Government and Civil Service US History and Political System 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is gerrymandering?
- A method of proportional representation in elections
- Manipulating electoral district boundaries to favor a political party (Correct answer)
- A process for recounting votes in close elections
- A system of ranked-choice voting
Correct answer: Manipulating electoral district boundaries to favor a political party
Gerrymandering is the manipulation of electoral district boundaries to give one political party an advantage over others in elections.
Question 2: What is a filibuster in the US Senate?
- A formal vote to table a bill
- A procedural tactic to delay or block legislation by extended debate (Correct answer)
- A presidential veto of a Senate resolution
- A committee vote to kill a bill
Correct answer: A procedural tactic to delay or block legislation by extended debate
A filibuster is a Senate procedural tactic where a senator or group of senators prolong debate to delay or prevent a vote on legislation.
Question 3: Which constitutional amendment gave women the right to vote?
- 15th Amendment
- 17th Amendment
- 19th Amendment (Correct answer)
- 21st Amendment
Correct answer: 19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, prohibited denying the right to vote based on sex, effectively granting women the right to vote nationwide.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)?
- To manage the federal budget and spending
- To provide nonpartisan economic and budget analysis to Congress (Correct answer)
- To audit federal agencies for waste and fraud
- To approve or reject the president's budget request
Correct answer: To provide nonpartisan economic and budget analysis to Congress
The CBO is a nonpartisan agency that provides Congress with independent economic and budget analysis, including cost estimates for proposed legislation.
Question 5: How many electoral votes are needed to win the US presidential election?
- 270 (Correct answer)
- 300
- 435
- 538
Correct answer: 270
A presidential candidate needs a majority of 270 electoral votes out of 538 total to win the election.
Question 6: What is the primary function of the Government Accountability Office (GAO)?
- To manage federal tax collection
- To serve as Congress's investigative and audit arm (Correct answer)
- To oversee the federal budget process
- To regulate federal government contracts
Correct answer: To serve as Congress's investigative and audit arm
The GAO is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress by investigating how the federal government spends taxpayer money.
Government and Civil Service US History and Political System 2
What is gerrymandering?