Johnny Boy GOV!

Six Goals in the Preamble

To form a more perfect Union

To establish Justice

To insure domestic Tranquility

To provide for the common Defence

To promote the general Welfare

To secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity

Form of Government? Democracy or Republic

The U.S. is a constitutional republic grounded in democratic principles aka a representative democracy, meaning the people hold the power to elect representatives.

The Seven Articles and the dominant themes of each?

Article I: Establishes the Legislative Branch (Congress) – structure and powers.

Article II: Defines the Executive Branch (President).

Article III: Sets up the Judicial Branch (federal courts, Supreme Court).

Article IV: Addresses State relations, and interstate powers & privileges.

Article V: Details the Amendment process.

Article VI: Outlines the Supremacy Clause, prior debts, and oaths.

Article VII: Covers Ratification Process

How many number of Amendments?

27 amendments to the U.S. Constitution

First Ten Amendments

Freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, petition

Bear arms

Protections from quartering troops

Protection from unreasonable searches and seizures

Rights in criminal cases — due process, double Jeopardy, self-incrimination

Right to fair trial — speedy, public, impartial jury; counsel.

Right to jury trial in civil cases

Protection against cruel and unusual punishments and excessive bail/fines

Rights retained by the people beyond those enumerated

Powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to states or people

How can the Constitution be Amended?

Two different ways: proposal by two-thirds vote in both Houses of Congress; ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures or conventions

Proposal by a national constitutional convention called by two-thirds of state legislatures; ratification by three-fourths of states.

What are the qualifications to be a member of the House?

At least 25 years old

U.S. Citizen for 7 years

Resident of the state (though not necessarily the same district) at the time of election

What are the qualifications to be a member of the Senate?

At least 30 years old

U.S. citizen for 9 years

Resident of the state at the time of election.

What is the current Congress Number?

We’re currently in the 119th U.S. Congress (serving 2025–2027).

What are the terms of office for house members and senators?

House members serve 2-year terms.

Senators serve 6-year terms.

How many total number of Representatives are there and how do they determine it?

There are 435 voting members in the House. This number is fixed by law and apportioned among states based on population from the decennial Census.

How many total number of senators are there and how do they determine it?

There are 100 Senators— two per state, regardless of population, ensuring equal state representation.

How many Congressional districts does New Jersey have? What district is Hopewell in?

NJ has 12 districts

Hopewell lies in the 12th Congressional District

Bonnie Watson Coleman represents the 12th district

Current Senators are Cory Booker and Andy Kim

What does Article 1, Section 8 express?

This section outlines the enumerated powers of Congress, including taxation, defense, commerce regulation, coinage, war powers, and others.

What is the Elastic Clause?

AKA the Necessary and Proper Clause, it grants Conrgess the power to make laws needed to execute its enumerated powers. It’s “elastic” because it allows flexibility—but is sometimes controversial when used to justify broad federal authority.

What is the impeachment process?

House of Representatives: Has sole authority to impeach (brings charges) against federal officials

Senate actually conducts the trial, requires a two-thirds vote to convict and remove from office

What are the basic functions of the three branches?

Legislative (Congress): Makes laws.

Executive (President): Enforces laws.

Judicial (Supreme Court and lower courts): Interprets laws.

What are the constitutional requirements to be a president?

Must be a natural-born U.S. citizen

At least 35 years old

A resident of the U.S. for 14 years

How can a presidential veto be overridden?

Congress can override with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate

What is the electoral college? What is the total number of electoral votes and how many are needed to win the precedence?

The system that selects the President. The total votes :538 (435 House + 100 Senate + 3 from D.C.

270 votes are required to win

Which branch of government established the federal court system?

Congress (Legislative branch) established the federal court system under its constitutional authority.

Who is the current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?

John G. Roberts Jr.

Who are the other 8 current associate justices?

Clarence Thomas, Smauel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanuagh, Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson

WHat is the purpose of the “Full faith and clause”?

Found in Article IV, it requires each state to honor the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of other states—for example, recognizing a marriage or court judgment from another state.

Define Federalism. How does it relate to the Constitution?

Federalism divides power between a central (national) government and state governments. The Constitution establishes this structure, granting certain powers to the federal government while reserving others to the states, balancing unity with state autonomy.