Citizen Essay, Research Paper
1.What are the colors of our flag?
Red, white and blue
2.How many stars are there on our flag?
50
3.What color are the stars on our flag?
white
4.What do the stars on the flag mean?
There is one star for each state in the Union. Each star represents a state.
5.How many stripes are on the flag?
13
6.What color are the stripes?
Red and white
7.What do the stripes on the flag mean?
They represent the original 13 states
8.How many states are there in the union?
50
9.What do we celebrate on the 4th of July?
Independence Day
10.What is the date of Independence Day?
July 4, 1776
11.Independence Day celebrates independence from whom?
England
12.What country did we fight during the Revolutionary War?
England
13.Who was the first President of the United States?
George Washington
14.Who is the President of the United States today?
George W Bush.
15.Who is the Vice President of the United States today? Dick Cheney.
16.Who elects the President of the United States?
The Electoral College
17.Who becomes President of the United States if the President should die?
Vice President
18.For how long do we elect the President?
4 years
19.What is the Constitution?
The supreme law of the land
20.Can the Constitution be changed?
Yes. Through amendments.
21.What do we call a change to the Constitution?
An amendment
22.How many changes or amendments are there to the Constitution?
27
23.How many branches are there in our government?
3
24.What are the three branches of our government?
The Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch
25.What is the legislative branch of our government?
The Congress consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives
26.Who makes the laws in the United States?
The Congress
27.What makes up Congress?
The House of Representatives and the Senate
28.What are the duties of Congress?
To make federal laws, enter into treaties, approve appointments made by the President
29.Who elects Congress?
The people
30.How many senators are there in Congress?
100
31.Can you name the two senators from your state?
Durbin Richard, and Peter Fitzgerald.
32.For how long do we elect each senator?
6 years
33.How many representatives are there in Congress?
435
34.For how long do we elect the representatives?
2 years
35.What is the executive branch of our government?
The President, the Cabinet and departments under the cabinet members
36.Who is the head of the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government?
The President
37.Name the highest part of the judiciary branch of our Government?
The Supreme Court
38.What is the judiciary branch of our government?
The Supreme Court and other federal courts
39.What are the duties of the Supreme Court?
To interpret and explain the law
40.What is the supreme law of the United States?
The Constitution
41.What is the Bill of Rights?
The first 10 Amendments to the Constitution
42.What is the capital of your state?
SpringField
43.Who is the current governor of your state?
George H. Ryan.
44.Who becomes President of the U.S.A. if the President and Vice President should die?
The Speaker of the House of Representatives
45.Who is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?
William Rehnquist
46.Can you name the thirteen original states?
Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Rhode Island, and Maryland
47.Who said: “Give me liberty or give me death”?
Patrick Henry
48.Which countries were our enemies during World War II? Germany, Italy and Japan
49.What are the 49th and 50th States of the Union?
Alaska and Hawaii
50.How many terms can a President serve?
2
51.Who was Martin Luther King, Jr.?
A civil rights leader
52.Who is the head of your local government?
Richard Daly
53.According to the Constitution, a person must meet certain requirements in order to be eligible to become President. Name one of these requirements.
Must be a natural-born citizen of the United States; must be at least 35 years old by the time he/she will serve; must have lived in the United States for at least 14 years
54.Why are there 100 Senators in the Senate?
There are two from each state
55.Who nominates or selects the Supreme Court Justices?
They are nominated by the President
56.How many Supreme Court Justices are there?
9
57.Why did the pilgrims come to America?
To gain religious freedom
58.What is the head executive of a state government called?
The Governor
59.What is the head executive of a city government called?
The Mayor
60.What holiday was celebrated for the first time by the American colonists?
Thanksgiving
61.Who was the main writer of the Declaration of Independence? Thomas Jefferson
62.When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
July 4, 1776
63.What is the basic belief of the Declaration of Independence?
That all men are created equal and have the right to life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness
64.What is the National Anthem of the United States?
The Star-Spangled Banner
65.Who wrote The Star Spangled Banner?
Francis Scott Key
66.Where does Freedom of Speech come from?
Bill of Rights
67.What is the minimum voting age in the United States?
18
68.Who signs bills into law?
The President
69.What is the highest court in the United States?
The Supreme Court
70.Who was President during the Civil War?
Abraham Lincoln
71.What did the Emancipatio
It freed the slaves
72.What special group advises the President?
The cabinet
73.Which President is called “the Father of Our Country”?
