American Politics for Outsiders Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. How many states were there in the USA after Hawaii joined the Union?

Answer: 50

Hawaii and Alaska were the last two states to join the Union.

2. What is the American legislature called?

Answer: Congress

Congress is made of the Senate (Upper House) and House of Representatives (Lower House). The Senate is made up to two members per state and the House of Representative's membership depends on the populations of the respective states. For example, California had 53 Congressmen and Colorado had 7 during the 108h Congress.

3. Since their creation in the 18th century, what are the names of the two houses which form the United States legislature?

Answer: Senate & The House of Representatives

The Senate is often considered as the more prestigious house and several presidents have come straight from the Senate including John F. Kennedy. The number of seats in Congress is static, but the number of representatives is reapportioned after every ten-yearly census.

4. How many voting delegates sat in the 108th Congress? (2002-2004)

Answer: 535

100 members come from the Senate and 435 from the House, making a total of 535.

5. How often is a Congressional election held?

Answer: Every 2 years

Congressional elections are held every two years when Congressmen and Senators are elected. Congressmen (members of the House) have 2-year terms and are therefore wholly elected every two years. Senators have 6-year terms and 1/3 of the Senate is elected every 2 years.

6. How long is one Presidential term?

Answer: 4 years

Presidential elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November every 4 years.

7. During the 1970s, Gerald Ford was not elected as Vice President or President.

Answer: True

Gerald Ford assumed the presidency in August 1974 after the resignation of Richard Nixon over the Watergate Scandal. He was ousted out of power in the 1976 elections after Jimmy Carter was elected President. As well as not being elected President he was also not elected Vice President. Richard Nixon appointed him in 1973 under the 25th amendment after the resignation of his previous Vice President, Spiro Agnew.

8. What is the name of the most powerful judicial body in the USA?

Answer: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court is the most powerful court in the USA and sits in Washington. Post WWII it has conventionally had 9 justices and that was still the case in 2004.

9. In 1986, who became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?

Answer: William Rehnquist

William Rehnquist became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in 1986, replacing Warren Burger. Rehnquist had joined the court some 15 years earlier as an Associate Justice.

10. Which President was elected 4 times during the 1930s and 1940s?

Answer: Franklin D. Roosevelt

Roosevelt is the longest serving president in American history (1933-1945). He was elected to an unprecedented 4 terms in 1944 but died in office in 1945, less than a hundred days after his inauguration. In 1951 a constitutional amendment was created (22nd amendment) which limited a president to just two terms.

11. Constitutionally, who is third in line for the US presidency, after the president himself and the vice-president?

Answer: Speaker of the House

The speaker of the House of Representatives is third in line for the presidency, behind the vice-president. In the 108th Congress (2002-2004) the speaker was Dennis Hastert. As at 2014, no-one beyond the second in line (i.e. the vice-president) has ever been required to assume the presidency.

12. In the 2000 general election, how many delegates sat in the Electoral College?

Answer: 538

Americans do not directly elect their President. They have the system of the Electoral College whereby they elect a group of delegates who are representing a Presidential nominee. The number of Electoral College votes a state has depends on their total membership in Congress.

Therefore the minimum any state will have is 3. The additional 3 seats on the Electoral College are those delegates representing Washington DC, who do not have any congressional representation. The Electoral College meets the month after the election and vote for the candidate who they are representing.

13. This hill is synonymous with the American legislature. Which?

Answer: Capitol Hill

The Capitol Building was built in the 19th century and is where Congress sits. It lies at the center of a group of structures known as "Capitol Hill" which includes other governmental buildings. In addition to its active use by Congress, it is also a museum for American art and history.

14. The Watergate Scandal brought about the downfall of which President?

Answer: Richard Nixon

The Washington Post journalists, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein unraveled a political web of spying and sabotage. It all started on 17th June 1972 when police found 5 burglars at the headquarters of the Democrat National Committee. The subsequent newspaper reports and investigations claimed that the crimes went right to the top with senior members of the Nixon administration being involved with his approval.

He eventually resigned on 9th August 1974.

15. Who was elected U.S. Vice President in 2000?

Answer: Richard Cheney

Richard (Dick) Cheney was Defence Secretary in George H. Bush's (George W. Bush's father) administration.

Source: Author slickrik000

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Stillman before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

A quiz on American politics for Non-Americans.

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