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Civics quiz
by Mike Mulcahy, Minnesota Public Radio
July 4, 2003

Here's a short quiz to test your knowledge in civics and American government. You'll find the correct answers at the bottom of the page.

— Questions--

1. How many stripes are there on the American flag?

2. What do the stripes on the flag signify?

3. Who was the second president of the United States?

4. Who elects the president of the United States?

5. Can the Constitution be changed?

6. How many amendments are there to the Constitution?

7. How many branches of the U.S. government are there and what are they?

8. Who elects the Congress?

9. How many senators are there?

10. For how long do we elect each senator?

11. How many voting representatives are there in the United States House of Representatives?

12. How long are representatives' terms?

13. How many representatives does Minnesota have in the House?

14. What is the supreme law of the United States?

15. What is the Bill of Rights?

16. If both the president and the vice president were to die, who would become president?

17. Who is the speaker of the House right now?

18. Who is the current chief justice of the Supreme Court?

19. Who said, "Give me liberty or give me death"?

20. Which countries were our enemies in World War II?

21. What were the 49th and 50th states admitted to the union?

22. The Constitution says a person must meet three certain requirements to be eligible to become president. What are they?

23. How many Supreme Court justices are there?

24. Who was the main author of the Declaration of Independence?

25. What is the national anthem of the U.S.?

26. Who wrote the national anthem?

27. Who was president during the Civil War?

28. In what year was the Constitution written?

29. Whose rights are guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights?

30. What is the introduction to the Constitution called?

Answers--

1) 13. 2) The original 13 colonies. 3) John Adams.
4) The Electoral College. 5) Yes, by amendment.
6) 27. 7) Three -- Legislative, Executive and Judicial.
8) The people. 9) 100. Minnesota's two senators are Mark Dayton and Norm Coleman.
10) Six years. 11) 435. 12) Two years. 13) Eight.
14) The Constitution. 15) The first 10 amendments to the Constitution.
16) The speaker of the House of Representatives. 17) Rep. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill.
18) William Rehnquist. 19) Patrick Henry.
20) Germany, Italy, Japan. 21) Alaska and Hawaii.
22) Must be a native born citizen of the U.S.; must be at least 35 years old by the time he or she will serve; must have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years.
23) Nine. 24) Thomas Jefferson. 25) The Star Spangled Banner.
26) Francis Scott Key. 27) Abraham Lincoln.
28) 1787. 29) Everyone living in the U.S. -- citizens and non-citizens.
30) The Preamble.

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