AMERICAN GOVERMENT
If you are 65 years old or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, you may study just the questions that have been marked with an asterisk.
A: Principle of American Democracy
1. What is the supreme law of the land?
• The Constitution
2. What does the Constitution do?
• Sets up the government
• Defines the government
• Protects basic rights of Americans
3. The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?
• We are the People
4. What is an amendment?
• A change (to the Constitution)
• An addition (to the Constitution)
5. What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
• The Bill of Rights
6. What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?*
• Speech, religion, assembly, press, and petition the Government
7. How many amendments does the Constitution have?
• Twenty seven
8. What did the Declaration of Independence do?
• Announced our independence (from Great Britain)
• Declared our independence (from Great Britain)
• Said that the United States is free (from Great Britain)
9. What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?
• Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness
10. What is freedom of religion?*
• You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion.
11. What is the economic system in the United Sates?*
• capitalist economy
• market economy
12. 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
B. System of Government
13. Name one Branch or part of the government.*
• Congress
• Legislative
• President
• Executive
• The courts
• Judicial
14. What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
• Checks and balances
• Separation of powers
15. Who is in charge of the executive branch?
• The President
16. Who makes the federal laws?
• Congress
• Senate and House of Representatives
• Legislative
17. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?*
• The Senate and the House of Representatives
18. How many U.S. Senators are there?
• One hundred (100)
19. We select a U.S. Senator for how many years?
• Six (6)
20. Who is one of your state’s U.S. Senators?*
• Answers will vary. (Please check http://www.senate.gov )
21. The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
• Four hundred thirty-five (435)
22. We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?
• Two(2) years
23. Name your U.S. Representative.
• Answers will vary. (Please check http://www.senate.gov )
24. Who does a U.S. Senator represent?
• All people of the state
25. Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?
• (Because of) the state population
• (Because of) they have more people
• (Because) some states have more people
26. We elect a President for how many years?
• Four (4) years
27. In what month do we vote for President?*
• November
28. What is the name of the President of the United States now?*
• Barack Obama
29. What is the name of the Vice President of the United Sates now?
• Joe Biden
30. If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
• The Vice President
31. If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
• The Speaker of the House
32. Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?
• The President
33. Who signs bills to become laws?
• The President
34. Who vetoes bills?
• The President
35. What does the President’s Cabinet do?
• Advises the President
36. 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 Interior
• Secretary of State
• Secretary of Transportation
• Secretary of Treasury
• Secretary of Veteran’s Affairs
• Secretary of Labor
• Attorney General
37. What does the judicial branch do?
• Reviews laws
• Explains laws
• Resolves disputes (disagreements)
• Decides if law goes against the Constitution
38. What is the highest court in the United States?
• The Supreme Court
39. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
• Nine (9)
40. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States?
• John Roberts (John G. Roberts, Jr.)
41. 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
42. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states?
• Provide schooling and education
• Provide protection (police)
• Provide safety (fire departments)
• Give a driver’s license
• Approve zoning and land use
43. Who is the Governor of your state?
• Bob McDonnell (VA)
• Martin O’Malley (MD)
• President of the D.C. and U.S. territories without a Governor should say “We don’t have a Governor
(Please check at www.firstgov.gov and go to state government link)
44. What is the capital of your state?*
• Richmond (VA)
• Annapolis (MD)
• D.C. residents should answer that D.C. is not a state and does not have a capital. Residents of U.S. territories should name the capital of the territory
45. What are the two major political parties in the United States?*
• Democratic and Republican
46. What is the political party of the President now?
• Democratic (Party)
47. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
• Nancy Pelosi
C. Rights and Responsibilities
48. There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
• Citizen 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)
