ALL Constitutional Challenge Cards Flashcards
1A. What are the “Basic Freedoms” listed in the 1st amendment?
Speech,Religion,assembly, press, petition (SRAPP)
2A.
The right to bear arms is a provision of what amendment?
2nd
3A.
Which amendment prohibits quartering soldiers during peacetime?
3rd
4A.
Which amendment protects you from having someone search your house at will without a warrant?
4th
5A.
Which amendment mentions “due process of law”?
5th
6A.
Which amendment says that you do not have to testify against yourself?
5th
7A.
What amendment and law requires a citizen to sell his property for public use?
5th - Eminent Domain
8A.
Which amendment provides for a speedy trial?
6th
9A.
Which amendment assures you a trial by jury in a civil case if you want?
7th
10A.
Which amendment prohibits cruel or unusual punishment?
8th
11A.
Which amendment says that rights not actually stated cannot be denied to individuals?
9th
12A.
Which amendment gave the power to the states if a power wasn’t given to the federal government?
10th
13A.
What amendment led to the issues that caused the Civil War?
10th
14A.
Which amendment?
Cases or lawsuits against the states (1795)
11th
15A.
Which amendment?
A new way to elect the President and Vice President (1804)
12th
16A.
What 3 amendments were direct results of the Civil War?
13th, 14th, and 15th
17A.
What did the 13th amendment do?
Prohibited slavery
18A.
Which amendment?
Citizens, fair treatment, Civil War debts (1868)
14th
19A.
Which amendment specifically protects the voting rights of minority groups?
15th
20A.
Which amendment provides for income tax?
16th
21A.
Which amendment brought about the popular election of senators?
17th
22A.
The 18th amendment did what?
Prohibition-made the sale of alcohol illegal
23A.
Which amendment gave women the right to vote?
19th
24A.
Which amendment said that the President and Vice President take office on Jan. 20th?
20th
25A.
What is the nickname for the 20th amendment?
Lame-duck amendment
26A.
Which amendment repealed prohibition?
21st
27A.
Which amendment limits the number of terms a president may serve?
22nd
28A.
Which amendment?
Residents of D.C. get electoral representation in presidential elections (1961)?
23rd
29A.
Which amendment?
No poll tax (1964)
24th
30A.
Which amendment provides for the succession to the presidency?
25th
31A.
Which amendment gave
18-year-olds the right to vote?
26th
32A.
Which amendment stops congressmen from giving themselves “instant” raises?
27th
33A.
This is the intentional telling of lies to harm a person’s reputation.
Slander
34A.
This is the writing of lies with the intent on damaging someone’s reputation.
Libel
35A.
How many articles does the U.S. Constitution have?
7
36A.
What article explains how to amend the U.S. Constitution?
5
37A
What article discusses the states’ cooperation with the federal government?
4
38A.
What article states that all federal laws have constitutional supremacy over state laws?
6
39A.
Putting the Constitution into effect is explained in what article?
7
40A.
Name the 2 ways an amendment may be proposed?
2/3 vote of Congress
2/3 vote of the states in special convention
41A.
What 2 ways can a proposed amendment become a law?
Ratified by:
¾ of the states’ legislatures
¾ of the states in special convention
42 A. To amend something is to do what to it?
Change or fix it
43A.
Which article, section, and clause contains the only oath of office written into the U.S. Constitution?
Article 2 Section 1 Clause 8
1PC.
What era refers to the intellectual movement which advocated reason as the basis of authority and influenced political changes?
The Enlightenment
2PC.
Name the French philosopher whose belief that powers of government should be separated into branches influenced the Framers of the Constitution.
Montesquieu
3PC.
In designing the Legislative Branch, the Framers of the Constitution mainly based their ideas on _____________.
English Parliament
4PC.
Congress is to the U.S. as ________ is to England.
Parliament
5PC.
Three major English parliamentary traditions that influenced our government were:
Magna Carta, English Parliament, English Bill of Rights
6PC.
What were both the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights designed to do?
Limit the power of the monarch
7PC.
