citizenship test Flashcards
What is the supreme law of the land?
the Constitution
What does the Constitution do?
▪ sets up the government
▪ defines 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)
an addition (to the Constitution)
What do we call the first ten 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)
-declared our independence (from Great Britain)
-said that the United States is free (from Great Britain)
What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?
life and 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”?
Everyone must follow the law.
Leaders must obey the law.
Government must obey the law.
No one is above the law.
Name one branch or part of the government.
Congress
What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
checks and balances
Who is in charge of the executive branch?
the president
Who makes federal laws?
Congress
Senate and House (of Representatives)
(U.S. or national) legislature
What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
Senate and House of Representatives
How many U.S. Senators are there?
100
We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?
6
Who is one of your state’s U.S. Senators now?
Thom Tillis
The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
435
We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?
2
Name your U.S. Representative.
Virginia Foxx
Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?
-bc of the state’s pop
-bc they have more people
-bc some states have more people
We elect a President for how many years?
4
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?
vice pres
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?
president
Who signs bills to become laws?
president
Who vetoes bills?
president
What does the President’s Cabinet do?
advises the President
What are two Cabinet-level positions?
Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of Commerce
What does the judicial branch do?
reviews laws
explains laws
resolves disputes (disagreements)
decides if a law goes against the Constitution
What is the highest court in the United States?
Supreme Court
How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
9
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?
provide protection
Who is the Governor of your state now?
Roy Cooper
What is the capital of your state?
Raleigh
What are the two major political parties in the United States?
democratic and republican
What is the 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.
you don’t have to pay to vote
What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?
vote in a federal election
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 if 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?
give up loyalty to other countries
How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?
18
What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?
vote
join a political party
When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?
april 15
When must all men register in the selective service?
18
What is one reason colonists came to America?
freedom
Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
Native Americans/american indians
What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
africans
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
July 4, 1776
There were 13 original states. Name three.
North Carolina
South Carolina
Georgia
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 passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
james madison
What is one thing Ben Franklin is famous for?
U.S. diplomat
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.
civil war
Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.
Civil War
Name one problem the 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
freed slaves in the Confederacy
freed slaves in the Confederate states
freed slaves in most Southern states
What did Susan B. Anthony do?
fought for women’s rights
fought for civil rights
Name one war fought by the U.S. in the 1900s.
World War 1
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 2
During the Cold War, what was the main concern 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?
terrorists attacked the united states
Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
cherokee
Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.
Missouri river
What ocean is one the West Coast of the United States?
pacific ocean
What ocean is on the East Coast of the US?
Atlantic Ocean
Name one US territory.
Puerto Rico
Name one state that borders Canada.
New York
Name one state that borders Mexico.
California
What is the capital of the United States?
Washington D.C.
Where is the Statue of Liberty?
new york
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 4th
Name two national U.S. holidays.
Thanksgiving and Christmas
Who does a U.S. Senator represent?
all people of the state
Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
John Roberts (John G. Roberts, Jr.)
Why did the colonists fight the British?
because of high taxes,
because of the British army stayed in their houses,
because they didn’t have self-government
