Principles Flashcards
What is the supreme law of the land?
the Constitution
What does the constitution do?
Sets up the government
Defines the government
Protects the 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 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 of freedom from the First Amendment?
Speech
How many amendments does the Constitution have?
27
What did the Declaration of Independence do?
Announced our independence from Great Britain
Declared 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
What is freedom or religion?
You can practice any religion or not practice a 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 Judicial Legislative Executive The President The courts
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
U.S Senate and House of Representatives
U.S or national legislature
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?
Michael Bennet
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.
Jason Crow.
Who does a U.S Senator Represent?
All people of the state.
Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?
Because of the states 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 a 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 and 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?
The Secretary of Education
The Secretary of Energy
What does the judicial branch do?
Reviews laws
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?
9
Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
Evan Jenkins
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)
If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
the Vice President
Who is the Governor of your state now?
Jared Polis
What is the capital of your state?
Denver
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?
Nancy Pelosi
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 a federal election
What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?
Freedom of Expression
Freedom of Speech
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?
Give up loyalty to other countries.
How old do citizens have to be to vote?
18 and older
What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?
Vote
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
Between 18 and 26
What is one reason colonists came to America?
Freedom
Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
Native Americans
American Indians
What group of people were taken to America and sold as slaves?
Africans
Why did the colonists fight the British?
Because of high taxes
Because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding)
Because they didn’t have self-government
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
When was the Declaration of Indepence adopted?
July 4, 1776
There were 13 original states. Name 3.
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
The Constitution was written
The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution
Who is the “Father of Our Country”?
George Washington
Who was the first President?
George Washington
What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
U.S diplomat
The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S Constitution. Name one of the writers.
John Jay
When was the Constitution written?
1787
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.
the Mexican-American 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?
Freed the slaves.
What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
Freed the slaves from confederate states.
What did Susan B. Anthony do?
Fought for women’s rights.
Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.
World War I
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?
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.
the Navajo Tribe
Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.
the Mississippi River
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 state that borders Canada.
Washington
Name one state that borders Mexico.
California
What is the capital of the United States?
Washington, D.C.
Where is the Statue of Liberty?
New York (Harbor)
Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
Because there were 13 original colonies
Why does the flag have 50 stars?
Because there is one star for each 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.
Presidents’ Day
Veterans Day
