2008 civics test · Question 18 · System of Government
How many U.S. Senators are there?
Official answer
- one hundred (100)
What this means
There are 100 U.S. senators.
Every state gets exactly two senators, no matter how large or small its population. There are 50 states, so 50 × 2 = 100. Wyoming, with under 600,000 people, has the same two votes in the Senate as California, with nearly 40 million.
This was a deliberate compromise when the Constitution was written: the Senate gives every state equal weight, while the House of Representatives is based on population. Together they form the two chambers of Congress.
Answer: one hundred (100).
Why this is on the test
The number 100 comes from a rule written into the Constitution (two senators per state regardless of size), which is the point the question is really testing.
How this question is asked
On the 2008 civics test, the officer asks up to 10 of the 100 questions out loud and you pass by answering 6 correctly. You answer in your own words. There is no multiple choice and nothing to write down for the civics portion.
This question also appears on the 2025 civics test , as question 21.
Related questions
More from System of Government.
- 13 Name one branch or part of the government. ★ 65/20 question
- 14 What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
- 15 Who is in charge of the executive branch?
- 16 Who makes federal laws?
- 17 What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress? ★ 65/20 question
- 19 We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?