Civics Unit Test

who wrote the declaration of independence and when?

Thomas jefferson, ben franklin, and john adams

- 1776 in Philadelphia

what did the declaration of independence do?

formally declared grievances against King George of england and separate the US from Britain moving forward

what is the articles of confederation

america's first government

why did the articles of confederation fail?

because it did not give the national government enough power

what event showed the Articles of Confederation's weaknesses?

shays' rebellion

where were the articles of confederation thrown out

the constitutional convention

where was the constitution put together?

in the constitutional convention

- 1787 in philadelphia

who wrote the constitution?

james madison

when did the last state ratify the constitution?

1788

what did the antifederalists want to add to the constitution?

Bill of Rights to protect individual freedoms

how was the constitution a bunch of compromises?

consisted of a number of compromises between large states and small states, slave-holding states and non-slave-holding states, et

- 3/5ths compromise address the issue of representation for enslaved persons

what did the constitution establish?

a government based on Federalism, which meant that the power and authority over a territory is shared by the state and national government

- established 3 separate branches of government (legislative, executive, judicial)

what are the subdivisions of the Legislative branch?

house of representatives and senate

what is the house of representatives

representation of the state is based on state population

how long are the terms in the house of Representatives?

2 years

what is the senate?

representation of the state is all equal (each states gets 2)

how long are the terms in the senate?

6 years

how are laws made?

bills must go through both the house and the senate to become a law; then they get sent to the president to sign

can be impeached by the legislative and judicial branches

(kind of like a trial, where the chief justice of the supreme court is the judge and the senate is the jury)

ex of separation of powers

who was elected as the 1st president and when?

George Washington in 1789

What are the roles of the president?

commander and chief of the military, chief diplomat

how long is a president's term?

4 years

what can a president do when the receive a bill that is passed by congress?

- sign the bill into law

- veto it and send it back to congress

- ignore it

(congress is in session = becomes law)

(congress is not in session = vetoed)

how many members are there in the supreme court

9 members

what is the subdivision in the judicial branch

creates the supreme court

what role does the supreme court have?

final authority in any case involving questions about the constitution (judicial review)

how long is a supreme court justice term?

lifetime appointments -- no term limits

What does the judicial branch do

analyzes and iterprets the laws that the legislative branch makes

how can the judicial branch check the the power of the legislative branch?

they can declare a congressional law unconstitutional

According to the constitution who does the american government get its power and authority from

the people - popular sovereignty

What form of government is the US considered?

Indirect democracy - people vote for their representatives, who then participate in the government on their behalf.

what is the bill of rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution

what is the first amendment?

freedom of expression (speech, religion, petition, press)

- does not protect against anything that is a 'clear and present danger'

Ex) yelling 'fire' in a crowded movie theater would not be protected - would create a dangerous situation

what is an example of the freedom of the press in history?

new york times vs. united states

- ruled that the New York Times could publish secret government documents

what is the second amendment?

the right to bear arms

what is the third amendment?

protection from the quartering of soldiers

what is the fourth amendment?

protection against unreasonable searches and seizures

what is the fifth amendment?

protection against self-incriminaiton (can not be forced to testify or provide evidence against yourself)

what is case showing the 5th amendment?

miranda vs. arizona

- police are required to inform you of your right to remain silent and have a lawyer with you while you are being detained and questioned by the police

what is the sixth amendment?

right to a speedy trial by jury, witness, counsel

what is the seventh amendment?

trial in civil cases

what is the eighth amendment?

protection against excessive bail, fines, and cruel and unusual punishment

what is the ninth amendment?

non-enumerated rights retained by the people

what is the tenth amendment?

rights reserved to states of people. - states rights

how old do you have to be to vote in the US?

18 years old

what are the two main political party platforms in the US.

Republicans and democrats

what is the republican party closely associated with?

protecting individual rights regarding the second amendment, higher defense spending, lower taxes, and smaller government

what is the democrat party closely associated with?

urgent concerns for climate change and supporting universal healthcare

What are some of the voting trends according to demographics?

- african american women - democratic ccandidates

- democratic 'safe states' include california and massachusetts

- those who live in rural areas mostly voted for republican candidates (conservative)

- republican 'safe states' include texas and alabama

who is the president elected by?

the electoral college, not the popular vote

How many electoral college votes does a candidate need to win the presidency?

270

Who are the current president and vice president of the US

Donald Trump (pres) and JD Vance (VP)