Citizenship Test

What is the supreme law of the land?

Constitution

What does the Constitution do?

sets up the government, defines the government, 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 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?

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 and the 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 US?

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 federal laws?

Congress, Senate and House of Representative, (US or national) legislature

What are the two parts of the US Congress?

the Senate and House of Representatives

How many US Senators are there?

100

We elect a US Senator for how many years?

6 years

Who is one of TN's US Senators now?

Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty

The House of Representatives has how many voting members?

435

We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?

2 years

Who is the U.S. Representative right now?

Mark Green

Who does a US Senator represent?

all people of the state

Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?

the state's population, they have more people, some states have more people

We elect a President for how many years?

4 years

In what month do we vote for President?

November

What is the name of the President of the US now?

Joe Biden

What is the name of the Vice President of the US now?

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 the Interior

Secretary of Labor

Secretary of State

Secretary of Transportation

Secretary of the Treasury

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Attorney General

Vice President

What does the judicial branch do?

reviews laws

explains laws

resolves disputes (disagreements)

decides if a law goes against the Constitution

What is the highest court in the US?

the Supreme Court

How many justices are on the Supreme Court?

9

Who is the Chief Justice of the US now?

John Roberts

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 TN?

Bill Lee

What is the capital of TN?

Nashville

What are the two major political parties in the US?

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?

Mike Johnson

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 US citizens?

serve on a jury

vote in a federal election

Name one right only for US citizens.

vote in a federal election

run for federal office

What are two rights of everyone living in the US?

freedom of expression

freedom of speech

freedom of assembly

freedom to petition the government

freedom of religion

the right to bear arms

What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?

the US and the flag

What is one promise you make when you become a US citizen?

give up loyalty to other countries

defend the Constitution and laws of the US

obey the laws of the US

serve in the US military (if needed)

serve (do important work for) the nation (if needed)

be loyal to the US

How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?

18 years old

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 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 houses (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 US Constitution. Name one of the writers.

James Madison

Alexander Hamilton

John Jay

Publius

What is 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 free libraries

Who is the "Father of Our Country"?

George Washington

Who was the first President?

George Washington

What territory did the US buy from France in 1803?

the Louisiana Territory

Louisiana

Name one war fought by the US in the 1800s.

War of 1812

Mexican-American War

Civil War

Spanish-American War

Name the US war between the North and the South

the 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 (or preserved) the Union

led the US during the Civil War

What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

freed the slaves

freed 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 US in the 1900s?

WW1

WW2

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 US fight in WWII?

Japan, Germany, and Italy

Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in?

World War 2

During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the US?

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 event happened on September 11, 2001, in the US?

Terrorists attacked the US

Name on American Indian tribe in the United States.

Cherokee

Navajo

Sioux

Chippewa

Pueblo

Apache

Iroquois

Creek

Blackfeet

Seminole

Cheyenne

Arawak

Mohegan

Huron

Oneida

Lakota

Crow

Teton

Hopi

Inuit

Name one of the two longest rivers in the US.

Missouri

Mississippi

What ocean is on the West Coast of the US?

Pacific Ocean

What ocean is on the East Coast of the US?

Atlantic Ocean

Name one US 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 one state that borders Mexico.

California

Arizona

New Mexico

Texas

What is the capital of the US?

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

When do we celebrate Independence Day?

July 4th

Name two national US holidays.

New Year's Day

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Presidents' Day
Memorial Day

Independence Day

Labor Day

Columbus Day

Veterans Day

Thanksgiving

Christmas