Naturalization Test Flashcards
What is the Supreme Law of the land?
The Constitution
What is the role of the Constitution? (three things)
(1) Defines and
(2) sets up the government.
(3) 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 or an addition to the Constitution
What do we call the first 10 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?
27
What did the Declaration of Independence do?
Announced our independence from Great Britain
What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?
Life, liberty and pursuit of happiness
What is the freedom of religion?
You can practice or not practice any religion
What is the economic system in the United States?
Capitalist or Market economy
What is the “rule of law”?
Everyone must follow the law.
No one is above the law.
Leaders must obey the law.
Government must obey the law.
Name one branch or part of the government.
Congress (Legislative Branch)
President (Executive Branch)
The Courts (Judicial Branch)
What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
Checks and Balances
Separation of Powers
Who is in charge of the executive branch?
The President
Who makes federal laws?
Congress (made up of):
(1) Senate and
(2) House of Representatives
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 years
Who is one of your state’s U.S. Senators?
Robert P. Casey Jr (Pennsylvania)
Ted Cruz or John Cornyn (Texas)
The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
435 (four-hundred and thirty-five)
We elect a U.S. House of Representative member for how many years?
2 years
Name your U.S. Representative (depends on where you live).
Look up on www.house.gov
Pennsylvania: Madeleine Dean (District 4, Bala Cynwyd)
Texas: Colin Z. Allred (District 32, Dallas)
Texas: Pete Sessions (District 17, Pflugerville)
Who does a U.S. Senator represent?
All people of the state
Why do some states have more representatives than others?
Some states have a higher population than others
We elect a President for how many years?
Four years
In what month do we vote for President?
November
What is the name of the President of the United States now?
1/20/2021 - 2025 Joe Biden
What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?
1/20/2021 - 2025 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 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 Housing and Urban Development
Secretary of Interior
Secretary of State
Secretary of Transportation
Secretary of Treasury
Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs
Secretary of Labor
Attorney General
What does the Judicial branch do?
Review/explains laws, resolves disputes, decides if a law goes against the Constitution
What is the highest court in the United States?
The Supreme Court
How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
Nine
Who is the Chief Justice of the United States?
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
To declare war
To create an army
To make treaties
Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states?
Provide schooling and education
Provide protection (police)
Provide safety (fire departments)
Issue driver’s licenses
Approve zoning and land use
Who is the Governor of your state? (Depends on your state)
John Shapiro (Pennsylvania)
Greg Abbott (Texas)
What is the capital of your state?
Harrisburg (Pennsylvania)
Austin (Texas)
What are the two major political parties in the United States?
Democratic and Republican
What is the political party of the President now?
Democratic (Joe Biden after 1/20/2021)
What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
Mike Johnson (as of 10/26/2023)
There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
Citizens 18 years or older.
You don’t have to pay to vote (no poll tax).
Any citizen can vote (women and men).
A male citizen of any race (?).
What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?
Serve on a jury.
Vote.
What are two rights only for United States citizens?
Apply for a federal job.
Vote.
Run for office.
Carry a U.S. passport.
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?
To the flag of the United States of America
What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
Give up loyalty to other countries.
Defend the Constitution and laws of the United States.
Obey the laws of the United States.
Serve in the U.S. 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?
18 years and older.
What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?
Vote
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
Call Senators and Representatives
Publicly support or oppose an issue or policy
Run for office
Write to a newspaper
When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?
April 15th
When must all men register for the Selective Service?
Between the ages of 18 -26 years old
What is one reason colonists came to America?
Free
Political liberty
Religious freedom
Economic opportunity
Practice their religion
Escape persecution
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 colonists fight the British?
Because of:
(1) High taxes (taxation without representation);
(2) British army staying in their houses (boarding, quartering);
(3) No self-government
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
July 4th, 1776
There were 13 original states. Name three.
New Hampshire
Massachussets
Rhode Island
Connecticut
New York
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Delaware
Maryland
Virginia
North Carolina
South Carolina
Georgia
What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
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.
Alexander Hamilton.
James Madison.
John Jay.
What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
U.S. Diplomat
Oldest member of the Constitutional Convention
First postmaster general of the U.S.
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?
The Louisiana Territory
Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
War of 1812.
Mexican-American War.
Civil War.
Spanish-American War.
Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.
Civil War
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 (Emancipation Proclamation).
Saved the Union.
Led the U.S. during the Civil War.
What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
Freed the slaves in the Confederate or southern states.
What did Susan B. Anthony do?
Fought for women’s civil rights.
Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.
World War I.
World War II.
Korean War.
Vietnam War.
(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, 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 for the United States?
Communism
What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
Civil Rights movement
What major event happened on September 11th, 2001 in the United States?
Terrorist attacks on the World Trade centers and Pentagon.
Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.
Mississippi River
Missouri River
What did Martin Luther King Jr. do?
Fought for civil rights and equality for all Americans
Name one American Indian Tribe in the United States.
Cherokee
Navajo
Sioux
Chippewa
Choctaw
Pueblo
Apache
Iroquois
Creek
Blackfeet
Seminole
Cheyenne
Arawak
Shawnee
Mohegan
Huron
Oneida
Lakota
Crow
Teton
Hopi
Inuit
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
U.S. Virgin Islands
American Samoa
Northern Mariana Islands
Guam
Name one state that borders Canada.
New York
Maine
New Hampshire
Vermont
Pennsylvania
Ohio
Michigan
Minnesota
North Dakota
Montana
Idaho
Washington
Alaska
Name one state that borders Mexico.
California
Arizona
New Mexico
Texas
What is the capital of the United States?
Washington, D.C.
Where is the Statue of Liberty?
New York harbor, at Liberty Island.
Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
Represents the 13 original colonies
Why does the flag have 50 stars?
Each star represents one state
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.
New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
President’s Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving
Christmas
