22 Social Studies Practice Questions & Answers

1. 1. Read this excerpt from The Federalist No. 51 (1788): "In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself. ... Ambition must be made to counteract ambition." Which constitutional principle does this passage most directly defend?

   • A.Federalism — dividing power between the national government and the states
   • B.Popular sovereignty — all government authority coming from the voters
   • C.Separation of powers reinforced by checks and balances among the branches✓ Answer
   • D.Judicial review — courts declaring unconstitutional laws void

   The passage argues that government must be made to "control itself," and that rival institutional ambitions should check one another. That is the mechanism of separation of powers plus checks and balances: each branch is given tools (veto, confirmation, override, impeachment) to resist encroachment by the others, so no branch can act alone. The excerpt says nothing about state-versus-national power, elections, or courts striking down laws.

   Source: The Federalist No. 51 (Madison, 1788); GED Assessment Guide for Educators: Social Studies, CG.bReport a problem with this question

2. 2. A civics teacher writes on the board: "Some powers belong only to the national government, some only to the states, and some are held by both at the same time — these last are called concurrent powers." Which of the following is a concurrent power under the U.S. Constitution?

   • A.Coining money
   • B.Making treaties with foreign nations
   • C.Issuing driver's licenses
   • D.Collecting taxes✓ Answer

   Concurrent powers are exercised by both levels of government at the same time; taxation is the classic example, since Congress levies federal taxes while states levy their own income, sales, and property taxes. Coining money and making treaties are delegated exclusively to the national government under Article I, Section 8 and Article II; licensing drivers is a reserved state power under the Tenth Amendment.

   Source: U.S. Const. art. I, §8; art. II, §2; amend. X — concurrent vs. delegated vs. reserved powers (GED CG.b)Report a problem with this question

3. 3. Read this excerpt from Article V of the U.S. Constitution: "The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution ... which ... shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof." According to this text, after Congress proposes an amendment, what is required for it to become part of the Constitution?

   • A.The President must sign the amendment into law
   • B.Legislatures or ratifying conventions in three fourths of the states must approve it✓ Answer
   • C.A nationwide majority of voters must approve it in a referendum
   • D.The Supreme Court must first declare the amendment constitutional

   Article V sets a two-stage process: proposal (by two thirds of both houses of Congress or by a convention called by two thirds of the state legislatures), then ratification by three fourths of the states, acting either through their legislatures or through ratifying conventions. The text assigns no role to the President, to a national referendum, or to the courts — the amendment process deliberately bypasses the ordinary lawmaking and judicial channels.

   Source: U.S. Const. art. VReport a problem with this question

4. 4. Read this excerpt from Article I, Section 7 of the U.S. Constitution: "All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills." Which statement is best supported by this text?

   • A.Only the House may introduce the first version of a revenue bill, but the Senate may still amend it✓ Answer
   • B.The Senate is forbidden to change a revenue bill in any way
   • C.Revenue bills must be approved by the state legislatures before taking effect
   • D.The President may introduce revenue bills directly in the Senate

   The Origination Clause controls only where a revenue bill starts, not what happens to it afterward; the second half of the sentence expressly preserves the Senate's power to amend. Careful reading of the whole sentence is what separates the correct answer from the trap answer that stops at the semicolon. Members of Congress, not the President, introduce bills, and state legislatures play no part in enacting federal statutes.

   Source: U.S. Const. art. I, §7, cl. 1 (Origination Clause)Report a problem with this question

5. 5. A city government decides to build a public highway. It takes ownership of several privately owned lots along the route and pays each owner the appraised market value of the property. Which constitutional provision authorizes this action and sets the condition the city must meet?

   • A.The Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures
   • B.The Eighth Amendment's ban on excessive fines
   • C.The Fifth Amendment's rule that private property may be taken for public use only with just compensation✓ Answer
   • D.The Tenth Amendment's reservation of undelegated powers to the states

   This is eminent domain. The Fifth Amendment's Takings Clause does not forbid the government from taking private property; it permits the taking for a public use and attaches a condition — the owner must receive just compensation, normally fair market value. The Fourth Amendment governs searches and seizures in law enforcement, not purchases of land for public projects.

