GED Social Studies Practice Questions: Civics and Government

On the GED Social Studies test, the topics of civics and government are well represented—in fact, they take up about half of the questions. To do well, you should be familiar with the different branches of government, and you should understand concepts like separation of powers (legislative, executive, and judicial), individual rights and civic responsibilities, and the rule of law.

Like the following practice questions, some questions on the GED may seem a little difficult at first glance. If you're not sure which answer is correct, a good strategy is to start by ruling out the ones that are obviously wrong or that don't directly answer the question, and then try to pick the best option from the remaining choices.

Practice questions

1. Under the Constitution of the United States, some powers belong to the federal government and some powers belong to the states. Which of the following is a power that belongs to the state government?

   A. to create an army B. to print money C. to make treaties D. to provide education

   Questions 2–5 refer to the following chart.

   Use the words and phrases below to fill the missing spaces. Put the letter of the answer in its correct space, and then fill in the answer on your answer sheet.

   A. Legislative B. Can veto legislation C. Enforces laws D. Interprets law

   

Answers and explanations

1. The correct answer is Choice (D).

   The federal government has the power to create an army, to print money, and to make treaties. Providing education is a power reserved for the states.

2. The correct answer is Choice (A).

   The legislative branch makes the laws.

3. The correct answer is Choice (C).

   One power of the executive branch is to enforce the laws made by the legislative branch.

4. The correct answer is Choice (D).

   One power of the judicial branch is to interpret the laws.

5. The correct answer is Choice (B).

   The executive branch (the President) can veto laws made by the legislative branch.