Principles of American Government
System of Government
Rights and Responsibilities
Colonial Period and Independence
1800s
100

Name one thing the U.S. Constitution does.

  • Forms the government
  • Defines powers of government
  • Defines the parts of government
  • Protects the rights of the people
100

The President of the United States is in charge of which branch of government?

  • Executive branch
100

What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?

  • The United States
  • The flag
100

Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?

  • American Indians
  • Native Americans
100

Name the U.S. war between the North and the South. 

  • The Civil War
200

The words “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” are in what founding document?

  • Declaration of Independence
200

How many U.S. senators are there?

  • One hundred (100)
200

Who can vote in federal elections, run for federal office, and serve on a jury in the United States?

  • Citizens
  • Citizens of the United States
  • U.S. citizens
200

What war did the Americans fight to win independence from Britain?

  • American Revolution
  • The (American) Revolutionary War
  • War for (American) Independence
200

What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?

  • Louisiana Territory
  • Louisiana
300

Why is the Declaration of Independence important?

  • It says America is free from British control.
  • It says all people are created equal.
  • It identifies inherent rights.
  • It identifies individual freedoms.
300

Who elects members of the House of Representatives?

  • Citizens from their (congressional) district
300

What are three 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
300

What founding document was written in 1787?

  • (U.S.) Constitution
300

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
400

The U.S. Constitution starts with the words “We the People.” What does “We the People” mean?

  • Self-government
  • Popular sovereignty
  • Consent of the governed
  • People should govern themselves
  • (Example of) social contract
400

Name one power of the president.

  • Signs bills into law
  • Vetoes bills
  • Enforces laws
  • Commander in Chief (of the military)
  • Chief diplomat
  • Appoints federal judges
400

It is important for all men age 18 through 25 to register for the Selective Service. Name one reason why.

  • Required by law
  • Civic duty
  • Makes the draft fair, if needed
400

The American Revolution had many important events. Name one.

  • (Battle of) Bunker Hill
  • Declaration of Independence
  • Washington Crossing the Delaware (Battle of Trenton)
  • (Battle of) Saratoga
  • Valley Forge (Encampment)
  • (Battle of) Yorktown (British surrender at Yorktown)
400

Name one leader of the women’s rights movement in the 1800s.

  • Susan B. Anthony
  • Elizabeth Cady Stanton
  • Sojourner Truth
  • Harriet Tubman
  • Lucretia Mott
  • Lucy Stone
500

Many documents influenced the U.S. Constitution. Name one.

  • Declaration of Independence
  • Articles of Confederation
  • Federalist Papers
  • Anti-Federalist Papers
  • Virginia Declaration of Rights
  • Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
  • Mayflower Compact
  • Iroquois Great Law of Peace
500

What are two Cabinet-level positions?

  • Attorney General
  • Secretary of Agriculture
  • Secretary of Commerce
  • Secretary of Education
  • Secretary of Energy
  • Secretary of Health and Human Services
  • Secretary of Homeland Security
  • Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
  • Secretary of the Interior
  • Secretary of Labor
  • Secretary of State
  • Secretary of Transportation
  • Secretary of the Treasury
  • Secretary of Veterans Affairs
  • Secretary of War (Defense)
  • Vice-President
  • Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
  • Administrator of the Small Business Administration
  • Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
  • Director of the Office of Management and Budget
  • Director of National Intelligence
  • United States Trade Representative
500

What are two examples of civic participation in the United States?

  • Vote
  • Run for office
  • 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)
  • Contact elected officials
  • Support or oppose an issue or policy
  • Write to a newspaper
500

There were 13 original states. Name five.

  • New Hampshire
  • Massachusetts
  • Rhode Island
  • Connecticut
  • New York
  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania
  • Delaware
  • Maryland
  • Virginia
  • North Carolina
  • South Carolina
  • Georgia
500

What amendment says all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are U.S. citizens?

  • 14th Amendment