First Amendment
Freedom of Speech gives people the right to...
...to communicate freely without government interference.
What are the three branches of government?
Legislative, Executive, and Judicial
What is the difference between the appellee and the appellant?
Appellant: the person who is appealing the lower court's decision.
Appellee: the person defending the appeal.
What is the length of each oral argument?
Four minutes.
How many Justices are on the Supreme Court?
There are nine Justices.
What does Freedom of Religion mean?
Freedom of Religion means that people can practice any religion they choose and the government can't establish a religion.
What powers does the President have?
The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces. The President appoints leaders and heads of agencies and departments. The President signs legislation from Congress into law.
A "plaintiff" is the person who must defend themselves against a lawsuit. True or False?
False. A plaintiff is the person who brings the lawsuit to court. The defendant is the person who defends themselves against the plaintiff.
What is a "moot court"?
A moot court is an extracurricular activity in which students take part in simulated, or “pretend,” court proceedings
How many electoral votes did President Biden receive?
306 votes. Biden received 51.3% of the popular vote.
You cannot threaten national security. True or False?
True
Why do we have separation of powers?
How do cases get to the Supreme Court?
Cases can get to the Supreme Court through appeals from state courts or from federal courts.
What constitutional right is the focus of the mock trial tournament?
The First Amendment.
What is the largest country in the world (by landmass)?
Russia
What does the Freedom of Assembly mean?
People may join and create groups peacefully without interference from the government.
Which branch does Congress belong to?
Legislative branch.
What do courts do?
The objective of courts is to resolve disputes in a fair and reasonable way that is based on the law.
How many times will each person deliver their oral argument?
Which country has the longest highway in the world?
Canada, which has a trans-national highway 4,860 miles long
What does Tinker v. Des Moines have to do with the First Amendment?
In this case, the Supreme Court decided that students who wore arm bands in protest of the Vietnam War were exercising their Freedom of Speech. The Court held that the school could not prohibit the arm bands.
The legislative branch has the power to declare war. True or False?
False. This power belongs to the executive branch
What do courts use when they decide lawsuits?
They can use constitutional law, state law, federal law, and they apply precedent by sticking closely to previous court decisions.
What prizes are there for the mock trial?
There will be trophies for first, second and third place. Every student will receive a certificate of participation
Why do crackers have holes in them?
During the baking process, if the crackers have holes in them, it prevents air bubbles from ruining the product and "cracking" the cracker into tiny pieces.