Chapter 1
What is the world’s oldest constitution that is still used today?
A The United States Constitution
B The Articles of Confederation
C The British Constitution
A The United States Constitution
What happened when the Constitution was not accepted by all when it was first written?
A Amendments were made
B Congress raised their own salaries
C People were accused of crimes
A Amendments were made
What are the two houses of Congress?
A The Library of Congress and the Congressional Budget Office
B The House of Representatives and the Senate
C The House of Representatives and the Library of Congress
B The House of Representatives and the Senate
How many branches of government do state governments have?
A Three
B Two
C 50
A Three
What did the delegates do at the Constitutional Convention?
A They all agreed on everything
B They debated their ideas about the government
C They never had to compromise
B They debated their ideas about the government
What are often considered the most important amendments?
A Congress
B The amendment of 1992
C The Bill of Rights
C The Bill of Rights
Who can write a bill?
A A primary sponsor
B The president
C Anyone
C Anyone
What do state legislators do?
A Execute the law
B Write legislation that can become law
C Access the federal government
B Write legislation that can become law
What happened after the Constitution was written?
A The United States was a colony of the British monarchy
B The United States had a new government
C The Untied States became a monarchy
B The United States had a new government
What are amendments meant to do?
A Petition Congress
B Improve or correct the original document
C Change the Constitution every 20 years
B Improve or correct the original document
How many voting members are in the House of Representatives?
A 25
B 7
C 435
C 435
What do states senators have to follow?
A Both the U.S. Constitution and their own state’s constitution
B Other states’ constitutions
C Only the U.S. Constitution
A Both the U.S. Constitution and their own state’s constitution
What defines who can be elected in the U.S.?
A The Constitution
B The Articles of Confederation
C A dictatorship
A The Constitution
What is one way the Constitution can be amended?
A When 50% of Congress agree, and then 3⁄4 of states ratify it
B When 50% of states agree, and then Congress ratifies it
C When 2/3 of both houses of Congress agree, and then 3⁄4 of the states approve
C When 2/3 of both houses of Congress agree, and then 3⁄4 of the states approve
How long is a representative’s term?
A Two years
B Four years
C Forever
A Two years
What can constituents do to persuade state senators to vote a certain way?
A Create a special committee
B Go to the executive office
C Give public testimony
C Give public testimony
Why did the Constitution create three separate branches of government?
A So the president had more power
B So the legislative branch had the most power
C So no one person had too much power
C So no one person had too much power
What is another way the Constitution can be amended?
A 2/3 of the state legislatures may vote to demand an amendment
B The president may submit an amendment
C 50% of the U.S. public can vote on an amendment
A 2/3 of the state legislatures may vote to demand an amendment
How many senators are there?
A 200
B 100
C 50
B 100
What are longer and more detailed than the U.S. Constitution?
A State constitutions
B The upper house and the lower house
C Amendments
A State constitutions
What are the three branches of government?
A The legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch
B The legislative branch, the executive branch, and the Constitution
C The executive branch, the judicial branch, and the monarchy
A The legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch
What happens to account for gaps in the Constitution?
A New constitutions are written
B Laws are written
C Governors write laws
B Laws are written
Who is the president of the Senate?
A Every senator
B A representative
C The vice president
C The vice president
What are roles divided between in state legislative branches?
A Constituents and state legislators
B The upper house and the lower house
C The state budget and the state legislator
B The upper house and the lower house
What does the Constitution divide power between, besides the branches of the government?
A States and counties
B The federal government and state governments
C Montana and New York City
B The federal government and state governments
How many amendments have been ratified?
A 33
B Hundreds
C 27
C 27
What is one power Congress has?
A Power over financial issues
B Power to elect the president
C Power to remove anyone from office
A Power over financial issues
Who leads the local legislative branch in a town or city?
A Congress
B The city council
C The police department
B The city council
Which states have their own governments?
A Montana and New York
B Only states whose leaders agree with the president
C All 50 states
C All 50 states
Why are amendments so controversial?
A They are difficult to repeal
B They do not fit in the federal budget
C They are always written by the same people
A They are difficult to repeal
What can declare war?
A The armed forces
B Congress
C The president
B Congress
Who enforces laws in a city?
A The police department
B The city council
C Noise ordinances
A The police department
What says everyone, including the president, must follow the law?
A The rule of law
B The public
C The executive branch
A The rule of law
How can amendments be repealed?
A The president can repeal amendments
B Another amendment has to be proposed and ratified
C Prohibition
B Another amendment has to be proposed and ratified
Where must all bills related to revenue originate?
A The Senate
B The House
C The presidency
B The House
What laws usually cannot be passed by local government?
A Those that violate state or federal laws
B Those that do not follow other states’ constitutions
C Mandates
A Those that violate state or federal laws
What does the preamble define?
A A dictatorship
B The goals of the U.S. government
C Tools to punish people
B The goals of the U.S. government
What is the only amendment that has ever been repealed?
A The 18th Amendment
B The 2nd Amendment
C The 22nd Amendment
A The 18th Amendment
Who signs a bill to put it into law?
A Each chamber
B The public
C The president
C The president
What laws can cities usually make that go against state law?
A Laws that are more lenient
B Laws that are stricter
C Laws that go against the U.S. Constitution
B Laws that are stricter