principles of American Democracy
what does the Constitution do?
defines the government
Who makes federal laws?
Congress
Senate and House
Legislature
There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
▪ 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).
Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
▪ American Indians
▪ Native Americans
Who was President during World War I?
▪ (Woodrow) Wilson
What do we call the first ten amendments of the Constitution?
The bill rights
What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
checks and balances
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 is the ''rule of law''?
no one is above the law.
Who vetoes bills
The presents
When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?
▪ April 15
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
During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?
▪ Communism
What are two right in the Declaration of Independence?
pursuit of happiness
liberty
How many U.S. Senators are there?
one hundred (100)
When must all men register for the Selective Service?
▪ at age eighteen (18)
▪ between eighteen (18) and twenty-six (26)
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 major event happened on September 11, 2001, in the United States?
▪ Terrorists attacked the United States.
What is the economic system in the United States?
market economy
Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states?
provide schooling and education
provide protection (police)
provide safety (fire departments)
give a driver’s license
approve zoning and land use
What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?
▪ serve on a jury
▪ vote in a federal election
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
▪ (Thomas) Jefferson
Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.
▪ Missouri (River)
▪ Mississippi (River)