History

202 Politics Trivia Questions That Will Put You In Power

People have always needed to have a way to make big decisions, and politics is how our governments do it. Politics shape every aspect of our daily lives. From switching political parties to drawing cartoons about major political events, politics is a large part of any citizen’s life. 

The political scale of our world is huge, and so is the amount of information we can access. Because of the internet and social media, everyone can be in the room where it happens. Have you been keeping up? Then throw your hat in the ring and compete against your friends with these politics trivia questions and answers.

Interested in more quizzes? Check out our presidential quiz, our history quiz, and our Kings & Queens trivia quiz. If that’s still not enough for your brain, our general trivia quiz will see how far your knowledge extends.

Eunice Shriver, who died in 2009, was a member of which famous family?

Kennedy

Devonshire

Redgrave

Freud

In the late 20th century, Steve Wozniak was a key figure in the development of what?

Drugs for HIV

Computers

Nuclear power

Christian Scientists

Mark Lester, the child star of the musical film ‘Oliver!’ is godfather to the children of which of these stars?

Liam Gallagher

Elvis Presley

John Lennon

Michael Jackson

Los Angeles stands on the edge of what desert?

Mojave

Sonoran

Painted

Black Rock

Lewis Ernest Watts became famous under which name?

Laurence Harvey

Laurence Oliver

John Mills

Michael Caine

In which decade did oil tycoon and playboy Howard Hughes die?

1980s

1970s

1990s

1960s

In what capacity did Barry Davies and John Motson become household names?

Sculptors

Football commentators

Politicians

Classical violinists

Jonathan Ross hit the headlines amidst much controversy in 2008. Which of these did he begin presenting in 1997?

Newsnight

Songs of Praise

Crimewatch

The Film Programme

Joanne Woodward married which fellow actor?

Robert Redford

Ryan O’Neal

Paul Newman

Steve McQueen

How many sons does the Queen have?

3

1

2

4

Margarita Carmen Casino became famous as who?

Jane Mansfield

Rita Hayworth

Barbara Stanwyck

Jane Russell

Lucus Dominitus Ahenobarbus was better known as who?

Archimedes

Nero

Plato

Socrates

How old was Eva Peron when she died in 1952?

23

53

33

43

Oranjestad is the capital of which Caribbean island?

Aruba

Curacao

Grenada

Barbuda

Old Rowley’ was a nickname for which king?

Edward VII

Henry VII

George I

Charles II

In which year did/does comedian Billy Connolly turn 60?

1997

2007

2002

2012

In the row over MPs expenses, who had claimed over ÂŁ6000 to pay for his brother’s cleaner?

Ed Balls

Alistair Darling

Peter Mandelson

Gordon Brown

In which country is Rimini?

France

Greece

Italy

Spain

In legend, werewolves can only be killed by bullets made of what metal?

Iron

Silver

Copper

Gold

In the USA what is the equivalent of the Bank of England?

Federal Reserve

Fort Knox

First National Bank

Bank of America

In which country was former Man From UNCLE star David McCallum born?

USA

Scotland

England

Russia

In 2010, Nigel Farage was re-elected as leader of which political party?

Green Party

SNP

Plaid Cymru

UKIP

Listen carefully. What was permitted by the Supreme Court in Olmstead v. United States?

Fingerprinting

Abortion

Wiretapping

Affirmative action programs

London Zoo is in which park?

St. James’ Park

Regent’s Park

Green Park

Hyde Park

In what seaside resort was the first Butlins Holiday Camp opened?

Bournemouth

Camber Sands

Skegness

Llandudno

Which real-life person was the subject of T.S.Eliot’s play ‘Murder in the Cathedral’?

Thomas Becket

Thomas Hardy

Thomas More

Thomas Aquinas

How did outlaw and bank robber Ned Kelly die?

Hanged

Poisoned

Natural causes

Shot

In which country was actor Patrick McGoohan born?

Scotland

Ireland

England

USA

Jerry Springer was once the Mayor of which city?

Minneapolis

Pittsburgh

Philadelphia

Cincinatti

Lord Lucan disappeared in what decade?

