Civics Questions and Answers (2020 Version) Flashcards
1
Q
What is the form of government of the United States?
A
- Republic
- Constitution-based federal republic
- Representative democracy
2
Q
What is the supreme law of the land?
A
U.S. Constitution
3
Q
Name one thing the U.S. Constitution does
A
- Forms the government
- Defines powers of government
- Defines the parts of government
- Protects the rights of the people
4
Q
The U.S. Constitution starts with the words “We the People.” What does “We the People” mean?
A
- Self-government
- Popular sovereignty
- Consent of the governed
- People should govern themselves
- (Example of) social contract
5
Q
How are changes made to the U.S. Constitution?
A
- Amendments
- The amendment process
6
Q
What does the Bill of Rights protect?
A
- (The basic) rights of Americans
- (The basic) rights of people living in the United States
7
Q
How many amendments does the U.S. Constitution have?
A
27
8
Q
Why is the Declaration of Independence important?
A
- It says America is free from British control
- It says all people are created equal
- It identifies inherent rights
- It identifies freedoms
9
Q
What founding document said the American colonies were free from Britain?
A
Declaration of Independence
10
Q
Name two important ideas from the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution
A
- Equality
- Liberty
- Social construct
- Natural rights
- Limited government
- Self-government
11
Q
The words “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” are in what founding document?
A
Declaration of Independence
12
Q
What is the economic system of the United States?
A
- Capitalism
- Free market economy
13
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
14
Q
Many documents influenced the U.S. Constitution. Name one.
A
- Declaration of Independence
- Articles of Confederation
- Federalist Papers
- Anti-federalist Papers
- Virginia Declaration of Rights
- Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
- Mayflower Compact
- Iroquois Great Law of Peace
15
Q
There are 3 branches of government. Why?
A
- So one part foes not become to powerful
- Checks and balances
- Separation of powers
16
Q
Name the 3 branches of government.
A
- Legislative, executive, and judicial
- Congress, president, and the courts
17
Q
The President of the United States is in charge of which branch of government?
A
Executive branch
18
Q
What part of the federal government writes laws?
A
- U.S. Congress
- U.S. or national legislature
- Legislative branch
19
Q
What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
A
Senate and House of Representatives
20
Q
Name one power of the U.S. Congress.
A
- Writes laws
- Declares war
- Makes the federal budget
21
Q
How many U.S. senators are there?
A
100
22
Q
How long is a term for a U.S. Senator?
A
6 years
23
Q
Who is your state’s current senators? (FL)
A
Marco Rubio + Rick Scott :(
24
Q
Current governor?
A
Ron DeSantis :(
25
Current mayor of Gainesville?
Lauren Poe
26
How many voting members are in the House of Representatives?
435
27
How long is a term for a member of the House of Representatives?
2 years
28
Why do House Representatives serve shorter terms than U.S. senators?
To more closely follow public opinion
29
How many senators does each state have?
2
30
Why does each state have 2 senators?
- Equal representation for small states
- The Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)
31
Name your U.S. Representative.
Val Demings
32
Current Speaker of the House?
Nancy Pelosi
33
Who does a U.S. senator represent?
- Citizens of their state
- People of their state
34
Who elects U.S. senators?
- Citizens from their state
35
Who does a member of the House of Representatives represent?
- Citizens in their (congressional) district
- Citizens in their district
- People from their (congressional) district
- People in their district
36
Who elects members of the House of Representatives?
- Citizens from their (congressional) district
37
Some states have more representatives than other states. Why?
- (Because of) the state’s population
- (Because) they have more people
- (Because) some states have more people
38
The President of the United States is elected for how many years?
Four (4) years
39
The President of the United States can serve only two terms. Why?
- (Because of) the 22nd Amendment
- To keep the president from becoming too powerful
40
What is the name of the President of the United States now?
Joe Biden
41
What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?
Kamala Harris
42
If the president can no longer serve, who becomes president?
The Vice President
43
Name one power of the president.
- Signs bills into law
- Vetoes bills
- Enforces laws
- Commander in Chief (of the military)
- Chief diplomat
44
Who is the commander in chief of the military?
The President of the United States
45
Who signs bills to become law?
The President of the United States
46
Who vetoes bills?
The President of the United States
47
Who appoints federal judges?
The President of the United States
48
The executive branch has many parts. Name one.
- President
- Cabinet
- Federal departments and agencies
49
What does the President's cabinet do?
Advises the President of the United States
50
What are two Cabinet-level positions?
- Attorney General
- Secretary of Agriculture
- Secretary of Commerce
- Secretary of Defense
- Secretary of Education
- Secretary of Energy
- Secretary of Health and Human Services
- Secretary of Homeland Security
- Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
- Secretary of the Interior
- Secretary of Labor
- Secretary of State
- Secretary of Transportation
- Secretary of the Treasury
- Secretary of Veteran Affairs
- Vice President of the United States
51
Why is the Electoral College so important?
