of Executive branch functions does the Constitution specifically state shall also be subject to the Senate's "advice and consent"?

Possible Answers:

The appointment of important officials such as Ambassadors and Supreme Court Justices

The dismissal of the President's Cabinet officials

Whether the President can run for reelection

The President's choice of Vice President

The drafting of Executive Orders

Correct answer:

The appointment of important officials such as Ambassadors and Supreme Court Justices

Explanation:

Article II, Section 2 of the US Constitution states: 

[The President] shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.

The President of the United States is vested with the considerable power to appoint thousands of different officials, ranging in power from low level regulators all the way to the Justices of the Supreme Court. This is an enormous task for one person to undertake, and the drafters of the Constitution provided for Senatorial advice and consent as a check on both abuse and poor performance in appointments by a President. 

Example Question #1 : Congress

How many Senators are there for each state?

Possible Answers:

Two

Four

Three

It varies from state to state based on each state's population.

One

Correct answer:

Two

Explanation:

The representatives each state gets varies by its population in the House of Representatives. So, California, which is currently the most populous state, gets a lot more representatives than Wyoming, which is currently the least populous state. In the Senate, every state gets two representatives, regardless of size. The system was set up this way because of a disagreement between state representatives at the Constitutional Convention. The larger states' representatives wanted to have their larger populations reflected by greater representation, whereas the smaller states' representatives feared they would have no power in the system and would be mere subjects of the larger states. A compromise was reached, which is called the Connecticut Compromise, or the Great Compromise.

Example Question #1 : Congress

Which of these states has the most Senators in Congress?

Possible Answers:

Colorado

Florida

California

New York

They all have the same number of Senators

Correct answer:

They all have the same number of Senators

Explanation:

In the American Legislature there are two houses. The House of Representatives, where each state is apportioned a different number of representatives relative to the population of the state, and the Senate. In the Senate, every State has exactly two members, regardless of the population of the state.

Example Question #1 : The House Of Representatives

The House of Representatives is part of __________.

Possible Answers:

The State Legislature

The Executive Branch

The Legislative Branch

The Judicial Branch

The Department of the Interior

Correct answer:

The Legislative Branch

Explanation:

The House of Representatives is the lower house in the United States’ Legislative Branch. The American Legislative Branch operates as a bicameral legislature, with an upper house (The Senate) and a lower house (The House of Representatives).

Example Question #1 : Powers Of Congress

Which Article of the Constitution outlines the powers granted to Congress? 

Possible Answers:

Article I

Article III

Article V

Article IV

Article II

Correct answer:

Article I

Explanation:

The structure of Congress and the powers reserved for Congress are established in Article I of the Constitution.

Example Question #1 : Us Government

A President is tried for impeachment by ___________.

Possible Answers:

national referendum

The Senate

The House of Representatives

The Supreme Court

Congress

Correct answer:

The Senate

Explanation:

The House of Representatives may bring charges of impeachment against a President, and if the vote carries, he is tried for impeachment in the Senate. Only two Presidents have ever had charges of impeachment brought against them by the House (Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton), but neither were found guilty in the Senate.

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