49. What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?*
• Serve on a jury
• Vote
50. What are two rights only for United States citizens?
• Apply for a federal job
• Vote
• Run for office
• Carry a U.S. passport
51. What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?
• Freedom of expression
• Freedom of speech
• Freedom of assembly
• Freedom of petition the government
• Freedom of worship
• The right to bear arms
52. What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
• The United States
• The flag
53. 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)
• Serve (do important work for) the nation (if needed)
• Be loyal to the United States
54. How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?*
• Eighteen (18)
55. What are two ways that 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 your opinion on an issue
• Call Senators and Representatives
• Publicly support or oppose an issue or policy
• Run for office
• Write to a newspaper
56. When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?*
• April 15th
57. When must all men register for the Selective Service?
• At age eighteen (18)
• Between eighteen(18) and twenty-six(26)
AMERICAN HISTORY
A. Colonial Period and Independence
58. What is one reason colonists came to America?
• Freedom
• Political liberty
• Religious freedom
• Practice their religion
• Escape persecution
59. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
• Native Americans
• American Indians
60. What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
• Africans
• People from Africa
61. Why did the colonists fight the British?
• Because of high taxes (taxation without representation)
• Because the British army stayed in their houses(boarding, quartering)
• Because they didn’t have self-government
62. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
• Tomas Jefferson
63. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
• July 4, 1776
64. There were 13 original states. Name three.
• New York
• Connecticut
• Pennsylvania
• New Hampshire
• Virginia
• Massachusetts
• Maryland
• Rhode Island
• New Jersey
• North Carolina
• South Carolina
• Delaware
• Georgia
65. What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
• The Constitution was written
• The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution
66. When was the Constitution written?
• 1787
67. The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers?
• James Madison
• Alexander Hamilton
• John Jay
• Publius
68. 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”
69. Who is the “Father of Our Country?
• George Washington
70. Who was the First President?*
• George Washington
B. 1800s
71. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
• The Louisiana Territory
• Louisiana
72. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s?
• War of 1812
• Mexican-American War
• Civil War
• Spanish-American War
73. Name the U.S. war between the North and the South?
• The Civil War
• The War between the States
74. Name one problem that led to the Civil War?
• Slavery
• Economic reasons
• States’ rights
75. What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?*
• Freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation)
• Saved (or preserved) the Union
• Led the United States during the Civil War
76. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
• Freed the slaves
• Freed slaves in the Confederacy
• Freed slaves in the Confederate states
• Freed slaves in most Southern sates
77. What did Susan B. Anthony do?
• Fought for women’s rights
• Fought for civil rights
C. Recent American History and Other Important Historical Information
78. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s?*
• World War I
• World War II
• Korean War
• Vietnam War
• Gulf War (Persian)
79. Who was President during World War I?
• Woodrow Wilson
80. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?
• Franklin Roosevelt
81. Who did the United States fight in World War II?
• Japan, Germany, and Italy
82. Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in?
• World War II
83. During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?
• Communism
84. What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
• Civil rights (movement)
85. What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?*
• Fought for civil rights
• Worked for equality for all Americans
86. What major event happened on September 11, 2001 in the United States?
• Terrorists attacked the United States
87. 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
INTEGRATED CIVICS
A. Geography
88. Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States?
• Missouri (River)
• Mississippi (River)
89. What Ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?
• Pacific (Ocean)
90. What ocean if on the East Coast of the United States?
• Atlantic (Ocean)
91. Name one U.S. Territory?
• Puerto Rico
• U.S. Virgin Islands
• American Samoa
• Northern Mariana Islands
• Guam
92. Name one state that borders Canada.
• Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Alaska
93. Name one state that borders Mexico.
• California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas
94. What is the capital of the United States?*
• Washington D.C.
95. Where is the Statue of Liberty?*
• New York (Harbor)
• Liberty Island (Also acceptable are New Jersey, near New York City and on the Hudson River)
B. Symbols
96. Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
• Because there were 13 original colonies
• Because the stripes represent the original colonies
97. Why does the flag have 50 stars?*
• Because there is one star for each state
• Because each star represents a state
• Because there are 50 states
98. What is the name of the national anthem?
• The Star-Spangled Banner
C. Holidays
99. When do we celebrate Independence Day?*
• July 4
100. Name two national U.S. Holidays.
• New Year’s Day
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• President’s Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Columbus Day
• Veterans Day
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas
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