1960’s

1970’s

1980’s

1990’s

In which capacity did Glenn Miller make his name in the 20th century?

Big band leader

Operatic tenor

Cricketer

Medical pioneer

In UK political history, what was Ramsey MacDonald the first example of a Labour what?

MP

Life peer

Cabinet Minister

Prime Minister

In which year did J. Edgar Hoover become director of the FBI?

1934

1924

1920

1928

Catherine of Valois was the wife of which King of England?

Richard I

William II

Edward III

Henry V

Karl Lagerfeld is a big name in which field?

Golf

Technology

Magic

Fashion

How did the Boulting brothers find fame in the 20th century?

Tailors

Cricketers

Clowns

Film producers

In which decade was the double act Laurel and Hardy formed?

1930s

1920s

1910s

1940s

In 1960, who married Antony Armstrong-Jones?

Twiggy

Audrey Hepburn

Lulu

Princess Margaret

In March 2009, daredevil Brazilian Pedro Olivia set a record by plunging 35m over the Salto Belo falls in what?

Kayak

Barrel

Gorilla suit

Bikini

In the 80s, which ‘bug’ caused Edwina Currie’s political career to be put on hold?

Salmonella

German measles

Campylobacter

Botulism

In the 80s, how many months were there between the London Stock Exchange’s ‘Big Bang’ and ‘Black Monday’?

6

3

12

24

In which year did Einstein propose his Special Theory of Relativity?

1912

1908

1905

1903

Who was the official Labour candidate in the 2000 London mayoral election?

Peter Hain

Ken Livingstone

Diane Abbott

Frank Dobson

In which year were both hostages John McCarthy and Terry Waite released?

1989

1987

1993

1991

Jonny Lee Miller was the first husband of which actress?

Angelina Jolie

Gwyneth Paltrow

Michelle Pfeiffer

Nicole Kidman

Apparatchik’, meaning loyal political party member, is from what language?

Spanish

Mandarin

Greek

Russian

In what year was the Berlin Wall built?

1965

1961

1963

1967

In which country was Dr.Barnardo, founder of the children’s homes, born?

France

Spain

Italy

Ireland

In what year did Tony Blair become Labour Party leader?

1993

1996

1995

1994

In 2009, who announced he was quitting his Radio 2 Breakfast slot?

Chris Evans

Terry Wogan

Dave Lee Travis

Noel Edmonds

In which US city was Martin Luther King assassinated?

Atlanta

New Orleans

Detroit

Memphis

David Bryant won the first world championship in which sport?

Dominoes

Snooker

Cribbage

Bowls

In what year did Margaret Thatcher become leader of the Conservative Party?

1975

1976

1974

1977

David I became king of which country in 1124?

Scotland

England

Ireland

Wales

In what year did Elizabeth I ascend to the throne?

1552

1554

1558

1556

In which century were the present Houses of Parliament built?

16th

18th

17th

19th

Chatsworth House in Derbyshire is the stately home of which duke?

Norfolk

Bedford

Westminster

Devonshire

In which year did Chad Varah found The Samaritans?

1953

1961

1969

1977

In which decade was the Who frontman Roger Daltrey born?

1950s

1920s

1930s

1940s

Jason and the Argonauts set out to get the Golden Fleece from which land?

Sparta

Colchis

Troy

Thessaly

An 1864 Act made it illegal for who to climb chimneys?

Slaves

Women

Children

Pensioners

Terry Waite was whose special envoy in the 1980s?

Prince Charles

Bob Geldof

Archbishop of Canterbury

Margaret Thatcher

Kinder Scout is the highest point in which National Park?

Peak District

Brecon Beacons

South Downs

Exmoor

Which Roman god was married to the goddess Juno?

Mars

Jupiter

Saturn

Neptune

Macbeth was King of Scotland during which century?

13th

14th

11th

12th

In which field did Buzz Aldrin become famous in the 20th century?

Cricket

Radio broadcasting

Space travel

Classical music

In which field did William Gladstone become famous?

Music

Sculpture

Politics

Literature

In which country is the port of Gdansk?

