What is the "rule of law"?

Explanation

The rule of law means everyone - including leaders and the government itself - must follow the law.

Why it matters

It is the safeguard that keeps power in check: no person or office stands above the law.

The 65/20 special consideration

Question 12 is not in the 65/20 set. An applicant who is 65 or older and has been a lawful permanent resident for 20 years or more studies only the 20 marked questions, so this one would not be asked. Everyone else studies all 100.

Filter the full list by the 65/20 set →

Answers that get mixed up with this one

These are the wrong options the practice test puts beside this question. Each one is the correct answer to a different question, which is what makes it tempting.

• checks and balancesanswers Question 14: What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
• two (2)answers Question 22: We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?
• the Vice Presidentanswers Question 30: If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?

More Principles of American Democracy questions

Questions the officer draws from the same part of the test. Studying them together is what keeps their answers apart.

• Question 1: What is the supreme law of the land?the Constitution
• Question 2: What does the Constitution do?sets up the government · defines the government · protects basic rights of Americans
• Question 3: The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?We the People
• Question 4: What is an amendment?a change (to the Constitution) · an addition (to the Constitution)
• Question 5: What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?the Bill of Rights