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Your Daily Constitutional Trivia Quiz

Welcome to my quiz on one of my favorite subjects - American Government! This quiz will test your knowledge of the structure and content of the U.S. Constitution, a great documents in history as it remains as relevant today as it was 220 years ago.

A multiple-choice quiz by jimhutch13. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
jimhutch13

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
301,906

Updated
Sep 10 23

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
1398

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. During which year was the Constitutional Convention convened? Hint

1775

1787

1789

1776

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Question 2 of 10

2. How many sections (including the Preamble) are in the original text of the Constitution? Hint

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Question 3 of 10

3. Which of these is NOT a Constitutional requirement for someone to be elected as a member of the House of Representatives? Hint

U.S. Citizenship for seven years

25 years old

Property Owner

Resident of the state being represented

4. According to the guidelines set out for the Supreme Court in Article III, which of these cases would be heard directly by the Supreme Court (that is, the Supreme Court would have original jurisdiction)? Hint

A piracy case for an arrested privateer

A border dispute between two states

An interstate serial murderer being arrested

A lawsuit involving a tariff levied by Congress

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Question 5 of 10

5. Which amendment protects U.S. Citizens from Cruel and Unusual punishment, and has become the center of controversy because of many death penalty appeals? Hint

The Fifth

The Sixth

The Second

The Eighth

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Question 6 of 10

6. How many states had to ratify the original Constitution for it to become the law of the land? Hint

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Question 7 of 10

7. Which of these powers is NOT expressly granted to the President during his term in office? Hint

Appoint ambassadors and government officials

Pardon criminals convicted of felonies

Make treaties with other countries

Declare war on another country

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Question 8 of 10

8. Article IV, Section 3 states that "New states may be admitted by the Congress into this union; but no new states shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any other state; nor any state be formed by the junction of two or more states, or parts of states, without the consent of the legislatures of the states concerned as well as of the Congress." Which state was admitted to the union in direct contradiction to this guideline, insofar as the legislature of the state was not recognized by the United States at the time the new state was admitted? Hint

North Dakota

Oklahoma

South Carolina

West Virginia

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Question 9 of 10

9. Which amendment to the Constitution has no impact on the original text of the Constitution, insofar as it merely repeals one of the other amendments passed at an earlier date? Hint

18th

19th

21st

25th

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Question 10 of 10

10. Which Article of the Constitution provides the only mention of the Articles of Confederation, which had been in effect prior to the writing and ratification of the United States Constitution? Hint

VII

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. During which year was the Constitutional Convention convened?

Answer: 1787

The convention was convened in Philadelphia for the expressed purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation - the original governmental document of the newly independent United States.

2. How many sections (including the Preamble) are in the original text of the Constitution?

Answer: 8

Many people seem to think that only the preamble and one section per branch of government are included, but there are also "articles" on the role of the states, amendment, ratification, and the legal status of the Constitution.

3. Which of these is NOT a Constitutional requirement for someone to be elected as a member of the House of Representatives?

Answer: Property Owner

From the text of the Constitution: "No person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty five years, and been seven years a citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that state in which he shall be chosen."

Answer: A border dispute between two states

Any case involving a state as a litigant would be heard by the Supreme Court, although legislative changes affecting the court system have relegated some of those cases to U.S. District Courts instead.

5. Which amendment protects U.S. Citizens from Cruel and Unusual punishment, and has become the center of controversy because of many death penalty appeals?

Answer: The Eighth

The eighth prevents excessive bail, punishment, or fines; the second discusses the right to bear arms; the fifth prevents self-incrimination; and the sixth assures a trial by a jury of one's peers.

6. How many states had to ratify the original Constitution for it to become the law of the land?

Answer: 9

It is interesting how the fractional parts required for amendment (and presumably adoption of any new Constitution) vary by the body amending the document; 2/3 of each house of Congress must approve, while 3/4 of state legislatures must approve.

7. Which of these powers is NOT expressly granted to the President during his term in office?

Answer: Declare war on another country

Despite the increasing expansion of the President's war powers in recent decades, it is Congress that has the right and responsibility to declare war. Some have argued that the War Powers Act of 1973 has abrogated this responsibility, but every so often one can read that the President is usurping his power when he engages the country in longer-term deployments that seem to go beyond the common defense.

Answer: West Virginia

The legislature of Virginia had seceded from the union during the Civil War, so I guess Congress didn't feel too badly about using some of its land to create the state of West Virginia from a union-sympathizing section west of the Appalachian Mountains.

9. Which amendment to the Constitution has no impact on the original text of the Constitution, insofar as it merely repeals one of the other amendments passed at an earlier date?

Answer: 21st

The 21st amendment removed the restriction on the sale of alcohol (Prohibition) that was established by the 18th amendment. Just FYI, the 19th amendment allows women the right to vote and the 25th amendment concerns Presidential succession.

10. Which Article of the Constitution provides the only mention of the Articles of Confederation, which had been in effect prior to the writing and ratification of the United States Constitution?

Answer: VI

The text of the article (dealing with the legal status of the new document) was written to provide some security to creditors of the United States, as there was concern that a new government structure would vacate prior debts, and many of the delegates of the convention were the same property and business owners that relied on government contract and business to survive.

Source: Author jimhutch13

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Bruyere before going online.
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