US Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the US exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 US Exam Format at a Glance
📚 US Topics to Study (61)
✍️ Sample US Questions & Answers
1. Which constitutional clause was used by the Supreme Court in INS v. Chadha (1983) to strike down the legislative veto?
In Chadha, the Court ruled one-house legislative vetoes violated both bicameralism and the Presentment Clause, because Congress was effectively legislating without following Article I's procedures.
2. What is 'strict scrutiny,' a standard used in judicial review?
Strict scrutiny demands a compelling governmental interest and a law narrowly tailored to achieve it, and is applied to fundamental rights and suspect classifications.
3. Federal mandates that require states to implement policies but provide NO funding to cover the costs are called:
Unfunded mandates impose federal requirements on states without providing money to comply, a major source of state-federal tension.
4. Under the 'mootness' doctrine, what happens to a case during judicial review?
A case becomes moot when the legal controversy no longer exists, removing the court's jurisdiction to decide it.
5. The Seventeenth Amendment changed federalism by providing for:
Before the 17th Amendment, U.S. Senators were chosen by state legislatures, giving states direct representation in Congress.
6. Which constitutional clause requires states to honor the laws and court decisions of other states?
The Full Faith and Credit Clause (Article IV, Section 1) requires each state to respect the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of other states.