civic literacy exam

which document represents the supreme law of the land?

the U.S. Constitution

What does the U.S. Constitution do?

It sets up a federal government

What is the first phrase of the U.S. Constitution?

"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union…"

Which of the following was established by a constitutional amendment?

The President may serve no more than two elected terms.

What are the first ten amendments to the Constitution called?

the Bill of Rights

What is one right included in the First Amendment?

free speech

How many amendments does the Constitution currently have?

27

Which phrase in the U.S. Constitution addresses the power to seize property?

eminent domain

What is one branch of the federal government?

Legislature

Who is in charge of the executive branch?

The President

Who signs proposed bills into federal laws?

the President of the United States

What is one chamber of the U.S. Congress

Senate

How many U.S. Senators represent each state have?

Two

What is the length of a U.S. Senator's elected term?

six years

What is one power of the U.S. Senate?

ratify international treaties

What is the length of a U.S. Representative's elected term?

two years

What is one qualification to serve as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives?

be at least 25 years old

What is the minimum number of members of the U.S. House of Representatives representing each state?

one

What is the length of a President's term?

Four years

The U.S. Constitution requires that the President be elected by whom?

the Electoral Collage

Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?

the President

If both the President and Vice President are unable to serve, who acts as president?

the Speaker of the House

Who has the power to veto bills?

the President

What is the highest federal court in the United States?

the Supreme Court

Which two steps are required in order for someone to become Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court?

nomination by the President, confirmation by the Senate.

Which part of the U.S. Constitution protects the freedom of religion?

the Bill of Rights

What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?

checks and balances

What is the "rule of law"?

No one is above the law.

Who does a U.S. Senator represent?

the residents of a single state.

What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?

serving on a jury

Which of the following is a right reserved for U.S. citizens only?

running for federal office

Why did many colonists fight the British during the American Revolution?

because they opposed taxation without representation

What is the purpose of Selective Service?

to draft for compulsory military service

What is a purpose of civil rights movements?

to secure equalities

What is the purpose of the Seventeenth Amendment?

to promote democratic participation

Which is a shared power in the federal system?

collecting taxes

What is due process?

fair treatment in judicial proceedings

What is an example of a power reserved to the states?

creating school systems

Which scenario represents a violation of the equal protection clause?

A state law establishes a higher minimum wage for men than for women

What is an example of federalism?

the principle that the national and state governments share power

What is an example of representation?

The Congress passes a law

What is an example of a democratic process?

The people elect a Governor

What government officials are elected by the people?

mayors

Based on the U.S. Constitution, which part of government was intended to hold the least power?

the judiciary

What is an example of judicial review?

The power of the Supreme Court to find laws unconstitutional

What is the social contract?

The people give up some liberty to receive governmental protection

What is popular sovereignty?

rule by the people

Which option represents the goal of the supremacy clause?

States may not pass laws that conflict with federal laws.

Which option represents the principle of consent of the governed?

Individuals elect members of House of Representatives

Which action is an example of petitioning the government?

lobbying officials

What did the Declaration of Independence do?

declared independence from Great Britain

What are two natural rights identified in the Declaration of Independence?

life and liberty

Which structure found in the U.S. Constitution was included as a response to a concern expressed in the Declaration of Independence?

separation of powers

What are the first two paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence called?

the Preamble

Which right did the colonists consider "inalienable" in the Declaration of Independence?

pursuit of happiness

Which phrase is included in the Declaration of Independence?

"all men are created equal"

Which document was adopted by the newly independent United States to organize the national government after declaring independence?

the Articles of Confederation

Which phrase from a letter written by President Thomas Jefferson in 1802 reflects a freedom in the Bill of Rights?

"building a wall of separation between Church & State"

In which 1620 document do the writers form a "civil body politic"?

the Mayflower Compact

Which phrase from a letter written by Abigail Adams to her husband John Adams in 1776 is reflected in the Nineteenth Amendment?

