Trivia on Politics, Society, and Current Events

The 2000 U.S. presidential election was officially decided by a controversial Supreme Court decision following a recount of votes in what state?

Florida

Jacinda Ardern was the youngest prime minister of which Oceanic country?

New Zealand

What is the political and legal term for the act in which one jurisdiction delivers a person accused or convicted of committing a crime in another jurisdiction over to their law enforcement? A proposed change in this process sparked massive June 2019 protests in Hong Kong.

Extradition

At first count, over 60% of California voters rejected a September 2021 recall of what current governor?

Gavin Newsom

What term simply means government by the few, but is most often used to describe corrupt rule of a nation by a small and self-interested group?

Oligarchy

In 1917, Woodrow Wilson famously declared that "the world must be made safe for" what form of political system?

Democracy

In April 2019, who became the first African American woman to serve as Chicago's mayor?

Lori Lightfoot

Who is the current Senate majority leader?

Charles Schumer

Who is the current Senate minority leader?

Mitch McConnell

Who is the current Speaker of the House?

Kevin McCarthy

The No Child Left Behind Act was a U.S. Act of Congress that reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and was signed into law by what U.S. President?

George W. Bush

A 2016 referendum in Switzerland rejected what would have been a first-of-its-kind UBI program for Swiss citizens. What do the letters "UBI" stand for?

Universal Basic Income

Who is the current Prime Minister of Canada?

Justin Trudeau

NATO headquarters are a short bike ride from the Atomium statue in what Belgian city?

Brussels

What term refers to the current holder of a political office?

Incumbent

Which two presidential candidates squared off in the first ever televised US presidential debate in 1960?

Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy

Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison used the pen name "Publius" to publish what set of 85 essays in New York newspapers in 1787 and 1788?

The Federalist Papers

What "meaty" term is used to refer to the act when a politician appropriates government spending for localized projects? This is often considered a legal method for bringing money to a representative's district.

Pork barrel spending

What does U.S.S.R stand for?

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

What word signifies a legislative body that has two bodies or chambers?

Bicameral

What is the lower house of California's state legislature called?

California State Assembly

What are the names of the two houses of British Parliament?

The House of Commons and the House of Lords

Tunisia's Jasmine Revolution kicked off a wave of early-2011 Middle East protests now known as what?

Arab Spring

Which social system, common in Medieval Europe, is simply defined as a system in which people worked and fought for nobles who gave them protection and land in return?

Feudalism

A person running for office can benefit from a PAC. What does PAC stand for?

Political Action Committee

The 17th amendment to the U.S. Constitution enabled the direct election of what type of public official?

Senators

What does the fourth amendment protect US citizens against?

Unreasonable search and seizure (excessive surveillance by the government)

What are the five freedoms protected by the first amendment?

Freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition.

What type of democracy has a Prime Minister?

Parliamentary democracy

Nigel Farage is a British politician most often associated with what 2016 event that shocked the globe?

Brexit

What does NATO stand for?

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Who wrote "The Wealth of Nations," which is considered one of the foundational works of modern economics and argued for the benefits of free markets and the division of labor?

Adam Smith

What political system divides power between a central government and smaller regional governments, allowing each level of government to have some degree of autonomy and authority over their respective jurisdictions?

Federalism

In the United States, which amendment to the Constitution reserves powers not delegated to the federal government to the states or to the people?

10th Amendment

What is the capitol of the United States?

Washington D.C.

What are the three branches of government?

Legislative, Executive, Judicial

Which political party did Bernie Sanders run under during his presidential campaigns in 2016 and 2020?

Democratic party

Who was the American socialist leader who ran for President of the United States five times as the candidate of the Socialist Party of America?

Eugene V. Debs

What is the name of the political and economic union of 27 European countries that was established to promote peace, democracy, and economic prosperity?

The European Union

What is the island nation located off the coast of China that has its own government, economy, and international recognition, but is not recognized by the United Nations as a sovereign state?

Taiwan

Who was the Republican nominee for Vice President in the 2020 election?

Mike Pence

Which social media platform did Donald Trump frequently use during his presidency to communicate directly with the public?

Twitter

What country has the world's largest population?

China

Who was the longest-serving president of the United States?

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Name one country that borders Latvia

Russia, Estonia, Lithuania, Belarus

What is the name of the Duchesse of Sussex?

Meghan Markle

Which disability and women's rights activist was known for being the first blind and deaf person to write a book and earn a bachelor's degree?

Hellen Keller

For which U.S. state was Kamala Harris a senator before becoming Vice President?

California

Who is the youngest Nobel Peace Prize Laureate for her work on the education of women and children?

Malala Yousafzai

What spanish-speaking country has the largest population?

Mexico

What currency is used in India?

Rupee

Taipei is the capitol of which country?

Taiwan

What is the most spoken language in Asia?

Mandarin Chinese

What was the first European country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2003?

The Netherlands

What is the capital of Bulgaria?

Sofia

What is the capital of Kenya?

Nairobi

What is the capital of Peru?

Lima

What is the name of the Holy book of Islam?

Quran

What is the name of the Holy book in Judaism?

Torah

What country's flag is the only one in the world not to share any of the same colors as the United States' flag?

Jamaica

Patagonia is a region in South America that encompasses parts of which two countries?

Argentina and Chile

What is the term for the practice of establishing a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating district boundaries?

Gerrymandering

The Republican Party's common party abbreviation is "GOP." What does GOP stand for?

Grand Ol' Party

In economics, a resource or good that is not scarce is known as what?

A free resource

What is the economic term for financial gain made in transactions?

Profit

What empire was formed in 1299 and dissolved in 1923 following their defeat in World War I?

The Ottoman Empire

Which U.S. president had a physical disability?

Franklin Delano Roosevelt had polio and used a wheelchair

What are the two main political parties in America?

Democrats and Republicans

What are the two chambers of Congress called?

House of Representatives and Senate

What is the capital of Spain?

Madrid

What is the capital of Ukraine?

Kiev

Who is the "Father of Our Country"?

George Washington

Who was President for most of the 1980's?

Ronald Reagan

What is the capital of China?

Beijing

What language is spoken in the Netherlands?

Dutch

Which constitutional amendment guarantees freedom of religion?

1st Amendment