Civic Test Flashcards
What is the supreme law of the land?
The Constitution.
What does the Constitution do?
It 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 of the Constitution?
The Bill of Rights.
What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?
Freedom of speech.
How many amendments does the Constitution have?
27
What did the Declaration of Independence do?
It declared our independence from Great Britain.
What are 2 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.
What is the “rule of law”?
No one is above the law.
Name one branch or part of the government.
The 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?
The Congress.
What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
The Senate and the 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?
John K. Fetterman*
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.
Summer L. Lee*
Who does a U.S. Senator represent?
All the people of the state.
Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?
Because they 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?
The Vice President.
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?
The President.
Who signs the bills to become laws?
The President.
Who vetoes bills?
The President.
What does the President’s Cabinet do?
It advises the President.
What are 2 Cabinet-level positions?
Vice President and Attorney General.
What does the judicial branch do?
It reviews the laws.
What is the highest court in the United States?
The Supreme Court.
How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
9*
Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
John G. Roberts, Jr.*
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?
To provide schooling and education.
Who is the Governor of your state now?
Josh Shapiro*
What is the capital of your state?
Harrisburg
What are the two major political parties in the United States?
Democratic and Republican.
What is the political party of the President now?
Democratic*
What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
Kevin McCarthy*
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?
To vote in a federal election.
Name one right only for United States citizens/
To vote in a federal election.
What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?
Freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
Who do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
The flag
What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
To be loyal to the United States.
How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?
18 and older.
What are two ways that American can participate in their democracy?
To vote and to join a political party.
When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?
April 15
When must all men register for the Selective Service?
At age 18.
What is one reason colonists came to America?
Freedom.
Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
Native Americans
What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
Africans
Why did the colonist 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 three.
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, 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 U.S. Constitution. Name on of the writers.
Alexander Hamilton
What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
(He was) the oldest member of the Constitutional Convention
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.
The Civil War.
Name the U.S. 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?
He freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation).
What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
Freed the slaves.
What did Susan B. Anthony do?
She fought for women’s rights.
Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.
Word War II
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 II
During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?
Communism
What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
The civil rights movement.
What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?
He fought for civil rights.
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.
Mississippi
What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?
The Pacific Ocean.
What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
The Atlantic Ocean.
Name one U.S. territory.
Puerto Rico
Name one states that borders Canada.
Pennsylvania
Name one state that borders Mexico.
New Mexico
What is the capital of the United States.
Washington, D.C.
Where is the Statue of Liberty?
Liberty Island
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 4
Name two national U.S. holidays.
Thanksgiving and Christmas.
