American Government for Future Leaders Quiz

Answer: Representative Democracy

In a representative democracy, as in the United States, voters have a say in who has the power. People vote for who becomes president, and they vote for the other members of government who make the laws. Anarchy is where there is no government. Some countries have a military dictatorship, where the most powerful general in the military has control, and can tell everyone what to do.

A monarchy has a king or queen that is not elected by voters. They become king or queen because that is what their parents were.

Answer: United States Constitution

The United States Constitution outlines how the federal government is formed. It also states what the federal government is allowed to do, such as run the military, decide foreign policy, and print money. The Bill of Rights and other amendments further state what the government is or is not allowed to do.

The government is not allowed to restrict the freedom of speech or the right to bear arms, prevents cruel and unusual punishment, and many other things. If the Constitution does not state that the federal government has the power to do something, then it is up to the state governments to make the laws based on the will of the people.

Answer: False

The President of the United States must obey the same laws as every other person. When America first won freedom from the United Kingdom, there were some who wanted to make George Washington the king, but Washington rejected that idea completely. The American way is based on the belief that anyone who is smart and determined can grow up to be a leader of the country.

There is no royalty. No one can become a king or a legislator simply because their parents were. There are no special titles like Duke, Earl, or Baron.

The people in charge must be elected on their own qualifications, by the people.

Answer: Washington, DC

The United States Capital used to be Philadelphia. But on a site chosen by George Washington, Virginia and Maryland both gave up territory for building the new federal city. It does not reside in any state, so residents of Washington DC do not have representatives that are able to vote in Congress.

Answer: Governor

In addition to the governor, who acts as the executive much like the president, states also have their own legislative branch that makes state laws. Many Presidents of the United States were former governors before becoming President, such as George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Ronald Reagan.

Answer: Congress

Congress is called the legislative branch of government, because it is authorized to write legislation, another word for laws. The President enforces the laws passed by Congress, on top of other tasks, but also has the power to veto, or override the laws. The Supreme Court makes sure that the laws obey the Constitution.

Answer: House of Representatives

Every two years, the American people elect people from their communities and states to serve in the House of Representatives. There are two Senators from every state, but the number of Representatives depends on population. The more people in the state, the more Representatives are elected for that state. Senators are elected every six years.

Answer: False

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." That means in the United States, a wide variety of people with different religious beliefs are able to practice their religion freely.

Answer: Chief Justice

The head of the Supreme Court is known as the Chief Justice, and the other eight members are known as Associate Justices. The Chief Justice acts as the leader of the court, but has an equal vote with all the other justices. One duty that the Chief Justice has is swearing in the new President on Inauguration Day.

Answer: Age 18 or older

It used to be that only white men could vote in America. But the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, passed in 1870, gave voting rights to all men. It wasn't until 1920 that the Nineteenth Amendment gave voting rights to women. By that time, many states had laws that already allowed women to vote in state elections.

The Twenty-Sixth Amendment changed the voting age from 21 to 18. So as long as you are old enough and registered to vote, anyone can participate in this great democracy!