Germany

Belarus

Poland

Romania

In the world of music, how is Artist Leon Ivey Jr better known?

Dizzee Rascal

50 Cents

Jay-Z

Coolio

An ‘escalade’ was an attack on a castle using what?

Catapults

Ladders

Crossbows

Horses

In which country was Uri Geller born?

Egypt

Turkey

Spain

Israel

Paddy Ashdown was once a member of which elite military unit?

Navy SEALs

Special Air Service

Foreign Legion

Special Boat Service

In what city was Abraham Lincoln assassinated?

San Francisco

Washington DC

New York

Philadelphia

In what capacity was Gary Gilmore famous in the 1970s?

Film director

US Vice President

Executed convict

Ice hockey star

In 1809, Cabinet members George Canning and Lord Castlereagh did what?

Climbed Everest

Fought a duel

Swapped wives

Swam the Thames

In which African country is the city of Timbuktu?

Senegal

Mali

Tunisia

Algeria

Double, double, toil and trouble” is a line from which Shakespeare play?’

Hamlet

Love’s Labour’s Lost

Macbeth

Twelfth Night

In what year did the Eiffel Tower open?

1889

1839

1909

1859

In what capacity did Italian Tito Gobi achieve fame in the 20th century?

Fashion designer

Singing

Footballer

Politician

In which year did Sid Vicious, John Wayne and Richard Beckinsale all die?

1974

1984

1979

1989

In which decade was boxer Muhammad Ali born?

1940s

1930s

1920s

1950s

Diana, Princess of Wales, was born in what year?

1961

1959

1969

1965

In the 70s, who was known as ‘Stewpot’?

Stuart Hall

Ed Stewart

Jackie Stewart

Rod Stewart

In what year was Hong Kong given back to China?

2007

1997

1987

1977

In which French city was Joan of Arc burned at the stake?

Rouen

Rheims

Lyon

Nimes

In which city was Salmon Rushdie born?

Bombay

Miami

Tehran

Glasgow

In Greek mythology, which Trojan hero killed Achilles?

Troilus

Paris

Deiphobus

Hector

It is claimed that eating mince pies on Christmas Day was banned by who?

Richard III

Mary I

Thomas Becket

Oliver Cromwell

In which Scottish region is the village of Gretna Green?

Dumfries & Galloway

Scottish Borders

Midlothian

South Lanarkshire

In 1902 Mary Anderson invented which motoring item?

Brake Lights

Windscreen Wipers

Vanity Mirror

Headlights

La Gomera is in which island group?

Canary Islands

Galapagos

Azores

Balearic

Madonna and Guy Ritchie got married in which castle?

Skibo

Warwick

Leeds

Windsor

In which US state is Miami?

Florida

California

Louisiana

Texas

In Ancient Rome, a tepidarium was a room in what kind of building?

Bath house

Temple

Barrack

Theatre

In which country was actress Kate Winslet born?

Northern Ireland

Scotland

England

Wales

Which politician often has his name prefixed with ‘scarecrow-haired, Liverpool-upsetting’?

Nick Clegg

Boris Johnson

David Cameron

Iain Duncan Smith

In which field did Blossom Dearie, who died in 2009, make her mark?

Fashion

Athletics

Photography

Jazz

In which Spanish town is there a famous annual bull run?

Pamplona

Zaragoza

Bilbao

Marbella

Knickerbockers were named after a pseudonym of which American writer?

Henry Longfellow

Mark Twain

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Washington Irving

How did the Nazi’s ‘Doctor Death’, Josef Mengele, die?

Brain cancer

Committed suicide

Swimming accident

Murdered

John O’Groats is named after the man who obtained the license to run a ferry to Orkney. What nationality was he?

English

French

Dutch

German

Which US tabloid newspaper gave the world the infamous ‘Bat Boy’?

The National Enquirer

The Sun

Weekly World News

The Globe

In which European country is Il Mondo one of the main national daily newspapers?

France

Italy

Germany

Spain

In the 2012 presidential election, which French President was defeated?

