Civics Exam Study Guide

What is the supreme law of the land?

The Constitution

What does the Constitution do?

▪ Sets up the government

▪ Defines the government

▪ Protects basic rights of Americans

The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?

We the People

What is an amendment?

▪ A change (to the Constitution)

▪ An addition (to the Constitution)

What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?

The Bill of Rights

What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?

▪ Speech

▪ Religion

▪ Assembly

▪ Press

▪ Petition the government

How many amendments does the Constitution have?

Twenty-seven (27)

What did the Declaration of Independence do?

▪ Announced our independence (from Great Britain)

▪ Declared our independence (from Great Britain)

▪ Said that the United States is free (from Great Britain)

What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?

▪ Life

▪ Liberty

▪ Pursuit of happiness

What is freedom of religion?

You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion.

What is the economic system in the United States?

▪ Capitalist economy

▪ Market economy

What is the “rule of law”?

▪ Everyone must follow the law.

▪ Leaders must obey the law.

▪ Government must obey the law.

▪ No one is above the law.

Name one branch or part of the government

▪ Congress

▪ Legislative

▪ President

▪ Executive

▪ The courts

▪ Judicial

What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?

▪ Checks and balances

▪ Separation of powers

Who is in charge of the executive branch?

The President

Who makes federal laws?

▪ Congress

▪ Senate and House (of Representatives)

▪ (U.S. or national) Legislature

What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?

The Senate and House (of Representatives)

How many U.S. Senators are there?

One hundred (100)

We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?

Six (6)

Who is one of your state’s U.S. Senators now?

Kyrsten Sinema

The House of Representatives has how many voting members?

Four hundred thirty-five (435)

We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?

Two (2)

Name your U.S. Representative

Eli Crane

Who does a U.S. Senator represent?

All people of the state

Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?

▪ (because of) The state’s population

▪ (because) They have more people

▪ (because) Some states have more people

We elect a President for how many years?

Four (4)

In what month do we vote for President?

November

What is the name of the President of the United States now?

Joe Biden

What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?

Kamala Harris

If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?

Vice President

If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?

The Speaker of the House

Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?

The President

Who signs bills to become laws?

The President

Who vetoes bills?

The President

What does the President’s Cabinet do?

Advises the president

What are two Cabinet-level positions?

▪ Secretary of Agriculture

▪ Secretary of Commerce

▪ Secretary of Defense

▪ Secretary of Education

▪ Secretary of Energy

▪ Secretary of Health and Human Services

▪ Secretary of Homeland Security

▪ Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

▪ Secretary of the Interior

▪ Secretary of Labor

▪ Secretary of State

▪ Secretary of Transportation

▪ Secretary of the Treasury

▪ Secretary of Veterans Affairs

▪ Attorney General

▪ Vice President

What does the judicial branch do?

▪ Reviews laws

▪ Explains laws

▪ Resolves disputes (disagreements)

▪ Decides if a law goes against the Constitution

What is the highest court in the United States?

The Supreme Court

How many justices are on the Supreme Court?

Nine (9)

Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?

John Roberts

Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?

▪ To print money

▪ To declare war

▪ To create an army

▪ To make treaties

Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states?

▪ Provide schooling and education

▪ Provide protection (police)

▪ Provide safety (fire departments)

▪ Give a driver’s license

▪ Approve zoning and land use

Who is the Governor of your state now?

Katie Hobbs

What is the capital of your state?

Phoenix

What are the two major political parties in the United States?

Democratic and Republican

What is the political party of the President now?

Democratic

What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?

Patrick McHenry

There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.

▪ Citizens eighteen (18) and older (can vote)

▪ You don’t have to pay (a poll tax) to vote

▪ Any citizen can vote. (Women and men can vote.)

▪ A male citizen of any race (can vote).

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

▪ Serve on a jury

▪ Vote in a federal election

Name one right only for United States citizens

▪ Vote in a federal election

▪ Run for federal office

What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?

▪ Freedom of expression

▪ Freedom of speech

▪ Freedom of assembly

▪ Freedom to petition the government

▪ Freedom of religion

▪ The right to bear arms

What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?

▪ The United States

▪ The flag

What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?

▪ Give up loyalty to other countries

▪ Defend the Constitution and laws of the United States

▪ Obey the laws of the United States

▪ Serve in the U.S. military (if needed)

▪ Serve (do important work for) the nation (if needed)

▪ Be loyal to the United States

How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?

Eighteen (18) and older

What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?

▪ Vote

▪ Join a political party

▪ Help with a campaign

▪ Join a civic group

▪ Join a community group

▪ Give an elected official your opinion on an issue

▪ Call Senators and Representatives

▪ Publicly support or oppose an issue or policy

▪ Run for office

▪ Write to a newspaper

When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?

April 15

When must all men register for the Selective Service?

▪ At age eighteen (18)

▪ Between eighteen (18) and twenty-six (26)

What is one reason colonists came to America?

▪ Freedom

▪ Political liberty

▪ Religious freedom

▪ Economic opportunity

▪ Practice their religion

▪ Escape persecution

Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?

American Indians

What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?

Africans

Why did the colonists fight the British?

▪ Because of high taxes (taxation without representation)

▪ Because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering)

▪ Because they didn’t have self-government

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson

When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?

July 4, 1776

There were 13 original states. Name three

▪ New Hampshire

▪ Massachusetts

▪ Rhode Island

▪ Connecticut

▪ New York

▪ New Jersey

▪ Pennsylvania

▪ Delaware

▪ Maryland

▪ Virginia

▪ North Carolina

▪ South Carolina

▪ Georgia

What happened at the Constitutional Convention?

▪ The Constitution was written.

▪ The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution.

When was the Constitution written?

1787

The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.

▪ James Madison

▪ Alexander Hamilton

▪ John Jay

▪ Publius

What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?

▪ U.S. diplomat

▪ Oldest member of the Constitutional Convention

▪ First Postmaster General of the United States

▪ Writer of “Poor Richard’s Almanac”

▪ Started the first free libraries

Who is the “Father of Our Country”?

George Washington

Who was the first President?

George Washington

What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?

Louisiana Territory

Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.

▪ War of 1812

▪ Mexican-American War

▪ Civil War

▪ Spanish-American War

Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.

Civil War

Name one problem that led to the Civil War.

▪ Slavery

▪ Economic reasons

▪ States’ rights

What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?

▪ Freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation)

▪ Saved (or preserved) the Union

▪ Led the United States during the Civil War

What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

▪ Freed the slaves

▪ Freed slaves in the Confederacy

▪ Freed slaves in the Confederate states

▪ Freed slaves in most Southern states

What did Susan B. Anthony do?

▪ Fought for women’s rights

▪ Fought for civil rights

Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.

▪ World War I

▪ World War II

▪ Korean War

▪ Vietnam War

▪ (Persian) Gulf War

Who was President during World War I?

Woodrow Wilson

Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?

Franklin Roosevelt

Who did the United States fight in World War II?

Japan, Germany, and Italy

Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in?

World War II

During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?

Communism

What movement tried to end racial discrimination?

Civil Rights Movement

What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?

Fought for civil rights

What major event happened on September 11, 2001, in the United States?

Terrorists attacked the United States.

Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.

▪ Cherokee

▪ Navajo

▪ Sioux

▪ Chippewa

▪ Choctaw

▪ Pueblo

▪ Apache

▪ Iroquois

▪ Creek

▪ Blackfeet

▪ Seminole

▪ Cheyenne

▪ Arawak

▪ Shawnee

▪ Mohegan

▪ Huron

▪ Oneida

▪ Lakota

▪ Crow

▪ Teton

▪ Hopi

▪ Inuit

Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.

▪ Missouri River

▪ Mississippi River

What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?

Pacific Ocean

What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?

Atlantic Ocean

Name one U.S. territory.

▪ Puerto Rico

▪ U.S. Virgin Islands

▪ American Samoa

▪ Northern Mariana Islands

▪ Guam

Name one state that borders Canada.

▪ Maine

▪ New Hampshire

▪ Vermont

▪ New York

▪ Pennsylvania

▪ Ohio

▪ Michigan

▪ Minnesota

▪ North Dakota

▪ Montana

▪ Idaho

▪ Washington

▪ Alaska

Name one state that borders Mexico

▪ California

▪ Arizona

▪ New Mexico

▪ Texas

What is the capital of the United States?

Washington, D.C.

Where is the Statue of Liberty?

▪ New York Harbor

▪ Liberty Island

[Also acceptable are New Jersey, near New York City, and on the Hudson (River).]

Why does the flag have 13 stripes?

Represent the 13 original colonies

Why does the flag have 50 stars?

One star for each state

What is the name of the national anthem?

The Star-Spangled Banner

When do we celebrate Independence Day?

July 4th

Name two national U.S. holidays.

▪ New Year’s Day

▪ Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

▪ Presidents’ Day

▪ Memorial Day

▪ Independence Day

▪ Labor Day

▪ Columbus Day

▪ Veterans Day

▪ Thanksgiving

▪ Christmas