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What is the supreme law of the land?
US Constitution
What does the Constitution do?
sets up government/ defines government/ protects basic rights of US citizens
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 or 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?
any of the following: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of press, freedom for assembly, freedom to petition the government.
How many amendments does the Constitution have?
twenty-seven (27)
What did the Declaration of Independence do?
announced or declared our independence from Great Britian/ said the US was a free country.
What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?
the rights of life, liberty, and the 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 or market economy
What is the "rule of law"?
Everyone must follow the law, including the leaders and government/ 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
What are the two parts of the US Congress?
Senate and House of Representatives
How many US Senators are there?
100 (two from each state)
A US Senator is elected for how many years?
six (6)
Who is one of your state's US Senators now?
Chris Murphy or Richard Blumenthal
The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
four hundred thirty-five (435)
US Representatives are elected for how many years?
two (2)
Name your US Representative
Rosa DeLauro, Jahana Hayes, Jim Himes, John Larson, Joe Courtney
Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?
the number of representatives is based on the state's population.
Who does a US Senator represent?
all the people of the state
A President is elected for how many years?
four (4)
In what month do we vote for President?
November
What is the name of the current President of the US?
Joe Biden
What is the name of the Vice President of the US?
Kamala Harris
If the President can no longer serve who becomes president?
the Vice President
If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
Speaker of the House
Who is Commander in Chief of the military?
the President
Who signs bill 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?
Any two: Secretary of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing, the Interior, State, Labor, Transportation, the Treasury, Veteran Affairs, and the Attorney General
What does the judicial branch do?
explains and reviews laws; resolves disputes; decides whether laws are Constitutional
What is the highest court in the US?
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 or John G. Roberts, Jr.
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 depts.); issue driver's license; approve zoning and land use
Who is the Governor of your state now?
Ned Lamont
What are the two major political parties in the United States?
Democrats and Repulicans
What is the political party of the current President?
Democratic
What is the name of the current Speaker of the House of Representatives?
Mike Johnson
There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
Citizens 18 or older can vote; no poll tax--you don't have to pay to vote; any citizen can vote (legalizing women's suffrage); a male citizen of any race can vote (legalizing African American suffrage).
What is one responsibility that is only for US citizens?
vote in a federal election; run for federal office
Name one right only for US citizens.
vote in a federal election; run for federal office
What are two rights of everyone living in the US?
any two: freedom of expression, speech, assembly, religion, the right to petition the government, and 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 US citizen?
give up loyalty to other countries; defend the Constitution and laws of the US; obey the laws of the US; register for selective service; be loyal to the US
How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?
eighteen (18)
What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?
any two: vote, join a political party; help with a campaign; join a civic group, call Senators and Representatives, run for office, write to a newspaper, publicly support or oppose an issue or policy.
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 18 and 26
What is one reason colonists came to America?
freedom, political liberty, religious freedom, economic opportunity, escape persecution
Who lived in American before the Europeans arrived?
American Indians or Native Americans
What group of people was taken to American and sold as slaves?
Africans
Why did the colonists fight the British?
high taxes; for self-government; because British army stayed in their homes
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
July 4, 1776
Name the original thirteen colonies.
New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Islan, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,. Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia
What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
The Constitution was written or the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution
When was the Constitution written?
1787
The Federalist Papers supported passage of the US Constitution. Name one of the writers.
James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Hay
What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
US diplomat, oldest member of the Constitutional Convention, first Postmaster General of the US, 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?
the 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 US war between the North and the South.
the Civil War; the War between the States
Name one problem that led to the Civil War.
slavery; economic reasons, state's rights
What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did.
Emancipation Proclamation (freed slaves); preserved the Union; led the US during the Civil War.
What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
freed slaves in the Confederacy
What did Susan B. Anthony do?
fought for women's rights; fought for civil rights
Name on war fought by the US in the 1900s.
WWI; WWII; Korean War; Vietnam War; Gulf War
Who was President during World War I?
Woodrow Wilson
Who was President during the Great Depression and WWII?
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Who did the United states fight in WWII?
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; worked for equality for all Americans
What major event happened on September 11, 2001, in the United States?
terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers and Pentagon
Name one American Indian tribe in the US
Cherokee, Navajo, Sioux, Pueblo, Apache, Cheyenne, Huron, Oneida, Hopi, Inuit, Iroquois, Blackfeet
Name one of the two longest rivers in the US.
Missouri River or Mississippi River
What ocean is on the West Coast of the US?
Pacific Ocean
What ocean is on the East Coast of the US?
Atlantic Ocean
Name one US territory.
Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam
Name a 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 the US?
Washington, D.C.
Where is the Statue of Liberty?
New York, New York Harbor, Liberty Island
Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
because the stripes represent the 13 colonies.
Why does the flag have 50 stars?
because each star represents a state; one for each state
What is the name of the national anthem?
The Star-Spangled Banner
When do we celebrate Independence Day?
July 4
Name two national US holidays
New Year's Day; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; Presidents' Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Days; Thanksgiving; Christman
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