SS.CG.3.3
What are the Three Branches of Government?
Legislative Branch Executive Branch and Judicial Branch
What Branch makes Laws?
Legislative Branch
What is the Main purpose of Excecutive?
To enforce Laws
What does the Judicial branch do?
The judicial branch is called the court system, and its main job is to interpret the laws of the United States and the Constitution.
Which amendment officially and permanently ended slavery in the United States?
The 13th Amendment officially abolished slavery and involuntary servitude across the entire United States.
The number of senators each state gets depends on its population size.
True OR False
False (Every state gets 2 Senators; population determines the number of representatives.)
What are the two parts, or "houses," that make up the U.S. Congress?
Congress is split into two parts: the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Who is in charge of the Executive Branch, and how long is one term in office?
The president is in charge, and one term is 4 years.
What is the difference between federal and state courts?
Federal courts only handle special cases allowed by the Constitution, like when states fight or federal laws are broken. State courts handle almost everything else, like regular local problems and state law
Which amendment made it illegal for states to deny someone the right to vote based on their race or color?
The 15th Amendment made it illegal for any state to deny a citizen the right to vote based on their race or color.
The Supreme Court can strike down any law passed by Congress.
True OR False
False - They can declare laws unconstitutional, but Congress can pass new laws, amend the Constitution, or courts can interpret laws differently; it's a complex check, not absolute power.
What is the minimum number of members of the House of Representatives needed to be physically present to conduct business?
In a House of Representatives with 435 members, a simple majority of 218 is needed to be present for decisions to be made.
What is one important power the President has that helps them enforce or carry out laws?
Executive orders are requests from the president that describe how federal laws are actually carried out.
True or False: The power of judicial review is explicitly mentioned and granted to the Supreme Court in Article III of the Constitution.
False
Which amendment ensured birthright citizenship and "equal protection" under the law for all Americans?
The 14th Amendment defined what it means to be a U.S. citizen and guaranteed everyone "equal protection of the laws."
Which Branch has the power to declare laws unconstitutional?
The Judicial Branch has the power to declare laws unconstitutional.
Who can formally introduce a bill to Congress, and what happens to a bill after it is introduced?
Only a member of Congress can introduce a bill.
It is then reviewed in committee, debated, and voted on by both the House and the Senate.
Finally, the president either signs it into law or vetoes it. Congress can override the veto with enough votes.
Name two other key parts of the Executive Branch and explain what they do.
Vice President: Helps the President and can break ties in the Senate.
Cabinet/Executive Departments: Give advice to the President and help run areas like defense, education, or transportation.
What are the three main levels of the federal court system?
The federal court system operates on three main levels:
Which amendment officially ended slavery, and which one guaranteed the freed slaves citizenship and equal rights?
The 13th Amendment ended slavery across the United States. The 14th Amendment granted citizenship to anyone born in the U.S. and promised everyone equal protection under the law.
True or False: The President has the final authority to declare war.
False
True or False: All bills that become law must be passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the exact same format before being sent to the President.
True
How does the Executive Branch check or limit the power of another branch? Give an example.
It can check the Legislative Branch by vetoing a bill, which stops it from becoming law unless Congress overrides it.
It can check the Judicial Branch by appointing federal judges, including Supreme Court justices.
How long do Supreme Court justices serve?
They hold their offices for life, or as long as they maintain "good behavior" until they retire, resign, or are impeached and removed by Congress
Which four amendments are primarily focused on expanding voting rights?
The 15th, 19th, 24th, and 26th Amendments are the primary "right to vote" amendments, expanding suffrage to Black men, women, eliminating poll taxes, and lowering the voting age to 18, respectively.