On Government
What is the supreme law of the land?
A) The Declaration of Independence
B) The Articles of Confederation
C) The Albany Plan
D) The US Constitution
D) The US Constitution
The Constitution of the United States was written in 1787. It establishes a “supreme law” to which all other laws must conform. The US is governed by law, not personal whims.
The President of the United States is in charge of which branch of government?
A) Federal branch
B) Legislative branch
C) Judicial branch
D) Executive branch
D) Executive branch
According to Article II of the US Constitution, “The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.” The power to enforce the law resides in the office of the presidency.
The President of the United States is elected for how many years?
A) Six
B) Two
C) Four
D) Eight
C) Four
The framers of the Constitution decided the president would serve a four-year term and could run for reelection. The Constitutional Convention chose not to set a limit on the number of times a president could be re-elected.
- George Washington set an informal precedent by serving two terms, and it became customary for other presidents to limit their time in office.
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) broke with this tradition and was elected to four terms during the upheaval of the Great Depression and World War II.
- In 1951, the states ratified the Twenty-Second Amendment, which limited the president to two terms.
The US Constitution starts with the words “We the People.” What does “We the People” mean?
A) Everyone can vote.
B) The United States overturned British rule.
C) The Constitution only applies to people born before 1788.
D) The people allow and authorize governments to exist.
D) The people allow and authorize governments to exist.
The Preamble proclaims that the new federal government is created by the people. This government’s only purpose is to increase the security and well-being of the people.
What part of the federal government writes laws?
A) The legislature
B) The secretary of state
C) The president
D) The judiciary
A) The legislature
Article I of the Constitution explains the powers of Congress. In Section 1, it states that “All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States.”
Why is the Declaration of Independence important?
A) It centralizes government power
B) It declares George Washington the first president
C) It explains why the fifty states have governors
D) It identifies rights rooted in the core values of the country
D) It identifies rights rooted in the core values of the country
The Declaration of Independence has no legal authority. It expresses the core values upon which the United States is based: equality, freedom, and self-government.
Who does a US senator represent?
A) All the people
B) The people in their congressional district
C) All the people in their state
D) The people in US territories
C) All the people in their state
Each state has two senators in Congress, and each senator represents the whole state. The two senators do not each represent half the state.
The words “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” are in what founding document?
A) The Articles of Confederation
B) The US Constitution
C) The Declaration of Independence
D) The Albany Plan
C) The Declaration of Independence
"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" are unalienable rights proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence (1776) as foundational to American identity, signifying that all men are created equal and endowed by a Creator with rights that government cannot take away.
Name the three branches of government.
A) Military, civilian, and elected
B) Legislative, executive, and judicial
C) Local, state, and national
D) Senators, Representatives, and Secretaries
C) Local, state, and national
The Founders agreed that the government had three obligations. It needed the power to write laws that advanced the public good. It needed to make sure that those laws are enforced. And it needed the ability to settle disputes between citizens according to the law’s rules. The Founders assigned one of these responsibilities to each branch: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial.