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U.S. Citizenship
100 Civics Questions and Answers
Question | Answer |
---|---|
What is the supreme law of the land? | the Constitution |
What does the Constitution do? | sets up the government, defines the government, protects basic rights of Americans |
What are the first three words of the Constitution? | We the People |
What is an amendment? | a change to the Constitution, an addition to the Constitution |
What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution? | the Bill of Rights |
What is one right or freedom form the First Amendment? | speech, religion, assembly, press, petition the government |
How many amendments does the Constitution have? | 27 |
What did the Declaration of Independence? | announced our independence from Great Britain, declared our independence from Great Britain, said that the United States is free from Great Britain |
What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence? | life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness |
What is freedom of religion? | You can practice any religion, or not practice any religion. |
What is the economic system in the United States | capitalist, market |
What is the "rule of law"? | Everyone must follow the law. Leaders must obey the law. Government must obey the law. No one is above the law. |
Name one branch or part of the government. | Congress, legislative, President, executive, the courts, judicial |
What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful? | checks and balances, separation of powers |
Who is in charge of the executive branch? | the President |
Who makes federal laws? | Congress, Senate and House (of Representatives), (U.S. or national) legislature |
What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress? | the Senate and House |
How many U.S. Senators are there? | 100 |
Who is one of your state's U.S. Senators now? | James Risch, Michael Dean Crapo |
We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years? | 6 |
The House of Representatives has how many voting members? | 435 |
We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years? | 2 |
Name your U.S. Representative | Mike Simpson, Raul Labradow |
Who does a U.S. Senator represent? | all people of the state |
Why do some states have more Representatives than other states? | the state's population, they have more people, some states have more people |
We elect a President for how many years? | 4 |
In what month do we vote for President? | November |
What is the name of the President of the United States now? | Barack Obama |
What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now? | Joseph R. Biden |
If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President? | the Vice President |
If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes the President? | Speaker of the House |
Who is the Commander in Chief of the military? | the President |
Who signs bills to become laws? | the President |
What does the President's Cabinet do? | advises the President |
What are two Cabinet-level positions? | Secretary of Education, Secretary of Homeland Security |
What does the judicial branch do? | reviews laws, explains laws, resolves disputes, decides if a law goes against the Constituion |
What is the highest court in the United States? | the Supreme Court |
How many justices are on the Supreme Court? | 9 |
Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now? | John Roberts |
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 |
Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states? | provide schooling and education, provide protection, provide safety, give a driver's license, approve zoning and land use |
Who is the Governor of you state now? | Butch Otter |
What are the two major political parties in the United States? | Democratic, Republican |
What is the political party of the President now? | Democratic |
What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now? | Paul Ryan |
There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them. | Citizens 18 and older can vote, You don't have to pay to vote, Any citizen can vote, A male citizen of any race can vote |
What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens? | serve on a jury, vote in a federal election |
Name one right only for United States citizens. | vote in a federal election, run for federal office |
What are two rights of everyone living in the United States? | freedom of speech, freedom of religion |
What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance? | the United States, the flag |
What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen? | give up loyalty to other countries |
How old do citizens have to be to vote for President? | 18 |
What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy? | vote, call Senators and Representative |
When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms? | April 15 |
When must all men register for the Selective Service? | between 18 and 26 |
What is one reason colonists came to America? | freedom, political liberty, religious freedom, economic opportunity, practice their religion, escape persecution |
Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived? | Native Americans |
What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves? | Africans |
Why did the colonists fight the British? | Because of high taxes, because the British army stayed in their houses, because they didn't have self-goverment |
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? | Thomas Jefferson |
When was the Declaration of Independence adopted? | July 4, 1776 |
There were 13 original states. Name three | Connecticut, New York, Virginia |
What happened at the Constitutional Convention? | The Constitution was written.The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution |
When was the Constitution written? | 1787 |
The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers. | James Madison |
What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for? | U.S. diplomat, oldest member of the Constitutional Convention |
Who is the "Father of Our Country"? | George Washington |
Who was the first President? | George Washington |
What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803? | the Louisiana Territory |
Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s | War of 1812, civil war |
Name the U.S. war between the North and the South? | the Civil War |
Name one problem that led to the Civil War. | slavery, economic reasons, state's rights |
What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did? | freed the slaves, saved the Union, led the United States during the Civil War |
What did the Emancipation Proclamation do? | freed the slaves |
What did Susan B. Anthony do? | fought for women's rights, fought for civil rights |
Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s? | World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War |
Who was President during World War I? | Woodrow Wilson |
Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II? | Franklin Roosevelt |
Who did the United States fight in World War II? | Japan, Germany, and Italy |
Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in? | World War II |
During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States? | Communism |
What movement tried to end racial discrimination? | civil rights movement |
What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do? | fought for civil rights, worked for equality for all Americans. |
What major event happened on September 11, 2001, in the United States? | Terrorists attacked the United States. |
Name one American Indian tribe in the United States. | Cherokee, Navajo, Apache, Cheyenne, Shawnee |
Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States. | Missouri, Mississippi |
What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States? | Pacific |
What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States? | Atlantic |
Name one U.S. territory. | Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam |
Name one state that borders Canada. | Maine, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Idaho, Alask |
Name one state that borders Mexico. | California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas |
What is the capital of the United States? | Washington, D.C. |
Where is the Statue of Liberty? | New York |
Why does the flag have 13 stripes? | because there were 13 original colonies |
Why does the flag have 50 stars? | because there is one star for each state |
What is the name of the national anthem? | The Star-Spangled Banner |
When do we celebrate Independence Day? | July 4 |
Name two national U.S. holidays | New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas |