Constitution Exam Study Guide Quizlet

1) How is the Constitution organized?

A. into parts called articles

2) Why did the delegates start the Preamble to the Constitution with the words "We, the people"?

B. to state that government power comes from the people

3) Why does each state have two senators?

A. to balance the rights of large and small states

4) What is the primary work of Congress?

D. to make laws for the country

5) What is the final step before a national bill becomes a law?

C. It is signed by the president.

6) All of these are duties of the executive branch except
A. negotiating treaties.
B. carrying out the laws.
C. proposing new taxes.
D. nominating federal judges.

C. proposing new taxes.

7) Which of these describes the responsibility of the judicial branch?
A. to put laws into effect
B. to resolve disputes under the law
C. to veto decisions of the Supreme Court
D. to propose bills needed to achieve justice

B. to resolve disputes under the law

8) What name is given to the Supreme Court's power to declare a law unconstitutional?

D. judicial review

9) What is the purpose of the system of checks and balances?

C. to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful

10) An amendment to the Constitution can be ratified by three-fourths of the _____

C. state legislatures.

11) Which of these can propose an amendment to the Constitution?
A. Congress
B. governors
C. presidents
D. Supreme Court

A. Congress

12) Which of these refers to the sharing of power between national and state governments?
A. bicameral
B. federalism
C. commerce
D. nationalism

B. federalism

13) All federal and state officers must swear an oath to__

B. protect and defend the Constitution

14) Why does the Constitution establish the principle of majority rule?

B. so decisions represent what most of the people want

15) The U.S. population can directly participate in government in all of these ways EXCEPT through
A. passing laws.
B. joining interest groups.
C. participating in elections.
D. belonging to political parties.

A. passing laws.

16) How many terms can a person now serve as president?

B. 2 terms

17) How does the president balance the power of Congress?

A. The president can veto bills passed by Congress.

18) How does the Supreme Court prevent the president and Congress from abusing their power?

B. The Supreme Court can reject laws and treaties that are unconstitutional.

19) How does Congress check the power of the president?

A. The Congress approves presidential appointments. B. Congress may override the president's veto. C. Congress may impeach the president. D. All of the above (correct)

20) How many amendments have been added to the Constitution?

C. 27

21) How many U.S. Senators come from each state?

B. 2

22) What day is the President inaugurated on?

B. January 20th

23) Presidential elections are held on __________

C. the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November

24) How long is one term for Senators?

B. 6 years

25) How long is one term for Representatives in the House?

C. 2 years

26) What is the primary purpose of the Executive Branch?

B. to enforce laws

27) How old must a person be to run for President?

C. 35

28) How is the President elected?

A. through the Electoral College

29) What is the main purpose of the Judicial Branch?

B. to review laws

30) How many Supreme Court Justices are there currently?

C. 9

31) How long do Supreme Court Justices serve?

A. For life

32) Who chooses Supreme Court Justices?

C. the President

33) Which of the following is an eligibility requirement for the office of President?
A. Be at least 55 years of age
B. Have a college degree
C. Be a natural-born citizen of the United States
D. Have military leadership experience

C. Be a natural-born citizen of the United States

34) Which is a responsibility of the U.S. Supreme Court?
A. to review laws
B. to appoint justices
C. to propose new tax laws
D. to create treaties

A. to review laws

35) This branch of government makes and writes the Laws.

C. Legislative Branch

36) The framers of the Constitution created this method of balancing power by allowing each branch the ability to check the other branches, in an attempt to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.

C. Check and Balances

37) It is the idea that the government's authority comes from the people.

B. Consent of the governed

38) The branch of government that makes sure the laws are carried out.

B. Executive Branch

39) The branch of government described in Article I of the Constitution.

A. Legislative Branch

40) What can the Congress do regarding the military?
A. declare war against other nations.
B. raise an army and a navy and provide the funds to pay for both.
C. call up the militia to carry out federal laws, put down rebellions, and defend against invasion.
D. all of the above

D. All of the above

41) Which of the following is a shared power between the State and Federal Government?
A. coin money
B. collect taxes
C. create schools
D. set up a postal system

B. collect taxes

42) A bill is a _____________________________________.

D. proposed law

43) Which word means to formally accuse an official of a crime related to official duties?

A. impeach

44) A change to the Constitution is called a(n)

C. amendment

45) Which word means to reject a proposed law or bill?

D. veto

46) The right to own guns is guaranteed in which Amendment?

B. 2ndAmendment

47) The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized.

C. 4th Amendment

48) No person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise infamous crime unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.

D. 5th Amendment

49) Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

A. 1st Amendment

50) If you are tried for a crime and found not guilty you cannot be tried again. This is guaranteed in which Amendment?

D. 5th Amendment

51) This Amendment abolished slavery.

A. 13th Amendment

52) This Amendment gave women the right to vote.

D. 19th Amendment

53) This Amendment prohibited the manufacturing or sale of alcohol in the United States.

D. 18th Amendment

54) If the president is unable to finish out the term, who takes over the job?.

B. Vice President

55) If the president and the vice president are both unable to finish out their terms, who takes over the job?.

A. Speaker of the House

56) The 14th Amendment was used to strike down "separate but equal" laws because these laws violated ________________________________.

B. the equal protection clause

57) The branch of government described in Article II of the Constitution.

B. Executive Branch

58) The branch of government described in Article III of the Constitution.

C. Judicial Branch

59) The Constitution was written in the year _____________.

C. 1787

60) When a president is impeached it means he/she __________________.

D. can be held over for a trial

61) The first 10 Amendments of the Constitution are known as _____________.

C. the Bill of Rights

62) The Supreme Court has upheld the idea that free speech also includes symbolic representations of ideas like burning the American Flag.

A. true

63) In the Dred Scott case, the Supreme Court decided_________________.

C. all African slaves were not citizens

64) In the Plessy v. Ferguson case, the Supreme Court decided_________________

A. separate facilities for African Americans was Constitutional

65) In the Loving v. Virginia case, the Supreme Court decided_________________

B. preventing interracial marriage was NOT Constitutional

Article IV

States can pass their own laws applying only to that state

Article V

The Constitution can be changed by amendments which must be approved by 2/3 of each house of Congress and 3/4 of the States

Article VI

Federal law supercedes state law

Article VII

Makes Constitution the law

Third Amendment

The government may not house soldiers in private homes without consent of the owner

Sixth Amendment

Right to a speedy and public trial

Seventh Amendment

Right to trial by jury

Eigth Amendment

excessive bail shall not be required nor excessive fines imposed nor cruel and unusual punishment

Ninth Amendment

People's rights are not limited to those listed in the Constitution

Tenth Amendment

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Overrules Plessy v. Ferguson. Racial segregation violates 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause ("separate is inherently unequal")

Korematsu v. United States (1944)

Ruled that American citizens of Japanese descent could be interned and deprived of basic constitutional rights due to executive order

Texas v. Johnson (1989)

Struck down Texas law that banned flag burning, which is a protected form of symbolic speech.

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

Public school students may wear armbands to class protesting against America's war in Vietnam when such display does not disrupt classes

Harper vs Poway Unified School District (2006)

District banning Anti-Gay shirt was not a violation of First Amendment

Bethel School District v. Fraser (1986)

Gave public school officials the authority to suspend students for speech considered to be lewd or indecent

Morse v. Frederick (2007)

Upholds the authority of public school administrators to suspend students for promoting illegal drugs at a school event (Bong Hits for Jesus)

Mahoney Area School District v. B.L (2021)

Snap chat cheerleader not guilty

Scott v. Sanford (1857)

The Supreme Court decision ruling that a slave who had escaped to a free state enjoyed no rights as a citizen and that Congress had no authority to ban slavery in the territories.

Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

The court ruled that those subjected to in-custody interrogation be advised of their constitutional right to an attorney and their right to remain silent.

United States v. O'Brien (1968)

Burning a draft card is not protected

New Jersey v. TLO (1985)

School searches without warrants are allowed

Veto In Latin

I forbid

Declaration of Independence

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Preamble

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 the 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

Popular Sovereignty

A belief that ultimate power resides in the people.

What is the ordinary trial court in the federal judiciary?

District Court

What is the purpose of the Appelette Court?

To determine if the law was applied correctly in the District Court

When the president puts forward someone in the supreme court what must happen?

They go through hearings and they must be approved by the senate

True or False: The President can pardon people without needing approval.

True

What power does the president have over the Congress/Legislative Branch?
A. Veto laws
B. Propose Legislation
C. Call Special Sessions of Congress
D. All of the Above

D. All of the above

Who is the leader of the Senate?

Vice President

Fourteenth Amendment

made "all persons born or naturalized in the United States" citizens of the country