Principles of American Democracy
What is the supreme law of the land?
the constitution
Name one branch or part of government.
▪ Congress ▪ legislative ▪ President ▪ executive ▪ the courts ▪ judicial
What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
▪ the United States ▪ the flag
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
What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
Nancy Pelosi
What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
the Bill of Rights
What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
Senate and the House
Name one right only for United States citizens.
▪ vote in a federal election ▪ run for federal office
There were 13 original states. Name three.
▪ New Hampshire ▪ Massachusetts
▪ Rhode Island
▪ Connecticut
▪ New York
▪ New Jersey
▪ Pennsylvania
▪ Delaware
▪ Maryland
▪ Virginia
▪ North Carolina ▪ South Carolina ▪ Georgia
If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
Speaker of the House
What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?
▪ speech
▪ religion
▪ assembly
▪ press
▪ petition the government
We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?
six
What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
give up loyalty to other countries
▪ defend the Constitution and laws of the United States ▪ obey the laws of the United States
▪ serve in the U.S. military (if needed)
▪ serve (do important work for) the nation (if needed)
▪ be loyal to the United States
Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
▪ War of 1812
▪ Mexican-American War ▪ Civil War
▪ Spanish-American War
Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
John Roberts
The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?
We the People
What are two Cabinet-level positions?
Secretary of Agriculture ▪ Secretary of Commerce ▪ Secretary of Defense
▪ 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
▪ Attorney General
▪ Vice President
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).
When was the Constitution written?
1787
Who is one of your CA's U.S. Senators now?
Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla
How many amendments does the constitution have?
twenty-seven
The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
435
When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?
April 15
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
Who were the presidents during WW1 and WW2
Woodrow Wilson and FDR respectively