Manuel Valls

Nicolas Sarkozy

Francois Hollande

Alain Juppe

In which section of the newspaper are you most likely to read stories about Chris Couch?

Fashion

Sport

Politics

Film

Melissa Theuriau had fan videos posted of her on YouTube and was then voted ‘TV’s Sexiest News Anchor’ in which magazine?

Maxim

Men’s Health

Esquire

GQ

Barack Obama was defeated by who in the 2008 U.S. presidential election?

Bill Clinton

Jimmy Carter

John McCain

Gerald Ford

The first drug was released in October 2015 that slowed the decline of…?

Aids

TB

MS

Cancer

Peter Robinson announced in November 2015 he would step down as First Minister of where?

Spain

France

Turkey

Northern Ireland

Who said in 2013 ‘when you are subverting the power of government, that’s a fundamentally dangerous thing to democracy’?

Chelsea Manning

Glenn Greenwald

Julian Assange

Edward Snowden

What is the surname of the former U.S. Presidential candidate who has the first name Mitt …

… Obama

… Kennedy

… Romney

… Blair

Who was elected leader of the UK in 2010?

Ed Balls

Gordon Brown

Tony Blair

David Cameron

As of 2010, what is the largest business newspaper in the US by circulation?

Wall Street Journal

People Magazine

NY Post

Time

The US signed a groundbreaking environmental accord with which nation in November 2015?

Cuba

China

South Korea

Russia

Since 2009, which group of political activists have been attempting to influence U.S. politics?

New Party

Tea Party

Independence Party

Free Party

What is Franklin D. Roosevelt’s middle name?

Dwayne

Derrick

David

Dwight

The French presidential election was won by who in 2012?

Francois Hollande

Manuel Valls

François Mitterrand

Emmanuel Macron

A.C. Milan was once owned by which of these politicans?

Silvio Berlusconi

Matteo Salvini

Matteo Renzi

Luca Zaia

The ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech was delivered by which politician?

Tony Blair

Gordon Brown

Tony Benn

Enoch Powell

Which show did the Canadian-American journalist Peter Jennings anchor between 1983 and 2005?

ABC’s World News

The Late Show

American Idol

Saturday Night Live

Which nation claimed Russian Caspian missiles fell there in October 2015?

UK

USA

Turkey

Iran

Who said in 2013 ‘who am I to judge?’ when talking about gay priests?

Barack Obama

Pope Francis

Vladimir Putin

Silvio Berlusconi

Barack Obama defeated who in the 2012 U.S. presidential election?

John McCain

Paul Ryan

Mitt Romney

Jeb Bush

The Dallas Morning News is published in which state?

Arkansas

Oklahoma

Texas

Florida

Hillary Clinton was replaced as U.S. Secretary of State by who when she retired in 2013?

Hillary Clinton

Al Gore

John McCain

John Kerry

Which of the following countries is NOT a democracy?

New Zealand

North Korea

United States

Canada

Who did Vladimir Putin work for before becoming a politician?

Stasi

NKVD

GPU

KGB

Which of these newspapers only comes out on a Sunday?

Sun

Guardian

Independent

News of the World

Which country was Juan Peron the President of?

Argentina

Costa Rica

Chile

Venezuela

Which sports brand were amongst companies to ditch Donald Trump in July 2015?

NHL

MLS

NASCAR

NFL

Who ran against Mitt Romney in the 2012 U.S. presidential election?

Joe Biden

Rand Paul

Paul Ryan

Mitt Romney

Starting with the earliest, put these US newspapers in the order they were founded.

The New York Times

The Washington Post

The Wall Street Journal

USA Today

During the Cuban Missile Crisis, who was Soviet Premier?

Nikita Khrushchev

Mikhail Gorbachev

Joseph Stalin

Leonid Brezhnev

L’Equipe is a French daily newspaper covering mainly which subject?

Politics

Sport

International News

Local News

These inventions are separated by about a century each. Rank them chronologically.

Newspaper

VHS tapes

Telephone

Thermometer

Prime Minister’s are free to use Chequers, what is it?

A Pub

A Plane

Country Retreat

A Fishing Lake

In the German parliamentary election in 2013, who won a third straight election victory?

