Civic Literacy Exam Civic Literacy 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which branch of the U.S. federal government has the sole authority to declare war?
- The President as Commander-in-Chief
- The Department of Defense
- Congress (Correct answer)
- The Joint Chiefs of Staff
Correct answer: Congress
Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution explicitly grants Congress — not the President — the power to declare war. While the President commands the military, only Congress can issue a formal declaration of war.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution?
- To guarantee freedom of speech and religion
- To reserve powers not delegated to the federal government to the states or the people (Correct answer)
- To establish the Supreme Court's power of judicial review
- To prohibit cruel and unusual punishment
Correct answer: To reserve powers not delegated to the federal government to the states or the people
The Tenth Amendment states that powers not delegated to the federal government by the Constitution, nor prohibited to the states, are reserved to the states or to the people. It is a cornerstone of federalism.
Question 3: How many justices currently sit on the U.S. Supreme Court?
- 7
- 9 (Correct answer)
- 11
- 13
Correct answer: 9
The U.S. Supreme Court is composed of nine justices: one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices. This number has been set by Congress since 1869 and has not changed since.
Question 4: Which constitutional clause gives Congress the broad power to make all laws 'necessary and proper' to carry out its enumerated powers?
- The Commerce Clause
- The Supremacy Clause
- The Elastic Clause (Correct answer)
- The Establishment Clause
Correct answer: The Elastic Clause
Article I, Section 8 ends with the Necessary and Proper Clause, often called the 'Elastic Clause' because it stretches congressional authority to enact legislation beyond its explicitly listed powers, as long as those laws support an enumerated power.
Question 5: What is the term length for a U.S. House of Representatives member?
- 2 years (Correct answer)
- 4 years
- 6 years
- 8 years
Correct answer: 2 years
Members of the House of Representatives serve two-year terms, as established by Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution. All 435 House seats are up for election every two years during federal elections.
Question 6: Which constitutional amendment lowered the voting age in the United States to 18?
- Fifteenth Amendment
- Nineteenth Amendment
- Twenty-Fourth Amendment
- Twenty-Sixth Amendment (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Twenty-Sixth Amendment
The Twenty-Sixth Amendment, ratified in 1971, lowered the national voting age from 21 to 18. It was largely driven by arguments that citizens old enough to be drafted and serve in Vietnam should have the right to vote.
Civic Literacy Exam Civic Literacy 1
Which branch of the U.S. federal government has the sole authority to declare war?