Principles of American Democracy
What is the supreme law of the land?
the Constitution
Name one branch or part of the government.
Congress
legislative
President
executive
the courts
judicial
There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one.
Citizens eighteen (18) and older (can vote)
You don’t have to pay (a poll tax) to vote.
Any citizen can vote. (Women and men can vote.)
A male citizen of any race (can vote).
What is one reason colonists came to America?
freedom ▪ political liberty ▪ religious freedom ▪ economic opportunity ▪ practice their religion ▪ escape persecution
Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s
World War I ▪ World War II ▪ Korean War ▪ Vietnam War ▪ (Persian) Gulf War
Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.
Missouri (River) ▪ Mississippi (River)
What does the Constitution do?
protects basic rights of Americans
defines the government
sets up the government
What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
checks and balances
separation of powers
What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?
serve on a jury
vote in a federal election
Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
American Indians ▪ Native Americans
Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?
(Franklin) Roosevelt
What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?
▪ Pacific (Ocean)
The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?
We the People
Who is in charge of the executive branch?
the President
Name one right only for United States citizens.
vote in a federal election
run for federal office
What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
Africans ▪ people from Africa
Who did the United States fight in World War II
▪ Japan, Germany, and Italy
What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
Atlantic (Ocean)
What is an amendment?
a change (to the Constitution)
an addition (to the Constitution)
Who makes federal laws?
Congress
Senate and House (of Representatives)
(U.S. or national) legislature
What are two 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
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
Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in?
▪ World War II
Name one U.S. territory
Puerto Rico ▪ U.S. Virgin Islands ▪ American Samoa ▪ Northern Mariana Islands ▪ Guam
What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
the Bill of Rights
What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
the Senate and House (of Representatives)
What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
the United States ▪ the flag
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
(Thomas) Jefferson
During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?
Communism
Name one state that borders Canada.
Maine ▪ New Hampshire ▪ Vermont ▪ New York ▪ Pennsylvania ▪ Ohio ▪ Michigan ▪ Minnesota ▪ North Dakota ▪ Montana ▪ Idaho ▪ Washington ▪ Alaska
What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?
speech
religion
assembly
press
petition the government
How many U.S. Senators are there?
one hundred (100)
What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
give up loyalty to other countries ▪ defend the Constitution and laws 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 nation (if needed) ▪ be loyal to the United States
When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
July 4, 1776
What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
civil rights (movement)
Name one state that borders Mexico
California ▪ Arizona ▪ New Mexico ▪ Texas
How many amendments does the Constitution have?
twenty-seven (27)
We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?
six (6)
How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?
eighteen (18) and older
There were 13 original states. Name three
New Hampshire ▪ Massachusetts ▪ Rhode Island ▪ Connecticut ▪ New York ▪ New Jersey ▪ Pennsylvania ▪ Delaware ▪ Maryland ▪ Virginia ▪ North Carolina ▪ South Carolina ▪ Georgia
What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?*
▪ fought for civil rights ▪ worked for equality for all Americans
What is the capital of the United States?*
Washington, D.C.
What did the Declaration of Independence do?
announced our independence (from Great Britain)
declared our independence (from Great Britain)
said that the United States is free (from Great Britain)
Who is one of your state’s U.S. Senators now?
Answers will vary. [District of Columbia residents and residents of U.S. territories should answer that D.C. (or the territory where the applicant lives) has no U.S. Senators.]
What are two 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
What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
▪ The Constitution was written. ▪ The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution.
What major terrorist group attacked NY on September 11, 2001, in the United States?
al-Qaeda
Where is the Statue of Liberty?*
New York (Harbor) ▪ Liberty Island
What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?
life
liberty
pursuit of happiness
The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
four hundred thirty-five (435)
When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?*
April 15
When was the Constitution written?
1787
Name one 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
Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
because there were 13 original colonies ▪ because the stripes represent the original colonies
What is freedom of religion?
You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion.
We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?
two (2)
When must all men register for the Selective Service?
at age eighteen (18) ▪ between eighteen (18) and twenty-six (26)
The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
(James) Madison ▪ (Alexander) Hamilton ▪ (John) Jay ▪ Publius
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 economic system in the United States?
capitalist economy
market economy
Name your U.S. Representative
Answers will vary. [Residents of territories with nonvoting Delegates or Resident Commissioners may provide the name of that Delegate or Commissioner. Also acceptable is any statement that the territory has no (voting) Representatives in Congress.]
What is one 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 Richard’s Almanac” ▪ started the first free libraries
What is the name of the national anthem?
The Star-Spangled Banner
What is the “rule of law”?
Everyone must follow the law.
Leaders must obey the law.
The government must obey the law.
No one is above the law.
Who does a U.S. Senator represent?
all people of the state
Who is the “Father of Our Country”?
(George) Washington
When do we celebrate Independence Day?*
July 4
Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?
(because of) the state’s population
(because) they have more people
(because) some states have more people
Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
War of 1812 ▪ Mexican-American War ▪ Civil War ▪ Spanish-American War
Name two 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 ▪ Juneteenth
We elect a President for how many years?
four (4)
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
In what month do we vote for President?
November
What did Susan B. Anthony do?
fought for women’s rights ▪ fought for civil rights