US Constitution Test

US Constitution Study Guide

Terms to Know

Popular Sovereignty
Limited Government
Rule of Law
Separation of Power
Checks and Balances
Judicial Review
Federalism
Legislative Branch
Executive Branch
Judicial Branch

Positions in the Government

*Legislative Branch*			*Executive Branch*	*Judicial Branch*
*Parts of Branch*	House of Representatives	Senate	President and Cabinet	All Courts in the US
*Leader of Each Group*	Speaker of the House	Vice President/President Pro Tempore	President	Supreme Court
*How is representation determined*	By the population of the state	Each state gets two senators	X	X
*How long does each representative/leader serve?*	2 years	6 years	4 years	For Life
*How many times can you serve in this position?*	Infinite	Infinite	2 Times	X
*What are the requirements to be elected for this position?*	You must be at least 25 years old You must have been a US citizen for the past 7 years You must live in the state you represent	You must be at least 30 years old You must have been a US citizen for the past 9 years You must live in the state you represent	You must be at least 35 years old Your must be a natural-born citizen You must have been a resident of the US for 14 years	You must be selected by the President You must be approved by the Senate

The Bill of Rights Explained (Amendments 1-5)

Amendment Number	Wording of the Amendment	Simple Explanation
*The 1st Amendment*	Freedom of Religion Freedom of Speech Freedom of the Press Right to Assembly Right to Petition	Freedom of Religion Freedom of Speech Freedom of the Press Right to Assembly Right to Petition
*The 2nd Amendment*	Right to Bear Arms	Citizens have a right to own weapons like guns
*The 3rd Amendment*	No Quartering of Soldiers in Times of Peace	You do not have to provide living arrangements for soldiers during times of peace
*The 4th Amendment*	Protection against unreasonable search and seizure	The police cannot search and/or take your belongings without a reason. Most of the time, this requires a warrant
*The 5th Amendment*	No Double Jeopardy Protection against self-incrimination Guarantee of Due Process of Law	You cannot be charged for the same crime twice (This does not count if you commit the same crime at two different times) You do not have to share information with the police if it proves you are guilty of a crime You must be allowed to be given a fair trial by a jury of your fellow citizens

The Bill of Rights Explained (Amendments 6-10)

Amendment Number	Wording of the Amendment	Simple Explanation
*The 6th Amendment*	*CRIMINAL* Trials are trials in which a person has broken a law *CRIMINAL* Trials must be by a jury of your peers, it must be speedy and public and in the state where the crime was committed, and you have a right to legal counsel and the right to call witnesses favorable to the defendant	*CRIMINAL* Trials are trials in which a person has broken a law *CRIMINAL* Trials must: Have a jury of your fellow citizens Be quick and citizens not involved in the case must be able to view the trial as outsiders Be in the state where the crime was committed Give you a lawyer to help defend yourself even if you cannot afford one Allow you to have people who can prove your innocence be able to speak in your defense during the trial
*The 7th Amendment*	*CIVIL* Trials are trials in which a legal dispute, a lawsuit, or a government action is being discussed and compensation is given *CIVIL* Trials must be by a jury of your peers, it must be speedy and public and in the state where the crime was committed, and you have a right to legal counsel and the right to call witnesses favorable to the defendant	*CIVIL* Trials are trials in which issues between two people/groups of people are discussed, usually dealing with money or deals made between the two people/groups of people. *CIVIL* Trials must: Have a jury of your fellow citizens Be quick and citizens not involved in the case must be able to view the trial as outsiders Be in the state where the crime was committed Give you a lawyer to help defend yourself even if you cannot afford one Allow you to have people who can prove your innocence be able to speak in your defense during the trial
*The 8th Amendment*	Protection against cruel and unusual punishment	If you are found guilty of a crime, your punishment for that crime must be reasonable and it must be similar to how other people who were found guilty of the same crime were punished
*The 9th Amendment*	Rights retained by the People	Just because a right isn’t listed in the Constitution doesn’t mean that people don’t have that right
*The 10th Amendment*	Powers reserved for the States	Any power that the federal government has that is not listed in the Constitution is a power that the state governments have