1. What is the primary function of the Electoral College in U.S. presidential elections?
a) To directly elect the President
b) To determine the number of Senate seats
c) To select the Vice President
d) To elect members of Congress
Answer: a) To directly elect the President
2. Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution gave women the right to vote?
a) 13th Amendment
b) 15th Amendment
c) 19th Amendment
d) 21st Amendment
Answer: c) 19th Amendment
3. Which U.S. Supreme Court case established the principle of “one person, one vote”?
a) Brown v. Board of Education
b) Baker v. Carr
c) Marbury v. Madison
d) Roe v. Wade
Answer: b) Baker v. Carr
4. Which act was signed into law to prevent racial discrimination in voting?
a) Civil Rights Act of 1964
b) Voting Rights Act of 1965
c) Fair Housing Act
d) National Voter Registration Act
Answer: b) Voting Rights Act of 1965
5. How many electoral votes are required to win the U.S. presidency?
a) 100
b) 270
c) 538
d) 435
Answer: b) 270
6. Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution lowered the voting age to 18?
a) 14th Amendment
b) 15th Amendment
c) 24th Amendment
d) 26th Amendment
Answer: d) 26th Amendment
7. In which year did the first presidential election in the United States take place?
a) 1776
b) 1789
c) 1800
d) 1812
Answer: b) 1789
8. What is the main purpose of primary elections in the U.S.?
a) To elect the President
b) To select party nominees for general elections
c) To amend the Constitution
d) To vote on public policy issues
Answer: b) To select party nominees for general elections
9. Which U.S. state holds the first primary in the presidential election cycle?
a) New York
b) California
c) Iowa
d) New Hampshire
Answer: d) New Hampshire
10. What is a “swing state” in U.S. elections?
a) A state with a large number of electoral votes
b) A state that consistently votes for one party
c) A state where either major party has a chance of winning
d) A state with a unique voting system
Answer: c) A state where either major party has a chance of winning
11. Which U.S. President was elected for four terms, leading to the passage of the 22nd Amendment?
a) George Washington
b) Abraham Lincoln
c) Franklin D. Roosevelt
d) Theodore Roosevelt
Answer: c) Franklin D. Roosevelt
12. What is a “caucus” in the context of U.S. elections?
a) A secret ballot voting method
b) A meeting of party members to select candidates
c) A public debate between candidates
d) A fundraising event for candidates
Answer: b) A meeting of party members to select candidates
13. Which branch of the U.S. government is responsible for administering federal elections?
a) Executive Branch
b) Legislative Branch
c) Judicial Branch
d) The Federal Election Commission
Answer: d) The Federal Election Commission
14. What is the purpose of the “popular vote” in U.S. presidential elections?
a) To determine the President directly
b) To influence the Electoral College vote
c) To elect the Vice President
d) To determine the outcome of congressional races
Answer: b) To influence the Electoral College vote
15. Which political party was founded by Thomas Jefferson?
a) Federalist Party
b) Democratic-Republican Party
c) Whig Party
d) Republican Party
Answer: b) Democratic-Republican Party
16. Who was the first African American to be elected President of the United States?
a) Colin Powell
b) Barack Obama
c) Jesse Jackson
d) Condoleezza Rice
Answer: b) Barack Obama
17. Which amendment abolished poll taxes in federal elections?
a) 16th Amendment
b) 18th Amendment
c) 24th Amendment
d) 25th Amendment
Answer: c) 24th Amendment
18. What is “gerrymandering”?
a) The process of redrawing district boundaries to benefit a particular party
b) The process of impeaching a President
c) The process of selecting Supreme Court justices
d) The process of vetoing legislation
Answer: a) The process of redrawing district boundaries to benefit a particular party
