Civics Test Flashcards
What is the supreme law of the land?
The constitution
What does the Constitution do? (3 answers)
- 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? (2 answers)
- 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
- religion
- assembly
- press
- petition the government
How many amendments does the Constitution have?
Twenty-seven (27)
What did the Declaration of Independence do?
- announced our independence (from Great Britain)
- declares 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
- liberty
- pursuit of happiness
What is freedom of religion
You can practice any religion or not practice any 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
Legislative
President
Executive
The courts
Judicial
What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
Checks and balances
Separation of power
Who is in charge of the executive branch?
The president
Who makes federal laws?
Congress
Senate and House (of representatives)
(US or national) legislature
What are the two parts of the US Congress?
Senate
House of Representatives
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 Senators now?
Krysten Sinema
Martha McSally
The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
435
We elect a US Representative for how many years?
2
Name your US Representative.
Andy Biggs
Who does a US Senator represent?
All people of the state
Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?
Because of the state’s population
Because they have more people
Because 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?
Donald Trump
What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?
Michael R. Pence
Mike Pence
Pence
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 bills to become laws?
The President
Who vetoes bills?
The President
What does the President’s cabinet do?
Advises the President
What are two Cabinet-level positions?
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 the Interior Secretary of Labor Secretary of State Secretary of Transportation Secretary of the Treasury Secretary of Veterans Affairs Attorney General Vice President Secretary of of Housing and Urban Development
What does the judicial branch do?
Reviews laws
Explains laws
Resolved disputes (disagreements)
Decides if a law goes against the Constitution
What is the highest court in the United States?
The Supreme Court
How many justices are in the Supreme Court?
9
Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
John Roberts
John G. Roberts, Jr.
Under our constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?
Print money
Declare war
Create an army
Make treaties
Under our constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the States?
Provide schooling and education
Provide protection
Provide safety
Give a driver’s license
Approve zoning and land use
Who is the governor of your state now?
Doug Ducey
What is the capital of your state?
Phoenix
What are the two major political parties in the United States?
Democratic and Republican
What is the political party of President now?
Republican Party
What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
Nancy Pelosi
There are five amendments to the constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
Citizens eighteen (18) and older can vote.
You don’t have to pay to vote.
A male citizen of any race can vote.
A female citizen can vote.
Any citizen can vote.
What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?
Vote in a federal election
Serve on a jury
Name one right only for United States citizens.
Vote in a federal election.
Run for federal office.
What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?
Freedom of expression
Freedom of speech
Freedom of assembly
Freedom to petition the government
Freedom of worship
The right to bear arms
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?
Defend the Constitution and laws of the United States.
Obey the laws of the United States.
Serve in the US Military (if needed)
Serve the nation (if needed)
Be loyal to the United States
How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?
Eighteen (18) and older
What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?
Publicly support or oppose an issue or policy
Call Senators and Representatives
Give an elected official your opinion on an issue
Join a community group
Join a political party
Help with a campaign
Join a civic group
Vote
Run for office
Write to a newspaper
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
Between 18 and 26
What is one reason colonists came to America?
Freedom
Political liberty
Religious freedoms
Economic opportunity
Practice their religion
Escape persecution
Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
American Indians
Native Americans
What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
Africans
People from Africa
Why did the colonists fight the British?
Because of high taxes (taxation without representation)
Because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering)
Because they didn’t have self-government
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.
Delaware Maryland New York Connecticut Virginia New Jersey Georgia Pennsylvania South Carolina New Hampshire Massachusetts Rhode Island North Carolina
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 US Constitution. Name one of the writers.
James Madison
Alexander Hamilton
John Jay
Publius
What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
US Diplomat
Oldest member of the Constitutional Convention
First Postmaster General of the United States
Writer of “Poor Richard’s Almanac”
Started the first free libraries
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 Territory
Louisiana
Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800’s.
War of 1812
Mexican-American War
Civil War
Spanish-American War
Name the US war between the North and South.
Civil War
The war between the states
Name one problem that led to the civil war.
Slavery
Economic reasons
States’ rights
What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?
Freed the slaves
Saved or preserved the Union
Led the United States during the civil War
What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
Freed the slaves
Freed slaves in the Confederate states.
What did Susan B. Anthony do?
Fought for women’s rights
Fought for civil rights
Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900’s.
Vietnam
World War I
World War II
Korean
Persian Gulf War
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
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?
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 Navajo Sioux Chippewa Choctaw Pueblo Apache Iroquois Creek Blackfeet Seminole Cheyenne Arawak Mohegan Huron Oneida Lakota Crow Teton Hopi Inuit
Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.
Mississippi River
Missouri River
What ocean is on the West coast of the United States?
Pacific
What ocean is on the east coast of the United States?
Atlantic
Name one US territory.
Puerto Rico
Guam
US Virgin Islands
American Samoa
Northern Americans Islands
Name one state that borders Canada.
Michigan Maine New Hampshire Vermont New York Pennsylvania Ohio Minnesota North Dakota Montana Idaho Washington Alaska
Name one state that borders Mexico
Arizona
California
New Mexico
Texas
What is the capital of the United States?
Washington, DC
Where in the Statue of Liberty?
New York
Liberty Island
Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
Because there were 13 original colonies
Because the stripes represent the original colonies.
Why does the flag have 50 stars?
Because there is one star for each state.
Because each star represents a state
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 US Holidays.
New Year’s Day Martin Luther King, Jr. Day President’s Day Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Columbus Day Veterans Day Thanksgiving Christmas
