Citizenship Test Flashcards
What is the supreme law of the land?
The constitution
What does the constitution do?
Defines the government
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 ten amendments to the constitution
Bill of rights
What is one right or freedom from the first amendment?
Speech
How many amendments does the constitution have?
Twenty seven
What did the Declaration of Independence do?
It announced our independence from Great Britain
What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence
Liberty and the pursuit of happiness
What is freedom of religion
Freedom to practice or not practice any religion
What is the economic system in the United States
Capitalistic economy
What is the rule of the law?
Everyone must follow the law
Name one branch or part of 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 the house
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
6
Who is one of your state’s US Senator
Alex Padilla
The House of Representatives has how many voting members
435
We elect a US Representative for how many years?
2
Name your US representative
Norma Torres
Who does a us senator represent
All people of the state
Why do some stats have more representatives than other states?
Because of the states population
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 US
Joe Biden
What is the name of the Vice President
Kamala Harris
If the president can longer serve, who becomes president
The VP
If both the president and the VP can no longer serve, who becomes president?
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 defense and secretary of education
What does the judicial branch do
Reviews laws
What is the highest court in the US
Supreme Court
How many justices are on the Supreme Court
9
Who is the chief of justice of the US
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?
Provide protection (police)
Who’s the governor of your state
Gavin Newsom
What is the capital of your state
Sacramento
What are two major political parties in the IS
Republican and democrat
What is the political party of the president now?
Democrat
What is the name of the speaker of the House of Representatives
Mike Johnson
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 citizens
Serve on a jury
Name one right only for United States citizens
Vote in federal election
What are two right of everyone living in the US
Freedom of speech and freedom of religion
What do we show loyalty to when we say pledge of allegiance
The flag
What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen
Obey the laws of the United States
How old do citizens have to be to vote for president
18
What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy
Vote and join a community group
When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms
April 15
When must all men register for the selective service
18
What is one reason colonist came to America
for 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, taxation without representation
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson
When was the Declaration of Independence adopted
July 4 1776
There were 13 original states, name 3
North Carolina
South Carolina
New York
What happened at the constitutional convention
The constitution was written
When was the constitution written
1787
The federalist papers supported the passage 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 county
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 1800s
Mexican American war
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
It freed the slaves in the confederacy
What did Susan B Anthony do
Fought for women’s rights
Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s
World War 1 (WW1)
Who was the president during WW1
Woodrow Wilson
Who was the president during the Great Depression and World War 2
Franklin Roosevelt
Who did the United States fight in World War 2
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 and equality
What major event happened on 9/11/2001 in the US
Terrorist attacked the US
Name one American Indian tribe in the US
Cherokee and Navajo
Name one of the two longest rivers in the US
Mississippi
What ocean is on the west coast of the US
Pacific
What ocean is on the east coast of the US
Atlantic
Name one US territory
Puerto rico
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
Why does the flag have 13 stripes
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
Star Spangled Banner
When do we celebrate Independence Day
July 4
Name two national US holidays
Thanksgiving and Christmas
