How U.S. government works: laws, elections and public policy
Learn who does what in the three branches, how a bill becomes a federal law, which powers belong to the nation or the states, how amendments and the Electoral College work, and how a public policy is made and checked. Includes six questions with worked answers.
Why this matters on the test
About half of the GED® social studies test is civics and government. Most questions give you a short text, a chart or a flowchart about government. Then they ask who has a power, what step comes next, or which idea the example shows.
You do not need to memorize every office. You do need a clear picture of who does what. This lesson gives you that picture in plain words, with numbers you can check.
Who does what: the three branches
Legislative branch (makes laws): Congress. It has two parts. The Senate has 100 members, two from each state, elected for 6-year terms. The House of Representatives has 435 voting members. States with more people get more seats, and House members are elected for 2-year terms. Congress also passes the budget and can declare war. The Senate confirms or rejects the President's picks for judges and cabinet heads.
Executive branch (carries out laws): the President, the Vice President, the cabinet, and the departments and agencies. The President serves a 4-year term and can be elected at most twice (22nd Amendment). The President leads the armed forces and can veto, or reject, a bill.
Judicial branch (explains laws): the Supreme Court and the lower federal courts. Courts decide what a law means, apply it to real cases, and decide whether a law goes against the Constitution. That last power is called judicial review. The President nominates federal judges, and the Senate confirms them. They serve "during good behavior," which usually means for life.
Each branch can limit the others. That is checks and balances. Example: the President can veto a bill, and Congress can override the veto.
How a bill becomes a federal law
1. A member of Congress introduces a bill.
2. A committee studies it. The committee can change the bill, or stop it.
3. The full chamber debates and votes. A simple majority passes it, for example 218 of the 435 House members.
4. The other chamber does the same. Both chambers must pass the exact same text. If the versions differ, members from both chambers work out one version, and both chambers vote again.
5. The President signs the bill, and it becomes law. Or the President vetoes it, and the bill goes back to Congress. To override a veto, two thirds of the House and two thirds of the Senate must vote yes.
Worked numbers: two thirds of 435 is 435 × 2 ÷ 3 = 290. Two thirds of 100 is 66.67, so the Senate needs 67 votes. (This assumes every member votes.)
Nation, state or both? (federalism)
Federalism means power is shared between the national government and the state governments.
National government only: print and coin money, declare war, make treaties with other countries, run the postal service, and control trade between states and with other countries.
States only (the Tenth Amendment reserves these powers to the states or the people): run public schools, issue driver's licenses, set up city and county governments, and run elections.
Both share: collecting taxes, borrowing money, making and enforcing laws, and setting up courts.
Test tip: ask whether the problem crosses state or national lines. Money, war and treaties belong to the nation. Schools and licenses stay with the states.
Changing the Constitution
Article V gives two steps. First, an amendment is proposed, usually by a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate. Second, it is ratified, or approved, by three fourths of the states.
Worked numbers: three fourths of 50 states is 50 × 3 ÷ 4 = 37.5. You cannot have half a state, so 38 states are needed. The Constitution has 27 amendments. The bar is set high on purpose.
Parties, interest groups and elections
A political party is a group that runs candidates to win elections and control government. The United States mostly has two large parties. Primary elections (and in some states, caucuses) pick each party's candidate.
An interest group tries to change laws or policies without running its own candidates. Groups for workers, businesses, farmers, teachers or retirees may meet with lawmakers (lobbying), run ads, or tell members how to vote.
The President is chosen through the Electoral College. Each state gets one elector for each House member plus two for its senators. Washington, D.C. gets 3 under the 23rd Amendment. There are 538 electors, and a candidate needs 270 to win. Most states give all their electors to whoever wins the state's popular vote. Maine and Nebraska can split theirs.
Worked numbers: a state with 9 House members has 9 + 2 = 11 electoral votes.
Public policy: a plan to solve a public problem
Public policy is what a government decides to do about a public problem. It can be a law, a rule, a budget choice or a program.
Most policies follow the same path: notice a problem, put it on the agenda, suggest options, adopt one by a vote or a rule, carry it out, and check whether it worked.
Example (made up for this lesson): a county counts 14 crashes in one year at a busy crossing. The county board debates it and votes to pay for a traffic light. The roads department puts the light in. The next year, the county counts crashes again to see if the light helped. Counting again is the evaluation step.
Congress often passes a broad law, and an executive agency writes the detailed rules, called regulations, that carry it out.
Where this comes from
GED Testing Service's Assessment Guide for Educators: Social Studies lists these content topics. CG.c covers the structure and design of the U.S. government, including branches, offices, federal and state powers and the amendment process. CG.e covers political parties, interest groups, campaigns and elections. CG.f covers public policy. The guide says about 50 percent of the test is civics and government. We checked the guide, USAGov's branches page, House.gov's legislative-process page and the National Archives' Electoral College page on October 28, 2026.
The explanations, the county example and the questions are original FinishHigh practice, not GED® test questions. GED® is a registered trademark of the American Council on Education. FinishHigh is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by it. This lesson teaches a few skills. It is not a full course or an official readiness result.
Next, try the questions below. If you want more practice reading the founding documents themselves, open the lesson "Read a founding document or landmark Supreme Court case."
Your turn.
Try each question before opening the explanation. These are FinishHigh practice examples, not GED® test questions.
A bill passes the House 230 to 205. In the Senate the vote is 48 yes and 52 no. Is the bill now a law?
Show the answer and why
No. A bill must pass both chambers. In the Senate, 48 yes is less than 52 no, so the bill failed there. It never goes to the President.
The President vetoes a bill. Every member votes. The House votes 300 to 135 to override, and the Senate votes 64 to 36. Does the bill become law?
Show the answer and why
No. The House needs two thirds of 435: 435 × 2 ÷ 3 = 290. Since 300 is at least 290, the House passes the override. The Senate needs two thirds of 100, which is 66.67, so it needs 67 votes. Since 64 is less than 67, the Senate fails. Both chambers must override, so the veto stands.
A state wants to print its own paper money for people to spend in stores. Which level of government has this power?
Show the answer and why
Only the national government. Printing and coining money is a national power. The Constitution does not let states coin money. A common currency works across state lines.
A state has 14 members in the House of Representatives. How many electoral votes does it have?
Show the answer and why
16. Add one elector for each House member and two for the senators: 14 + 2 = 16.
A nurses' association runs ads asking Congress to pay for more hospital staff. It does not run its own candidates. Is it a political party or an interest group?
Show the answer and why
An interest group. It tries to change policy by lobbying and ads, not by running candidates for office. A political party runs candidates to win elections.
Congress proposed an amendment with a two-thirds vote in both chambers. So far 36 states have ratified it. How many more states are needed?
Show the answer and why
2 more. Three fourths of 50 is 37.5, which rounds up to 38 states. Then 38 − 36 = 2.
Trusted sources and further study
Sources guide the topics and factual information. The lesson wording, examples, and questions are original FinishHigh material.
- Social studies: GED Testing Service assessment targets for educators ↗GED Testing Service · checked 2026-10-20
- USAGov: branches of the U.S. government ↗USAGov (U.S. General Services Administration) · checked 2026-10-28
- House.gov: how laws are made ↗U.S. House of Representatives · checked 2026-10-28
- National Archives: what is the Electoral College? ↗National Archives and Records Administration · checked 2026-10-28
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