Michelle Obama

Oprah Winfrey

Angela Merkel

Hillary Clinton

How many trees does it take to make 1 ton of newspaper?

5

24

135

79

The online version of a newspaper published on which day is the 15th most popular site in Oz?

Sunday

Saturday

Thursday

Tuesday

UKIP, a new political party causing waves in England in 2014 is lead by who?

Nigel Farage

David Cameron

Ed Miliband

Nick Clegg

Who was the first female prime minister of Australia?

Julie Bishop

Tanya Plibersek

Julia Gillard

Quentin Bryce

Which band played a tearful final show in July 2015?

The Who

Velvet Underground

Grateful Dead

U2

The Irish political party Sinn Fein was founded by who?

Edward Heath

Arthur Griffith

Bill Clinton

Edward Woodward

What song did Barack Obama sing at a eulogy for Clementina Pinckney?

Amazing Grace

The Long and Winding Road

America the Beautiful

Poker Face

Which former President claimed in 2015 that there was ‘no hope’ for middle east peace?

Bush Sr

Clinton

Carter

Ford

Which product was given UNESCO world Heritage status in 2015?

Pears

Champagne

Raspberries

Whiskey

Which of these men was a political theorist?

Edmund Mug

Edmund Burke

Edmund Fool

Edmund Nogood

In which year did the British Government scrap the shilling (s) and pence (d) coins and divide the pound into units of ten, including half, one, two, five, ten and 50 pence denominations?

1971

1969

1965

1974

Which of these noteworthy people are you most likely to read about in the sport section of the newspaper?

Brian Bateman

Robert Peston

Alan Mulally

Wally Pfister

In the 2015 British General Election, which party won?

Labour

Conservative

Ukip

Liberal Democrats

The quote ‘I want every girl, every child, to be educated’ was said in 2013 by a native of which country?

Bangladesh

Sri Lanka

Pakistan

India

By 2012, what percentage of US newspapers are being recycled?

0.58

0.2

0.03

0.97

In October 2013 the U.S. government went into ‘shutdown’ because of which piece of Barack Obama’s legislation?

Healthcare

EU Referendum

The Cold War

Gulf War II

Vladimir Putin was succeeded by who as Russian President in 2008?

Joesph Stalin

Boris Yeltsin

Vladimir Lenin

Dmitry Medvedev

After the 2010 United Kingdom general election, which two parties formed a coalition government?

Green & UKIP

Conservatives & Liberal Democrats

Labour & UKIP

Conservatives & UKIP

Dimitry Medvedev was succeeded by who as Russian President in 2012?

Vladimir Putin

Petro Poroshenko

Viktor Yanukovych

Arseniy Yatsenyuk

Who was Bill Clinton’s vice-president?

Dick Cheney

Dan Quayle

Joe Biden

Al Gore

Which country was hit by Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013?

Philippines

Taiwan

Vietnam

Indonesia

In which state was there an explosion at a fertilizer plant in April 2013?

Arkansas

Oklahoma

New Mexico

Texas

The buck stops here’ is a phrase associated with which U.S. President?

Bill Clinton

Harry S. Truman

Abraham Lincoln

Jimmy Carter

The renowned ‘Blood and Iron’ speech was given by which politician?

Napoleon II

Wilhelm II

Giuseppe Garibaldi

Otto von Bismarck

How much was the jackpot worth, when The Mirror newspaper offered it’s first bingo game on the 21st of September 1981?

100000

5

30000

100

Which U.S. state was struck by a tornado in May 2013?

Arkansas

Missouri

Oklahoma

Kansas

Who ran against Barack Obama’s in both the 2008 & 2012 U.S. presidential elections?

Al Gore

John McCain

Joe Biden

Gerald Ford

In which city did an abandoned building collapse in June 2013?

Houston

Philadelphia

Chicago

Dallas

USA Today, launched in 1982, is which kind of publication?

Historical

News

Beauty Magazine

Scientific Journal

In what year did ‘Al Jazeera English’ first win a Concentra (Belgium): Breaking News Award?

