Test Your Knowledge With Political Science Quiz

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  • 1/25 Questions

    Democracy means rule by:

    • God
    • The people
    • The best
    • The wealthy
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About This Quiz

How updated is your general knowledge? Take this political science quiz and check how well you understand this topic. In this quiz, we have a few questions on political science to test your knowledge. If you have been reading all the news and keeping yourself updated with all kinds of politics and political science, it is an easy quiz for See moreyou. You can try to get a perfect score on this quiz. All the best! Don't forget to share the quiz and challenge your friends.

Test Your Knowledge With Political Science Quiz - Quiz

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  • 2. 

    A monarchy is:

    • Rule by a president, not a king

    • Rule by a dictator

    • Rule by a king

    • Limited government

    Correct Answer
    A. Rule by a king
    Explanation
    Until the twentieth century, most countries were monarchies.

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  • 3. 

    The United States is a _______ government.

    • Federal

    • Unitary

    • Absolute

    • None of the above

    Correct Answer
    A. Federal
    Explanation
    The correct answer is federal. This means that the United States has a system of government where power is divided between a central government and individual states. This allows for a balance of power and autonomy for both levels of government.

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  • 4. 

    A majority candidate or party receives more than half of all votes cast.

    • True

    • False

    Correct Answer
    A. True
    Explanation
    Plurality rule means that the candidate with the most votes wins, even if it is not more than half.

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  • 5. 

    Authoritative government gives you an exit option.

    • True

    • False

    Correct Answer
    A. False
    Explanation
    Authoritative government is compulsory, so you must obey or you will be punished.

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  • 6. 

    Theocracy means rule by:

    • God

    • The people

    • The best

    • The wealthy

    Correct Answer
    A. God
    Explanation
    "Theos" in Greek means "god."

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  • 7. 

    A form of government that derives its power indirectly from the people, who elect representatives is called a(n) __________ democracy.

    • Direct

    • Absolutist

    • Statist

    • Representative

    Correct Answer
    A. Representative
    Explanation
    A form of government that derives its power indirectly from the people, who elect representatives is called a representative democracy. In this type of democracy, the people elect individuals to represent their interests and make decisions on their behalf. This system allows for a more efficient and practical way of governing a large population, as it is not feasible for every citizen to participate directly in every decision-making process. Instead, representatives are elected to act as the voice and decision-makers for the people they represent.

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  • 8. 

    The United States has a two-party system, dominated by the Democratic and Republican parties.  

    • True

    • False

    Correct Answer
    A. True
    Explanation
    The U.S. political landscape is largely shaped by two major parties: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. While other parties exist, these two have consistently held the majority of political power, influencing elections, legislation, and policy decisions. This two-party system has been a defining characteristic of American politics for much of its history. 

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  • 9. 

    Unitary government:

    • Have small units of pre-existing government that create a central government

    • Have a pre-existing central government that creates and controls smaller, local units of government

    • All of the above

    • None of the above

    Correct Answer
    A. Have a pre-existing central government that creates and controls smaller, local units of government
    Explanation
    Unitary governments are created by a central government.

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  • 10. 

    Amendments to the structure of the U.S. require approval from ______ of the states.

    • 3/4

    • 1/2

    • 1/4

    • 1/8

    • 3/5

    Correct Answer
    A. 3/4
    Explanation
    Amendments to the structure of the U.S. require approval from 3/4 of the states. This means that in order for an amendment to be passed, it must receive support from at least 75% of the states. This high threshold ensures that any changes made to the structure of the U.S. have widespread support and are not easily implemented.

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  • 11. 

    A republic is ruled by:

    • A King

    • A dictator

    • A president

    • The people directly

    Correct Answer
    A. A president
    Explanation
    The United States is a republic.

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  • 12. 

    Independent voters claim to have ___________ party affiliation.

    • Democratic

    • Strong, specific

    • No specific

    • Republican

    Correct Answer
    A. No specific
    Explanation
    According to Stanley Fish's article, some independent voters claim that they are "voting the person, not the party."

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  • 13. 

    This would require that all judges treat national laws and treaties with highest regard.

    • Bicameralism

    • Supremacy clause

    • Virgina Plan

    • New Jersey Plan

    • Constitutional Convention

    Correct Answer
    A. Supremacy clause
    Explanation
    The supremacy clause is the correct answer because it states that the Constitution, federal laws, and treaties are the supreme law of the land. This means that if there is a conflict between a national law or treaty and a state law, the national law or treaty will prevail. Therefore, for all judges to treat national laws and treaties with the highest regard, they must recognize and uphold the supremacy clause.

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  • 14. 

    Absolute government is ____________, while constitutional government is _____________.