   Source: U.S. Const. amend. V (Takings Clause)Report a problem with this question

6. 6. Read this excerpt from the Fourth Amendment: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." Based on this text, what does the Constitution normally require before officers search a person's home?

   • A.The homeowner's written consent in every case
   • B.Approval from the mayor or city council
   • C.That the search take place only during daylight hours
   • D.A warrant issued on probable cause that describes the place and items specifically✓ Answer

   The amendment's second clause states the warrant requirement and its two conditions: probable cause backed by oath, and particularity about place and items. Consent is one recognized way to make a search reasonable, but the text does not require it in every case, and nothing in the text mentions local officials or the time of day — those distractors add rules that are true nowhere in the passage.

   Source: U.S. Const. amend. IVReport a problem with this question

7. 7. A state has 9 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Under Article II, each state's number of presidential electors equals its number of Representatives plus its number of Senators, and every state has 2 Senators. How many electoral votes does this state cast for president?

   • A.9
   • B.10
   • C.11✓ Answer
   • D.13

   The formula is Representatives + Senators = 9 + 2 = 11. This structure is why small-population states carry proportionally more electoral weight than their population alone would give them: every state receives two electors for its Senate seats regardless of size. Answering 9 comes from forgetting the Senate seats entirely.

   Source: U.S. Const. art. II, §1, cl. 2 (electors = Representatives + Senators)Report a problem with this question

8. 8. A small New England town holds an annual meeting at which every registered voter in the town may attend, debate the proposed budget, and vote directly on whether to adopt it. A nearby city instead elects a nine-member council that votes on its budget. Which form of government does the town meeting illustrate?

   • A.Direct democracy✓ Answer
   • B.Representative democracy
   • C.Oligarchy
   • D.Confederation

   In a direct democracy citizens themselves vote on policy rather than choosing officials to decide for them, which is exactly what the town meeting does. The neighboring city is the contrast case — a representative democracy, where elected officials cast the binding vote. Oligarchy means rule by a small privileged group, and a confederation is a league of largely independent states.

   Source: GED Assessment Guide for Educators: Social Studies, CG.a — types of governmentReport a problem with this question

9. 9. Read this excerpt from Chief Justice John Marshall's 1803 opinion in Marbury v. Madison: "It is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is. ... a law repugnant to the constitution is void; and ... courts, as well as other departments, are bound by that instrument." The power Marshall claims for the courts in this passage is known as:

   • A.Judicial review✓ Answer
   • B.The executive veto
   • C.Impeachment
   • D.The elastic (necessary and proper) clause

   Judicial review is the power of courts to measure a statute against the Constitution and refuse to enforce it if it conflicts — precisely the reasoning Marshall gives when he says a repugnant law is void and courts are bound by the Constitution. The power is not written explicitly in the Constitution; it was established by this decision, which is why Marbury is treated as the foundational checks-and-balances case.

   Source: Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. (1 Cranch) 137 (1803)Report a problem with this question

10. 10. Read this excerpt from the Declaration of Independence (1776): "That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it." Which principle is expressed here?

    • A.Separation of powers among three branches
    • B.Popular sovereignty — government power rests on the consent of the governed, who may change it✓ Answer
    • C.Judicial review of acts of the legislature
    • D.Federalism — a division of authority between national and state governments

    The passage locates the source of legitimate authority in the people's consent and draws the logical consequence — a government that betrays its purpose may be altered or abolished by them. That is popular sovereignty, extended into the right of revolution. Separation of powers, judicial review, and federalism are structural features of the later Constitution and appear nowhere in this text.

    Source: Declaration of Independence (1776), second paragraphReport a problem with this question

11. 11. A county clerk reports the following data on mailed voting reminders and turnout in local elections: Year 1 — reminders mailed: 10,000; turnout: 41% Year 2 — reminders mailed: 20,000; turnout: 46% Year 3 — reminders mailed: 30,000; turnout: 58% Year 4 — reminders mailed: 40,000; turnout: 55% The clerk concludes, "These numbers prove that our mailed reminders caused turnout to rise." Which evaluation of that conclusion is most accurate?

    • A.The data prove that the mailed reminders caused the increase in turnout
    • B.The data show that higher turnout caused the county to mail more reminders
    • C.The data show that the mailed reminders had no effect on turnout
    • D.The two figures rose together, but the data do not establish cause, since other factors could explain the change✓ Answer

    Two variables moving together is correlation, not causation: a competitive race, a ballot measure, or a registration drive in the same years could raise turnout independently, and Year 4 shows turnout falling even as mailings rose, which weakens the causal story further. Establishing cause would require controlling for those other factors, for example by comparing similar voters who did and did not receive a mailing. Claiming no effect over-reads the data in the opposite direction.

    Source: GED Assessment Guide for Educators: Social Studies, SSP.10 — distinguishing correlation from causationReport a problem with this question

12. 12. Read this description of the Articles of Confederation (1781): "All charges of war and other expenses for the common defense shall be paid out of a common treasury, which shall be supplied by the several states. The taxes for paying that proportion shall be laid and levied by the authority and direction of the legislatures of the several states." Which weakness of the national government does this arrangement describe?

    • A.Congress had to request funds from the states because it could not levy taxes directly on citizens✓ Answer
    • B.Congress regulated trade among the states too tightly
    • C.The national judiciary had grown too powerful over state courts
    • D.The national executive could veto laws passed by state legislatures

    Because only state legislatures could lay and collect the taxes, the Confederation Congress could only requisition money and had no way to compel payment, leaving war debts unpaid. This revenue weakness — together with the absence of a national executive and national courts and the unanimity required to amend — is what the 1787 Constitution was written to fix. The other options describe powers the Confederation government simply did not have.

    Source: Articles of Confederation (1781), art. VIII; GED USH.aReport a problem with this question

13. 13. Compare two sources written during the ratification debate. Source 1 — Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist No. 84 (1788): bills of rights "are not only unnecessary in the proposed Constitution, but would even be dangerous," because they would declare exceptions to powers that were never granted in the first place. Source 2 — James Madison to Thomas Jefferson (1788, paraphrased): although written guarantees can be weak "parchment barriers" when a majority is determined, declaring rights in the fundamental law is still useful, because over time those declarations become accepted maxims that shape public opinion. What is the main disagreement between the two writers?

    • A.They disagree about whether the Constitution should be ratified at all
    • B.They disagree about whether the states should keep their own governments
    • C.They disagree about whether writing a list of rights into the Constitution would be useful or risky✓ Answer
    • D.They agree on everything except the number of amendments to add

    Both men supported ratification, so the disagreement is narrower than options that put the whole Constitution or the states in dispute: Hamilton argues an enumeration is unnecessary and creates the dangerous implication that unlisted powers exist, while Madison argues a declaration has long-run educational value even if it cannot stop a determined majority. Comparing sources means locating the precise point of discrepancy rather than assuming two authors differ on everything.

    Source: The Federalist No. 84 (Hamilton, 1788); Madison to Jefferson, Oct. 17, 1788; GED SSP.8Report a problem with this question

14. 14. The Fourteenth Amendment (1868) provides: "No State shall ... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." In 1896 the Supreme Court held in Plessy v. Ferguson that separate railway cars for Black and white passengers satisfied this clause so long as the facilities were equal. In 1954 the Court held in Brown v. Board of Education that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." What does this comparison best show?

    • A.The text of the Fourteenth Amendment was rewritten in 1954
    • B.The Court's interpretation of the same constitutional text changed over time✓ Answer
    • C.The Brown decision added a new amendment to the Constitution
    • D.The Equal Protection Clause applies only to the federal government

    The constitutional language was identical in both cases; what changed was the Court's reading of what "equal protection" requires, so Brown overturned Plessy's separate-but-equal doctrine by judicial interpretation rather than by amendment. Courts cannot amend the Constitution — only the Article V process can — and the clause by its own words restrains the states, not the federal government.

