Show:
U.S. Constitution
Legislative Branch
Executive Branch
Judicial Branch
Parties and Elections
100

This term refers to an official change to the U.S. Constitution. So far, there have been 27.

What are amendments?

100
100% of the members of the House of Representatives are up for re-election every federal election year, since they all serve terms lasting this many years.

What is two (2)?

100

This title refers to the president's role as the supreme leader of the U.S. military.

Bonus: most recent war officially declared by the U.S. Congress?

What is commander-in-chief?

Bonus: World War II

100

There have been this many justices (judges) on the U.S. Supreme Court since 1869.

What is nine (9)?

100
Americans who identify as conservative are more likely to identify with this party.


Bonus: animal this party uses as a mascot?

What is the Republican Party?


Bonus: elephant

200

This section of the Constitution states that the Constitution itself, federal laws, and treaties (and by extension, federal court decisions) take priority over conflicting state laws. 

What is the Supremacy Clause?

200

When state governments draw their congressional district maps to favor one political party over another, they are said to be engaging in this practice.

What is gerrymandering?

200

Every year (typically sometime between January and March), the president gives this speech to Congress in which he reflects on the health of the country and proposes ideas for legislation.

What is the State of the Union Address?

200

This implied power is used by the Supreme Court to invalidate ("strike down") federal and state laws and executive branch actions which contradict the U.S. Constitution.

What is judicial review?

200

These elections are used to determine who each party will nominate as their candidate for an upcoming general election.

What are primary elections ("primaries")?

300

The U.S. Constitution is actually our second constitution. In 1789, it replaced this document which had governed the country for the previous eight years.

Bonus: two weaknesses of the original document?

What were the Articles of Confederation?

Bonus: no power to tax, raise an army, or enforce laws, no federal court system, unanimous consent required to amend, etc.

300

A great deal of Congress' power comes from this section of the Constitution, which states that they may pass any law that they deem necessary for carrying out their enumerated (written/listed) powers.

What is the Necessary and Proper (Elastic) Clause?

300

To more efficiently manage the federal government and execute the nation's laws, the president often issues these directives that carry the force of law and do not require approval from the U.S. Congress.

Bonus: two ways in which these may be overturned?

What are executive orders?

Bonus: next president rescinds the order, judicial review, Congress amends/repeals the law the executive order is based on, Congress passes a law circumventing (going around) the executive order

300

All federal judges (Supreme Court, Courts of Appeal, District Courts) are appointed by the U.S. president and approved/confirmed by this body.

What is the Senate?

300

This is the number of Electoral College votes a presidential candidate must receive on election night in order to win the presidency.

What is 270? (538/2 = 269; 50% + 1 = 270)

400

Write out the process used to amend the U.S. Constitution.

Proposal by 2/3 of each chamber of Congress, ratification by 3/4 of states.

400

Every ten years, this practice is used to redistribute the 435 seats in the House across all 50 states to account for population shifts over time.

What is (re)apportionment?
400

This body of over 2.3 million workers is tasked with enforcing and administering the nation's federal laws.

Bonus: Name 2 agencies that work within this organization.

What is the bureaucracy?


Bonus: EPA, FTC, FCC, FAA, FDA, CDC, etc.

400
In both Gideon v. Wainwright and McDonald v. Chicago the Supreme Court applied this doctrine, which applies sections of the Bill of Rights to state governments.

What is incorporation?

400
The power to organize and run elections is a reserved power, meaning it belongs to this level of government.


Bonus: two other reserved powers?

What are state governments?

500

These are Congress' powers that are written down in the Constitution rather than implied by the Elastic Clause (example: the power to coin money).

Bonus: list three of them (besides coining money)

What are enumerated powers?

500

List 2 exclusive powers of the U.S. House.

List 3 exclusive powers of the U.S. Senate.

House: introducing money bills, impeachment, choosing the president if no EC winner

Senate: confirming presidential appointments, approve treaties (2/3), holding impeachment trials, choosing the VP if no EC winner

500
As the nation's "chief diplomat", the president is tasked with negotiating treaties with foreign governments. However, since these require approval by 2/3 of the U.S. Senate, he often instead negotiates these less formal agreements with other world leaders.

What are executive agreements?

500

The U.S. District Courts have this type of jurisdiction, since they hear most federal cases for the first time. The Supreme Court also has this type of jurisdiction in a handful of rare cases.

What is original jurisdiction?

500

Since the terms of U.S. Senators are staggered, only this many Senators are up for re-election every two years. (#, fraction, or %)

What is one-third? (33/34, 33%)