The Constitution The Founding Fathers of the United States wrote the Constitution in 1787. The Constitution is the “supreme law of the land.” The U.S. Constitution has lasted longer than any other country’s constitution. It establishes the basic principles of the United States government. The Constitution establishes a system of government called “representative democracy.” In […]

Sets up the government Defines the government Protects basic rights of Americans The Constitution of the United States divides government power between the national government and state governments. The name for this division of power is “federalism.” Federalism is an important idea in the Constitution. We call the Founding Fathers who wrote the Constitution the […]

We the People The Constitution says: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United […]

a change (to the Constitution) an addition (to the Constitution) An amendment is a change or addition to the Constitution. The Framers of the Constitution knew that laws can change as a country grows. They did not want to make it too easy to modify the Constitution, the supreme law of the land. The Framers […]

The Bill of Rights The Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. When the Framers wrote the Constitution, they did not focus on individual rights. They focused on creating the system and structure of government. Many Americans believed that the Constitution should guarantee the rights of the people, and they wanted […]

speech religion assembly press petition the government The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights protects a person’s right to freedom of expression. Freedom of expression allows open discussion and debate on public issues. Open discussion and debate are important to democracy. The First Amendment also protects freedom of religion and free speech. This amendment […]

twenty-seven (27) The first 10 amendments to the Constitution are called the Bill of Rights. They were added in 1791. Since then, 17 more amendments have been added. The Constitution currently has 27 amendments. The 27th Amendment was added in 1992. It explains how senators and representatives are paid. Interestingly, Congress first discussed this amendment […]

announced our independence (from Great Britain) declared our independence (from Great Britain) said that the United States is free (from Great Britain) The Declaration of Independence contains important ideas about the American system of government. The Declaration of Independence states that all people are created equal and have “certain unalienable rights.” These are rights that […]

life liberty pursuit of happiness The Declaration of Independence lists three rights that the Founding Fathers considered to be natural and “unalienable.” They are the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These ideas about freedom and individual rights were the basis for declaring America’s independence. Thomas Jefferson and the other Founding Fathers […]

You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion. Colonists from Spain, France, Holland, England, and other countries came to America for many different reasons. One of the reasons was religious freedom. The rulers of many of these countries told their citizens that they must go to a certain church and worship in a […]

capitalist economy market economy The economic system of the United States is capitalism. In the American economy, most businesses are privately owned. Competition and profit motivate businesses. Businesses and consumers interact in the marketplace, where prices can be negotiated. This is called a “market economy.” In a market economy, businesses decide what to produce, how […]

Everyone must follow the law. Leaders must obey the law. Government must obey the law. No one is above the law. John Adams was one of the Founding Fathers and the second president of the United States. He wrote that our country is, “a government of laws, and not of men.” No person or group […]

Congress legislative President executive the courts judicial The Constitution establishes three branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial. Article I of the Constitution establishes the legislative branch. Article I explains that Congress makes laws. Congress (the Senate and the House of Representatives) is the legislative branch of the U.S. government. Article II of the Constitution […]

checks and balances separation of powers The Constitution separates the government’s power into three branches to prevent one person or group from having too much power. The separation of government into three branches creates a system of checks and balances. This means that each branch can block, or threaten to block, the actions of the […]

The President The job of the executive branch is to carry out, or execute, federal laws and enforce laws passed by Congress. The head of the executive branch is the president. The president is both the head of state and the head of government. The president’s powers include the ability to sign treaties with other […]

Congress Senate and House (of Representatives) (U.S. or national) legislature Congress makes federal laws. A federal law usually applies to all states and all people in the United States. Either side of Congress—the Senate or the House of Representatives—can propose a bill to address an issue. When the Senate proposes a bill, it sends the […]

the Senate and House (of Representatives) Congress is divided into two parts—the Senate and the House of Representatives. Because it has two “chambers,” the U.S. Congress is known as a “bicameral” legislature. The system of checks and balances works in Congress. Specific powers are assigned to each of these chambers. For example, only the Senate […]

one hundred (100) There are 100 senators in Congress, two from each state. All states have equal power in the Senate because each state has the same number of senators. States with a very small population have the same number of senators as states with very large populations. The Framers of the Constitution made sure […]

six (6) The Framers of the Constitution wanted senators to be independent from public opinion. They thought a fairly long, six-year term would give them this protection. They also wanted longer Senate terms to balance the shorter two-year terms of the members of the House, who would more closely follow public opinion. The Constitution puts […]

