Nevada Civics Exam

What is the supreme law of the land?

-The Constitution

What does the Constitution do?

-Sets up the government

-Defines the government

-Protects the 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 was 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

-Free 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

How many U.S. Senators are there?

-One hundred (100), two per state

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

-Senate

-House of Representatives

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

-six(6)

Who is one of your state's (Nevada) U.S. Senators now?

-Catherine Cortez Masto

-Jacky Rosen

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) years

Who is one of your U.S. Representative.

- Dina Titus (D) 1st District

- Mark Amodei (R) 2nd District

- Susie Lee (D) 3rd District

- Steven Horsford (D) 4th District

Who does a U.S. Senator represent?

-all people of their state

Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?

-because of the states 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, the Tuesday after the first Monday

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

-Donald Trump

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

-J. D. Vance

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 - War making power

Who signs bills to become laws?

- the President - Legislative Leader

Who vetoes bills?

-the President - checks Congress

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 Supreme Court now?

-John Roberts (John G. Roberts, Jr. )

Under the 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 the Constitution some powers belong to the states. What is one (1) 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 (Nevada)?

-Joe Lombardo

What is the capital of your state (Nevada)?

-Carson City

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

-Democratic and Republican

What is the political party of the President now?

-Democrat (Party)

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

-Mike Johnson

There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one (1) of them.

-Citizens eighteen (18) and older can vote

-You don't have to pay (a poll tax) to vote

-Any citizen (women and men) can vote

-A male citizen of any race (can vote)

What is one (1) 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 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 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 country (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 (2) 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 are two (2) 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 is one (1) 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

-Native Americans

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

-Africans

-people from Africa

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 thirteen (13) original states. Name three (3).

-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 (1) of the writers?

-(James) Madison

-(Alexander) Hamilton

-(John) Jay

-Publius

What is one (1) 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 Richards Almanac"

-started the first free libraries

Who is the "Father of Our Country"?

-(George) Washington

Who was the first President?

-(George) Washington - 1st

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

-the Louisiana Territory

-Louisiana

Name one (1) war fought by the U.S. 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.

-the Civil War

-the War between the States

Name one (1) problems 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 (1) 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

-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?

-terrorists attacked the United States

Name one (1) 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 (1) 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 (1) U.S. territory?

-Puerto Rico

-U.S. Virgin Islands

-American Samoa

-Northern Mariana Islands

-Guam

Name one (1) state that borders Canada.

-Maine

-New Hampshire

-Vermont

-New York

-Pennsylvania

-Ohio

-Michigan

-Minnesota

-North Dakota

-Montana

-Idaho

-Washington

-Alaska

Name one (1) 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

Why does the flag have 13 stripes?

-because there were 13 original colonies

-because the stripes represent the original colonies

Why does the flag have 50 stars?

-because there is one star for each state

-because each star represents a state

-because there are 50 states

What is the name of the national anthem?

-The Star-Spangled Banner

When do we celebrate Independence Day?

-July 4

Name two (2) 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