2012

2010

2014

2008

Which U.S. President served first?

Ulysses S. Grant

Benjamin Harrison

Rutherford B. Hayes

Thomas Jefferson

Kermit, the famous explorer, was the son of which American president?

Thomas Jefferson

Theodore Roosevelt

Abraham Lincoln

Robert A. Taft

In the 2008 U.S. Democratic primary race who did Barack Obama defeat?

Ross Perot

Joe Biden

John Kerry

Hillary Clinton

Which country is Silvio Berlusconi the former Prime Minister of?

England

Scotland

Greece

Italy

Handmade is the name of the new handicraft store launched by whom in October 2015?

Amazon

Facebook

YouTube

Twitter

Spanish newspaper Marca dubbed Beckham what in 2004?

Mr Blobby

Forrest Gump

Goonie

Humpty Dumpty

Where did Morgan Tsvangirai become the Prime Minister of in 2009?

United Kingdom

Zimbabwe

Cuba

Chad

The Canadian Head of State is who?

The King of France

The Prime Minister

The President

The Queen of England

Gordon Brown, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, was born in which city?

Belfast

Glasgow

Edinburgh

Brighton

With which newspaper is the cartoonist ‘Giles’ chiefly associated?

Sun

Sunday Times

Sunday Express

Mirror

Which country entered recession for a third time in November 2015?

Wales

Japan

China

India

The New York State Department fined which bank for its conduct on foreign exchange in November 2015?

Barclays

Smith and Co

NatWest

HSBC

If you run a shop specializing in magazines, newspapers and other general items, what is your job?

Newsagent

Haberdasher

Therapist

Security guard

In 2002 which Spanish newspaper run a poll of Real Madrid legends that placed Michael Laudrup in 15th place?

Spain Today

The Sun

Marca

Real Times

Who ran against John McCain in the 2008 presidential election?

Barack Obama

Sarah Palin

Michele Bachmann

Ted Cruz

Jimmy Carter beame U.S. President in which decade?

2000s

1970s

1960s

1940s

Which country launched nuclear tests and threats of war in 2013?

Russia

North Korea

China

Iran

In what year was the Magna Carta, the foundation of English libery, signed?

1215

1747

1847

1647

Which BBC show did John Barnes appear on in 2011?

Hustle

Who Do You Think You Are?

A Question of Sport

Russell Howard’s Good News

Who succeeded North Korea’s Kim Jong-il in 2011?

His son

His sister in law

His Mum

His dad

Which country was placed under a state of emergency for 3 months in November 2015?

Spain

Russia

France

Turkey

In 1848 the London Daily News carried the world’s first what?

Crossword

Weather Forecast

Horoscope

Lonely Hearts Column

In what year did the Banana Wars start?

1890

1903

1898

1902

The first British Prime Minister is generally regarded as who?

George I

Charles Townshend

William Pulteney

Robert Walpole

If you were reading the newspaper ‘Le Figaro’ in which country would you be?

France

Italy

Portugal

Spain

When Barack Obama became U.S. President in 2009 how old was he?

47

19

49

26

Which country was involved in a civil war in 2013?

Iraq

Turkey

Lebanon

Syria

Shortly after the 2010 UK general election, which British Prime Minister resigned?

David Miliband

Gordon Brown

Ed Miliband

David Cameron

Which of these people is NOT somebody you’re likely to read about in the overseas section of the newspaper?

Hillary Clinton

Silvio Berlusconi

Richard Madeley

Nelson Mandela

Two freight trains collided in which state in May 2013?

Missouri

Maryland

Wisconsin

Tennessee

Which Canadian city was flooded in July 2013?

Calgary

Toronto

Ottawa

Montreal

Which hacking group declared war on ISIS in November 2015?

Anonymous

Invisible

Undetectable

Client

News Corp. has which ticker symbol?

NWA

NWS

NVR

NWL

When was the Al Jazeera Media Netowrk founded?

1992

1998

1994

1996

Which famous US news broadcaster died in July, 2009?

Andy Rooney

Walter Cronkite

Michael Tuck

John Beard

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