Guided Practice: Government Basics
Quick Review
- Legislative Branch = Congress (makes laws)
- Executive Branch = President (carries out laws)
- Judicial Branch = Courts (interprets laws)
- Local government = Mayor, city council
- State government = Governor, state legislature
Practice Problems
1. Which branch of government makes laws?
A) Executive
B) Legislative
C) Judicial
D) Military
Answer
B) Legislative - Congress (Senate and House of Representatives) makes laws.
2. Who is the head of the Executive Branch?
A) A senator
B) A judge
C) The President
D) The mayor
Answer
C) The President - The President leads the executive branch.
3. What does the Judicial Branch do?
A) Makes laws
B) Carries out laws
C) Interprets laws and decides if they follow the Constitution
D) Collects taxes
Answer
C) - Courts, including the Supreme Court, interpret laws.
4. Why are there three branches of government?
A) Because three is a lucky number
B) To check and balance each other's power
C) There aren't enough jobs otherwise
D) The Constitution requires exactly three people
Answer
B) - The system of "checks and balances" prevents any one branch from having too much power.
5. Who leads a state government?
A) The President
B) The Mayor
C) The Governor
D) A Senator
Answer
C) The Governor - Each state has a governor who leads the executive branch.
6. Which government level handles local issues like parks and roads?
A) Federal government
B) State government
C) Local/city government
D) The United Nations
Answer
C) Local government - Cities and towns handle local services.
7. Congress is made up of which two parts?
A) President and Vice President
B) Senate and House of Representatives
C) Courts and judges
D) Governors and mayors
Answer
B) - Congress has two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives.
8. How many Supreme Court justices are there?
A) 5
B) 7
C) 9
D) 12
Answer
C) 9 - There are 9 justices on the Supreme Court.
9. Who can vote for the President?
A) Only rich people
B) Only men
C) US citizens 18 years and older
D) Anyone in the world
Answer
C) - US citizens who are at least 18 can vote.
10. What document created our government structure?
A) The Declaration of Independence
B) The Constitution
C) The Bill of Rights
D) The Pledge of Allegiance
Answer
B) The Constitution - It established the three branches and their powers.
Next Steps
- Learn who your state's governor is
- Find out who your city's mayor is
- Continue to Primary Source Analysis