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