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Civics Test > Basic American Civics > Flashcards

Basic American Civics Flashcards

1
Q

What is the supreme law of the land?

A

the Constitution

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2
Q

What does the Constitution do?

A

sets up the government
defines the government
protects basic rights of Americans

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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”

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4
Q

What is an amendment?

A 
a change (to the Constitution)
an addition (to the Consitution)
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5
Q

What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?

A

the Bill of Rights

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6
Q

What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?

A 
speech
religion
assembly
press
petition the government
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7
Q

How many amendments does the Const. have?

A

27

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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)

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9
Q

What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?

A

life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

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10
Q

What is freedom of religion?

A

You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion.

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11
Q

What is the economic system in the US?

A

capitalist economy

market economy

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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.

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13
Q

Name one branch or part of the government.

A

Congress, Legislative
President, Executive
the Courts, Judicial

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14
Q

What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?

A

checks and balances

separation of powers

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15
Q

Who is in charge of the executive branch?

A

the President

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16
Q

Who makes federal laws?

A

Congress
Senate and House (of Reps)
(US or national) legislature

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17
Q

What are the two parts of the US Congress?

A

the Senate and the House of Reps

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18
Q

How many US Senators are there?

A

100 (2 for each state)

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19
Q

We elect a US Senator for how many years?

A

6 years

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20
Q

Who is one of your state’s US Senators now?

A

(California 2014)
Dianne Feinstein
Barbara Boxer

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21
Q

The House of Reps has how many voting members?

A

435

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22
Q

We elect a US Rep for how many years?

A

2 years

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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
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24
Q

Who does a US Senator represent?

A

all people of the state

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25
Q

Why do some states have more Reps. than other states?

A

the state’s population
they have more people
some states have more people

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26
Q

We elect a President for how many years?

A

4

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27
Q

In what month do we vote for President?

A

November

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28
Q

What is the name of the President of the US?

A

(2012-2016)

Barack Obama

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29
Q

What is the name of the VP of the US?

A

(2012-2016)

Joseph Biden

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30
Q

If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?

A

The VP

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31
Q

If both the Pres. and the VP can’t serve, who becomes the President?

A

the Speaker of the House

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32
Q

Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?

A

the President

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33
Q

Who signs bills to become laws?

A

the President

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34
Q

Who vetoes bills?

A

the President

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35
Q

What does the President’s Cabinet do?

A

advises the President

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36
Q

What are two Cabinet-level positions?

A 
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
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37
Q

What does the judicial branch do?

A

reviews laws
explains laws
resolves disputes
decides of a law goes against the Constitution

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38
Q

What is the highest court in the US?

A

the Supreme Court

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39
Q

How many justices are on the Supreme Court?

A

9

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40
Q

Who is the Chief Justice of the US?

A

John Roberts

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41
Q

Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of teh fed?

A

print money
declare war
create an army
make treaties

42
Q

Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states?

A 
provide schooling and education
provide protection (police)
provide safety (fire departments)
give driver's licenses
approve zoning and land use
43
Q

Who is the governor of your state now?

A

Jerry Brown

44
Q

What is the capital of your state?

A

Sacramento

45
Q

What are the two major political parties in the US?

A

Democratic and Republican

46
Q

What is the political party of the President now?

A

Obama: Democratic

47
Q

What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Reps now?

A

John Boehner

48
Q

There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.

A

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
Q

What is one responsibility that is only for the US citizens?

A

serve on a jury

vote in a federal election

50
Q

Name one right only for US citizens.

A

vote in a federal election

run for federal office

51
Q

What are two rights of everyone living in the US?

A

freedom of:

  • expression
  • speech
  • assembly
  • petition the governement
  • worship
  • right to bear arms
52
Q

What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?

A

the US and the flag

53
Q

What is one promise you make when you become a US Citizen?

A
  • 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
Q

How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?

A

18 years or older

55
Q

What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?

A
  • 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
Q

When is the las day you can send in federal income tax forms?

A

April 15

57
Q

When must all men register for the Selective Service?

A

18 years, between 18-26 years

58
Q

What is one reason colonists came to America?

A
  • freedom
  • political liberty
  • religious freedom
  • economic opportunity
  • practice their religion
  • escape persecution
59
Q

Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?

