2025 version of the Civics Test Flashcards

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers essential principles of American government, the system of government, rights and responsibilities, and key periods in American history based on the 2025 civics test questions.

Form of government of the United States

Republic, Constitution-based federal republic, or Representative democracy

Supreme law of the land

The (U.S.) Constitution

Functions of the U.S. Constitution

Forms the government, defines powers and parts of government, and protects the rights of the people

“We the People”

Concepts of self-government, popular sovereignty, consent of the governed, and the social contract

Amendments

The process by which changes are made to the U.S. Constitution

Bill of Rights

Protects the basic rights of Americans and people living in the United States

Number of amendments to the U.S. Constitution

$$27$$

Declaration of Independence

The founding document that said the American colonies were free from British control and identified inherent rights and equality

Economic system of the United States

Capitalism or Free market economy

Rule of law

The principle that everyone, including leaders and the government, must follow the law; no one is above the law

Separation of powers

The division of government into three branches to ensure one part does not become too powerful

Legislative branch

The part of the federal government, also known as Congress, that writes laws

U.S. Congress

Consists of two parts: the Senate and the House of Representatives

Number of U.S. senators

$$100$$

Term length for a U.S. senator

$6$ years

Number of voting members in the House of Representatives

$$435$$

Term length for a U.S. representative

$2$ years

Senators per state

$2$ representatives per state for equal representation, as established by the Great Compromise

Constituency of a U.S. senator

The citizens or people of their entire state

Constituency of a member of the House of Representatives

Citizens or people in their specific congressional district

Term length for the President

$4$ years

22nd Amendment

Limits the President to serving only two terms to prevent them from becoming too powerful

Presidential succession

If the President can no longer serve, the Vice President becomes President

Commander in Chief

The President of the United States, who leads the military

President’s Cabinet

A group that advises the President

Electoral College

A system that decides who is elected president, providing a compromise between popular election and congressional selection

Judicial branch

The branch that reviews, explains, and resolves disputes about laws, and decides if laws go against the Constitution

Highest court in the United States

Supreme Court

Supreme Court justices

A total of $9$ seats, with justices serving for life or until retirement to remain independent of politics

Federal powers

Powers like printing money, declaring war, creating an army, and making treaties

State powers

Powers like providing education, police protection, safety, and issuing driver’s licenses

10th Amendment

States that powers not given to the federal government belong to the states or to the people

Pledge of Allegiance

A show of loyalty to the United States and the flag

Oath of Allegiance

A promise made by new citizens to defend the Constitution, obey laws, and be loyal to the United States

Civic participation

Examples include voting, running for office, joining a political party, or contacting elected officials

Selective Service

A registry for men age $18$ through $25$ to make the draft fair if needed

American Revolution

The war Americans fought to win independence from Britain due to reasons like high taxes or lack of self-government

Thomas Jefferson

The author of the Declaration of Independence and third President of the United States

Louisiana Territory

The land the United States purchased from France in $1803$

The Civil War

The U.S. war between the North and the South that ended slavery

Abraham Lincoln

The $16\text{th}$ president who freed the slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation and led the U.S. during the Civil War

14th Amendment

An amendment defining that all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. are citizens

19th Amendment

The amendment that gave all women the right to vote in $1920$

The Great Depression

The longest economic recession in modern history, starting with the stock market crash in $1929$

Cold War

A period where the main concern of the U.S. was communism and its main rival was the Soviet Union

Civil rights movement

A movement that fought to end racial discrimination

September 11, 2001

The date of major terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon

E Pluribus Unum

The nation's first motto, meaning “Out of many, one”

Memorial Day

A holiday to honor soldiers who died in military service

Veterans Day

A holiday to honor people who have served in the U.S. military