Foundations of Gov
The 1st founding document that set-up the United States government
What is the Articles of Confederation
The Executive Branch has many parts; name one.
What are the President of the US, or Cabinet, or Federal Departments and Agencies
Name the 2 ways a person can become a US citizen
What is Naturalization (the process to become a citizen) and Natural Born
The Article that says "The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court..."
What is Article III
Changes to the US Constitution
What are Amendments
The form of government for the United States (be specific)
What is Republic (Representative Democracy) or Constitution-based Federal Democracy
The number of current seats on the Supreme Court
What is 9
Name 2 examples of political participation in the US.
• Vote
• Run for office
• Join a political party
• Help with a campaign
• Join a civic group
• Join a community group
• Give an elected official your opinion (on an issue)
• Contact elected officials
• Support or oppose an issue or policy
• Write to a newspaper
Name two documents that influenced the US Constitution.
What are :
Declaration of Independence
• Articles of Confederation
• Federalist Papers
• Anti-Federalist Papers
• Virginia Declaration of Rights
• Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
• Mayflower Compact
• Iroquois Great Law of Peace
The current number of Representatives in the House of Representatives
What is 435
The Supreme Law of the US
What is the US Constitution
The ways state's are represented in the Senate and House of Representatives
What are State's equal representation (Senate=100 Senators) and State's population (House of Representatives=435 Reps)
Name 3 rights of everyone living in the United States. (Not just citizens.)
• Freedom of expression
• Freedom of speech
• Freedom of assembly
• Freedom to petition the government
• Freedom of religion
• The right to bear arms
Name one power that is only for the Federal Government.
What are:
Print paper money
• Mint coins
• Declare war
• Create an army
• Make treaties
• Set foreign policy
What the Bill of Rights protect
What are the basic rights of people living in the US
The difference between 'separation of powers' and 'checks and balances'
'Separation of powers' deals with the branches of government being separated so they do not become too powerful, while 'checks and balances' is about each branch having a special power that they use over another branch to 'check' and 'balance' all of the branches powers.
Name one power of the US Congress
What are: Writes laws; Declares war, or Makes the Federal Budget
There are four amendments to the U.S. 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).
The purpose of the 10th Amendment (the last amendment in the Bill of Rights)
What is (It states that the) powers not given to the federal government belong to the states or to the people.
Name one way Americans can serve their country
• Vote
• Pay taxes
• Obey the law
• Serve in the military
• Run for office
• Work for local, state, or federal government
Name two important ideas from the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
• Equality
• Liberty
• Social contract
• Natural rights
• Limited government
• Self-government
Supreme Court justices serve for life. Why?
• To be independent (of politics)
• To limit outside (political) influence
The Supreme Court case that defined the First Amendment rights of students in U.S. public schools.
What is Tinker v. Des Moines
The U.S. Constitution starts with the words “We the People.” What does “We the People” mean?
• Self-government
• Popular sovereignty
• Consent of the governed
• People should govern themselves
• (Example of) social contract
Voting trends have changed over time. Name a group and describe how it has changed over time.
Ex. Age-Young voters least likely to vote (choose not to vote, moved, didn't register to vote), older voters more likely to vote (stable location, habits of voting).
Race-Minorities voting more over the past decade.
Gender-Women could not vote until 1920, and now they are more likely to vote than men.