-
What is the supreme law of the land?
the Constitution
-
What does the Constitution do?
1) sets up the government
2) defines the government
3) protects basic rights of Americans
-
The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these
words?
“We the People,” the first three words of the preamble to the Constitution of the United States.
-
What is an amendment?
1) a change (to the Constitution)
2) an addition (to the Constitution)
-
What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
the Bill of Rights
-
What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?*
- speech
- religion
- assembly
- press
- petition the government
-
How many amendments does the Constitution have?
twenty-seven (27)
-
What did the Declaration of Independence do?
- 1) announced our independence (from Great Britain)
- 2) declared our independence (from Great Britain)
- 3) said that the United States is free (from Great Britain)
-
What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?
1) life
2) liberty
3) pursuit of happiness
-
What is freedom of religion?
You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion.
-
What is the economic system in the United States?
1) capitalist economy
2) market economy
-
What is the “rule of law”?
1) Everyone must follow the law.
2) Leaders must obey the law.
3) Government must obey the law.
4) No one is above the law.
-
Name one branch or part of the government.*
Congress
legislative
President
executive
the courts
judicial
-
What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
checks and balances
separation of powers
-
Who is in charge of the executive branch?
The President
-
Who makes federal laws?
Congress
Senate and House (of Representatives)
(U.S. or national) legislature
-
What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?*
the Senate and House (of Representatives)
-
How many U.S. Senators are there?
100
-
We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?
Six (6)
-
Who is one of your state’s U.S. Senators now?*
Scott Brown and John Kerry
-
The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
435
-
We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?
Two (2)
-
Name your U.S. Representative.
Marcos Devers
-
Who does a U.S. Senator represent?
All the people on his state
-
Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?
(because of) the state’s population
(because) they have more people
(because) some states have more people
-
We elect a President for how many years?
Four (4)
-
In what month do we vote for President?*
November
-
What is the name of the President of the United States now?*
Barack Obama
-
What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?
Joe Biden
-
If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
Vice President
-
If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
The Speaker of the House
-
Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?
The President
-
Who signs bills to become laws?
The President
-
Who vetoes bills?
The President
-
What does the President’s Cabinet do?
Advices the President
-
What are two Cabinet-level positions?
- Secretary of Agriculture
- Secretary of Commerce
- Secretary of Defense
- Secretary of Education
- Secretary of Energy
- Secretary of Health and
- Human Services
- Secretary of Homeland
- Security
- Secretary of Housing and
- Urban Development
- Secretary of the Interior
- Secretary of Labor
- Secretary of State
- Secretary of Transportation
- Secretary of the Treasury
- Secretary of Veterans
- Affairs
- Attorney General
- Vice President
-
What does the judicial branch do?
reviews laws
explains laws
resolves disputes (disagreements)
decides if a law goes against the Constitution
-
What is the highest court in the United States?
The Supreme Court
-
How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
Nine (9)
-
Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
John G. Roberts, Jr.
-
Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?
to print money
to declare war
to create an army
to make treaties
-
Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the
states?
provide schooling and education
provide protection (police)
provide safety (fire departments)
give a driver’s license
approve zoning and land use
-
Who is the Governor of your state now?
Deval Patrick
-
What is the capital of your state?*
Boston, MA
-
What are the two major political parties in the United States?*
Democratic and Republican
-
What is the political party of the President now?
Democratic
-
What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
(Nancy) Pelosi
-
There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
Citizens eighteen (18) and older (can vote).
You don’t have to pay (a poll tax) to vote.
Any citizen can vote. (Women and men can vote.)
A male citizen of any race (can vote).
-
What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?*
serve on a jury
vote in a federal election
-
Name one right only for United States citizens.
Vote on Federal Election
Run for Federal office
-
What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?
freedom of expression
freedom of speech
freedom of assembly
freedom to petition the government
freedom of worship
the right to bear arms
-
What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
the United States
the flag
-
What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
give up loyalty to other countries
defend the Constitution and laws of the United States
obey the laws of the United States
serve in the U.S. military (if needed)
serve (do important work for) the nation (if needed)
be loyal to the United States
-
How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?*
18
-
What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?
vote
join a political party
help with a campaign
join a civic group
join a community group
give an elected official your opinion on an issue
call Senators and Representatives
publicly support or oppose an issue or policy
run for office
write to a newspaper
-
When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?*
April 15th
-
When must all men register for the Selective Service?
at age eighteen (18)
between eighteen (18) and twenty-six (26)
-
What is one reason colonists came to America?
freedom
political liberty
religious freedom
economic opportunity
practice their religion
escape persecution
-
Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
Native Americans
American Indians
-
What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
Africans
-
Why did the colonists fight the British?
because of high taxes (taxation without representation)
because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering)
because they didn’t have self-government
-
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
-
When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
July 4th, 1776
-
There were 13 original states. Name three.
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and NH
-
What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
The Constitution was written.
The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution.
-
When was the Constitution written?
1787
-
The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
(James) Madison
(Alexander) Hamilton
(John) Jay Publius
-
What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
U.S. diplomat
oldest member of the Constitutional Convention
first Postmaster General of the United States
writer of “Poor Richard’s Almanac”
started the first free libraries
-
Who is the “Father of Our Country”?
George Washington
-
Who was the first President?*
George Washington
-
What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
the Louisiana Territory
Louisiana
-
Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
War of 1812
Mexican-American War
Civil War
Spanish-American War
-
Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.
The Civil War
-
Name one problem that led to the Civil War.
slavery
economic reasons
states’ rights
-
What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?*
freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation)
saved (or preserved) the Union
led the United States during the Civil War
-
What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
freed the slaves
freed slaves in the Confederacy
freed slaves in the Confederate states
freed slaves in most Southern states
-
What did Susan B. Anthony do?
fought for women’s rights
fought for civil rights
-
Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.*
World War I
World War II
Korean War
Vietnam War
(Persian) Gulf War
-
Who was President during World War I?
(Woodrow) Wilson
-
Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?
(Franklin) Roosevelt
-
Who did the United States fight in World War II?
Japan, Germany, and Italy
-
Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in?
World War II
-
During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?
Communism
-
What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
Civil Rights Movement
-
What did Martin Luther King,Jr. do?*
fought for civil rights
worked for equality for all Americans
-
What major event happened on September 11, 2001, in the United States?
Terrorists Attacked the United States of America
-
Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
Navajo, Sioux, Chippewa, Choctaw, Pueblo, Arawak, Shawnee, Mohegan, Huron, Oneida, Lakota, Apache, Iroquois, Creek, Blackfeet, Seminole, Cheyenne, Crow, Teton, Hopi, Inuit and Cherokee
-
Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.
Missouri (River)
Mississippi (River)
-
What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?
Pacific Ocean
-
What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
Atlantic Ocean
-
Name one U.S. territory.
Puerto Rico
U.S. Virgin Islands
American Samoa
Northern Mariana Islands
Guam
-
Name one state that borders Canada.
New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Alaska and Maine
-
Name one state that borders Mexico.
California
Arizona
New Mexico
Texas
-
What is the capital of the United States?*
Washington, DC
-
Where is the Statue of Liberty?*
New York (harbor)
Liberty Island
-
Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
1) because there were 13 original colonies
2) because the stripes represent the original colonies
-
Why does the flag have 50 stars?*
1) because there is one star for each state
2) because each star represents a state
3) because there are 50 states
-
What is the name of the national anthem?
The Star-Spangled Banner
-
When do we celebrate Independence Day?*
July 4th
-
Name two national U.S. holidays.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day
|
|
