Constitution Quiz

Who is the author of the Constitution?

James Madison. He is also considered the “father'“ of the constitution.

Who are the signers of the constitution?

George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison.

When was the constitution written and where?

It was written in the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia.

How many parts are there in the constitution?

There are three parts

What is the Preamble?

The introduction, where they stated their goals and what they wish to accomplish in the new country they were forming.

How many articles are there?

7

What are the first ten amendments called?

The Bill of Rights

Define Popular sovereignty:

Government power resides in the people. People have the power to make decisions.

Define the separation of powers:

Helps prevent one branch from becoming too powerful - checks and balances.

Define limited government:

The government is not all powerful, it can only do what the people let it do. The Constitution spells out what the government can and cannot do.

Define federalism:

Division of power among national and state governments. The state always has a higher say than local.

Federalism: National powers

Power to declare war, determine immigration policy, have military, set weights and measurements. Also known as the Federal government. National powers are everything that is in the Constitution.

Federalism: state powers

Education, elections, abortion rights, helmet laws, etc. State powers are not in the Constitution.

Federalism: concurrent powers

Powers that both the national and the state have - the power to tax,, have courts/trials, environmental laws, borrow money, etc.

What is the Legislative Branch called?

Congress

What are the two houses of Congress?

House of Representatives and the Senate (bicameral legislature)

What is referred to the lower house?

The House of Representatives

What is the term in the House of Representatives?

2 (closer to the people)

What is the total number of Representatives?

435 total

How do they determine who controls the house?

Whichever political party has the most members

Who is our Speaker of the House?

Johnson

What is the number of representatives in the House of Representative based on?

Population. There is a census every 10 years. Using the updated census, they redistrict the state into a number of districts. Each district has approximately 750,000 people.

What are the requirements for the House of Representatives?

• 25 years old

• Be a citizen for at least 7 years

• Live in the state you represent

What is referred to as the upper house?

The Senate

What is the term for the Senate?

6 years (farther from the people)

What are the total number of Senators?

100 total, two per state

What is the number of Senators based on?

There is 2 senators per state, regardless of the state’s population

Who is the Santa Monica Representative?

Ted Lieu (D)

What are the requirements for the Senate?

• 30 years old

• Citizen for at least 9 years

• Live in the state you represent

Who are the California senators?

Alex Padilla (D) and Adam Schiff (D)

What are the powers of Congress (11)?

• Set taxes (IRS)

• Declare war

• Raise and provide public money and oversee its proper expenditure

• Approve presidential appointments

• Approve treaties negotiated by the executive branch

• Oversight and investigations

• Commerce laws - regulate anything that crosses state lines

• Maintain military

• Print money

• Make laws

• Power of the Purse ($)

What is article II (Branch)?

Executive Branch

Who is the in the executive branch?

The President and the Vice President

Who elects the president and vice president?

Electoral college

What is the term of the president and vice president?

4 years (max. 2 terms - 22nd amendment)

What is the requirements for the president and vice president?

• 35 years old

• Natural born citizen

• Live in the U.S. for at least 14 years

What are the powers of the president/vice president (5)?

• Commander-in-chief

• Grant pardons

• Make treaties

• Appoint federal officers (ambassadors, federal judges, Supreme Court justices)

• Ensure laws are executed

What is article III (branch)?

Judicial Branch

What is the title and number of people in the Judicial Branch?

3:1 Supreme Court

There are 9 justices

Chief Justice is John Roberts

Which months do the Supreme Court justices work?

October to June

What is the term for Supreme Court justices?

Life - until they resign, retire, get impeached, or die

Who are the Supreme Court Justices appointed by?

The President with 2/3 vote of approval by the Senate. Congress gives them the power to establish lower courts as needed.

Define treason:

Only if levying War against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of TWO witnesses to the same overt act or a confession in open court

Who were the Federalists and what did they believe in?

The Federalists were Alexander Hamiliton, James Madison, John Jay. They believed in the Constitution and a strong federal government. They wrote the Federalist Papers, which are a series of articles written in defense of the Constitution.

Who were the Anti-Federalists and what did they believe in?

The Anti-Federalists were Samuel Adams and Patrick Henry. They supported a weaker central government. They felt too much power was taken from the states. They were opposed to the constitution. They wanted a Bill of Rights included.

What were the first ten amendments called?

The Bill of Rights

Amendment #1:

Religious and Political Freedom - Freedom of Speech, Press, Religion, Petition, and Assembly.

Amendment #2:

Right to keep and bear arms

Amendment #3:

Quartering of soldiers - not during times of peace but acceptable during war/emergency

Amendment #4:

Prevents the government from unreasonable research and seizure of an individual or their private property.

Amendment #5:

Provides protection for people accused of crimes. It states the serious criminal charges must be started by a grand jury. A person cannot be tried twice for the same offense (double jeopardy) or have their property taken away with just compensation and cannot be taken for public use without proper value given back. Cannot be forced to testify against oneself. People cannot be imprisoned without the due process of laws, with fair procedures and trials.

Amendment #6:

Provides additional protection of people accused of crimes. This includes the right to have a speedy and public trial, trialed by an impartial jury and to be informed by criminal charges. The accused is allowed to have their own witnesses and to be represented by a lawyer.

Amendment #8:

Prohibits excessive bail and fines and cruel, unusual punishment.

Amendment #13:

Slavery and involuntary servitude are to be abolished, except for punishment of a crime,  from the United States and any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Amendment #14

U.S. citizenship grants former slaves full citizenship rights and prohibits states from denying any person “equal protection of the laws” or violating due process of law without proper legal procedures. No state can pass laws that deprive a citizen of rights.

Amendment #15:

All male citizens granted the right to vote - Prohibits the federal and state government from denying the right to vote based on a citizen’s race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Amendment #18:

Illegal to manufacture, sell, or transport alcohol in the U.S.

Amendment #19:

Voting cannot be denied based on sex - granted women the right to vote

Amendment #20

Changed the date the President takes the oath of office to January 20th.

Amendment #21:

Repealed the 18th amendment (end prohibition era in US)

Amendment #22:

Limited the president to two terms

Amendment #24:

Prohibits poll taxes for voting for all federal elections

Amendment #25:

In case of the removal of the President from office of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President. Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.

Amendment #26:

18 year olds given the right to vote