A
  • American Indians

- Native Americans

60
Q

What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?

A

Africans

people from Africa

61
Q

Why did the colonists fight the British?

A
  • 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
Q

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

A

Thomas Jefferson

63
Q

When was the Declaration of Independence signed?

A

July 4, 1776

64
Q

What are three of the original 13 states?

A 
New Hampshire
Delaware
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Connecticut
New York
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Maryland
Virginia
N. Carolina
S. Carolina
Georgia
65
Q

What happened at the Constitutional Convention?

A

The Constitution was written/The founding fathers wrote the Constitution.

66
Q

When was the Constitution written?

A

1787

67
Q

The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the US Constitution. Name one of the writers.

A

James Madison
Alexander Hamilton
John Jay
Publius

68
Q

What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?

A
  • 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
Q

Who is the “Father of our Country”?

A

George Washington

70
Q

Who was the first President?

A

George Washington

71
Q

What territory did the US buy from France in 1801?

A

the Louisiana Territory

72
Q

Name one war fought by the US in the 1800s.

A

War of 1812
Mexican-American War
Civil War
Spanish-American War

73
Q

Name the US War between the North and the South.

A

Civil War

74
Q

Name one problem that led to the Civil War.

A
  • slavery
  • economic reasons
  • states’ rights
75
Q

What was one important thing that Lincoln did?

A
  • freed the slaves through the Emancipation Proclamation
  • saved (or preserved) the Union
  • led the US during the Civil War
76
Q

What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

A
  • freed the slaves
  • freed slaves in the Confederacy
  • freed slaves in the Confederate states
  • freed slaves in most Southern states
77
Q

What did Susan B. Anthony do?

A
  • fought for women’s rights

- fought for civil rights

78
Q

Name one war fought by the US in the 1900s.

A 
WWI
WWII
Korean War
Vietnam War
(Persian) Gulf War
79
Q

Who was president during WWI?

A

Woodrow Wilson

80
Q

Who was President during the Great Depression and WWII?

A

Franklin Roosevelt

81
Q

Who did the US fight in WWII?

A

Japan, Germany, and Italy

82
Q

Before he was president, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in?

A

WWII

83
Q

During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the US?

A

communism

84
Q

What movement tried to end racial discrimination?

A

Civil Rights movement

85
Q

What did Martin Luther King Jr. do?

A

Fought for Civil Rights

worked for equality for all Americans

86
Q

What major event happened on September 11, 2001 in the US?

A

Terrorists attacked the US

87
Q

Name one American Indian tribe in the US.

A 
Cherokee
Navajo
Sioux
Chippewa
Choctaw
Pueblo
Apache
Iroquois
Creek
Blackfeet
Seminole
Cheyenne
Arawak
Shawnee
Mohegan
Huron
Oneida
Lakota
Crow
Teton
Hopi
Inuit
88
Q

Name one of the two longest rivers in the US.

A

Missouri R.

Mississippi R.

89
Q

What ocean is on the West Coast of the US?

A

Pacific

90
Q

What ocean is on the East Coast of the US?

A

Atlantic

91
Q

Name one US Territory.

A 
Puerto Rico
US Virgin Islands
American Samoa
Northern Mariana Islands
Guam
92
Q

Name one state that borders Canada.

A 
Maine
New Hampshire
Vermont
New York
Pennsylvania
Ohio
Michigan
Minnesota
N. Dakota
Montana
Idaho
Washington
Alaska
93
Q

Name one state that borders Mexico.

A

California
Arizona
New Mexico
Texas

94
Q

What is the capital of the US?

A

Washington, D.C.

95
Q

Where is the Statue of Liberty?

A

New York Harbor

Liberty Island

96
Q

Why does the flag have 13 stripes?

A

for the 13 original colonies

97
Q

Why does the flag have 50 stars?

A

one star for each state

98
Q

What is the name of the national anthem?

A

The Star-Spangled Banner

99
Q

When do we celebrate Independence day?

A

July 4

100
Q

Name two national US holidays.

A 
New Year's
MLK Jr.
President's
Memorial
Independence Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans
Thanksgiving
Christmas

Civics Test (1 decks)

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