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What is the purpose of the preamble?
to state the broad purposes the constitution is intended to serve.
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What is the age qualification for the House of Representatives?
25 yrs old
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How long is a term in the House?
2 yrs
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Who is my representative in the House?
Mike Quigley
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What is the highest office in the House?
The Speaker of the House
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Who at present is the Speaker of the House?
Nancy Pelosi
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What is the age qualification for the senate?
30 yrs old
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How long is the term for Senate?
6 yrs
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What is the highest office in the senate? Who holds it? What is their only power?
President of the senate, VP of the US (Joe Biden), may vote to break a tie
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Who are my senators?
Dick Durbin and Roland Burris
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What is the formula for election day?
The tuesday after the first monday in november of every even numbered year
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In most cases, how does a bill become a law?
The bill must be passed by majority vote in the senate and the house. It then goes to the president, who will sign it.
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Explain the usual check in the process of a bill becoming a law.
The president can veto the bill.
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What does "overriding the veto" mean? Is this another check?
A presidential veto may be overridden by a 2/3 in each house. It is a check on the executive branch (president).
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Name five powers of congress.
- coin money
- regulate both foreign and interstate trade
- provide for and regulate the transportation and delivery of mail
- provide for and maintain the nation's armed forces
- tax
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Explain the elastic clause.
It is the constitutional basis for the many and far-reaching implied powers of the Federal government. It is very vague. they didn't know what kinds of problems would come up. The EC can give powers.
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What is the age and birth requirements for the president and VP?
35 years old, born a citizen of the US
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How long is a presidential term?
4 years
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In the original document, was there any limit on terms? Same today?
not in the original, today 2 term limit
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What is the presidential order of succession?
President, VP, speaker of the house, president pro tempore
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Explain these presidential powers:
commander in chief
granting pardons
- he is in charge of the nation's armed forces, can send troops anywhere
- He can grant pardons only to federal cases, "forgive" crimes
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Name some presidential appointments. Are they checked?
The president appoints the cabinet members and all federal judges. Yes, the senate has to approve (confirm)
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What must the president do yearly?
Must deliver a state of the union message to congress
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What is the meaning of impeach?
To charge a public official with wrongdoing in office
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Which branches can be impeached?
executive and judicial
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Describe the check and balance process if a president were impeached. What can a president be impeached for?
- the House impeaches, the senate tries, and the Chief Justice of US is judge. 2/3 vote of senate for guilt.
- high crimes, misdemeanors, obstruction of justice, bribery, perjury, lying to a grand jury, treason
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Article 3 establishes the federal court system. What type of cases do federal courts hear?
bribing a public official, counterfeiting money, mail fraud, kidnapping, illegal immigration, controversies between 2 or more states
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what is the highest federal court?
the US supreme court
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Who is the current Chief Justice?
John Roberts
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how long is the term of a federal judge? how do they get this job?
life term; appointed by president
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what is treason?
crime against one's own country by providing comfort and aid to enemy
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(article 4) give an example of public acts and records
each state must recognize the validity of laws, public records and court decisions of every other state: drivers licenses, marriage
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is there such a thing as state citizenship?
no
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explain the extradition process
the process of returning a fugitive to another state. governor may refuse to extradite a prisoner, courts can compel governor to do it.
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explain the usual amending process (article five)
amendment proposed by 2/3 vote in each house in congress, ratified by 3/4 of state legislature
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in article 6, what does the supremacy clause mean?
US constitution is highest, federal laws are more supreme than state laws.
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article 7 concerns ratification. what is the number needed to ratify?
9 of 13
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what are the 5 freedoms of the 1st amendment?
press, religion, assembly, petitions, speech (PRAPS)
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what did amendment 2 say?
people have the right to bear arms
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what are the magic words needed for a search warrant? Which amendment is this in?
probable cause, 4th amendment
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what rights are referred to as the Miranda rights?
the rights read when you are arrested- right to remain silent, attorney,
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amendments 5 and 6 are considered the rights of the accused. what are some of the rights mentioned?
- protection against self incrimination
- right to be tried in court without undue delay and by an impartial jury
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explain double jeopardy
no one will be tried twice for the same crime.
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explain eminent domain (5th amendment)
- right to own property
- private property cannot be taken without just cause. the owner must be compensated
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IL has a moratorium on the death penalty. What does this mean and why do we have it?
temporary ban on the death penalty. because innocent people were in prison
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explain amendent 13 and 15
- 13- forbids slavery in US
- 15- any male citizen of US can vote, regardless of race, color and servitude
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explain amendments 17 and 19
- 17-senators are elected by voters in each state
- 19-women's suffrage
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why is the 20th amendment the lame duck amendment?
shortens the period of time from election day to inauguration day when the person in office is a "lame duck"
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when is inauguration day?
january 20
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explain amendment 22
no president may serve more than 2 terms
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according to amendment 25, what would happen if a president were unable to fulfill his duties?
VP would take over with the signing of a document to transfer the powers,only in death, resignation or removal
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what happens if there is a vacancy in the VP?
president nominated new VP, 2/3 vote in congress
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explain amendment 26
the minimum voting age for any US election is 18. vietnam war helped pass this because peolpe that young were being drafted.
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