Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Business Law Practice Exam

What illegal act involves having more than two spouses at the same time?

1. Polygamy

2. Monogamy

3. Bigamy

4. Divorce

The correct answer is: Polygamy

The correct answer is polygamy, which refers to the practice of having more than one spouse simultaneously. This act is illegal in many jurisdictions due to cultural, religious, and legal reasons. Polygamy specifically encompasses relationships where an individual is married to multiple people at the same time, which can take various forms depending on the cultural or legal context. Bigamy also refers to an illegal act of being married to two persons at the same time, but it is typically used to describe a situation where one person, usually in a legal marriage, attempts to marry another person without legally divorcing the first spouse. Therefore, while both terms describe multi-spousal relationships, polygamy is the more general term that includes bigamy as a subset. Monogamy, in contrast, refers to the practice of being married to one person at a time and is considered the legal norm in most societies. Divorce, while related to marital relationships, is the termination of a marriage and does not pertain to the act of having multiple spouses.