Often referred to as the foundation of the U.S. Constitution, this social contract was the 1st document written by common people for self-government.
The Mayflower Compact
8PC.
What era was a precursor to the War of Independence and what amendment did it eventually influence?
The Great Awakening
1st Amendment-freedom of religion
9PC.
What ideas of the English philosopher John Locke influenced the Framers of the Constitution that are expressed in the first section of the Declaration of Independence?
Government should protect people’s natural rights
People have the right to reject a government that fails to do so.
10PC.
What is considered to be the founding document of the U.S. and who is considered the primary author?
The Declaration of Independence/Thomas Jefferson
11PC.
The Declaration of Independence guaranteed all people what three unalienable rights?
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
12PC.
This compromise in the Constitutional Convention proposed two houses, one based on population and the other based on equal representation.
The Great Compromise
13PC.
What was the original intention of James Madison’s meeting, which later became known as the Constitutional Convention?
To revise the Articles of Confederation
14PC.
This compromise during the Constitutional Convention decided that Congress would count 3 of every 5 slaves for representation and taxation.
The 3/5’s Compromise
15PC.
Who presented the Great Compromise at the Constitutional Convention?
Roger Sherman
16PC.
Once the U.S. had declared its independence, what document was created to rule the new country?
Articles of Confederation
17PC.
A weakness of the Articles of Confederation was that it gave too much governmental power to what group?
Individual state governments
18PC.
This farmer’s revolt caused Americans to evaluate the effectiveness of the Articles of Confederation.
Shays’ Rebellion
19PC.
What law called for all newly acquired land to be surveyed and divided?
The Land Ordinance of 1785
20PC.
Under what 3 conditions stated in the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 could a state enter the Union?
60,000 free inhabitants with a state constitution and Bill of Rights
public education for all citizens
slavery banned
21PC.
An increased price for goods and services combined with the reduced value of money is called ___________?
Inflation
22PC.
Direct Democracy, a system of government where ordinary citizens make decisions by voting, is also known as ______________________.
Popular Sovereignty
23PC.
The division of power between the federal and state governments is called_________.
Federalism
24PC.
Citizens choosing their representatives to make laws is known as a _____________.
Republic
1J.
Can a U.S. Supreme Court Justice be impeached?
Yes
2J.
Can a U.S. Supreme Court ruling be appealed?
No
3J.
Are federal judges ever elected?
No
4J.
How many people serve on the U.S. Supreme Court?
9
5J.
Are district courts part of the federal court system?
Yes
6J.
What does the Judicial Branch of government do?
Interprets Laws
7J.
How do superior court judges in California get their jobs?
By county elections, but vacancies are filled by the governor
8J.
Cases that involve the Constitution are handled by which court system…federal or state?
Federal
9J.
What court case gave people a guarantee of rights if they are arrested?
Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
10J.
A party defending against a lawsuit is called the __________.
Defendant
11J.
Can the U.S. Supreme Court rule that a law is not constitutional?
Yes
12J.
A party who starts a lawsuit is called the __________.
Plantiff
13J.
What is a minor crime called?
A misdemeanor
14J.
How do we decide how many district courts a state will have?
By the population of the state
15J.
There are 2 types of court cases, what are they?
Criminal and civil
16J.
What is a “brief” in a court case?
A written argument
17J.
Is there a jury on U.S. Supreme Court cases?
No
18J.
When a U.S. Supreme Court Justice agrees with a decision, but not necessarily with the reasons for that decision, it is called a _________ or __________ opinion.
Concurring or majority
19J.
How do Supreme Court Justices get their jobs?
Appointed by the President
Approved by the Senate
20J.
A party appealing a court decision is known as the _________.
Appellant
21J.
What is the supreme law of the land?
The U.S Constitution
22J
What are the people who serve under the Chief Justice called?
Associate Justices
23J.
What is the minimum number of district courts a state must have?
1
24J.
What is a serious crime called?
A felony
25J.
How long does a U.S. Supreme Court Justice serve for?
Life or until retirement
26J.
