Basic American Civics Flashcards
1
Q
What is the supreme law of the land?
A
the Constitution
2
Q
What does the Constitution do?
A
sets up the government
defines the government
protects basic rights of Americans
3
Q
The idea of self-gov. is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these three words?
A
“We the People”
4
Q
What is an amendment?
A
a change (to the Constitution) an addition (to the Consitution)
5
Q
What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
A
the Bill of Rights
6
Q
What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?
A
speech religion assembly press petition the government
7
Q
How many amendments does the Const. have?
A
27
8
Q
What did the Declaration of Independence do?
A
announced our independence
declared our independence
said that the US is free
(from Great Britain)
9
Q
What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?
A
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
10
Q
What is freedom of religion?
A
You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion.
11
Q
What is the economic system in the US?
A
capitalist economy
market economy
12
Q
What is the “rule of law”?
A
Everyone must follow the law.
Leaders must obey the law.
Government must obey the law.
No one is above the law.
13
Q
Name one branch or part of the government.
A
Congress, Legislative
President, Executive
the Courts, Judicial
14
Q
What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
A
checks and balances
separation of powers
15
Q
Who is in charge of the executive branch?
A
the President
16
Q
Who makes federal laws?
A
Congress
Senate and House (of Reps)
(US or national) legislature
17
Q
What are the two parts of the US Congress?
A
the Senate and the House of Reps
18
Q
How many US Senators are there?
A
100 (2 for each state)
19
Q
We elect a US Senator for how many years?
A
6 years
20
Q
Who is one of your state’s US Senators now?
A
(California 2014)
Dianne Feinstein
Barbara Boxer
21
Q
The House of Reps has how many voting members?
A
435
22
Q
We elect a US Rep for how many years?
A
2 years
23
Q
Name your US Representative.
A
(California has 53)
1 LaMalfa, Doug 2 Huffman, Jared 3 Garamendi, John 4 McClintock, Tom 5 Thompson, Mike 6 Matsui, Doris O. 7 Bera, Ami 8 Cook, Paul 9 McNerney, Jerry 10 Denham, Jeff 11 Miller, George 12 Pelosi, Nancy 13 Lee, Barbara 14 Speier, Jackie 15 Swalwell, Eric 16 Costa, Jim 17 Honda, Mike 18 Eshoo, Anna G. 19 Lofgren, Zoe 20 Farr, Sam 21 Valadao, David 22 Nunes, Devin 23 McCarthy, Kevin 24 Capps, Lois 25 McKeon, Buck 26 Brownley, Julia 27 Chu, Judy 28 Schiff, Adam 29 Cárdenas, Tony 30 Sherman, Brad 31 Miller, Gary 32 Napolitano, Grace 33 Waxman, Henry 34 Becerra, Xavier 35 Negrete McLeod, Gloria 36 Ruiz, Raul 37 Bass, Karen 38 Sanchez, Linda 39 Royce, Ed 40 Roybal-Allard, Lucille 41 Takano, Mark 42 Calvert, Ken 43 Waters, Maxine 44 Hahn, Janice D 45 Campbell, John 46 Sanchez, Loretta 47 Lowenthal, Alan 48 Rohrabacher, Dana 49 Issa, Darrell 50 Hunter, Duncan D. 51 Vargas, Juan 52 Peters, Scott 53 Davis, Susan
24
Q
Who does a US Senator represent?
A
all people of the state
25
Why do some states have more Reps. than other states?
the state's population
they have more people
some states have more people
26
We elect a President for how many years?
4
27
In what month do we vote for President?
November
28
What is the name of the President of the US?
(2012-2016)
| Barack Obama
29
What is the name of the VP of the US?
(2012-2016)
| Joseph Biden
30
If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
The VP
31
If both the Pres. and the VP can't serve, who becomes the President?
the Speaker of the House
32
Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?
the President
33
Who signs bills to become laws?
the President
34
Who vetoes bills?
the President
35
What does the President's Cabinet do?
advises the President
36
What are two Cabinet-level positions?
```
Secretary of:
-Agriculture
-Commerce
-Defense
-Education
-Energy
-Health and Human Services
-Homeland Security
-Housing and Urban Development
-Interior
-Labor
-State
-Transportation
-Treasury
-Veterans Affairs
Attorney General
VP
```
37
What does the judicial branch do?
reviews laws
explains laws
resolves disputes
decides of a law goes against the Constitution
38
What is the highest court in the US?
the Supreme Court
39
How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
9
40
Who is the Chief Justice of the US?
John Roberts
41
Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of teh fed?
print money
declare war
create an army
make treaties
42
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 driver's licenses
approve zoning and land use
```
43
Who is the governor of your state now?
Jerry Brown
44
What is the capital of your state?
Sacramento
45
What are the two major political parties in the US?
Democratic and Republican
46
What is the political party of the President now?
Obama: Democratic
47
What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Reps now?
John Boehner
48
There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
Citizens 18 and older can vote.
You don't have to pay a poll tax to vote.
Any citizen can vote.
A male citizen of any race can vote.
49
What is one responsibility that is only for the US citizens?
serve on a jury
| vote in a federal election
50
Name one right only for US citizens.
vote in a federal election
| run for federal office
51
What are two rights of everyone living in the US?
freedom of:
- expression
- speech
- assembly
- petition the governement
- worship
- right to bear arms
52
What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
the US and the flag
53
What is one promise you make when you become a US Citizen?
- give up loyalties to other countries
- defend the Constitution and laws of the US
- obey the laws of the US
- serve in the US military (if needed)
- serve the nation
- be loyal to the US
54
How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?
18 years or older
55
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
56
When is the las day you can send in federal income tax forms?
April 15
57
When must all men register for the Selective Service?
18 years, between 18-26 years
58
What is one reason colonists came to America?
- freedom
- political liberty
- religious freedom
- economic opportunity
- practice their religion
- escape persecution
59
Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
- American Indians
| - Native Americans
60
What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
Africans
| people from Africa
61
Why did the colonists fight the British?
- because of high taxes (taxation w/out representation)
- because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering)
- because they didn't have self-government
62
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
63
When was the Declaration of Independence signed?
July 4, 1776
64
What are three of the original 13 states?
```
New Hampshire
Delaware
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Connecticut
New York
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Maryland
Virginia
N. Carolina
S. Carolina
Georgia
```
65
What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
The Constitution was written/The founding fathers wrote the Constitution.
66
When was the Constitution written?
1787
67
The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the US Constitution. Name one of the writers.
James Madison
Alexander Hamilton
John Jay
Publius
68
What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
- US Diplomat
- oldest member of the Constituional COnvention
- first postmaster general of the US
- writer of "Poor Richard's Almanac"
- started the first free libraries
69
Who is the "Father of our Country"?
George Washington
70
Who was the first President?
George Washington
71
What territory did the US buy from France in 1801?
the Louisiana Territory
72
Name one war fought by the US in the 1800s.
War of 1812
Mexican-American War
Civil War
Spanish-American War
73
Name the US War between the North and the South.
Civil War
74
Name one problem that led to the Civil War.
- slavery
- economic reasons
- states' rights
75
What was one important thing that Lincoln did?
- freed the slaves through the Emancipation Proclamation
- saved (or preserved) the Union
- led the US during the Civil War
76
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
77
What did Susan B. Anthony do?
- fought for women's rights
| - fought for civil rights
78
Name one war fought by the US in the 1900s.
```
WWI
WWII
Korean War
Vietnam War
(Persian) Gulf War
```
79
Who was president during WWI?
Woodrow Wilson
80
Who was President during the Great Depression and WWII?
Franklin Roosevelt
81
Who did the US fight in WWII?
Japan, Germany, and Italy
82
Before he was president, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in?
WWII
83
During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the US?
communism
84
What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
Civil Rights movement
85
What did Martin Luther King Jr. do?
Fought for Civil Rights
| worked for equality for all Americans
86
What major event happened on September 11, 2001 in the US?
Terrorists attacked the US
87
Name one American Indian tribe in the US.
```
Cherokee
Navajo
Sioux
Chippewa
Choctaw
Pueblo
Apache
Iroquois
Creek
Blackfeet
Seminole
Cheyenne
Arawak
Shawnee
Mohegan
Huron
Oneida
Lakota
Crow
Teton
Hopi
Inuit
```
88
Name one of the two longest rivers in the US.
Missouri R.
| Mississippi R.
89
What ocean is on the West Coast of the US?
Pacific
90
What ocean is on the East Coast of the US?
Atlantic
91
Name one US Territory.
```
Puerto Rico
US Virgin Islands
American Samoa
Northern Mariana Islands
Guam
```
92
Name one state that borders Canada.
```
Maine
New Hampshire
Vermont
New York
Pennsylvania
Ohio
Michigan
Minnesota
N. Dakota
Montana
Idaho
Washington
Alaska
```
93
Name one state that borders Mexico.
California
Arizona
New Mexico
Texas
94
What is the capital of the US?
Washington, D.C.
95
Where is the Statue of Liberty?
New York Harbor
| Liberty Island
96
Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
for the 13 original colonies
97
Why does the flag have 50 stars?
one star for each state
98
What is the name of the national anthem?
The Star-Spangled Banner
99
When do we celebrate Independence day?
July 4
100
Name two national US holidays.
```
New Year's
MLK Jr.
President's
Memorial
Independence Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans
Thanksgiving
Christmas
```
