I have kept a constitution test in my “Quizzes for my husband and son” File.
How well do you and your family know the Constitution? ~Sandy
CONSTITUTION WORKSHEET
(PRETEST)
True or False
1. ______ Our first Constitution was called the Articles of Confederation.
2. ______ Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress had too much power.
3. ______ The first fifteen amendments are called the “Bill of Rights”.
4. ______ Our government is divided into three main branches.
5. ______ The number of articles in the Constitution is seven.
6. ______ There are 21 amendments to the Constitution.
7. ______ Laws for our country may be made only by Congress.
8. ______ United States Representatives have a four year term.
9. ______ Senators have six year terms.
10. ______ The number of representatives a state gets depends on the number of
people in the state.
11. ______ Representatives must be at least 30 years old.
12. ______ Senators must be at least 25 years old.
13. ______ The Vice President serves as Speaker of the House.
14. ______ The number of senators each state gets is three.
15. ______ All impeachments are tried by the Senate.
16. ______ A majority vote makes an impeached man guilty.
17. ______ Congress must meet at least once a year.
18. ______ Senators and Representatives are not paid for their work by the United
States Government.
19. ______ Senators and Representatives may hold no other government jobs while
they are in office.
20. ______ Only the Senate may write tax bills.
21. ______ A bill can never be passed without the Presidentʼs signature.
22. ______ Congress has no power to borrow money.
23. ______ Only the President can declare war.
24. ______ Congress may keep an army for two years at a time.
25. ______ Congress has no power over state militias.
26. ______ A writ of habeas corpus is the same as a bill of attainder.
27. ______ Ex post facto laws may be passed by Congress.
28. ______ Congress has no right to tax products sent from a state.
29. ______ Any state has the right to print its own money.
30. ______ The number of electoral votes a state gets is the same as its number in the
House of Representatives.
31. ______ The President must be at least 40 years old.
32. ______ The President must have lived in the United States for at least 14 years.
33. ______ The President is the Commander in Chief of the armed forces.
34. ______ The President has the power to pardon an impeached man.
35. ______ The President may make a treaty with a foreign country only if the Senate
approves it.
36. ______ The President chooses Supreme Court judges.
37. ______ The President may call Congress together whenever he thinks it is
necessary.
38. ______ Congress has the power to say what punishment is to be given for treason.
39. ______ United States judges are appointed for life.
40. ______ After amendments have been proposed, they must be ratified by a two
thirds vote in both houses of Congress to become part of the Constitution.
41. ______ An amendment may be made to change the number of senators the states
get.
42. ______ The Constitution is the highest law of our land.
43. ______ All Americans have the right to follow any legal religion they want.
44. ______ The United States Government may take any personʼs property if they can
show a necessity for it, but they must pay for it.
45. ______ In court trials, witnesses against a man must speak when he is there.
46. ______ A person may be tried any number of times for the same crime.
47. ______ A court may give any punishment the judge wishes to give.
48. ______ A state may make a law to keep a person from voting because of his
religion or race.
49. ______ Senators are elected by state legislators.
50. ______ A “writ of habeas corpus” may be suspended in times of war or in cases
where the public safety is involved.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
51. People are guaranteed freedom of speech, press, and religion according to the
a. second amendment c. fifth amendment
b. first amendment d. ninth amendment
52. The only amendment to be repealed is the
a. 15th b. 20th c. 18th d. 2nd
53. The number of main branches in our government is
a. 6 b. 21 c. 7 d. 3
54. Congress is divided into
a. 3 parts b. 2 parts c. 4 parts d. 12 parts
55. A Representative in the House is elected to a
a. 2 year term b. 4 year term c. 6 year term d. 8 year term
56. To be a Representative in the House you must have these qualifications
a. live in the state you represent
b. live in the state and have been a citizen for 7 years
c. be 25 years old, live in the state, and be a citizen
d. live in the state, have been a citizen for 7 years, be 25 years old
57. The number of Representatives a state gets depends on
a. the number of voters it has c. the number of Senators it has
b. the number of people it has d. how many they want
58. The Speaker of the House of Representatives is
a. the man they elect c. the Vice President
b. the Secretary of State d. the oldest Representative
59. The power to impeach an officer is given only to
a. the House of Representatives c. the Senate
b. the Supreme Court d. the President
60. Each state gets this number of Senators
a. 1 for every 30,000 c. 2 for each district
b. 3 d. 2
61. The length of a Senatorʼs term is
a. 2 years b. life c. 6 years d. 8 years
62. The Senators are now elected by
a. state legislators c. the state electors
b. the House of Representatives d. the people
63. To be a Senator in Congress you must have these qualifications
a. live in the state you represent
b. live in the state, be 25 years old, and have been a citizen for 7 years
c. live in the state, be 25 years old, and have been a citizen for 9 years
d. live in the state, be 30 years old, and have been a citizen for 9 years
64. All impeachments are tried by the
a. Supreme Court c. Cabinet
b. Senate d. House of Representatives
65. Bills to raise taxes may come only from the
a. Senate c. House of Representatives
b. President d. Cabinet
66. A bill becomes a law without the Presidentʼs signature if
a. two thirds of both houses pass it c. the Senate passes it
b. the House of Representatives passes it d. the Supreme Court passes it
67. A bill which has passed both houses can become a law without the Presidentʼs
signature if
a. the Supreme Court says so
b. the President does not return it to Congress in 10 days
c. the Chief Justice says so
d. the state legislators pass it
68. Taxes may be called for only by the
a. Congress b. President c. Supreme Court d. Cabinet
69. Rules for becoming a U.S. citizen may be made only by the
a. states b. Supreme Court c. Congress d. President
70. Money may be coined or printed only by the
a. Congress c. President
b. Secretary of Treasury d. Secretary of State
71. War may be declared only by the
a. Congress c. President
b. Secretary of Defense d. War Department
72. A writ of habeas corpus is used to
a. impeach the president c. get a man out of jail
b. tell a jury what to do d. ask for an amendment
73. The Constitution forbids the use of a
a. veto b. oath c. preamble d. bill of attainder
74. A law which punishes a man for something not wrong when he did it is called a
a. bill of attainder b. treason c. felony d. ex post facto
75. The Constitution forbids states to
a. make laws b. lay a sales tax c. coin money d. take a census
76. The Constitution forbids Congress to lay a tax on
a. goods sent from one state to another c. liquor
b. goods sent from other countries d. any good sent by ship
77. The number of presidential electors a state gets is
a. the same as the number of Representatives
b. the same as the number of Senators
c. the number of Representatives plus the number of Senators
d. the same as the number of state legislators
78. The qualifications for President are
a. be 35 years old, be a natural born citizen, have lived in the U.S. for 14 years
b. be a citizen, be 35 years old, have lived seven years in the U.S.
