Civics question 41 of 128
Name one power of the president.
6 accepted answers
- Signs bills into law
- Vetoes bills
- Enforces laws
- Commander in Chief (of the military)
- Chief diplomat
- Appoints federal judges
You only need to give one of these. The officer accepts any of them.
Source: official USCIS question list for the 2025 version of the civics test. This site is independent and not affiliated with USCIS.
Background
Any one of these answers: signs bills into law, vetoes bills, enforces laws, commander in chief of the military, chief diplomat, or appoints federal judges. Article II is short compared with the article on Congress, and much of the modern presidency has grown out of practice rather than text. Several of the listed powers are shared. A veto can be overridden by two thirds of both chambers, treaties need Senate approval by two thirds, and judicial and cabinet nominations need a Senate majority. Enforcement is the broadest power in daily terms, since executive agencies write the detailed rules that carry statutes into effect. What a president cannot do is make law directly. Executive orders direct the executive branch itself, and the next administration or a court can undo them.
This background section is written by US Citizenship Test Practice to explain the civics fact. It is not part of the USCIS question list, and the official answer above is the one to give at the interview.
Where this question sits
It is part of System of Government, inside the American Government section of the test.