Principles of American Democracy
What is the supreme law of the land?
The Constitution
What are the three branches of the Federal Gov't?
What are the 2 longest rivers in the U.S.?
The Missouri and Mississippi Rivers
Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. Name one power of the federal government.
Providing the national defense, dealing with foreign nations, regulating commerce, financing the federal government, and other things that effect all the states
Why did the American colonists fight the British monarchy/government?
They did not like the idea of paying taxes to a government in which they had no representation.
The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?
We the people
What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
The House of Representatives and the Senate
What oceans border the East and West Coasts of the U.S.?
The Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states?
The Tenth Amendment reserves powers to the states, as long as those powers are not delegated to the federal government. Among other powers, this includes creating school systems, overseeing state courts, creating public safety systems, managing business and trade within the state, and managing local government.
What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
The Founding Fathers - Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, Madison and Hamilton, among others - got together in Philadelphia to write the Constitution, from May to September in 1787. It made the executive branch stronger and laid out the specific powers of the branches of the federal government.
What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
The Bill of Rights
What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
Checks and balances, or separation of powers
Name 3 U.S. territories.
American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands
There are four Amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
The 15th Amendment (1870) gave black men the right to vote. The 19th Amendment (1920) gave women the right to vote. The 24th Amendment (1965) removed the poll tax as a requirement to vote. And the 26th Amendment (1971) gave all 18-year-old adult citizens the right to vote.
What territory did the U.S. buy from France in 1803?
The Louisiana Purchase
How many Amendments does the Constitution have?
27
How many Senators are there, and what are their terms of office (how long do they serve)?
50; they serve for 6 years
Name the 2 countries that border the U.S.
Canada to the north and Mexico to the south.
What are some rights and some responsibilities of every U.S. citizen?
Rights: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right to a prompt, fair trial by jury, to vote in elections for public officials
Responsibilities: support and defend the Constitution, respect and obey federal, state and local laws, respect the rights, beliefs and opinions of others, pay income and other taxes honestly and on time to federal, state and local authorities, serve on a jury when called upon
What did Susan B. Anthony do?
What is the economic system of the U.S.?
a market economy/capitalism
Why do some states have more Representatives than other states? What are these Representatives called?
Because it's based on population; states with more people have more Representatives. Congressmen/Congresswomen
Name one state that borders Canada, and one that borders Mexico.
Canada: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Alaska
Mexico: Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California
When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?
April 15th
During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the U.S.?
The spread of communism from the Soviet Union to its neighboring countries and beyond.