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
YouTube
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
You can do better
Not bad
Great!