c. be a citizen, be 25 years old, have lived 14 years in the U.S.
d. be a natural born citizen, have lived in the U.S. 9 years, and be 30 years old
79. If neither the President nor the Vice President can serve as President, the next in
line is the
a. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court c. Speaker of the House
b. Secretary of State d. Attorney General
80. Treaties made by the President must get the approval of the
a. Supreme Court c. House of Representatives
b. Senate d. people
81. The length of a U.S. government judgeʼs term is
a. 2 years b. life c. 4 years d. 6 years
82. The number of people in the Supreme Court is
a. 8 b. 9 c. 12 d. 15
83. The Constitution guarantees everybody who has done a crime a trial
a. by jury c. in the Supreme Court
b. in the Department of Justice d. in the state of their choice
84. The number of witnesses needed to convict a man of treason is
a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. 4
85. A new state may be admitted into the Union only by the
a. Supreme Court c. Congress
b. State Department d. Department of Interior
86. The Constitution guarantees to every state in the Union
a. freedom to make any law it wishes c. legal help
b. a republican form of government d. a pension system
87. To propose an amendment it is necessary to have the agreement of
a. two thirds of both houses of Congress c. the Senate
b. three fourths of both houses of Congress d. the President
88. An amendment goes into the Constitution after it has been ratified by
a. three fourths of the State Legislators c. the Supreme Court
b. two thirds of both houses of Congress d. a majority of Congress
89. No Constitutional amendment could ever change
a. the way we elect the President c. the way Senators are elected
b. equal state representation in the Senate d. the number of states we have
90. Nobody holding a United States office will ever have to pass
a. a Constitution test c. a mental test
b. a religious test d. an age test
91. Congress shall make no law to
a. set voting ages c. establish a draft
b. tax incomes d. set up a religion
92. No personʼs house or property may be searched without a
a. bill of attainder c. search warrant
b. government investigation d. writ of habeas corpus
93. The court may not take a persons life without
a. a circuit judgeʼs agreement c. due process of law
b. evidence of treason d. a confession
94. A person accused of a crime has the right to
a. hear the witnesses against them
b. appeal their case to the Supreme Court
c. have any judge he or she wants
d. be tried wherever they choose
95. The President is elected if
a. they receive a majority of the electoral votes
b. they receive the most popular votes
c. they win the most states
d. they receive the most electoral votes
96. If the candidates for President have no majority of the electoral votes, the
President is elected by the
a. Cabinet c. Senate
b. House of Representatives d. Supreme Court
97. A citizen of the U.S. is a person who
a. owns property in the U.S. c. is white and was born or naturalized here
b. pays taxes d. was born or naturalized here
98. The U.S. can punish a state which denies the right of citizens to vote by
a. fining it
b. reducing its number of Representatives
c. putting it out of the Union
d. reducing its number of Senators
99. How many articles are in the Constitution?
a. 7 b. 21 c. 27 d. 10
100. How many amendments are in the Constitution?
a. 7 b. 21 c. 27 d. 10
MATCHING – Write the number of the amendment that corresponds with the
appropriate amendment.
101. ________ right to bear arms
102. ________ defines citizens and their rights
103. ________ voting age lowered to 18
104. ________ freedom of expression (speech, press, religion, assemble, petition)
105. ________ abolition of slavery
106. ________ right of women to vote
107. ________ income tax
108. ________ repeal of prohibition
109. ________ election of the President & Vice President and who chooses if no
majority
110. ________ limit of presidential terms
111. ________ presidential disability and succession, process for choosing a new V.P.
112. ________ powers reserved to the states
113. ________ prohibition of alcoholic beverages
114. ________ “lame duck” amendment, moves up date of Presidentʼs inauguration
115. ________ direct election of senators by the people
116. ________ powers reserved to the people
117. ________ right of Washington D.C. to vote in presidential election
118. ________ no quartering of troops
119. ________ bail and punishment
120. ________ suits against the states
121. ________ abolition of poll taxes
122. ________ search and seizure
123. ________ a speedy and fair trial
124. ________ civil suits have the right to a jury
125. ________ rights of an accused person, double jeopardy
126. ________ right of black men to vote
127. ________ congressional salaries
