EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS (VERIFIED
ANSWERS) A+ GRADE
Question 1
Which of the following best defines the concept of government?
A) A system that provides goods and services only
B) The organization through which a society makes and enforces public policies
C) A group of private individuals who influence business
D) A committee of educators
E) A social club for elites
Correct Answer: B) The organization through which a society makes and enforces public policies
Rationale: Government is the formal structure through which rules, laws, and public policies are
established and enforced for a society.
Question 2
What is the primary function of political power in a society?
A) To increase tax revenues
B) To enforce laws, allocate resources, and maintain order
C) To control private businesses
D) To influence social media
E) To promote cultural events
Correct Answer: B) To enforce laws, allocate resources, and maintain order
Rationale: Political power allows a government to implement laws, manage resources, and ensure
stability in society.
,Question 3
A certain country is characterized by the following traits:
1. Power is achieved through inheritance
2. Same ruling family for over a century
3. Finite freedoms and rights
4. Hierarchical social status
5. Single established state religion
The establishment and maintenance of these traits are based on which principle?
A) Popular sovereignty
B) Divine right of kings
C) Communism
D) Direct democracy
E) Meritocracy
Correct Answer: B) Divine right of kings
Rationale: The divine right of kings asserts that monarchs derive their legitimacy directly from God,
justifying inherited power, limited citizen rights, and often an established state religion.
Question 4
Which modern democratic concept practiced in the United States is most like the democratic process of
ancient Greece, particularly Athens?
A) The Electoral College
B) The representative republic
C) The referendum
D) The Bill of Rights
E) The federal system
Correct Answer: C) The referendum
Rationale: Ancient Athens practiced direct democracy. A referendum allows citizens to vote directly on
laws or amendments, reflecting that same principle.
Question 5
What is the principal function of a written constitution?
A) To list all the laws of a nation
B) To serve as a historical record of a nation’s past
C) To outline the structure and powers of a government
,D) To guarantee economic equality for all citizens
E) To establish a national religion
Correct Answer: C) To outline the structure and powers of a government
Rationale: A written constitution defines government structure, powers, limitations, and citizens’ rights.
Question 6
Which of the following objectives best describes the purpose of the system of checks and balances, as
defined in the U.S. Constitution?
A) To ensure that the legislative branch has supreme power
B) To allow the executive branch to unilaterally enact laws
C) To keep any one of the three branches of government from becoming too powerful
D) To simplify the process of passing new legislation
E) To concentrate power within the judicial branch
Correct Answer: C) To keep any one of the three branches of government from becoming too powerful
Rationale: Checks and balances prevent dominance by any single branch—legislative, executive, or
judicial—by allowing each branch certain powers over the others.
Question 7
Which modern process would be supported by the ancient Greeks, particularly in democratic Athens?
A) Inheriting political office
B) Electing governors
C) Appointing judges for life
D) Rule by a single monarch
E) Limiting participation to a small elite
Correct Answer: B) Electing governors
Rationale: Ancient Greek democracy emphasized citizen participation in electing public officials.
Question 8
Laws against defamation, including libel and slander, property damage, and breach of contract,
represent which legal concern underlying most Western nations?
A) Criminal law
B) Constitutional law
C) Civil law
D) International law
E) Administrative law
, Correct Answer: C) Civil law
Rationale: Civil law governs disputes between individuals or organizations, typically involving
compensation for harm.
Question 9
"Well, when the president does it, that means it's not illegal." – Richard M. Nixon
Which constitutional principle does this statement contradict?
A) Popular sovereignty
B) Limited government
C) Separation of powers
D) Federalism
E) Judicial review
Correct Answer: B) Limited government
Rationale: Limited government ensures no one, including the president, is above the law. Nixon’s
statement contradicts this principle.
Question 10
Which of the following best illustrates the principle of popular sovereignty?
A) Judges appointing legislators
B) Citizens voting in elections
C) Governors issuing executive orders
D) The military enforcing laws
E) A king ruling by divine right
Correct Answer: B) Citizens voting in elections
Rationale: Popular sovereignty is the idea that government derives its power from the consent of the
governed.
Question 11
Which document first established the idea that a monarch’s power is not absolute?
A) U.S. Constitution
B) Magna Carta
C) English Bill of Rights
D) Federalist Papers
E) Petition of Right
Correct Answer: B) Magna Carta