GED Social Studies Practice Question
Okay, I promised you a practice question for the GED social studies test… and here’s one on the constitution, like I’ve been talking about…. Have you been listening to the news? Because the Supreme Court made an important decision, applying the Constitution to the prisoners the military is holding at Guantanamo.
Here’s the background… The Military Commissions Act of 2006, passed by Congress, gives the government the right to give military trials to people. Basically, the prisoners at Guantanamo, because they’re considered terrorists, are tried by the military instead of by regular courts, according to this law. In the case of Boumediene v Bush (that’s a prisoner at Guantanamo versus, or against, President Bush), the Supreme Court said that according to the law passed by Congress, they shouldn’t even listen to the case… but, that’s only if the law is constitutional, or legal based on the Constitution.
Based on a 5-to-4 vote, the Supreme Court said the law is unconstitutional. Now, the constitution says that anyone accused of a crime has a right to have a hearing, in court, to show that the government has enough evidence to arrest them. Sounds reasonable, right? BUT, the constitution suspends, or stops, this protection if it’s necessary to protect people during a “rebellion or invasion.” The Supreme Court ruled that these doesn’t apply to the prisoners at Guantanamo, and that the prisoners in Guantanamo need to be given the same right to a trial in court as everyone else.
Here’s your question…which of the following rights from the Bill of Rights does the Supreme Court decision give the prisoners at Guantanamo?
A. the 1st Amendment right to freedom of religion and to peaceably assemble
B. the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms
C. the 4th Amendment right to be protected against unreasonable searches
D. the 5th Amendment right to not be forced to incriminate yourself
E. the 5th Amendment right to due process
What do you think? Could you answer this question on the GED? See if you understand what the different Amendments say and if you can find the right answer. I’ll give you some time to think it through and explain the answer next time….
Good luck with the GED studying! And watch the news for more social studies!
For more information about the GED test and GED test preparation, visit The GED Academy at http://www.passged.com.