- It decides who is elected president
- It provides a compromise between popular election of the president and congressional selection
52
What is one part of the judicial branch?
- Supreme Court
- Federal Courts
53
What does the judicial branch do?
- Reviews laws
- Explains laws
- Resolves disputes (disagreements) about the law
- Decides if a law goes against the (U.S.) Constitution
54
What is the highest court in the United States?
Supreme Court
55
How many seats are on the Supreme Court?
9
56
How many Supreme Court justices are usually needed to decide a case?
5
57
How long do Supreme Court justices serve?
- For life
- Lifetime appointment
- Until retirement
58
Why do Supreme Court justices serve for life?
- To be independent (of politics)
- To limit outside (political) influence
59
Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
John Roberts
60
Name one power that is only for the federal government.
- Print paper money
- Mint coins
- Declare war
- Create an army
- Make treaties
- Set foreign policy
61
Name one power that is only for the states.
- Provide schooling and education
- Provide protection (police)
- Provide safety (fire departments)
- Give a driver's license
- Approve zoning and land use
62
What is the purpose of the 10th Amendment?
- It states that the powers not given to the federal government belong to the states or to the people
63
What is the capital of your state?
Tallahassee
64
There are 4 amendments to the U.S. Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
- Citizens eighteen and older can vote
- You don't have to pay (a poll tax) to vote
- Any citizen can vote (Women and men can vote)
- A male citizen of any race (can vote)
65
Who can vote in federal elections, run for federal office, and serve on a jury in the United States?
- Citizens
- Citizens of the United States
- U.S. Citizens
66
What are the 3 rights of everyone living in the United States?
- Freedom of expression
- Freedom of speech
- Freedom of assembly
- Freedom to petition the government
- Freedom of religion
- The right to bear arms
67
What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
- The United States
- The flag
68
Name two promises that new citizens make in the Oath of Allegiance.
- Give up loyalty to other countries
- Defend the U.S. Constitution
- Obey the laws of the United States
- Serve in the military (if needed)
- Serve (help, do important work
69
What are 2 examples of civic participation in the United States?
- Vote
- Run for office
- 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)
- Contact elected officials
- Support or oppose an issue or policy
- Write to a newspaper
70
What is one way Americans can serve their country?
- Vote
- Pay taxes
- Obey the law
- Serve in the military
- Run for office
- Work for local, state, or federal government
71
Why is it important to pay federal taxes?
- Required by law
- All people pay to fund the federal government
- Required by the U.S. Constitution (16th Amendment)
- Civic duty
72
Is it important for all men age 18 through 25 to register for the Selective Service. Name one reason why.
- Required by law
- Civic duty
- Makes the draft fair, if needed
73
The colonists came to America for many reasons. Name one.
- Freedom
- Political liberty
- Religious freedom
- Economic opportunity
- Escape persecution
74
Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
- Native Americans
- Indigenous People
75
What group of people were taken and sold as slaves?
Africans
76
What war did the Americans fight to win independence from Britain?
American Revolution
77
Name one reason why the Americans declared independence from Britain
- High taxes
- Taxation without representation
- British soldiers stayed in American's houses (boarding, quartering)
- They did not have self-government
- Boston Massacre
- Boston Tea Party
- Stamp Act
- Sugar Act
- Townsend Act
- Intolerable Acts
78
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
79
When was the Declaration of Independence?
July 4, 1776
80
The American Revolution had many important events. Name one.
- Battle of Bunker Hill
- Declaration of Independence
- Washinton Crossing the Delaware (Battle of Trenton)
- Battle of Saratoga
- Valley Forge (Encampment)
- Battle of Yorktown
81
There were 13 original states. Name 5.
- Virginia
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Connecticut
- New York
- New Jersey
- Pennslyvania
- Delaware
- Maryland
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Georgia
82
What founding document was written in 1787?
U.S. Constitution
83
The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
- James Madison
- Alexander Hamilton
- John Jay
- Publius
84
Why were the Federalist Papers important?
- They helped people understand the U.S. Constitution
- They supported passing the U.S. Constitution
85
Benjamin Franklin is famous for many things. Name one.
- Founded the first free public libraries
- First Postmaster General of the United States
- Helped write the Declaration of Independence
- Inventor
- U.S. diplomat
86
George Washington is famous for many things. Name one.
- Father of Our Country
- First president of the United States
- General of the Continental Army
- President of the Constitutional Convention
87
Thomas Jefferson is famous for many things. Name one.
- Writer of the Declaration of Independence
- 3rd president of the United States
- Doubled the size of the United States (Louisiana Purchase)
- First Secretary of State
- Founded the University of Virginia
- Writer of the Virginia Statute on Religious Freedom
88
James Madison is famous for many things. Name one.