19. Which election is known as the “Revolution of 1800”?
a) The election of 1776
b) The election of 1789
c) The election of 1800
d) The election of 1824
Answer: c) The election of 1800
20. What is the significance of Super Tuesday in U.S. presidential elections?
a) It is the day when the President is inaugurated
b) It is the day when the most states hold their primary elections
c) It is the day when the Electoral College votes
d) It is the day when the general election is held
Answer: b) It is the day when the most states hold their primary elections
21. Which U.S. state has the largest number of electoral votes?
a) New York
b) Texas
c) Florida
d) California
Answer: d) California
22. Which amendment granted African American men the right to vote?
a) 13th Amendment
b) 14th Amendment
c) 15th Amendment
d) 19th Amendment
Answer: c) 15th Amendment
23. What is a “runoff election”?
a) An election held if no candidate wins a majority
b) An election held after a candidate is impeached
c) An election to fill a vacant Senate seat
d) An election to amend the Constitution
Answer: a) An election held if no candidate wins a majority
24. What is the primary role of a political party’s national convention?
a) To select the party’s presidential nominee
b) To debate policy issues
c) To pass new laws
d) To fundraise for candidates
Answer: a) To select the party’s presidential nominee
25. Who is eligible to vote in U.S. federal elections?
a) Any resident of the United States
b) Any citizen of the United States aged 18 or older
c) Any taxpayer
d) Any permanent resident
Answer: b) Any citizen of the United States aged 18 or older
26. Which U.S. President was impeached twice?
a) Richard Nixon
b) Bill Clinton
c) Andrew Johnson
d) Donald Trump
Answer: d) Donald Trump
27. What is the term length for a U.S. Senator?
a) 2 years
b) 4 years
c) 6 years
d) 8 years
Answer: c) 6 years
28. How many members are there in the U.S. House of Representatives?
a) 100
b) 435
c) 538
d) 50
Answer: b) 435
29. What is the name given to the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution?
a) The Bill of Rights
b) The Preamble
c) The Articles
d) The Federalist Papers
Answer: a) The Bill of Rights
30. Which U.S. Supreme Court decision upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation in elections?
a) Dred Scott v. Sandford
b) Plessy v. Ferguson
c) Brown v. Board of Education
d) Bush v. Gore
Answer: b) Plessy v. Ferguson
31. Which U.S. President signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law?
a) John F. Kennedy
b) Lyndon B. Johnson
c) Richard Nixon
d) Gerald Ford
Answer: b) Lyndon B. Johnson
32. What is the role of the Vice President in the Senate?
a) To propose new legislation
b) To cast a tie-breaking vote
c) To appoint Senators
d) To veto bills
Answer: b) To cast a tie-breaking vote
33. Which U.S. President resigned from office before being impeached?
a) Richard Nixon
b) Bill Clinton
c) Andrew Johnson
d) Herbert Hoover
Answer: a) Richard Nixon
34. Which amendment provides for the direct election of U.S. Senators?
a) 15th Amendment
b) 17th Amendment
c) 19th Amendment
d) 21st Amendment
Answer: b) 17th Amendment
35. How often are elections for the U.S. House of Representatives held?
a) Every 2 years
b) Every 4 years
c) Every 6 years
d) Every 8 years
Answer: a) Every 2 years
36. Which U.S. state was the first to grant women the right to vote?
a) Wyoming
b) New York
c) California
d) Texas
Answer: a) Wyoming
37. What is the main function of the Federal Election Commission (FEC)?
a) To conduct elections
b) To oversee campaign finance laws
c) To appoint election officials
d) To write election laws
Answer: b) To oversee campaign finance laws
38. Which U.S. Supreme Court case ruled that campaign spending is a form of protected speech?
a) Citizens United v. FEC
b) McCutcheon v. FEC
c) Buckley v. Valeo
d) Reynolds v. Sims
Answer: a) Citizens United v. FEC
39. What is “absentee voting”?
a) Voting by mail before an election
b) Voting while on vacation
c) Voting in person at a different location
d) Voting in a primary election
Answer: a) Voting by mail before an election
40. Which voting system uses ranked choices to elect candidates?
a) First-past-the-post
b) Runoff
c) Instant-runoff voting
d) Proportional representation
Answer: c) Instant-runoff voting