Term
| What is the supreme law of the land? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What does the Constitution do? |
|
Definition
sets up the government
defines the government
protects basic rights of Americans |
|
|
Term
| The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a change or addition to the Constitution |
|
|
Term
| What do we call the first 10 amendments to the Constitution? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What is one right or freedom protected by the First Amendment? |
|
Definition
speech
religion
assembly
press
petition the government |
|
|
Term
| How many amendments does the Constitution have? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What did the Declaration of Independence do? |
|
Definition
announced our independence (from Great Britain)
declared our independence (from Great Britain)
said that the United States is free (from Great Britain) |
|
|
Term
| What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence? |
|
Definition
life
liberty
pursuit of happiness |
|
|
Term
| What is freedom of religion? |
|
Definition
| You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion. |
|
|
Term
| What is the economic system in the United States? |
|
Definition
| capitalist or market economy |
|
|
Term
| What is the "rule of law?" |
|
Definition
Everyone must follow the law.
Leaders must obey the law.
Government must obey the law.
No one is above the law. |
|
|
Term
| Name one branch or part of the government. |
|
Definition
Congress (legislative)
President (executive)
the Courts (judicial) |
|
|
Term
| What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful? |
|
Definition
checks and balances
separation of powers |
|
|
Term
| Who is in charge of the executive branch? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress? |
|
Definition
| Senate + House of Representatives |
|
|
Term
| How many U.S. Senators are there? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Name one of your current U.S. Senators. |
|
Definition
| Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy |
|
|
Term
| The House of Representatives has how many voting members? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Who is your U.S. Representative? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Who does a U.S. Senator represent? |
|
Definition
| all the people of the state |
|
|
Term
| Why do some states have more Representatives than other states? |
|
Definition
| The number of representatives is based on population. |
|
|
Term
| We elect a President for how many years? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| In what month do we vote for President? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What is the name of the President of the United States now? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Who is the Commander in Chief of the military? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Who signs bills to become laws? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What does the President’s Cabinet do? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Name two Cabinet-level positions. |
|
Definition
| Secretary of: Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health & Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing & Urban Development, the Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, the Treasury, Veterans Affairs; Attorney General; Vice President |
|
|
Term
| What does the judicial branch do? |
|
Definition
reviews laws
explains laws
resolves disputes (disagreements)
decides if a law goes against the Constitution |
|
|
Term
| What is the highest court in the United States? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| How many justices are on the Supreme Court? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government.
What is one power of the federal government? |
|
Definition
to print money
to declare war
to create an army
to make treaties |
|
|
Term
| Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states? |
|
Definition
provide schooling and education
provide protection (police)
provide safety (fire departments)
give a driver’s license
approve zoning and land use |
|
|
Term
| Who is Governor of your state now? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What is the capital of your state? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What are the two major political parties in the United States? |
|
Definition
| Democratic and Republican |
|
|
Term
| What is the political party of the President now? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now? |
|
Definition
| John Boehner (pronounced "BAIN-er") |
|
|
Term
| There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them. |
|
Definition
Citizens eighteen (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). |
|
|
Term
| What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens? |
|
Definition
serve on a jury
vote in a federal election |
|
|
Term
| Name one right only for United States citizens. |
|
Definition
vote in a federal election
run for federal office |
|
|
Term
| What are two rights of everyone living in the United States? |
|
Definition
freedom of expression
freedom of speech
freedom of assembly
freedom to petition the government
freedom of worship
the right to bear arms |
|
|
Term
What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
the United States |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen? |
|
Definition
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 |
|
|
Term
| How old do citizens have to be to vote for President? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy? |
|
Definition
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 |
|
|
Term
| When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| When must all men register for the Selective Service? |
|
Definition
| at age eighteen or until age 26 |
|
|
Term
| What is one reason colonists came to America? |
|
Definition
freedom
political liberty
religious freedom
economic opportunity
practice their religion
escape persecution |
|
|
Term
| Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived? |
|
Definition
| Native Americans / American Indians |
|
|
Term
| What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Why did the colonists fight the British? |
|
Definition
because of high taxes (taxation without representation)
because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering)
because they didn’t have self-government |
|
|
Term
| Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| When was the Declaration of Independence adopted? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Name three of the original 13 states |
|
Definition
| New Jersey, New York, Connecticut (also New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia) |
|
|
Term
| What happened at the Constitutional Convention? |
|
Definition
| The Constitution was written |
|
|
Term
| When was the Constitution written? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers. |
|
Definition
(James) Madison
(Alexander) Hamilton
(John) Jay |
|
|
Term
| What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for? |
|
Definition
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 free libraries |
|
|
Term
| Who is the “Father of Our Country”? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Who was the first President? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s. |
|
Definition
War of 1812
Mexican-American War
Civil War
Spanish-American War |
|
|
Term
| Name the U.S. war between the North and the South. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Name one problem that led to the Civil War. |
|
Definition
slavery
economic reasons
states’ rights |
|
|
Term
| What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did? |
|
Definition
freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation)
saved (or preserved) the Union
led the United States during the Civil War |
|
|
Term
| What did the Emancipation Proclamation do? |
|
Definition
freed the slaves
freed slaves in the Confederacy
freed slaves in the Confederate states
freed slaves in most Southern states |
|
|
Term
| What did Susan B. Anthony do? |
|
Definition
| fought for women's rights |
|
|
Term
| Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s. |
|
Definition
World War I
World War II
Korean War
Vietnam War
(Persian) Gulf War |
|
|
Term
| Who was President during World War I? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Who did the United States fight in World War II? |
|
Definition
| Japan, Germany, and Italy |
|
|
Term
| Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What movement tried to end racial discrimination? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do? |
|
Definition
fought for civil rights
worked for equality for all Americans |
|
|
Term
| What major event happened on September 11, 2001, in the United States? |
|
Definition
| Terrorists attacked the United States. |
|
|
Term
| Name one American Indian tribe in the United States. |
|
Definition
| Navajo (or whatever other tribe comes to mind) |
|
|
Term
| Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States. |
|
Definition
| Mississippi River (longest); Missouri (second longest) |
|
|
Term
| What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Puerto Rico
U.S. Virgin Islands
American Samoa
Northern Mariana Islands
Guam |
|
|
Term
| Name one state that borders Canada. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Name one state that borders Mexico. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What is the capital of the United States? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Where is the Statue of Liberty? |
|
Definition
| Liberty Island, in the Hudson River between NY and NJ |
|
|
Term
| Why does the flag have 13 stripes? |
|
Definition
| because there were 13 original colonies |
|
|
Term
| Why does the flag have 50 stars? |
|
Definition
| because there is one star for each state |
|
|
Term
| What is the name of the national anthem? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| When do we celebrate Independence Day? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Name 2 national U.S. holidays |
|
Definition
New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Presidents’ Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving
Christmas |
|
|
