U.S. CONSTITUTION STUDY GUIDE

What is the preamble?

The introduction to the Constitution.

How many articles are in the Constitution?

Seven

How many branches are in the government?

Three branches

How many times has the Constitution been amended?

Twenty-seven

What are the three branches of the government?

Legislative, Executive, Judicial

What are the first ten amendments to the Constitution called?

The Bill of Rights

What is the main job of the Legislature?

to make the laws

What are the two houses of the Legislature called?

The Congress

Name the two houses of Congress.

The House of Representatives and The Senate

When does each new session of Congress begin?

on January 3rd of odd numbered years

What is the Congressional Record?

A written record of everything said in both houses of Congress

What is the Elastic Clause?

It allows Congress to Stretch its powers as needed.

How many members in the House of Representatives?

435

How is the number of representatives chosen for each state?

The number is based on the state's population.

How often is there a census of the American people?

Every 10 years.

What are the three qualifications to be a Representative?

1. at least 25 years old

2. U.S. citizen for at least 7 years

3. live in the state you are representing

How long is the term of office for a Representative?

2 years

Who is the leader of the House of Representatives?

The Speaker of the House

What role does the House play in an impeachment trial?

The House gathers the evidence.

How many members are in the Senate?

100

How many senators from each state?

2

What are the three qualifications to be a Senator?

1. at least 30 years old

2. U.S. citizen for at least 9 years

3. live in the state you are representing

How long is the term of office for a senator?

6 years

Who is the leader of the Senate?

The President of the Senate which is the Vice-President

What role does the Senate play in an impeachment trial?

The Senate acts as the jury.

Where does a Bill go first to become a Law?

It begins either in the Senate or in the House of Representatives.

What kind of Bill can only begin in the House of Representatives?

A bill concerning money or revenue.

After a Bill passes the first House of the Congress, where does it go next?

To the other House.

If a Bill passes through both Houses of Congress, where does it go next?

To the President.

What two things can a president do to a Bill?

1. sign it to make it a Law

2. veto it and send it back to Congress

How can a vetoed Bill become a law?

Both Houses of Congress must override the veto with a 2/3 vote in each House.

What are the Powers of Congress?

1. taxing

2. printing money

3. declaring war

Define: Habeas Corpus

The right of the accused to see a judge and be told the charges against him/her.

Define: Ex Post Facto law

You may not be punished for something you'd done before the law was passed against that action.

What is the 1st Article of the Constitution about?

The Legislative Branch

What is the 2nd Article of the Constitution about?

The Executive Branch

What is the 3rd Article of the Constitution about?

The Judicial Branch

What is the main job of the Executive Branch?

To enforce the laws.

Who is the Leader of the Executive Branch?

The President

How long is the term of office for the President?

4 years

What are the three requirements to become President?

1. must be at least 35 years old

2. must be a natural born citizen

3. must be a resident in the U.S. for at least 14 years

Who elects the President and Vice-President?

The Electoral College

How many votes does each state have in the Electoral College?

Every state gets two plus however many representatives they have in the House.

How many votes are needed to win the Presidency?

270

Who is next in line if something happens to the President?

The Vice-President is next in line, followed by the Speaker of the House.

What are some powers of the President?

1. Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces

2. Appoints ambassadors

3. Represents the nation to foreign countries

4. Vetoes or signs Bills into Law

5. Appoints Supreme Court justices

What is the main job of the Judicial Branch?

To interpret the laws

What is the highest court in the land?

The Supreme Court

How many justices are in the Supreme Court?

Nine

How long is the term of office for a Supreme Court Justice?

Life

Who appoints Supreme Court justices?

The President

What are the Lower Federal Courts?

the District Courts and the Court of Appeals

Who creates the Lower Federal Courts?

The Congress

Fill in the blanks: THE CONSTITUTION IS THE ______ ______ _____ _____ _____

SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND.

When was the Constitution signed?

September 17, 1787

What are changes to the Constitution called?

Amendments

What are the first ten amendments to the Constitution called?

The Bill of Rights

What did Amendment #13 do?

abolished slavery

What did Amendment #18 do?

created Prohibition, which was repealed by #21

What did Amendment #19 do?

gave women the right to vote

What did Amendment #22 do?

The president can only serve two terms of office, no longer than 10 years.

What did Amendment #26 do?

set the voting age to 18 years old

Who is the President?

Barack Obama

Who is the Vice-President?

Joseph Biden

Who is our state representative in the House?

Luis Gutierrez

Who are our senators?

Richard (Dick) Durbin and Mark Kirk

T or F - You must be 30 years old to be in the Senate.

True

T or F - The 13th amendment gave women the right to vote.

False

T or F - One power of the President is to declare war.

False - only Congress can declare war.

T or F - The Elastic Clause allows the Congress to stretch their powers as needed.

True

T or F - The House of Representatives gathers the evidence for an impeachment.

True

T or F - There are a least 3 Representatives from each state based on population.

False - The least number of Representatives is 1 based on population.

T or F - The Congressional Record is a written list of every member of Congress.

False - The Congressional Record is a writing of every thing ever said in both houses of Congress.

T or F - The President can appoint a Supreme Court Judge only with the approval of the Congress.

False - Only with the approval of the Senate.

T or F - The president must be at least 30 years old.

False - 35 years old

T or F - There are always an even number of Justices in the Supreme Court.

False - always odd, so there are no ties

T or F - The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1987.

False - 1787

T or F - To win an election, a Presidential candidate must get at least 270 Electoral votes.

True

T or F - There are 7 Amendments in the Constitution.

False - 27

T or F - There are 7 Articles in the Constitution.

True

T or F - The Senate acts as the Jury in an impeachment trial.

True

T or F - Each state can print their own money.

False - only Congress can make money

T or F - To be a Representative, you must be at least 21 years old.

False - 25 years old