What is the name of the document that declared the structure of the United States government and rights of its citizens in 1788?
United States Constitution
A constitution is typically a series of fundamental principles that constitute the legal basis of an entity (organization, country, etc.) and helps determine how the entity is to be governed.
The United States is “technically” not a democracy, it is a democratic _____.
republic
A democratic republic is a system in which the people choose representatives who, in turn, make policy decisions on their behalf but the ultimate authority lies with the citizens.
In a democratic republic, certain rights cannot be taken away from the ruling representatives, even if it has been elected by a majority of voters.
In a pure democracy, the majority can impose its will on the minority.
In the context of the U.S. government, what is a change to the Constitution called?
amendment
There have been 33 amendments so far.
Which Amendment entitles Americans to freedom of speech, religion, assembly, petition, and the press?
The 1st Amendment
What is the name for the first ten amendments of the United States Constitution?
Bill of Rights
There were originally 12 amendments to the Constitution; the first 2 were never ratified.
The 10 amendments guarantee essential rights and civil liberties.
Click here to see all 10 amendments in the Bill of Rights.
What two chambers make up the United States Congress?
Senate and House of Representatives
The legislative branch of the US government is composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate. This is the branch of government responsible for authoring the laws of the federal government.
Legislation can be introduced in either chamber, but must pass both chambers before it is passed onto the Executive branch to be signed into law by the President.
In the U.S. government’s Executive Branch, what is the term for the advisory body that leads various governmental departments and advises the president?
The Cabinet
Cabinet members are appointed by the president and have received Senate approval (confirmation).
What branch(es) of the United States government can declare war?
only Congress
The Constitution clearly grants only Congress the explicit right to “declare war.” However, this issue does frequently create major political debate, as another part of the Constitution also clearly names the President as the Commander in Chief of the armed forces.
With this role, the President may defend the US or take military action without involving the Congress at times.
Which Amendment gives Americans the right to bear arms?
The 2nd Amendment
The 2nd Amendment’s full phrasing actually reads that “a well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed”.
Which Amendment abolished slavery in the United States?
The 13th Amendment
(6th of December, 1865)
Which Amendment gave all male citizens, regardless of race or color, the right to vote?
The 15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment was passed 1870, shortly after the Civil War, after which recently freed blacks began both voting and running for local office.
Which Amendment gave women the right to vote?
The 19th Amendment
(18th of August, 1920)
What political philosophy argues for a total absence of any governmental authority?
anarchy
What is the name of a form of government in which power is divided between a central political authority and its constituent political units?
federalism
The United States follows federalism, because power resides jointly in the federal government and in the government of the states.
What is the name of a type of government in which power is concentrated in the hands of only a few people?
oligarchy
Aristocracy (rule by the elite) is a type of oligarchy.
What are the three branches of U.S. government?
- Executive Branch
- Legislative Branch
- Judicial Branch
- Executive Branch: Led by the president, the Executive Branch supports and enforces laws and policies.
- Legislative Branch: Led by Congress, the Legislative Branch creates laws and policies.
- Judicial Branch: Led by the Supreme Court, the Judicial Branch enforces and evaluates laws and policies.
Which U.S. Supreme Court case ruled that separating public schools based on race was unconstitutional?
Brown v. Board of Education
(1954)
This case overturned Plessy vs Ferguson’s “separate but equal” doctrine and kicked off decades of integration and continued civil rights reforms.
Which U.S. Supreme Court case ruled that abortion is a right?
Roe v. Wade
(1973)
On the 24th of June 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court, ending the constitutional right to abortion.
Which U.S. Supreme Court case was the first to implement “judicial review”, giving federal courts the right to reject acts of Congress if they were found to violate the Constitution?
Marbury v. Madison
(1803)
Marbury v. Madison was a seminal case, giving the Supreme Court the respect and power that would cement the new country’s reputation as a nation of laws.
Additionally, the exercise of judicial review helped to check the actions of Congress and the president.
What type of election is held within a U.S. political party to determine which candidate(s) will run in a general election?
primary election
Primary elections are held before a general election.
Both the Democratic and Republican party’s state primaries are scattered across several months during the year before a general election
What is the name of the organization that determines who will be elected the President and Vice President of the United States?
Electoral College
Technically, U.S. voters do not directly cast their vote for a President but are rather voting for the ‘electors’ that their state will send to the college.
The number of Electors for each state is equal to its number of representatives in Congress. In addition, the District of Columbia is entitled to 3 Electors.
Electors receive the votes from Americans in their state, then select the candidate reflecting the outcome of those votes.
What are the two major American political parties?
Democrats and Republicans
Democrats generally: support universal health care, support tax cuts for low and middle class (but support tax increases for the rich) and support stronger gun control legislation.
Republicans generally: oppose universal health care, support tax cuts for all, oppose stronger gun legislation, and oppose excess regulation.
Review all the values set out by the Democrats and the Republicans.
How many representatives make up the United States House of Representatives?
435 representatives
(number based on population by state)
How many senators make up the United States Senate?
100 senators
(2 per state)
How many individuals make up the United States Supreme Court?
Nine
(including the Chief Justice)
How long is a United States congressional term?
two years
There is no limit to the number of terms that a member of Congress can serve.
How long is a United States presidential term?
four years
The president may only carry out 2 four-year terms.
How long is a United States senatorial term?
six years
There is no limit to the number of terms that a senator can serve.
Senators’ terms are “staggered” so that every two years approximately one third of senators are up for reelection.
Which non-governmental U.S. agency serves to protect citizens’ Constitutional rights?
ACLU
(American Civil Liberties Union)
Founded in 1871, which American organization strives to defend the Second Amendment: “the right to keep and bear arms?”
NRA
(National Rifle Association)
Which U.S. government agency is in charge of national security and the Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard)?
Department of Defense
The DoD is a department of the executive branch.
Founded in 1909, which American interest group promotes equal rights for all people regardless of race?
NAACP
(National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)
Which U.S. government agency is responsible for international relations?
Department of State
The Department of State protects and promotes U.S. security, prosperity and democratic values.
Their activities can be broadly compared to a ministry of foreign affairs of other nations.
Which U.S. government agency is responsible for the government’s finances?
Department of the Treasury
This department issues bonds whenever taxpayer funds are insufficient to cover public expenses.
Which independent government agency closely monitors international and federal communications and data, for the purpose of discovering threats to the U.S. or its citizens?
NSA
(National Security Agency)
The main difference between the NSA and the CIA is that the CIA is mostly associated with gathering information internationally that is of relevance to the U.S.
The NSA concerns itself with national security only.
Which independent U.S. government agency is responsible for collecting intelligence about foreign countries and carrying out covert operations?
CIA
(Central Intelligence Agency)
Which independent U.S. government agency investigates federal crimes and is in charge of counterintelligence?
FBI
(Federal Bureau of Investigation)