    Source: U.S. Const. amend. XIV, §1; Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537 (1896); Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954)Report a problem with this question

15. 15. Read this excerpt from the Declaration of Sentiments adopted at the Seneca Falls Convention (1848): "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal ... The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her." Why did the authors deliberately model their language on the Declaration of Independence?

    • A.To show that they opposed American independence
    • B.To give a neutral, factual summary of the laws in force in 1848
    • C.To show that they had no specific grievances to list
    • D.To borrow the moral authority of a document their readers already accepted, and turn it into an argument that excluding women is unjust✓ Answer

    Analyzing purpose and point of view means asking what the author is trying to accomplish with a rhetorical choice. By inserting "and women" into a sentence Americans already revered, the authors force readers who accept the Declaration's premise to accept its extension, and the parallel list of "injuries and usurpations" mirrors the original's indictment of the king. The text is plainly persuasive, not neutral, and it goes on to catalogue very specific grievances.

    Source: Declaration of Sentiments, Seneca Falls Convention (1848); GED SSP.5 and USH.dReport a problem with this question

16. 16. Read this excerpt from President Truman's 1947 address to Congress: "I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures." Congress then approved aid to Greece and Turkey, and the following year funded a large economic recovery program for Western Europe. This policy is best described as:

    • A.Isolationism
    • B.Appeasement
    • C.Containment of communist expansion✓ Answer
    • D.Colonial expansion by the United States

    Containment was the Cold War strategy of blocking further Soviet-backed expansion by strengthening vulnerable states with economic and military aid rather than by direct attack — exactly the pattern of the Truman Doctrine followed by the Marshall Plan. Isolationism would mean staying out of European affairs entirely, appeasement means conceding to an aggressor's demands, and no territory was claimed as a colony.

    Source: Truman Doctrine address to Congress, March 12, 1947; GED USH.g — containmentReport a problem with this question

17. 17. A city's rental housing market is described by this schedule: Monthly rent $1,200 — apartments demanded: 5,000; apartments supplied: 5,000 Monthly rent $900 — apartments demanded: 7,000; apartments supplied: 4,000 The city council passes an ordinance making $900 the maximum legal rent. Based on the schedule, what is the most likely result?

    • A.A surplus of 3,000 apartments sitting empty
    • B.A shortage of 3,000 apartments, with more renters seeking units than are available✓ Answer
    • C.The equilibrium rent will rise above $1,200
    • D.No change, because the ordinance does not affect supply or demand

    A price ceiling set below the equilibrium price ($1,200, where quantity demanded equals quantity supplied) creates a shortage: at $900 the quantity demanded is 7,000 while the quantity supplied falls to 4,000, a gap of 3,000. Note that the law causes movement along the existing curves rather than shifting them — the curves themselves would move only if something other than price, such as income or building costs, changed. A surplus is the opposite case, produced by a price floor set above equilibrium.

    Source: GED Assessment Guide for Educators: Social Studies, E.d — price ceilings, shortages, and movement along vs. shifts of curvesReport a problem with this question

18. 18. Consider two government actions: Action 1: Congress passes, and the President signs, a law cutting income tax rates and increasing spending on highway construction. Action 2: The Federal Reserve lowers its target interest rate and buys government bonds on the open market. Which statement correctly classifies these actions?

    • A.Both actions are monetary policy
    • B.Action 1 is monetary policy and Action 2 is fiscal policy
    • C.Action 1 is fiscal policy and Action 2 is monetary policy✓ Answer
    • D.Both actions are fiscal policy

    Fiscal policy is the taxing and spending power exercised by the elected branches — Congress writes the tax and spending laws and the President signs them. Monetary policy is conducted by the central bank, which influences the money supply and credit conditions through interest-rate targets and open-market purchases and sales of government securities. The clue is the actor: legislature and President means fiscal, Federal Reserve means monetary.

    Source: GED Assessment Guide for Educators: Social Studies, E.d — fiscal vs. monetary policyReport a problem with this question

19. 19. Maya has one free Saturday. She can either work a 10-hour shift that pays $150 or spend those 10 hours studying for a certification exam. She chooses to study. In economic terms, what is the opportunity cost of her decision?

