2025 civics test · Question 58 · System of Government

Name one power that is only for the federal government.

Any one of these answers is accepted

  • Print paper money
  • Mint coins
  • Declare war
  • Create an army
  • Make treaties
  • Set foreign policy

What this means

Certain powers belong to the federal (national) government, and naming one answers the question:

  • Print and coin money
  • Declare war
  • Create an army
  • Make treaties with other countries

These are jobs that make sense to handle for the whole country at once. A single national currency, one military, and one foreign policy would not work if each state did its own thing.

The 2008 test asks for one power of the federal government, and the 2025 test asks for a power that is only for the federal government. The answers overlap.

A simple answer works: “print money,” “declare war,” or “make treaties.”

Why this is on the test

The Constitution splits power between the national government and the states, and both tests ask you to name something the federal government does.

How this question is asked

On the 2025 civics test, the officer asks up to 20 of the 128 questions out loud and you pass by answering 12 correctly. You answer in your own words. There is no multiple choice and nothing to write down for the civics portion.

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