Q 01/05

How many branches make up the United States federal government?

A) Two

B) Four

C) Five

D) Three

Answer · why

D) Three

Legislative, executive and judicial, each designed to check the other two.

Q 02/05

How many voting members does the US Congress have in total?

A) 535

B) 538

C) 541

D) 545

Answer · why

A) 535

That is 100 senators plus 435 representatives; add three electors for D.C. and you get the 538 of the Electoral College.

Q 03/05

How many senators does each US state send to Washington?

A) Two

B) One

C) Three

D) It depends on population

Answer · why

A) Two

Their six-year terms are staggered so that roughly a third of the Senate is up for election every two years.

Q 04/05

How many justices sit on the US Supreme Court?

A) Seven

B) Eleven

C) Nine

D) Twelve

Answer · why

C) Nine

The number was last changed in 1869; it had been as low as six and as high as ten before that.

Q 05/05

How many electoral votes does a candidate need to win the US presidency?

A) 270

B) 280

C) 300

D) 320

Answer · why

A) 270

There are 538 electors in all, since the 23rd Amendment gave the District of Columbia three.

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