George Washington
74.What Immigration and Naturalization Service form is used to apply for naturalized citizenship?
Form N-400 (Application for Naturalization)
75.Who helped the pilgrims in America?
The American Indian/Native Americans
76.What is the name of the ship that brought the pilgrims to America? Mayflower
77.What were the 13 original states of the United States called before they were states?
Colonies
78.Name 3 rights or freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.
(a) Freedom of speech, press, religion, peaceable assembly and
requesting change of government
(b) The right to bear arms (the right to have weapons or own a gun, though subject to certain regulations)
(c) The government may not quarter, or house, soldiers in citizen’s homes during peacetime without their consent
(d) The government may not search or take a person’s property without a warrant
(e) A person may not be tried twice for the same crime and does not have to testify against him/herself
(f) A person charged with a crime still has some rights, such as the right to a fair trial and to have a lawyer
(g) The right to trial by jury, in most cases
(h) Protection of people against excessive or unreasonable fines or cruel and unusual punishment
(i) The people have rights other than those mentioned in the Constitution
(j) Any power not given to the federal government by the Constitution is a power of either the states or the people
79.Who has the power to declare war?
The Congress
80.What kind of government does the United States have?
Republican
81.Which President freed the slaves?
Abraham Lincoln
82.How did Abraham Lincoln leave the Office of the President?
He was shot.
83.In what year was the Constitution written?
1787. It was adopted in 1789
84.What was the Civil War?
The Civil war was the war between the North and the South
85.What are the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution called?
The Bill of rights
86.Name one purpose of the United Nations?
For countries to discuss and try to resolve world problems; and to provide economic aid to many countries
87.Where does Congress meet?
In the Capitol Building in Washington D.C.
88.Whose rights are guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights?
Everyone living in the United States (citizens and non-citizens living in the U.S.)
89.What is the introduction to the Constitution called?
The Preamble
90.Name one benefit of being a citizen of the United States.
Obtain federal government jobs; travel with a U.S. passport; to
petition for close relatives to come to the U.S. to live; and the right to vote in U.S. elections
91.What is the most important right granted to U.S. citizens?
The right to vote
92.Who meets in the U.S. Capitol Building?
The Congress meets in the Capitol Building
93.What is the White House?
The President’s Official Residence
94.Where is the White House located?
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Northwest, Washington, D.C.
95.What is the name of the President’s official home?
The White House
96.Name one right guaranteed by the First Amendment.
Freedom of: Speech, Press, Religion, Peaceable Assembly, and to
petition the Government
97.Who is the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. military?
The President
98.Which President was the first Commander-in-Chief of the military (army and navy)?
George Washington
99.In what month do we vote for the President?
November
100.In what month is the new President inaugurated?
January
101.How many times may a U.S. Senator be re-elected?
There is no limit
102.How many times may a congressman be re-elected?
There is no limit
103.What are the 2 major political parties in the U.S. today? Republican and Democratic
104.How many states are there in the United States?
50
105.Where does freedom of speech come from?
The Bill of Rights
106.What is the United States Capitol?
The United States Capitol is the place where Congress meets.
107.What is it called if the President refuses to sign a bill into law and returns it to Congress with his objections?
Veto
108.What two oceans border the United States?
The Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
109.What famous American invented the electric light bulb?
Thomas Edison
110.What major river running North to South divides the United States?
The Mississippi River
111.Congress is divided into two parts. What do we call those two parts?
The House of Representatives and the Senate.
112.How do we determine the number of representatives that each state elects to go to the House of Representatives?
The number is determined by the population of each state.
113.Who is Sandra Day O’Connor?
Sandra Day O’Connor is the first woman judge on the U.S. Supreme Court.
114.Who was Christopher Columbus?
An explorer Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492.
115.What were the Articles of Confederation?
The Articles of Confederation was the first attempt to form a simple government for the colonies.
116.How long is the term of office for a judge on the U.S. Supreme Court?
The term is for life.
117.Does the Vice-President have any duties in the Legislative Branch? Yes. He presides over the United States Senate. The Vice
President has a vote in the Senate if there is a tie.
118.What was the Boston Tea Party?
The colonists were upset over the tax on tea and dumped the tea into the Boston Harbor and soon the Revolutionary War started.
119.What are the three most important powers of the United States Congress?
(1) to make the laws (2) to declare war and (3) to
admit new states to the Union
120.What were the years of the Civil War?
1861-1865
121.In what city was the Declaration of Independence signed?
In Philadephia, Pennsylvania
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