2008 civics test · Question 31 · System of Government
If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
Official answer
- the Speaker of the House
What this means
If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, the Speaker of the House of Representatives becomes President.
The order of succession is set by law. First the vice president steps up. If the vice president also cannot serve, the next in line is the Speaker of the House, the leader chosen by the members of the House of Representatives.
Be careful not to mix this up with the more common question, which asks who takes over if only the president cannot serve. That answer is the vice president. Here, with both gone, the answer is the Speaker of the House.
Why this is on the test
This 2008 question goes one step past the usual succession question, asking who is next in line after both the president and vice president.
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.
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
- 18 How many U.S. Senators are there?