1 Flashcards
What is the supreme law of the land?
The constitution
What does the constitution do?
Set up the government
define the government
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
What is an amendment?
A change to the constitution
What do we call the first 10 amendments to the constitution?
The bill of rights
What is one right or freedom from the first amendment?
Speech
How many amendments does the constitution have?
27
What did the declaration of independence do?
Announced our independence from Great Britain
What are two rights in the declaration of independence?
Life
liberty
What is freedom of religion?
You can practice any religion or not practice a religion
What is the economic system in the United States?
Capitalist economy
market economy
What is the rule of law?
No one is above the law
Everyone must follow the law
Leaders must obey the law
Government must obey the law
Name one branch or part of the government
President
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
Legislature
What are the two parts of the US Congress?
The senate and house
How many US senators are there?
100
We elect a US senator for how many years?
Six
Who is one of your states US senators now?
Alex Padilla
The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
435
We elect a US representative for how many years?
Two
Name your US representative
Eric swalwell
Who does a US senator represent?
All people of the state
Why do some states have more representatives than other states?
Because they have more people
We elect a president for how many years?
Four
In what month do we vote for president?
November
What is the name of the President of the United States now?
Joe Biden
What is the name of the vice president of the United States now?
Kamala Harris
If the president can no longer serve who becomes president?
The 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 presidents cabinet do?
Advises the president
What are two Cabinet level positions?
Secretary of state
Vice president
What does the judicial branch do?
Reviews laws
Explains laws
Resolves disputes
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
Who is the chief justice of the United States now?
John Roberts
Under our constitution some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?
To print money
Under our constitution some powers belong to the states what is one power of the states?
Give a drivers license
Who is the governor of your state now?
Gavin Newsom
What is the capital of your state?
Sacramento
What are the two major political parties in the United States?
Democratic and republican
What is a political party of the president now?
Democratic party
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 18 and older can vote
What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizen?
Serve on a jury
Name one right only for United States citizens
Vote in a federal election
What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?
Freedom of speech
freedom of religion
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?
Obey the laws of the United States
How old is citizens have to be to vote for president?
18 and older
What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?
Vote
Run for office
When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?
April 15
When must all men register for the selective service
At age 18
Between 18 and 26
What is one reason colonists came to America
Freedom
Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
Native Americans
What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
People from Africa
Why did the colonists fight the British?
Because of high taxes
Because the British army stayed in their houses
Because they didn’t have self government
Who wrote the declaration of independence
Thomas Jefferson
When was the declaration of independence adopted?
July 4, 1776
They were 13 original states name three
New York
North Carolina
South Carolina
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 passages of the US Constitution name one of the writers
Alexander Hamilton
What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
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?
Louisiana
Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s
The war of 1812
Name the US war between the north and the south
The Civil War
Name one problem that led to the Civil War
Slavery
What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?
Freed the slaves
What did the emancipation proclamation do?
Freed the slaves
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
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 concerns 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?
Terrorist attack the United States
Name one American Indian tribe in the United States
Chippewa
Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States
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 US territory
Guam
Name one state that borders Canada
Washington
Name one state that borders Mexico
California
What is the capital of the United States?
Washington DC
Where is the Statue of Liberty
New York harbor
Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
Because there were 13 original colonies
Why does the flag have 50 stars?
Because there are 50 states
What is the name of the national anthem?
The Star-Spangled Banner
When do we celebrate Independence Day
July 4
Name two national US holidays
Thanksgiving
Christmas
