And Correct Answers With Rationales.
CSET Social Science – Secrets Study Guide [2nd Edition] – Questions 1–30
Question 1
Which of the following is a primary purpose of the U.S. Constitution?
A. Establish the structure of government and protect individual rights
B. Regulate local business only
C. Set prices for goods
D. Determine weather patterns
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
The Constitution creates the framework for the federal government and guarantees individual
freedoms.
Question 2
What is checks and balances in the U.S. government?
A. A system where each branch can limit the power of the others
B. A method of balancing budgets only
C. A voting process
D. A type of banking system
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Checks and balances prevents any one branch from gaining too much power.
Question 3
Which document declared the American colonies’ independence from Britain?
A. Declaration of Independence
B. U.S. Constitution
C. Bill of Rights
D. Articles of Confederation
Correct Answer: A
,Rationale:
The Declaration of Independence (1776) proclaimed sovereignty and justified the colonies’
separation from Britain.
Question 4
What is federalism?
A. Division of power between national and state governments
B. Local town meetings only
C. A type of voting
D. A banking system
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Federalism balances authority between the federal government and the states.
Question 5
Which amendment guarantees freedom of speech?
A. First Amendment
B. Second Amendment
C. Fifth Amendment
D. Tenth Amendment
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
The First Amendment protects speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition.
Question 6
Which branch of government interprets laws?
A. Judicial
B. Executive
C. Legislative
D. Local
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
The judicial branch reviews laws and determines their constitutionality.
Question 7
Which of the following is a primary function of the legislative branch?
, A. Make laws
B. Enforce laws
C. Interpret laws
D. Conduct elections
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Legislative branch (Congress) drafts, debates, and passes legislation.
Question 8
Which president issued the Emancipation Proclamation?
A. Abraham Lincoln
B. George Washington
C. Thomas Jefferson
D. Franklin D. Roosevelt
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
The Emancipation Proclamation (1863) freed slaves in Confederate states during the Civil War.
Question 9
Which war was fought between the North and South over slavery?
A. American Civil War
B. Revolutionary War
C. War of 1812
D. Spanish-American War
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
The Civil War (1861–1865) centered on slavery, states’ rights, and union preservation.
Question 10
What is the significance of Marbury v. Madison (1803)?
A. Established judicial review
B. Ended the Revolutionary War
C. Created the electoral college
D. Abolished slavery
Correct Answer: A