Bill of Rights
Do I Have a Right?
Reconstruction Amendment Knowledge
RANDOM PULL: Constitution Facts I
RANDOM PULL: Constitution Facts II
100
Name the rights established by the Second Amendment
Right to bear arms
100
An after school prayer group gathers in front of Wadsworth at 5:30pm. A teacher tells them that religion is not allowed on school premises and that they must leave.
Do they have a right to sue? Which amendment right does this violate?
Yes. This violates the First Amendment, specifically freedom of religion.
100
Define 'lynching'
Lynching is the public execution of a person (usually racially motivated) to make people afraid to be in town, dissuade them from voting, or otherwise to scare them into submission.
100
Name the two chambers of Congress
House of Representatives and the Senate
100
This branch of the government is established by Article II
The Executive Branch
200
Name all 5 rights established by the First Amendment
- Freedom of Speech
- Freedom of Religion
- Freedom of the Press
- Freedom of Petition
- Freedom of Assembly
200
A woman is arrested and read her Miranda Rights (you have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you . . . .)
She is unsure what all of this means, but when the officer asks if she understands, she hesitantly says yes and proceeds with questioning. Her interrogation is later used against her in court and she is found guilty.
Can she appeal her case based on the fact that she didn't actually understand her rights?
No, she will likely be unable to appeal. Miranda Rights were read to her and she acknowledged that she understood them. If she had said no, they would not be able to use her interrogation in court.
200
Did the 13th Amendment fully end slavery? What evidence do we have to support your answer?
13A did not fully end slavery. The exception clause of the amendment states, ". . .unless by reason of punishment for a crime."
200
What is the purpose of the Constitution?
To set up the government of the United States of America
200
Name the Legislative Branch at the local, state, and federal levels
Local: City Council
State: General Assembly
Federal: Congress
300
What is the 3rd Amendment? Why was it passed?
3A is the No Quartering Act, passed because of soldiers being quartered in Patriot homes during the Revolutionary War.
300
BONUS SPACE
The team who chose this space: +150 points
All other teams: +50 points
Choose another space!
WooHoo! Free points!
300
What was/is the 'Ku Klux Klan'?
A racially motivated hate group that targeted freed Black individuals and their supporters in the South
300
This principle refers to the idea that the government provides certain freedoms that cannot be taken away
Inalienable Rights
300
This is the name for the principle that allows the SCOTUS to determine if a law is Constitutional or not
Judicial Review
400
What does the 5th Amendment protect you from?
Self-incrimination ("I plead the fifth!")
400
A government official sends out a tweet about how much he hates President Trump. A few weeks later, the FBI shows up at his door and investigates him for treason.
Does he have a right to sue? What amendment does this violate, if any?
Technically yes, though he likely would not. Unless a threat was made, social media is protected under First Amendment free speech laws.
400
What was the 13th Amendment passed in response to?
Slavery/the history of slavery in the USA
400
This principle refers to the idea that no one branch of government can become too powerful because the branches limit each other.
Checks and Balances
400
These articles set up the structure of the government (the three branches, their duties, etc.)
Articles I, II, and III (Legislative, Executive, and Judicial)
500
What rights does the 6th Amendment protect?
The right to an attorney/lawyer for criminal cases, right to a fair and speedy trial
500
An Alabama lawmaker decides to write a bill declaring that bathrooms on the first floor of the General Assembly building are for White men only, while the second floor is reserved for Black men. Both bathrooms are cleaned daily and there is no difference between the two facilities.
Does a Black lawmaker have a right to sue? What Amendment does this violate, if any?
Yes, this is still technically discrimination. Segregation in any form is illegal per the 14th Amendment and the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
500
What was the 14th Amendment passed in response to?
The unfair treatment of Black Americans after slavery ended, particularly in the South (but also all over the USA)
500
Name one kind of case that automatically goes to the Supreme Court
Cases between states, appellate cases involving Constitutional rights
500
How long are terms for Federal Supreme Court Justices?
SCOTUS Justices are appointed for life
600
What does the 8th Amendment protect you from?
Unreasonable bail, cruel and unusual punishment
600
A group of three teenagers are walking down Cottage Grove after school when they are stopped by a police officer who asks to search their backpacks. He says that their refusal could be considered mob violence since there are more than two of them in the group and they are all wearing backpacks.
Does the officer have a right to search the teenagers? What amendment does this violate, if any?
No, the officer does not have probable cause to search their backpacks, and a group of three teens is not considered "mob violence." This is a violation of their 4th Amendment rights.
600
What was the 15th Amendment passed in response to?
Lynchings, specifically at or around polling places for elections, and voting literacy tests
600
Who is President of the Senate? When can they vote in matters of Congress/on bills?
The Vice President of the United States is President of the Senate. They can only vote in Congress to break a tie in the Senate.
600
Name the rules for becoming President of the United States
At least 35 years old, must be born in the United States, must be a resident of the US for the last 14 years.