How do district judges get their jobs?
Appointed by the President
Approved by the Senate
27J.
For judicial purposes, the United States and its protectorates are divided into ______ circuits.
13
28J.
If a person had a claim against the U.S. government, what court would hear the case?
Court of Claims
29J.
Who presides over the U.S. Supreme Court? (Name the position.)
Chief Justice
30J.
How many votes form a majority in the U.S. Supreme Court?
5
31J.
The U.S. Supreme Court decides cases by a ________ majority vote.
Simple
32J.
Our court system is derived from another country—what country?
England
33J.
A superior court is part of the federal court system, True or False?
False
34J.
Who are the 4 current women serving in the U.S. Supreme Court?
Sonia Sotomayor
Elena Kagan
Amy Coney Barrett
Ketanji Brown Jackson
35J.
What court would handle simple misdemeanor cases (traffic citations, etc.) in California?
The superior court
36J
What court case established the power of the U.S. Supreme Court to review laws and compare them to Constitutional rights?
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
37J.
When a U.S. Supreme Court justice disagrees with a court decision, he or she may write a ___________.
Dissenting opinion
38J.
What court case established the “separate but equal” policy that maintained segregation in some states’ public education facilities?
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
39J.
What court case overturned the “separate but equal” policy and led to the integration of all schools?
Brown v. Topeka Board of Education (1954)
40J.
The power to establish the lower court system was given to whom?
Congress
41J.
The U.S. is divided into districts for federal courts. How many districts are there?
94
42J.
Who is the current Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court?
John Roberts
43J.
What are two types of jurisdictions the U.S. Supreme Court has on cases?
Original and Appellate
44J.
What does the U.S. Supreme Court set when it rules on a case?
Precedent
45J.
What type of jurisdiction allows the U.S Supreme Court to hear a case never argued in a court of law?
Original Jurisdiction
46J.
What type of jurisdiction allows the U.S. Supreme Court to review a case already heard in a lower court?
Appellate Jurisdiction
47J.
What court case prohibits public school officials from barring students’ expression of free speech as long as it does not disrupt the educational process?
Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)
48J.
What court case held that the President had the de facto authority to act in seizing vessels bound toward Confederate ports after the United States was attacked by other states at Ft. Sumter?
The Prize Cases (1863)
1E.
Who succeeds the President in the case of his death or disqualification from office?
The Vice President
2E.
Who succeeds the Vice President as President?
The Speaker of the House
3E.
Who is the head of the Executive Branch of government?
The President
4E.
What three requirements must presidential candidates meet?
Must be a native born U.S. citizen
Must be at least 35 years old
Must have lived in the U.S. at least 14 years prior to the election
5E.
Who succeeds the Speaker of the House as President?
The President Pro Tempore
6E.
Who succeeds the President Pro Tempore as President?
The Secretary of State
7E.
What federal department is responsible for foreign affairs?
State
8E.
What department is responsible for coining and regulating money?
Treasury
9E.
Under what department would we find the secret service?
Homeland Security
10E.
What department is led by the Attorney General?
Justice
11E.
Under what department would we find the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs?
State
12E.
What department is responsible for training and organizing our military forces?
Defense
13E.
What department oversees the F.B.I.?
Justice
14E.
Name 5 federal departments.
State, Treasury, Defense, Justice, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Housing and Urban Development, Energy, Education, Transportation, Health and Human Services, Veteran Affairs, Homeland Security
15E.
Can a naturalized citizen become President?
No
16E.
A person born in Guam is a native born citizen. True or False?
True
17E.
Who actually elects the President?
The Electoral College
18E.
How long does the President serve a term?
4 Years
19E.
What are the term limits placed on the presidency?
2 terms only
20E.
What date does the President take office?
Jan. 20th
21E.
Who swears in the President?
Chief Justice
22E.
Who must approve all cabinet members and by what majority?
The Senate by simple majority
23E.
What title is given to cabinet members?
Secretary
24E.
The Food and Drug Administration is part of what federal department?
Health and Human Services
25E.
What do we call it when a prisoner is released from their sentence?
Pardon
26E.
What do we call it when a prisoner’s sentence is delayed or put off?
Reprieve
27E.
Who is the commander-in-chief of the U.S. armed forces?
The President
28E.
The President can limit your personal freedoms during time of _____ ______.
National Emergency
29E.
What department grades U.S. meat and dairy products?
Agriculture
30E.
What department oversees the food stamp program?
Agriculture
31E.
What department oversees foreign and domestic trade?
Commerce
32E.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is part of what federal department?
Health and Human Services
33E.
When commerce occurs in a single state, this is an example of __________ commerce.
Intrastate
34E.
When commerce crosses state lines, we call this _______ commerce.
Interstate
35E.
What department conducts the census?
Commerce
36E.
Can the President declare war on another country?
No
37E.
What department would be involved with renovating a city slum?
Housing and Urban Development
38E.
What department protects our natural environment?
Interior
39E.
The national parks service falls under what federal department?
Interior
40E.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is under what federal department?
Interior
41E.
What department oversees the U.S. farm bureau?
Agriculture
42E.
What power is given to the President concerning legislation?
Veto
43E.
Can the President alone make valid treaties with other countries?
No
44E.
Who validates treaties and by what majority?
Senate (2/3 majority)
45E.
Who does the CIA directly work for?
The President
46E.
Who is directly responsible for the security of the President and his family?
The Secret Service
47E.
Who can declare war on another country?
Congress
48E.
The President may use emergency powers to react to what?
National threats or foreign aggression
49E.
What gives the President the right to call special sessions of Congress?
The unwritten Constitution
50E.
Which department is responsible for establishing new oil reserves for America?
Energy
51E.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is part of what federal department?
Transportation
52E.
Which department oversees the welfare program in America?
Health and Human Services
53E.
The process of bringing formal charges against a government official is called what?
Impeachment
54E.
What branches of government are eligible for impeachment?
Executive and Judicial
55E.
Who acts as the jury in an impeachment trial with the power to convict and remove a government official from office and by what majority?
The Senate with a 2/3 majority
56E.
Who presides at a presidential impeachment trial?
The Chief Justice
57E.
Who can impeach a government official and by what majority?
House of Representatives by a simple majority
58E.
If a person is impeached, he is automatically removed from office and sentenced to jail. True or False?
False
60E.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is found under what department?
Treasury
61E.
The office of financial aid for college students is part of what department?
Education
62E.
What department is responsible for aviation, border, and port security?
Homeland Security
63E.
What department is responsible for the visa and passport security program?
State
64E.
This person’s job is to direct and manage the activities of all intelligence agencies and is the principal advisor to the President for intelligence concerns.
The Director of National Intelligence
65E.
The President must appear before Congress at the beginning of each session to deliver what speech?
The State of the Union Address
1L.
Who may suggest a bill?
Any concerned citizen
2L.
Representatives must live in the state they represent and meet what two other requirements?
- must be at least 25 years old
- must have been a U.S. citizen at least 7 years
3L.
Senators must live in the state they represent and meet what two other requirements?
- must be at least 30 years old
- must have been a U.S. citizen at least 9 years
4L.
How many senators are there?
100
5L.
How long is a senator’s term of office?
6 years
6L.
Which house represents the states?
Senate
7L.
What number is a “quorum” in the Senate?
51
8L.
How many senators does Minnesota have?
2
9L.
Who is in charge of the Senate?
The Vice President
10L.
Where do most bills die?
In Committee
11L.
What is the minimum number of representatives a state must have in the House of Representatives?
1
12L.
What rule stops a filibuster?
Cloture
13L.
Can there be a filibuster in the House of Representatives?
No
14L.
When the V.P. is not available, who is in charge of the Senate?
President Pro Tempore
15L.
Who is the current President of the Senate?
JD Vance
16L.
What does it mean to convene?
To assemble
17L.
With only a few exceptions, a bill may be started in either house. Bills involving money must begin in which house?
House of Representatives
18L.
