Democracy in America

Would a government where everyone votes on all policies and the majority wins be considered a direct democracy or a representative democracy? 

Direct Democracy

Who were the main authors of the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams

In what year was the Declaration of Independence drafted and approved by the Continental Congress

1776

Of what is this a definition? The formal vehicle through which policies are made and affairs of state are conducted.

Government

Who were the authors of the Federalist Papers

Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison

Generally speaking, were Federalists in favor of adopting the new Constitution or against it?

In favor

What historic figure is known as “The Father of the Constitution”?

James Madison

Generally speaking, did Federalists favor a constitution with more centralized power (more national government power) OR more power given to the states than the Articles of Confederation allowed?

More centralized

In the U.S. Constitution (of 1787) as ratified by the states, an enslaved person counted as what fraction of a free person for the purposes of calculating population?

Three-fifths

Which article and section of the Constitution included most (if not all) of the “enumerated powers” of Congress?

Article I, section 8

What do we call the first 10 amendments to the Constitution?

The Bill of Rights

What are the three branches of the U.S government?

Judicial, Legislative, and Executive

Which branch of government can use a veto to stop a law from going into effect

Executive

Which branch of government is primarily responsible for writing and passing laws

Legislative

After a bill is passed (and signed into law), which branch of government can decide whether that law is constitutional or not

Judicial

Of what is this a definition? System of government in which the national government and state governments share power and derive authority from the people

Federal

To amend the Constitution, how big a majority does the amendment need to achieve in each branch of the U.S. Congress? (Write a fraction that expresses the size of the majority needed.

Two-Thirds

Is this fraction greater, less, or the same as the majority needed to pass a regular law through Congress? (Write greater, less, or the same in the blank)

Greater

How many U.S senators (members of the U.S Sentate) are there?

100

How many U.S Representatives are there

435

How long is a full U.S. Senate term (i.e. how long when elected will most U.S. Senators serve if elected to one term?

Six years

How long is a full U.S. House term (i.e. how long when elected will most U.S. Representatives serve if elected to one term?)

2 years

President Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal” began in what decade of the 20^th Century

1930s

President Johnson’s “Great Society” began in which decade of the 20^th Century?

1960s

In which decade of the 20^th Century did Ronald Reagan serve as president?

1980s

Who gave the Gettysburg Address

Abraham Lincoln

During which year did he give it?

Civil War

Name four liberties protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Freedom from imposed (“established”) government religion, free exercise of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, right to peaceably assemble, right to petition the government for redress of grievances

What right or liberty is the main focus of the Second Amendment?

Gun Rights

Which amendment protects people and their property from unlawful search and seizure?

Fourth

Which amendment (in the Bill of Rights) says that government should not deprive people of property without due process of law?

Fifth

Which amendment has been interpreted to mean that the U.S. cannot have an official religion?

First

Which amendment has been interpreted to mean the people in the U.S. have freedom to choose their own religion and practice it freely?

First

Which amendment says that people should not have “cruel and unusual punishments” inflicted upon them?

Eighth

After which war did the U.S. Congress pass the 13^th, 14^th, and 15^th amendments?

Civil

Yes or No, do the words “right to privacy” occur together and in that order anywhere in the U.S. Constitution?

No

Which Supreme Court case said that you could provide different facilities for people of different races (in public transportation, schools, etc) if the facilities were “separate but equal”?

Plessy v Ferguson

Which Supreme Court case struck down the “separate but equal” doctrine and paved the way for desegregation of schools, public accommodations, etc?

Brown vs Board of Education (1954)

In the 1900, could most women in the U.S cast a vote for President

No

Which famous U.S. document included these words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.”

Declaration of Independance

Where did MLK deliver the “I Have a Dream” speech

Steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC

How many Senators are there for each state

two

Which U.S. institution nominates U.S. Supreme Court justices?

President (Executive Branch)

Which U.S. institution confirms U.S. Supreme Court justices?

U.S Senate

Yes or No, have U.S. Senators always been directly elected?

No

Which branch of government has the power to declare war?

Legislative

What fraction of each house of Congress must vote in favor of overriding a presidential veto to pass a law the president opposes?

2/3

Which is generally more popular in public opinion polls, the president or Congress?

President

In order to become law, does a bill need to pass both houses of Congress in exactly the same form?

Yes

How often does the Constitution require the federal government to conduct a national census?

Every 10 years

Collectively, the heads of executive departments (e.g. Secretaries of State, the Treasury, Commerce, and the Attorney General) are called the President’s….

The Cabinet

Which U.S. Supreme Court decision established that the Court could engage in “judicial review”—that is, to invalidate federal laws that it says are unconstitutional?

Marbury v. Madison

Which branch of government decides how many federal courts there will be (other than the U.S. Supreme Court)?

Legislative

Who has primary responsibility for drawing the lines of U.S. House districts, the U.S. Congress or the states themselves?

The States

Which U.S. elected official is the “Commander in Chief” of the military according to the Constitution?

The President

Which political party currently has more members in the U.S. House of Representatives?

Republicans

Who currently serves as Speaker of the House

Mike Johnson

Which political party currently has more members in the U.S. Senate?

Democrats

Who were the two main candidates for president in 2020?

Joe Biden and Donald Trump

What is the name of the institution set up by the U.S. Constitution that casts votes in the election for the president and vice presidents of the United States?

Electoral College

Who are the nine current members of the U.S. Supreme Court?

John Roberts

Clarence Thomas

Samuel Alito

Sonia Sotomayor

Elana Kagan

Neil Gorsuch

Brett Kavanagh

Amy Coney Barrett

Ketanji Brown Jackson

How many Justices usually sit on the Supreme Court

Nine

Which amendment to the Constitution protects freedom of the press

First

Who was the first Republican president of the United States

Abraham Lincoln

In what decade was the Social Security program created?

1930s

In what decade was the Medicare program created?

1960s

The “Cold War” was primarily a confrontation between the United States and what other country?

Soviet Union (Russia)

In what decade did the “Cold War” end

1990s

On 9/11/2001, what organization was responsible for the acts of terrorism on U.S. soil that killed more than 3,000 people?

Al Qaeda

The interest group AARP is primarily concerned about representing what group of people in the United States?

People over 50

The National Rifle Association is primarily concerned about rights they feel are protected by which amendment to the Constitution?

Second

Which of the two main U.S. political parties is generally more conservative?

Republican

In 2022, North Carolina elected 14 members to the U.S. House of Representatives. How many electoral votes will the state have in the 2024 presidential election?

16