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civics test Flashcards

1
Q

what is the supreme law of the land

A

the constitution

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2
Q

what does the constitution do

A
  • sets up the goverment
    -guarantees Americans basic rights
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3
Q

The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are
these words?

A

we the people

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3
Q

what is an amendment

A

a change or addition to the Constitution

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4
Q

What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?

A

the Bill of Rights

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5
Q

What is one right or freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment?

A

▪ speech
▪ religion
▪ assembly
▪ press
▪ petition the government

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6
Q

What did the Declaration of Independence do?

A

declared our independence from Great Britain

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6
Q

How many amendments does the Constitution have?

A

27

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7
Q
  1. What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?
A

▪ life
▪ liberty
▪ pursuit of happiness

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8
Q

What is freedom of religion?

A

You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion

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9
Q

What is the economic system in the United States?

A

▪ capitalist economy
▪ market economy

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10
Q

What is the “rule of law”?

A

Everyone must follow the law including leaders and the government

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11
Q

Name one branch or part of the government.

A

▪ legislative
▪ executive
▪ judicial

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12
Q

What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?

A

▪ checks and balances
▪ separation of powers

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13
Q

Who is in charge of the executive branch?

A

the President

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14
Q

Who makes federal laws?

A

Congress

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15
Q

What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?

A

the Senate & House of Representatives

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16
Q

How many U.S. Senators are there?

A

100

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17
Q

We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?

A

6

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18
Q

Who is one of your state’s U.S. Senators now?

A

▪ Bill Hagerty
▪ Marsha Blackburn

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19
Q

The House of Representatives has how many voting members?

A

four hundred thirty-five [435]

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20
Q

We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?

A

2

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21
Q

Name your U.S. Representative.

A

Mark E. Green

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22
Q

Who does a U.S. Senator represent?

A

all people of the state

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23
Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?
because of a state’s population
24
We elect a President for how many years?
4
25
In what month do we vote for President?
november
26
Who is the current President of the United States?
Joseph R. Biden
27
Who is the current Vice President of the United States?
Kamala Harris
28
If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
the vice president
29
If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
the Speaker of the House
30
Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?
the President
31
Who signs bills to become laws?
the President
32
Who vetoes bills?
the President
33
What does the President’s Cabinet do?
advises the President
34
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
35
What does the judicial branch do?
▪ decides if a law goes against the Constitution or not ▪ Decide if a law is unconstitutional or not
36
What is the highest court in the United States?
the Supreme Court
37
How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
9
38
Who is currently the Chief Justice of the United States?
John Roberts
39
Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?
▪ to print money ▪ to declare war ▪ to create an army ▪ to make treaties
40
Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states?
▪ provide schooling and education ▪ provide protection [e.g. police] ▪ provide safety [e.g. fire departments] ▪ issue a driver’s license ▪ approve zoning and land use
40
Who is the Governor of Tennessee?
Bill Lee
41
What is the capital of Tennessee?
Nashville
42
What is the political party of the President of the United States?
Democratic party
43
What are the two major political parties in the United States?
▪ Democratic and Republican
44
Who is currently the Speaker of the House of Representatives?
Mike Johnson
45
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. Both Women and men can vote. ▪ A male citizen of any race can vote.
46
What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?
▪ serve on a jury ▪ vote in a federal election
47
Name one right only for United States citizens.
▪ vote in a federal election ▪ run for federal office
48
What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?
▪ freedom of expression ▪ freedom of speech ▪ freedom of assembly ▪ freedom to petition the government ▪ freedom of worship ▪ the right to bear arms
49
What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
the United States and the flag
50
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] ▪ do important work for the nation [if needed] ▪ be loyal to the United States
51
How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?
18+
52
What are two ways Americans can participate in their democracy?
▪ vote ▪ join a political party ▪ help with a campaign ▪ join a civic group ▪ join a community group ▪ give an elected official their opinion on an issue ▪ call Senators and Representatives ▪ publicly support or oppose an issue or policy ▪ run for office ▪ protest against policies they disagree with
53
When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?
April 15
54
When must all men register for the Selective Service?
18
55
What is one reason colonists came to America?
▪ freedom ▪ political liberty ▪ religious freedom ▪ economic opportunity ▪ escape persecution
56
Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
American Indians
57
What group of people were taken to America and sold as slaves?
Africans
58
Why did the colonists fight the British?
To obtain self-government
59
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
60
When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
July 4, 1776
61
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
62
What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
The U.S. Constitution was written
63
When was the Constitution written?
1787
64
The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
▪ James Madison ▪ Alexander Hamilton ▪ John Jay ▪ Publius
65
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 ▪ being an inventor, writer, scientist
66
Who is the “Father of Our Country”?
George Washington
67
Who was the first President?
George Washington
68
What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
the Louisiana Territory
69
Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
▪ War of 1812 ▪ Mexican-American War ▪ Civil War ▪ Spanish-American War
70
Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.
the civil war
71
Name the issue that led to the Civil War.
slavery
72
What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?
▪ freed the enslaved ▪ Emancipation Proclamation ▪ saved [or preserved] the Union ▪ led the United States during the Civil War
73
What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
freed slaves in the states under Confederate control
74
What did Susan B. Anthony do?
fought for women’s rights
75
Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.
▪ World War I ▪ World War II ▪ Korean War ▪ Vietnam War ▪ Persian Gulf War
76
79. Who was President during World War I?
Woodrow Wilson
77
Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?
Franklin Roosevelt
78
Who did the United States fight in World War II?
Japan, Germany, and Italy
79
Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he the commanding general?
World War II
80
During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?
Communism
81
What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
Civil Rights Movement
82
What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?
fought for civil rights
83
What major event happened on September 11, 2001, in the United States?
Terrorists attacked the United States.
84
Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
▪ Cherokee ▪ Navajo ▪ Sioux ▪ Chippewa ▪ Choctaw ▪ Pueblo ▪ Apache ▪ Iroquois ▪ Creek ▪ Blackfeet ▪ Seminole ▪ Cheyenne ▪ Arawak ▪ Shawnee ▪ Mohegan ▪ Huron ▪ Oneida ▪ Lakota ▪ Crow ▪ Teton ▪ Hopi ▪ Inuit
85
Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.
▪ Missouri River ▪ Mississippi River
86
What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?
Pacific Ocean
87
What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
Atlantic Ocean
88
Name one U.S. territory.
▪ Puerto Rico ▪ U.S. Virgin Islands ▪ American Samoa ▪ Northern Mariana Islands ▪ Guam
89
Name one state that borders Canada.
▪ Maine ▪ New Hampshire ▪ Vermont ▪ New York ▪ Pennsylvania ▪ Ohio ▪ Michigan ▪ Minnesota ▪ North Dakota ▪ Montana ▪ Idaho ▪ Washington ▪ Alaska
90
93. Name one state that borders Mexico.
▪ California ▪ Arizona ▪ New Mexico ▪ Texas
91
What is the capital of the United States?
Washington, D.C.
92
Where is the Statue of Liberty?
New York City
93
96. Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
because the stripes represent the original colonies
94
Why does the flag have 50 stars?
because there is one star for each state
95
What is the name of the national anthem?
The Star-Spangled Banner
96
When do we celebrate Independence Day?
July 4
97
Name two national U.S. holidays.
▪ New Year’s Day ▪ Martin Luther King, Jr. Day ▪ Presidents’ Day ▪ Memorial Day ▪ Independence Day ▪ Labor Day ▪ Columbus Day ▪ Veterans Day ▪ Thanksgiving ▪ Christmas

US history and geography (5 decks)

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