700
Name all of the amendments that protect Due Process and the rights they establish
4A: Reasonable search and seizure, warrants/probable cause
5A: No self incrimination
6A: Right to an attorney or lawyer
8A: No cruel and unusual punishment, including bail or bond
14A: All persons on US soil share these rights and cannot be discriminated against
700
A woman is convicted of murder and placed in jail with a bail set at $4m. She asks her lawyer if this is considered cruel and unusual punishment because the judge knew that she doesn't have the money to cover her bail.
Does she have a right to appeal? What amendment does this violate, if any?
No, bail should match the crime committed. If the judge set the bail that high, that means they have reason to believe that she will reoffend or is at high risk of fleeing/going on the run. Her lawyer would likely lose this case.
No excessive bail = 8th Amendment
700
Scenario:
The year is 1953. A teenager on her way home from school is told to sit in the back of the bus to make room for white passengers who just got on. When she refuses, she is arrested. Then, she is held without bail for two nights straight. The officers say that it's to "teach her a lesson."
Which Constitutional rights does this violate?
14A: Equal protection under the law
8A: Excessive bail
6A: Right to a fair and speedy trial
700
Which principle of the Constitution does this scenario reflect?
In 1957, the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education overturned the previous ruling that separate but equal is a valid approach to segregation, pointing out evidence that proved that schooling for Black children was unequal to that of White children.
Inalienable Rights
700
Which principle of the Constitution does this scenario reflect?
The Mayor of Chicago passes a law from the City Council regarding gun laws in Chicago. The law says each bullet in a FOID card owner's possession must be registered. This law complies with federal law.
Federalism
800
Imagine you're a lawyer. Your client's 15-year-old daughter calls and says, "I'm on 64th and Cottage Grove. Cops just stopped me and said they need to search my car. I literally don't have anything, so I started to let them search me, but I thought I'd call you first."
What is the BEST advice you can give them?
- Tell the cops that you won't answer questions until an adult is there
- Be quiet and respectful -- Use "Ma'am" or "Sir"
- Do! Not! Talk! Wait for an adult!!!!!
800
A man is detained and placed in a holding cell for further questioning over an active shooter situation he was not a part of. The officers say that because most public shooters are white, they have to detain him. When he asks the patrolling officer, they tell him he'll be questioned "soon." After 72 hours, he is released and told to keep quiet about the incident because he was "lucky to get off free."
Does he have a right to sue the police department?
Yes, he has a right to sue. This is a violation of his 6th and 14th amendments (right to a fair and speedy trial; equal protection under the law).
800
President Donald Trump has decided to implement civics tests for all 18 year olds who want to vote in the next election. He says, "If you want to vote, you have to prove that you're smart enough to make the right choice!"
Does he have a right to do that? What amendment does this violate, if any?
No, he cannot do that. This violates 14A and 15A rights.
800
This principle refers to the idea that the people have all of the power/vest all of the power in the government
Popular Sovereignty
800
This article describes the amendment process/how to amend the Constitution
Article V
900
What does the 7th Amendment address?
Civil procedures (NOT criminal)
900
Police officers patrolling a neighborhood peer into a window and see a man Googling "How to rob a house" on his iPad. They barge in and arrest him, claiming his Google search was probable cause. The officers are celebrated for stopping the crime before it took place.
Does he have a right to sue the police department?
Yes, this is a violation of his fourth amendment rights -- fair search and seizure. In the US, you are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
900
What were the Force/Enforcement Acts? Why were they passed?
The Force Acts were Congressional acts aimed at targeting the KKK. It made things like wearing a hood/mask to commit violence especially illegal, adding extra charges and fines for wearing KKK hoods.
They were passed in response to the KKK violence in the South after the Civil War.
900
Recite the Preamble WITHOUT STUTTERING
We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
900
According to Article I, how often is Congress required to meet?
At least once per year (they meet way more often than that!)
1000
What right does the 10th Amendment establish?
All powers not explicitly given to the federal government are reserved for the states
1000
An illiterate man is jailed for committing robbery. He cannot afford his own lawyer and is forced by the courts in his state to represent himself. He is found guilty and sentenced to life in prison for his crimes.
Does he have a right to appeal to the Supreme Court? What amendment does this violate, if any?
Yes, this is a violation of his sixth and fourteenth amendment rights. All US citizens must be appointed a lawyer if they cannot afford one. Not giving him a lawyer because he could not afford one is technically discrimination based on his financial status.
1000
What is the significance/meaning of this political cartoon?
The KKK used violence to keep freed Black men from voting, either by killing them directly or by scaring them away from voting for people who would fight for their best interests.
1000
Name one of the nine Justices currently serving on the SCOTUS
John G. Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Sonya Sotomayor, Samuel Alito, Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, Ketanji Brown Jackson
1000
Name all of the requirements for being a Senator (Senate) and a Representative (House of Representatives). Then, tell me how long they serve terms in Congress for.
- Senator: 30 years old, live in state you represent at the time of election, citizen for 9 years, 6 year terms
- Representative: 25 years old, live in state you represent at the time of election, citizen for at least 7 years, 2 year terms