- Father of the Consitution
- 4th President
- President during the War of 1812
- One of the writers of the Federalist Papers
89
Alexander Hamilton is famous for many things. Name one.
- First Secretary of the Treasury
- One the writers of the Federalist Papers
- Helped establish the First Bank of the US
- Aide to George Washington
- Member of the Continental Congress
90
What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
- Lousiana
91
Name one way fought by the United States in the 1800s
- War of 1812
- Mexican-American War
- Civil War
- Spanish-American War
92
Name the U.S. War between the North and the South
Civil War
93
The Civil War had many important events. Name one.
- Battle of Fort Sumter
- Emancipation Proclamation
- Battle of Vicksburg
- Battle of Gettysburg
- Sherman's March
- Surrender at Appomattox
- Battle of Antietam/Sharpsburg
- Lincoln was assassinated.
94
Abraham Lincoln is famous for many things. Name one.
- Freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation
- Saved (or preserved) the Union
- Led the United States during the Civil War
- 16th president of the United States
- Delivered the Gettysburg Address
95
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
96
What U.S. war ended slavery?
The Civil War
97
What amendment gives citizenship to all persons born in the United States?
14th Amendent
98
When did all men get the right to vote?
- After the Civil War
- During Reconstruction
- the 15th Amendment
- 1870
99
Name one leader of the women's rights movement in the 1800's
- Susan B Antony
- Elizabeth Cady Stanton
- Sojourner Truth
- Harriet Tubman
- Lucretia Mott
- Lucy Stone
100
Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s
- World War 1
- World War 2
- Korean War
- Vietnam War
- Persian Gulf War
101
Why did the United States enter World War 1?
- Because Germany attached U.S. civilian ships
- To support Allied Powers (England, France, Italy, and Russia)
- To oppose the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria)
102
When did all women get the right to vote?
- 1920
- After World War 1
- (With the) 19th Amendment
103
What was the Great Depression?
- Longest economic recession in modern history
104
When did the Great Depression start?
- The Great Crash
- Stock market crash of 1929
105
Who was president during the Great Depression and World War 2?
- Franklin Roosevelt
106
Why did the United States enter World War 2?
- Bombing of Pearl Harbor
- Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor
- To support the Allied Powers (England, France, and Russia)
- To oppose the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, Japan)
107
Dwight Eisenhower is famous for many things. Name one.
- General during World War 2
- President at the end of the Korean War
- 34th President of the United States
- Signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 (created the Interstate System)
108
Who was the United States' main rival during the Cold War?
Russia
109
During the Cold War, what was one main concern of the United States?
Communism
Nuclear War
110
Why did the United States enter the Korean War?
- To stop the spread of communism
111
Why did the United States enter the Vietnam War?
- To stop the spread of communism
112
What did the civil rights movement do?
- Fought to end racial discrimination
113
Martin Luther King, Jr. is famous for many things. Name one.
- Fought for civil rights.
- Worked for equality for all Americans
- Worked to ensure that people would "not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character"
114
Why did the United States enter the Persian Gulf War?
- To force the Iraqi military from Kuwait
115
What major event happened on September 11, 2001?
- Terrorists attacked the United States
- They took over 2 planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center aka Twin Towers
- Took over another place and crashed into the Pentagon
- Took over a plane aimed at Washington, D.C. and crashed in a field in Pennslyvania
116
Name one U.S. military conflict after 9/11
- War on Terror
- War in Afghanistan
- War in Iraq
117
Name one American Indian tribe in the United States
- Apache
- Blackfeet
- Cayuga
- Cherokee
- Cheyenne
- Chippewa
- Choctaw
- Creek
- Crow
- Hopi
- Huron
- Inupiat
- Lakota
- Mohawk
- Mohegan
- Navajo
- Oneida
- Onondaga
- Pueblo
- Seminole
- Seneca
- Shawnee
- Sioux
- Teton
- Tuscarora
118
Name one example of an American innovation
- Light Bulb
- Automobile
- Skyscrapers
- Airplane
- Assembly line
- Landing on the moon
- Integrated circuit (IC)
119
What is the capital of the U.S.?
Washington, D.C.
120
Where is the Statue of Liberty?
New York Harbor
121
Why does the flag have 13 stripes
13 original colonies
122
Why does the flag have 50 stars
50 states
123
What is the national anthem?
The Star-Spangled Banner
124
The Nation's first motto was "E Pluribus Unum" translation:
Out of many, one
We all become one
125
What is Independence Day?
A holiday to celebrate U.S. Independence
126
Name 3 national U.S. Holidays
New Year's Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Presidents Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veteran's Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day
Juneteenth
127
What is Memorial Day?
A holiday to honor soldiers who died in military service
128
What is Veteran's Day?
A holiday to honor people in the U.S. military
129
What is Juneteenth?
The last group of slaves were informed of their freedom on June 19, 1865
