HiSET Social Studies: US History and Civics Practice Test 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which Supreme Court case established the principle of judicial review, giving courts the power to strike down unconstitutional laws?
- McCulloch v. Maryland
- Marbury v. Madison (Correct answer)
- Gibbons v. Ogden
- Fletcher v. Peck
Correct answer: Marbury v. Madison
Marbury v. Madison (1803) established judicial review when Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that the Supreme Court could invalidate laws that conflict with the Constitution.
Question 2: The Three-Fifths Compromise in the original Constitution determined that enslaved people would be counted as what fraction of a person for purposes of taxation and representation?
- One-half
- Two-thirds
- Three-fifths (Correct answer)
- Three-quarters
Correct answer: Three-fifths
The Three-Fifths Compromise counted enslaved individuals as three-fifths of a person to determine each state's population for congressional representation and direct taxes.
Question 3: Which amendment to the Constitution abolished slavery throughout the United States?
- 13th Amendment (Correct answer)
- 14th Amendment
- 15th Amendment
- 16th Amendment
Correct answer: 13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment, ratified in 1865, formally abolished slavery and involuntary servitude except as punishment for a crime.
Question 4: What was the primary purpose of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806)?
- To negotiate treaties with British Canada
- To explore the territory acquired in the Louisiana Purchase (Correct answer)
- To find a route to China across North America
- To establish military forts along the Mississippi River
Correct answer: To explore the territory acquired in the Louisiana Purchase
President Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Territory, map the land, and find a practical route to the Pacific Ocean.
Question 5: The concept of 'Manifest Destiny' in the 19th century expressed the belief that the United States was destined to:
- Become a global military superpower
- Expand its territory across the entire North American continent (Correct answer)
- Establish colonies in Latin America
- Eliminate all Native American tribes
Correct answer: Expand its territory across the entire North American continent
Manifest Destiny was the 19th-century ideology that the US was divinely ordained to expand westward from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.
Question 6: Which branch of the federal government has the exclusive power to declare war?
- Executive branch (President)
- Judicial branch (Supreme Court)
- Legislative branch (Congress) (Correct answer)
- Joint Chiefs of Staff
Correct answer: Legislative branch (Congress)
Article I of the Constitution grants Congress—specifically both the House and Senate—the sole power to formally declare war.
Question 7: The Homestead Act of 1862 encouraged westward settlement by:
- Offering land grants to railroad companies
- Granting 160 acres of public land to settlers who farmed it for five years (Correct answer)
- Providing low-interest government loans to farmers
- Requiring Native Americans to cede tribal lands
Correct answer: Granting 160 acres of public land to settlers who farmed it for five years
The Homestead Act gave 160 acres of federal land to any adult citizen or intended citizen who paid a small fee and farmed the land for five years.
HiSET Social Studies: US History and Civics Practice Test 2
Which Supreme Court case established the principle of judicial review, giving courts the power to strike down unconstitutional laws?