GED (General Educational Development) Social Studies Syllabus

Social Studies syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Social Studies in GED (General Educational Development), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Social Studies Practices

   4 topics

   • Reading and Interpreting Primary and Secondary Sources
   • Analyzing Maps, Charts, and Political Cartoons
     • Reading data tables and graphs
     • Interpreting symbolism in cartoons
   • Identifying Point of View, Bias, and Purpose
   • Reasoning With Historical and Civic Evidence
2. 2

   Civics and Government

   4 topics

   • Foundations of U.S. Democracy
     • Declaration of Independence and Constitution
     • Federalism and separation of powers
   • Structure of the Federal Government
     • Legislative, executive, and judicial branches
     • Checks and balances
   • The Bill of Rights and Civil Liberties
   • Citizenship, Voting, and Political Participation
     • Elections and political parties
     • Rights and responsibilities of citizens
3. 3

   United States History

   5 topics

   • Colonization Through the American Revolution
   • Civil War, Reconstruction, and Slavery
   • Industrialization, Immigration, and Reform
   • The 20th Century: World Wars and the Great Depression
     • World War I and World War II
     • The New Deal
   • Civil Rights Movement and Modern America
4. 4

   Economics

   4 topics

   • Fundamental Economic Concepts
     • Scarcity, supply, and demand
     • Opportunity cost and incentives
   • Markets, Money, and Banking
     • Market and command economies
     • The role of money and credit
   • The U.S. Economy and Government Policy
     • Inflation, unemployment, and GDP
     • Fiscal and monetary policy
   • Personal Finance and Consumer Economics
5. 5

   Geography and the World

   4 topics

   • Human and Physical Geography
     • Reading and using maps
     • Climate, regions, and resources
   • Population, Migration, and Settlement
   • Interaction Between Humans and the Environment
   • Globalization and Interconnected Societies

Social Studies flashcards for GED (General Educational Development)

24 of 59 cards from the Social Studies deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is the difference between a primary source and a secondary source?

   A primary source is a firsthand, original record from the time (e.g., a letter, diary, speech, photo, or law). A secondary source analyzes or interprets primary sources after the fact (e.g., a textbook or scholarly article).

2. When reading a historical document, what does it mean to read 'in context'?

   Interpreting the source in light of the time, place, audience, and circumstances in which it was created, rather than judging it only by present-day standards.

3. On a map, what does the legend (key) tell you?

   It explains what the symbols, colors, lines, and shading on the map represent, so the reader can correctly interpret the map's information.

4. What is the purpose of a map's scale?

   It shows the relationship between distance on the map and actual distance on the ground (e.g., 1 inch = 100 miles), allowing real distances to be calculated.

5. What is a political cartoon and what techniques does it commonly use?

   A drawing that expresses an opinion on a political issue. Common techniques include symbolism, exaggeration/caricature, labeling, analogy, and irony to make a persuasive point.

6. What is the difference between point of view and bias in a source?

   Point of view is the author's particular perspective or position. Bias is a one-sided slant that unfairly favors or attacks something, often by omitting or distorting facts.

7. How can a reader identify an author's purpose in a text?

   By determining whether the author intends to inform, persuade, entertain, or explain—examining word choice, tone, and what response the author wants from the audience.

8. What is the difference between a fact and an opinion?

   A fact can be proven true or false with evidence; an opinion expresses a personal belief, judgment, or feeling that cannot be objectively proven.

9. In civic reasoning, what makes a piece of evidence relevant to a claim?

   Evidence is relevant when it directly supports or weakens the specific claim being made, rather than introducing unrelated information.

10. What is a logical fallacy, and give one common example.

    A flaw in reasoning that weakens an argument. Example: an ad hominem attacks the person making the argument instead of addressing the argument itself.

11. What is the core idea expressed in the phrase 'consent of the governed'?

    Government derives its legitimate authority and power from the agreement of the people it governs—a foundational principle of U.S. democracy from the Declaration of Independence.

12. What is popular sovereignty?

    The principle that ultimate political power rests with the people, who express their will through voting and elected representatives.

13. What is federalism in the U.S. system of government?

    The division of powers between a national (federal) government and state governments, with each level having its own authority.

14. What is the principle of separation of powers?

    The division of government into three branches—legislative, executive, and judicial—so that no single branch holds all power.

15. What is the purpose of checks and balances?

    To allow each branch of government to limit the powers of the other two, preventing any one branch from becoming too powerful (e.g., presidential veto, congressional override, judicial review).

16. Name the three branches of the U.S. federal government and their primary functions.

    Legislative (Congress) makes laws; Executive (President) enforces laws; Judicial (courts) interprets laws.

17. What are the two chambers of the U.S. Congress, and how is representation determined in each?

    The Senate has 2 members per state (100 total); the House of Representatives is based on each state's population (435 total).

18. What is judicial review, and which case established it?

    The power of courts to declare laws or executive actions unconstitutional. It was established by the Supreme Court in Marbury v. Madison (1803).

19. What is the Bill of Rights?

    The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantee fundamental individual rights and liberties.

20. What freedoms are protected by the First Amendment?

    Freedom of religion, speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the government.

21. What rights does the Fifth Amendment protect for the accused?

    Protection against self-incrimination, double jeopardy, and deprivation of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; it also requires just compensation for taken property.

22. What does the Fourth Amendment protect against?

    Unreasonable searches and seizures; it generally requires that warrants be based on probable cause.

23. What is the difference between a U.S. citizen by birth and by naturalization?

    A birthright citizen is born in the U.S. (or to U.S.-citizen parents); a naturalized citizen is a foreign-born person who legally becomes a citizen through an application process.

24. Which constitutional amendment guarantees that the right to vote cannot be denied based on race?

    The Fifteenth Amendment (1870).

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