"I desire you would Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favourable to them"

Which phrase from a letter written by Sarah Grimké in 1837 is reflected in the Fourteenth Amendment?

"I ask no favors for my sex, I surrender not our claim to equality."

Which of the following documents provided a rational for the Declaration of Independence?

Common Sense

Which of the following documents provided an outline for a state-centered government?

Articles of Confederation

Which statement from the English Bill of Rights is reflected in the Eighth Amendment?

"That excessive bail ought not to be required…nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted"

Which right from the English Bill or Rights is reflected in the First Amendment?

"…to petition the king…"

Which point of view is reflected in Common Sense?

Representatives should be elected

The colonists used a political cartoon with the caption "join or Die" to support which action?

forming their own government

Why does Article I, Section 7 of the U.S. Constitution require that tax bills be introduced in the House of Representatives?

because the original English colonists were taxed without their consent

Which part of government was created to reflect the colonists' position that government derive their powers from the consent of the governed?

the legislature

According to the authors of the Declaration of Independence, who is responsible for protecting natural rights?

the government

Which is a core theme of the Anti-Federalist Papers?

Government should support enumerated individual rights.

Which is a core theme of the Federalist Papers?

The proposed Constitution should be ratified

Which of the following correctly pairs a document with a core theme of that document?

Magna Carta- Established the principle of rule of law

Which phrase from the English Bill of Rights (1689) is reflected in the Third Amendment?

"That…keeping a standing army within the kingdom in the time of peace, … is against the law"

How did the U.S. Constitution resolve the dispute between slave and free states over representation?

Three-Fifths Compromise

Which Supreme Court ruling held that the authors of the U.S. Constitution did not intend for African Americans to be U.S. citizens?

Bred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

How did the holding in the United States Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) impact criminal defendants?

It established that defendants had right to counsel.

How did the holding in the United States Supreme Court case Miranda v. Arizona (1966) impact criminal defendants?

It established that defendants were protected against self-incrimination.

Which United States Supreme Court decision was based on the equal protection clause?

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Which United States Supreme Court decision was based on the free exercise clause?

West Virginia v. Barnette (1943)

Which United States Supreme Court decision was based on the necessary and proper clause?

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Which United States Supreme Court decision was based on the First Amendment?

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

Which United States Supreme Court case focused on executive privilege?

U.S. v. Nixon (1974)

Which United States Supreme Court case established the power of judicial review?

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Which United States Supreme Court holding impacted the way that religious practice was approached in public schools?

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

Which United States Supreme Court case focused on whether an enslaved person, having lived in free territory, should be free?

Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

Which United States Supreme Court case held that persons accused of crimes must be advised of their Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights upon their arrest?

Miranda v. Arizona

Which of the following pairs or cases focused on the rights of public school students?

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) and Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier

Which of the following cases reinforced the federal government's authority to run a federal institution without interference by a state?

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Which of the following pairs of cases limited the rights of African-Americans?

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) and Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

Which of the following pairs of cases impacted First Amendment rights?

Texas v. Johnson (1989) and Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (1988)

Which of the following cases reinforced the power of the courts?

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Which of the following cases impacted interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendent?

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

How did District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) impact states' rights?

It reduced the ability of states to place restrictions on Second Amendment rights.

Which of the followings cases held that reproductive rights were an element of the right to privacy under the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment?

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Which United States Supreme Court decision focused on how states count popular vote for president and vise-president?

Bush v. Gore (2000)

Which of the following cases impacted Fourth Amendment protections at the state level?

Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

Which United States Supreme Court decision resulted in reduced power for state governments?

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Which of the following United States Supreme Court pairs of cases resulted in limiting the power for local governments?

Brown v. Board of Education (1954) and District of Columbia v. Heller (2008)

Which United States Supreme Court case is correctly paired with the constitutional amendment on which it focused?

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) - First Amendment