History: The United States Constitution

All 7 Articles

The U.S is divided into seven main parts called:

Articles

Which portion of the U. S. Constitution clarifies the documents fundamental purposes and guiding principles?

Preamble

Domestic Tranquility:

Peace at home

Liberty:

The right to criticize one’s government, speak and worship freely, and to create a government that would protect those rights.

Posterity

The generations of people after us

Preamble text:

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America

Article 1:

The legislative branch

Who makes up legislative branch?

Congress

What is the main purpose of the legislative branch ?

To make the laws

Congress is made up of..

The house of reps + the Senate

The number of members of the House is based on..

The population of each state

Each state has _ senators

2

What is the current size of the House of reps

435 members

Senators serve a _ year term

6

In any election, how many senators stay in office and why?

At least 2/3 stay in office to ensure that there are experienced senators in office at all times.

According to the Constitution, what is the Vice Presidents only duty?

To preside in the Senates meetings

The house can charge w government official with wrongdoing, and the Senate acts as a court to decide if the official is guilty. What is the process called.

Impeachment

Congress decided that elections be help on the _ after the first Monday in _ of even numbered years

Tuesday + November

Each house keeps a journal and a publication called the..

Congressional record

The power of taxation is the responsibility of the:

House of reps

The veto power of the president and the ability of congress to override a presidential veto are two of the important _ and _ within the constitution

Checks and balances

Federalism:

(Congress > States) the division and sharing of power between the national and state governments.

Article 2

The executive branch

Who is the chief of the executive branch?

The president

Presidents job:

To enforce the laws

The framers decided on a _ year term for the president

4

What is the electoral system the framers set up to see who became president and vice president ?

President = person w most votes

Vice president = Second most votes

The youngest person to BE president

Theodore Roosevelt (after the assassination of Pres McKinley) at 42 yrs old

The youngest ELECTED president

John F. Kennedy (43 yrs old)

The oldest elected president

Joe Biden

What are the 3 requirements to become president ?

• Natural born citizen

• At least 35 years old

• At least 14 years of residency in the US

Presidents Salary (Original and current)

Original - $25,000

Current - $400,000

Additional benefits the president receives include (3)..

-$50,000 expense account

- $100,000 to redecorate the White House

-Free healthcare

What did George Washington add to the end of the presidential oath ?

“So help me god”

The president is in charge of (5) military forces

Air Force, Army, Marines, Coast Guard, Navy.

Who determines whether the US declares war?

Congress

How many heads make up the cabinet?

Originally 4, but currently there is 15.

What is the name of the speech the president must deliver to the American people every January (now February)

The State of the Union Address

What is the job of the judicial branch

To interpret the laws

The only crime that is mentioned in the Constitution:

Treason

What is it called when congress punishes a family member of a person who has committed treason?

Corruption of blood