US Civics Test Flashcards
What is the supreme law of the land?
the Constitution
What does the Constitution do?
sets up the government
defines the government
protects basic rights of Americans
The ides 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 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?
announce 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
pursuit of happiness
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
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 powers
Who is in charge of the executive branch?
the President
Who makes the federal laws?
Congress
Senate and House (of Representative)
(US or national) legislature
What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
the Senate and House (of Representative)
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?
Jeff Flake
John McCain
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
Trent Franks
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 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 fo the President of the United States now?
Barack Obama
What is the name of the Vice President of the United States?
Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
Joe Biden
If the President can no longer serve, who become President?
the Vice President
If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
the Speaker of the House
Wo 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 the Interior Secretary of Labor Secretary of State Secretary of Transportation Secretary of the Treasury Secretary of Veteran Affairs Attorney General Vice President
What does the judicial branch do?
review laws
explain laws
resolves 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 on the Supreme Court?
9
Who is the Chief Justice of the United States?
John Roberts (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) give a driver's license approve zoning and land use
Who is the Governor of your state now?
Jan Brewer
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 the President now?
Democratic (Party)
What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
John Boehner
There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
Citizens 18 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)
What is one responsibility that is only for United Stated citizens?
serve on a jury
vote in a federal election
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 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?
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 (do important work for) the nation (if needed)
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 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 Representative publicly support or oppose an issue of policy 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 freedom 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 homes (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.
New Hampshire Massachusetts Rhode Island Connecticut New York New Jersey Pennsylvania Delaware Maryland Virginia North Carolina South Carolina Georgia
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 U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
James Madison
Alexander Hamilton
John Jay
Pulius
What is the one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
U.S. diplomat
oldest member of the Constitutional Convention
first Postmaster General of the United States
writer of “Poor Richard’s Almanac”
started the first three 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
Louisiana
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?
the 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 (Emancipation Proclamation)
saved (or preserved) the Union
led the United States during the Civil War
What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
freed the slaves
freed the slaves in the Confederacy
freed slaves in the Confederate states
freed slaves in most Southern 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 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, 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 even 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 Pueblo Apache Iroquois Creek Blackfeet Seminole Cheyenne Arawak Shawnee Mohegan Huron Oneida Lakota Crow Teton Hopi Inuit
Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States
Missouri (River)
Mississippi (River)
What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?
Pacific (Ocean)
What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
Atlantic (Ocean)
Name on U.S. Territory
Puerto Rico U.S. Virgin Islands American Samoa Northern Mariana Islands Guam
Name one state that borders Canada
Maine New Hampshire Vermont New York Pennsylvania Ohio Michigan MInnesota North Dakota Montana Idaho Washington Alaska
Name on 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) 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
Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro’ the perilous fight;
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming
And the rockets red glare, the the bombs bursting in air
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there
Oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
When do we celebrate Independence Day?
July 4
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 Christman
