Name one thing the U.S. Constitution does.

On the 2008 test

The 2008 test asks this as Question 2: “What does the Constitution do?”

Answers listed for the 2008 question (3), next to the 4 above. Compare them before you study from an older list.

• sets up the government
• defines the government
• protects basic rights of Americans

Background

The Constitution creates the structure of the national government, defines how it works, and guarantees basic rights to the people. The Constitution both builds the government and limits it by protecting individual rights.

From this site's page for 2008 Question 2.

The 65/20 special consideration

Question 3 is not one of the 20 asterisked questions, so an applicant who qualifies for the 65/20 special consideration would not be asked it. Everyone else studies all 128.

Answers that get mixed up with this one

These are the wrong options the 2025 practice test puts beside this question. Each one is the correct answer to a different 2025 question.

• Amendmentsanswers Question 5: How are changes made to the U.S. Constitution?
• Capitalismanswers Question 12: What is the economic system of the United States?
• Senate and House (of Representatives)answers Question 19: What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?

More Principles of American Government questions

• Question 1: What is the form of government of the United States?Republic · Constitution-based federal republic · Representative democracy
• Question 2: What is the supreme law of the land?(U.S.) Constitution
• Question 4: The U.S. Constitution starts with the words “We the People.” What does “We the People” mean?Self-government · Popular sovereignty · Consent of the governed · People should govern themselves · (Example of) social contract
• Question 5: How are changes made to the U.S. Constitution?Amendments · The amendment process
• Question 6: What does the Bill of Rights protect?(The basic) rights of Americans · (The basic) rights of people living in the United States