If a state has 29 electoral votes, how many representatives does the state have in the House of Representatives?
27
19L.
What are the three branches of government?
Legislative, Executive, Judicial
20L.
Our government is unique because it is both _____ and _____.
Flexible and stable
21L.
What is the job of the Legislative Branch of government?
To make laws
22L.
What is a one-house legislature called?
Unicameral
23L.
When does Congress convene?
January 3rd
24L.
How do we decide how many representatives each state will have?
By the population
25L.
Is there a limit on debate in the Senate?
No
26L.
According to our founding fathers, if your government isn’t serving your needs you have the duty to ______.
Change it
27L.
Who is in charge of the House of Representatives?
Speaker of the House
28L.
Who is the current Speaker of the House?
Mike Johnson (R) LA
29L.
Who are the current CA senators?
Adam Schiff (D)
Alex Padilla (D)
30L.
What number is a quorum in the House of Representatives?
218
31L.
Who is the current President Pro Tempore of the Senate?
Chuck Grassley (R) IA
32L.
How does the President Pro Tempore get his job?
Must be the senior senator of
the majority party
33L.
Can the Speaker of the House vote on issues in the House?
Yes
34L.
Our government is self-governing so we call this country a _______.
Democracy
35L.
What do the initials “P.L.” stand for on a former bill?
Public Law
36L.
What is a two-house legislature called?
Bicameral
37L.
Can the President Pro Tempore vote on Senate issues?
Yes
38L.
Who succeeds the Vice President as President of the United States
Speaker of the House
39L.
What is a filibuster?
When a senator talks endlessly to delay action on a bill.
40L.
What does the rules committee do?
- Sends a bill to its proper committee
- Makes specific rules for individual bills
41L.
Can the Vice President vote on Senate issues?
No-unless there is a tie
42L.
What is a “quorum”?
The number necessary to legally do business (in our government 1 more than half)
43L.
Is there a limit on debate in the House of Representatives?
Yes-1 Hour
44L.
How many representatives are in the House of Representatives?
435
45L.
What are the two major political parties in the U.S.?
Democrats and Republicans
46L.
A representative’s term of office is ____ years.
2
47L.
What are the names of the two houses in our federal government?
House of Representatives and Senate
48L.
How do we decide how many senators a state has?
Each state has 2
49L.
The Speaker of the House must always be a member of the ______ party.
Majority
50L.
Which house represents the people?
House of Representatives
51L.
Does the U.S. Constitution say that we have two political parties?
No
52L.
For a bill to become a law it must pass both houses, true or false?
True
53L.
Who elects the Speaker of the House?
Direct vote of the House
54L.
To keep one branch from gaining too much power, we have a system of ______ and ______.
Checks and balances
55L.
What fraction of our senators is elected every 2 years?
1/3
56L.
When the population of the U.S. is officially counted, we call that count a _____.
Census
57L.
A committee consisting of members from both houses is called a ______ committee.
Joint or conference
58L.
When a vetoed bill is re-passed by 2/3 of both houses, this is called a veto ________. The bill then becomes a law.
Override
59L.
If Congress adjourns before the President acts on a bill, he may refuse to sign it. This is called a _____ veto.
60L.
What majority is required to override the President’s veto?
2/3 majority in both houses
61L.
Neither house may adjourn for more than 3 days without what?
Permission of the other house
62L.
What is a “caucus”?
A meeting of members
63L.
What is the supreme law of the land?
The U.S. Constitution
64L.
A record of what goes on in Congress is printed in the _____ _____.
Congressional Record
65L.
The U.S. Constitution grants all law making powers to whom?
Congress
66L.
In our system of government, the U.S. Constitution gets authority from _____.
The people
67L.
What is the minimum number of representatives each state must have in Congress?
3 (1 representative and 2 senators)
68L.
When are elections held for representatives and senators?
The 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November of even numbered years
69L.
This gives Congress the power to make all necessary and proper laws.
The elastic clause
70L.
Which article, section, and clause states the House of Representatives will break a tie in the electoral college?
Article II Section 1 Clause 3
