The introduction to the Constitution
What is the preamble?
Seven
How many articles are in the Constitution?
Three branches
How many branches are in the government?
Twenty-seven
How many times has the Constitution been amended?
Legislative, Executive, Judicial
What are the three branches of the government?
The Bill of Rights
What are the first ten amendments to the Constitution called?
to make the laws
What is the main job of the Legislature?
The Congress
What are the two houses of the Legislature called?
The House of Representatives and The Senate
Name the two houses of Congress.
on January 3rd of odd numbered years
When does each new session of Congress begin?
A written record of everything said in both houses of Congress
What is the Congressional Record?
It allows Congress to Stretch its powers as needed
What is the Elastic Clause?
435
How many members in the House of Representatives?
The number is based on the state's population
How is the number of representatives chosen for each state?
Every 10 years
How often is there a census of the American people?
1. at least 25 years old
2. U.S. citizen for at least 7 years
3. live in the state you are representing
What are the three qualifications to be a Representative?
2 years
How long is the term of office for a Representative?
The Speaker of the House
Who is the leader of the House of Representatives?
The House gathers the evidence
What role does the House play in an impeachment trial?
100
How many members are in the Senate?
2
How many senators from each state?
1. at least 30 years old
2. U.S. citizen for at least 9 years
3. live in the state you are representing
What are the three qualifications to be a Senator?
6 years
How long is the term of office for a senator?
The President of the Senate which is the Vice-President
Who is the leader of the Senate?
The Senate acts as the jury
What role does the Senate play in an impeachment trial?
It begins either in the Senate or in the House of Representatives
Where does a Bill go first to become a Law?
A bill concerning money or revenue
What kind of Bill can only begin in the House of Representatives?
To the other House
After a Bill passes the first House of the Congress, where does it go next?
To the President
If a Bill passes through both Houses of Congress, where does it go next?
1. sign it to make it a Law
2. veto it and send it back to Congress
What two things can a president do to a Bill?
Both Houses of Congress must override the veto with a 2/3 vote in each House
How can a vetoed Bill become a law?
1. taxing
2. printing money
3. declaring war
What are the Powers of Congress?
The right of the accused to see a judge and be told the charges against him/her
Define: Habeas Corpus
You may not be punished for something you'd done before the law was passed against that action.
Define: Ex Post Facto law
The Legislative Branch
What is the 1st Article of the Constitution about?
The Executive Branch
What is the 2nd Article of the Constitution about?
The Judicial Branch
What is the 3rd Article of the Constitution about?
To enforce the laws.
What is the main job of the Executive Branch?
The President
Who is the Leader of the Executive Branch?
4 years
How long is the term of office for the President?
1. must be at least 35 years old
2. must be a natural born citizen
3. must be a resident in the U.S. for at least 14 years
What are the three requirements to become President?
The Electoral College
Who elects the President and Vice-President?
Every state gets two plus however many representatives they have in the House.
How many votes does each state have in the Electoral College?
270
How many votes are needed to win the Presidency?
The Vice-President is next in line, followed by the Speaker of the House.
Who is next in line if something happens to the President?
1. Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces
2. Appoints ambassadors
3. Represents the nation to foreign countries
4. Vetoes or signs Bills into Law
5. Appoints Supreme Court justices
What are some powers of the President?
To interpret the laws
What is the main job of the Judicial Branch?
The Supreme Court
What is the highest court in the land?
Nine
How many justices are in the Supreme Court?
Life
How long is the term of office for a Supreme Court Justice?
The President
Who appoints Supreme Court justices?
the District Courts and the Court of Appeals
What are the Lower Federal Courts?
The Congress
Who creates the Lower Federal Courts?
SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND.
Fill in the blanks: THE CONSTITUTION IS THE ______ ______ _____ _____ _____
September 17, 1787
When was the Constitution signed?
Amendments
What are changes to the Constitution called?
The Bill of Rights
What are the first ten amendments to the Constitution called?
abolished slavery
What did Amendment #13 do?
created Prohibition, which was repealed by #21
What did Amendment #18 do?
gave women the right to vote
What did Amendment #19 do?
The president can only serve two terms of office, no longer than 10 years.
What did Amendment #22 do?
set the voting age to 18 years old
What did Amendment #26 do?
Barack Obama
Who is the President?
Joseph Biden
Who is the Vice-President?
Luis Gutierrez
Who is our state representative in the House?
Richard (Dick) Durbin and Mark Kirk
Who are our senators?
True
T or F - You must be 30 years old to be in the Senate.
False
T or F - The 13th amendment gave women the right to vote.
False - only Congress can declare war.
T or F - One power of the President is to declare war.
True
T or F - The Elastic Clause allows the Congress to stretch their powers as needed.
True
T or F - The House of Representatives gathers the evidence for an impeachment.
False - The least number of Representatives is 1 based on population.
T or F - There are a least 3 Representatives from each state based on population.
False - The Congressional Record is a writing of every thing ever said in both houses of Congress.
T or F - The Congressional Record is a written list of every member of Congress.
False - Only with the approval of the Senate.
T or F - The President can appoint a Supreme Court Judge only with the approval of the Congress.
False - 35 years old
T or F - The president must be at least 30 years old.
False - always odd, so there are no ties
T or F - There are always an even number of Justices in the Supreme Court.
False - 1787
T or F - The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1987.
True
T or F - To win an election, a Presidential candidate must get at least 270 Electoral votes.
False - 27
T or F - There are 7 Amendments in the Constitution.
True
T or F - There are 7 Articles in the Constitution.
True
T or F - The Senate acts as the Jury in an impeachment trial.
False - only Congress can make money
T or F - Each state can print their own money.
False - 25 years old
T or F - To be a Representative, you must be at least 21 years old.