    • Virtually unlimited; very limited

    • Very limited; virtually unlimited

    • Very neutral; unlimited

    • Limited; very neutral

    Correct Answer
    A. Virtually unlimited; very limited
    Explanation
    Remember King Henry VIII, who had very few restrictions on what he could do to his people. Henry VIII was much closer to being the leader of an absolute government than a constitutional government.

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  • 15. 

    Why did the Articles of Confederation fail?

    • U.S. could not pay its bills

    • Weak central government

    • No separation of powers

    • Little cooperation between the states

    • All of the above

    Correct Answer
    A. All of the above
    Explanation
    The Articles of Confederation failed for multiple reasons. The U.S. was unable to pay its bills, leading to financial instability. The central government was weak, lacking the authority and resources to effectively govern the country. There was no separation of powers, resulting in a lack of checks and balances. Additionally, there was little cooperation between the states, hindering the ability to make collective decisions. All of these factors contributed to the failure of the Articles of Confederation.

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  • 16. 

    U.S. central government is ____, whereas Britain's central government is ______.

    • Weak; strong

    • Strong;weak

    Correct Answer
    A. Weak; strong
    Explanation
    The United States has a lot of separation of power amongst the legislative, judicial and executive branches, where Britain does not.

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  • 17. 

    Federal governments:

    • Have a pre-existing central government that creates and controls smaller, local units of government

    • Have small units of pre-existing government that create a central government

    • Both of the above

    • None of the above

    Correct Answer
    A. Have small units of pre-existing government that create a central government
    Explanation
    Small units of government create central government. Think of the 13 states that created our federal government as we know it today.

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  • 18. 

    Proposal at the Constitutional Convention made for a strong central government with a bicameral legislature.

    • Annapolis Convention

    • Virgina Plan

    • Shays' Rebellion

    • New Jersey Plan

    • None of the above

    Correct Answer
    A. Virgina Plan
    Explanation
    The proposal stated that the lower house would be chosen by voters while the upper house would be chosen by the lower.

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  • 19. 

    Aristocracy means rule by:

    • God

    • The people

    • The best

    • The wealthy

    Correct Answer
    A. The best
    Explanation
    "Aristos" means "the best" in Greek.

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  • 20. 

    About ___% of national governments in the world are unitary.

    • 5%

    • 10%

    • 50%

    • 90%

    • 95%

    Correct Answer
    A. 90%
    Explanation
    Britain is a unitary government.

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  • 21. 

    Compromise made by states at the Constitutional Convention for a bicameral legislature with a lower house in which representation would be based on population and an upper house in which each state would have two senators

    • New Jersey Plan

    • Three-fifths compromise

    • Shays' Rebellion

    • Connecticut Compromise

    • None of the above

    Correct Answer
    A. Connecticut Compromise
    Explanation
    The Connecticut Compromise, also known as the Great Compromise, was the agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. It proposed a bicameral legislature with a lower house (House of Representatives) in which representation would be based on population, satisfying the larger states, and an upper house (Senate) in which each state would have equal representation with two senators, satisfying the smaller states. This compromise resolved the conflict between the Virginia Plan, which favored representation based on population, and the New Jersey Plan, which favored equal representation for all states.

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  • 22. 

    A convention held in September 1786 to consider problems of trade and navigation, attended by five states.

    • Constitutional Convention

    • Shays' Rebellion

    • Virginia Convention

    • Annapolis Convention

    • New Jersey Convention

    Correct Answer
    A. Annapolis Convention
    Explanation
    Talks at this gathering resulted in the Constitutional Convention.

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  • 23. 

    What values does government allocate?

    • Absolutism

    • Status

    • Wealth

    • Opportunity

    • Partisanship

    Correct Answer(s)
    A. Status
    A. Wealth
    A. Opportunity
    Explanation
    The government allocates values such as status, wealth, and opportunity. This means that the government plays a role in distributing or determining the social standing, financial resources, and chances for advancement within society. The government's policies and actions can impact the distribution of these values among individuals and groups, influencing their social and economic positions.

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  • 24. 

    Proposal made at the Constitutional Convention for a unicameral central government with single house legislature in which each state would be represented equally.

    • Virgina Plan

    • Connecticut Compromise

    • Annapolis Convention

    • Shays' Rebellion

    • None of the above

    Correct Answer
    A. None of the above
    Explanation
    This describes the New Jersey Plan.

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  • 25. 

    Three sources of political legitimacy are:

    • Absolutism

    • Will of the people

    • God

    • Gubernatorial elections

    • Excellence

    Correct Answer(s)
    A. Will of the people
    A. God
    A. Excellence
    Explanation
    Theocracy, democracy and aristocracy.

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  • Current Version
  • Jan 15, 2025
    Quiz Edited by
    ProProfs Editorial Team
  • Jun 24, 2010
    Quiz Created by
    Stinkybichez

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