    • A.The $150 in wages she gave up by not working✓ Answer
    • B.The 10 hours she spent studying
    • C.The wages plus the study hours added together
    • D.Nothing, because studying at home costs no money

    Opportunity cost is the value of the next-best alternative that must be given up when a choice is made; here the forgone alternative is the shift, so the cost is the $150 she would have earned. The hours spent studying are the resource being allocated, not the cost, and adding both would double-count. The last option confuses out-of-pocket expense with economic cost — scarcity means every choice has a cost even when no money changes hands.

    Source: GED Assessment Guide for Educators: Social Studies, E.c — opportunity cost and scarcityReport a problem with this question

20. 20. A survey asked 500 recent migrants to name the single main reason they moved. Results: Crop failure and drought in home region — 180 Political violence in home region — 120 Job offer in destination city — 140 Family already living in destination city — 60 Geographers call conditions that drive people away from a place "push factors" and conditions that attract people to a new place "pull factors." What percentage of these migrants named a pull factor?

    • A.36%
    • B.40%✓ Answer
    • C.60%
    • D.64%

    Pull factors are the two destination-side reasons: the job offer (140) and family already there (60), totaling 200 of 500, or 40%. The push factors — drought and political violence — account for the other 300, or 60%, which is the trap answer for anyone who classifies the rows by the wrong side. Reading the category labels before computing is what prevents that error.

    Source: GED Assessment Guide for Educators: Social Studies, G.d — push and pull factors; SSP.11 quantitative reasoningReport a problem with this question

21. 21. An environmental study measured, in four neighborhoods of one city, the share of ground covered by pavement and the average summer nighttime temperature: Neighborhood A — pavement 15%; average nighttime temperature 71°F Neighborhood B — pavement 35%; 74°F Neighborhood C — pavement 55%; 77°F Neighborhood D — pavement 75%; 80°F In this study, which is the dependent variable?

    • A.The share of ground covered by pavement
    • B.The name of the neighborhood
    • C.The number of neighborhoods studied
    • D.The average summer nighttime temperature✓ Answer

    The dependent variable is the outcome being measured to see how it responds; here the researchers are asking whether temperature varies with pavement, so temperature depends on pavement, the independent variable. On a graph the independent variable is conventionally plotted on the horizontal axis and the dependent variable on the vertical axis. Neighborhood names are labels and the sample size is a design detail, not variables under study.

    Source: GED Assessment Guide for Educators: Social Studies, SSP.10 — dependent vs. independent variables; G.b human modification of the environmentReport a problem with this question

22. 22. A textbook describes the Roman Republic this way: "Citizens did not vote on each law themselves. They elected officials, and authority was divided among the consuls, the Senate, and the popular assemblies, so that no single officeholder controlled the state." Which feature of the United States government most directly reflects this model?

    • A.Elected representatives make the laws within a system that divides authority among institutions✓ Answer
    • B.All citizens vote directly on every proposed law
    • C.Political authority passes by inheritance within a single family
    • D.Religious leaders hold final authority over political decisions

    The passage describes a republic: lawmaking delegated to elected officials, with authority split among institutions so power is not concentrated. The framers borrowed both ideas, pairing representation with the separation of powers. The other options describe direct democracy, monarchy, and theocracy — forms of government the passage explicitly rules out or never mentions.

    Source: GED Assessment Guide for Educators: Social Studies, G.a — Greek and Roman roots of American governmental ideasReport a problem with this question

Practice questions based on the GED Testing Service Assessment Guide for Educators and standard high-school-equivalency curriculum. GED is a registered trademark of the American Council on Education; this site is not affiliated with or endorsed by ACE or GED Testing Service. Passing scores, fees, retake limits, and age and residency eligibility are set by GED Testing Service and by individual states and change over time — confirm current requirements for your state before testing. Note that the Reasoning Through Language Arts test also includes an extended-response essay, which multiple-choice practice cannot cover. About the GED test →