Pass the Florida Civics Literacy Exam 2026 with this complete study guide featuring all official questions and accurate answers. Covers the Constitution (supreme law of the land, We the People, amendments, Bill of Rights First Amendment freedoms: speech, religion, assembly, press, petition), three branches of government (legislative: makes laws, declares war, controls taxing/spending; executive: enforces laws, President as Commander in Chief, Cabinet advisory role; judicial: reviews laws, explains laws, resolves disputes, judicial review), checks and balances, separation of powers, federalism, rule of law (everyone must follow the law, leaders obey, no one above the law), Declaration of Independence (adopted July 4, 1776, announced independence from Great Britain, rights to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness), voting rights amendments (18-year-old vote, no poll tax, women's suffrage, male citizens any race), civic responsibilities (jury duty, voting in federal elections, running for federal office), rights of all U.S. residents (freedom of speech, assembly, petition, religion, right to bear arms), citizenship obligations (give up loyalty to other countries, defend Constitution, obey laws, serve military if needed, be loyal to U.S.), Florida state government (Governor Ron DeSantis, capital Tallahassee, U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz), political parties (Democratic and Republican), historical documents (Magna Carta 1215, Mayflower Compact 1620, English Bill of Rights 1689, Common Sense by Thomas Paine, Federalist Papers by Hamilton/Madison/Jay, Brutus No. 1 Anti-Federalist, Articles of Confederation weaknesses: no executive/judicial/tax power), landmark Supreme Court cases (Marbury v. Madison: judicial review; McCulloch v. Maryland: supremacy clause, federal bank; Dred Scott v. Sanford: slavery, Missouri Compromise unconstitutional; Plessy v. Ferguson: separate but equal; Schenck v. U.S.: clear and present danger; Korematsu v. U.S.: Japanese internment; Brown v. Board of Education: desegregated schools, overruled Plessy; Mapp v. Ohio: exclusionary rule; Baker v. Carr: one man one vote; Engel v. Vitale: school prayer prohibited; Gideon v. Wainwright: right to counsel; Miranda v. Arizona: Miranda rights; Tinker v. Des Moines: student free speech armbands; NY Times v. U.S.: prior restraint; Wisconsin v. Yoder: Amish education exemption; Roe v. Wade: abortion rights; U.S. v. Nixon: executive privilege; Regents v. Bakke: affirmative action quotas; Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier: school newspaper censorship; Texas v. Johnson: flag-burning protected speech; Shaw v. Reno: racial gerrymandering; U.S. v. Lopez: Gun Free School Zones Act exceeded commerce clause; Bush v. Gore: equal protection in recounts; DC v. Heller: individual right to bear arms; McDonald v. Chicago: 2nd Amendment applies to states; Citizens United v. FEC: independent expenditures free speech, SuperPACs), selective incorporation (Bill of Rights applied to states via 14th Amendment), Northwest Ordinance 1787 (governed western lands), and key philosophers (John Locke: social contract, natural rights life/liberty/property; Montesquieu: separation of powers, checks and balances). Essential for Florida high school graduation, college civics requirement, and teacher certification.
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FLORIDA CIVICS LITERACY EXAM 2026 COMPLETE EXAM WITH
QUESTIONS AND ACCURATE ANSWERS
What does the judicial branch do? - ANS... --reviews laws
-explains laws
-resolves disputes (disagreements)
-decides if a law goes against the Constitution
What does the legislative branch do? - ANS... -- makes all laws
-declares war
-regulates interstate and foreign commerce
-controls taxing and spending policies
What does the executive branch do? - ANS... --Enforces laws written by the
congress
Who is the Governor of your state now? - ANS... -Ron Desantis
What is the capital of your state? - ANS... -Tallahassee
What are the two major political parties in the United States? - ANS... -Democratic
and Republican
What is the political party of the President now? - ANS... -Democratic Party
What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now? - ANS... -
Kevin McCarthy
There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one
of them. - ANS... --Citizens eighteen (18) and older (can vote).
-You don't have to pay (a poll tax) to vote.
-Any citizen can vote regardless of sex. (Women and men can vote.)
-A male citizen of any race (can vote).
What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens? - ANS... --serve
on a jury
,-vote in a federal election
Name one right only for United States citizens. - ANS... --vote in a federal election
-run for federal office
What are two rights of everyone living in the United States? - ANS... --freedom of
expression
-freedom of speech
-freedom of assembly
-freedom to petition the government
-freedom of religion
-the right to bear arms
What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance? - ANS... --the
United States
-the flag
What is the supreme law of the land? - ANS... -the Constitution
What does the Constitution do? - ANS... --sets up the government
-defines the government
-protects basic rights of Americans
The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What
are these words? - ANS... -We the People
What is an amendment? - ANS... --a change (to the Constitution)
-an addition (to the Constitution)
What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution? - ANS... -the Bill of
Rights
What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment? - ANS... --speech
-religion
-assembly
-press
-petition the government
How many amendments does the Constitution have? - ANS... -twenty-seven
, What did the Declaration of Independence do? - ANS... --announced our
independence (from Great Britain)
-declared our independence (from Great Britain)
-said that the United States is free (from Great Britain)
What are two rights in the
Declaration of Independence? - ANS... --life
-liberty
-pursuit of
happiness
What is freedom of religion? - ANS... -You can practice
any religion, or
not practice a
religion.
What is the economic system
in the United States? - ANS... --capitalist economy
-market economy
What is the "rule of law"? - ANS... --Everyone must follow the law.
-Leaders must obey the law.
-Government must obey the law.
-No one is above the law.
Name one branch or part of
the government. - ANS... --Congress
-legislative
-President
-executive
-the courts
-judicial
What stops one branch of
government from becoming
too powerful? - ANS... --checks and
balances
-separation
of powers