Answers will vary. [District of Columbia residents and residents of U.S. territories should answer that D.C. (or the territory where the applicant lives) has no U.S. Senators.] For a complete list of U.S. senators and the states they represent, go to http://www.senate.gov. Photo Credit

four hundred thirty-five (435) The House of Representatives is the larger chamber of Congress. Since 1912, the House of Representatives has had 435 voting members. However, the distribution of members among the states has changed over the years. Each state must have at least one representative in the House. Beyond that, the number of representatives […]

two (2) People who live in a representative’s district are called “constituents.” Representatives tend to reflect the views of their constituents. If representatives do not do this, they may be voted out of office. The Framers of the Constitution believed that short two-year terms and frequent elections would keep representatives close to their constituents, public […]

Answers will vary. [Residents of territories with nonvoting Delegates or Resident Commissioners may provide the name of that Delegate or Commissioner. Also acceptable is any statement that the territory has no (voting) Representatives in Congress.] For a complete list of U.S. representatives and the districts they represent, go to http://www.house.gov Photo Credit

all people of the state Senators are elected to serve the people of their state for six years. Each of the two senators represents the entire state. Before the 17th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1913, the state legislatures elected the U.S. senators to represent their state. Now, all the voters in a […]

(because of) the state’s population (because) they have more people (because) some states have more people The Founding Fathers wanted people in all states to be represented fairly. In the House of Representatives, a state’s population determines the number of representatives it has. In this way, states with many people have a stronger voice in […]

four (4) Early American leaders thought that the head of the British government, the king, had too much power. Because of this, they limited the powers of the head of the new U.S. government. They decided that the people would elect the president every four years. The president is the only official elected by the […]

November The Constitution did not set a national election day. In the past, elections for federal office took place on different days in different states. In 1845, Congress passed legislation to designate a single day for all Americans to vote. It made Election Day the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Congress chose November […]

Donald J. Trump Donald Trump Trump Donald J. Trump is the 45th president of the United States. As president he is the head of the executive branch. As commander in chief, he is also in charge of the military. Trump was born in New York on June 14, 1946. He graduated from the Wharton School […]

Michael R. Pence Mike Pence Pence Michael (Mike) R. Pence is the 48th vice president of the United States. Pence was born June 7, 1959, in Indiana. He graduated from Hanover College. He also studied law and graduated from the Robert H. McKinney School of Law at Indiana University. Pence was first elected to the […]

the Vice President If the president dies, resigns, or cannot work while still in office, the vice president becomes president. For this reason, the qualifications for vice president and president are the same. A vice president became president nine times in U.S. history when the president died or left office. William Henry Harrison died in […]

the Speaker of the House If both the president and vice president cannot serve, the next person in line is the speaker of the House of Representatives. This has not always been the procedure. Soon after the country was founded, a law was passed that made the Senate president pro tempore the next in line […]

the President The Founding Fathers strongly believed in republican ideals. A republic is a government where a country’s political power comes from the citizens, not the rulers, and is put into use by representatives elected by the citizens. That is why they made the president the commander in chief. They wanted a civilian selected by […]

the President Every law begins as a proposal made by a member of Congress, either a senator (member of the Senate) or representative (member of the House of Representatives). When the Senate or House begins to debate the proposal, it is called a “bill.” After debate in both houses of Congress, if a majority of […]

the President The president has veto power. This means that the president can reject a bill passed by Congress. If the president vetoes a bill, he prevents it from becoming a law. The president can send the bill back to Congress unsigned. Often he will list reasons why he rejects it. The president has 10 […]

advises the President The Constitution says that the leaders of the executive departments should advise the president. These department leaders, most of them called “secretaries,” make up the cabinet. The president nominates the cabinet members to be his advisors. For a nominee to be confirmed, a majority of the Senate must approve the nominee. Throughout […]

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 the Interior Secretary of Labor Secretary of State Secretary of Transportation Secretary of the Treasury Secretary of Veterans Affairs Attorney General Vice […]

reviews laws explains laws resolves disputes (disagreements) decides if a law goes against the Constitution The judicial branch is one of the three branches of government. The Constitution established the judicial branch of government with the creation of the Supreme Court. Congress created the other federal courts. All these courts together make up the judicial […]

the Supreme Court  The U.S. Supreme Court has complete authority over all federal courts. Its rulings have a significant effect. A Supreme Court ruling can affect the outcome of many cases in the lower courts. The Supreme Court’s interpretations of federal laws and of the Constitution are final. The Supreme Court is limited in its […]

nine (9) The Constitution does not establish the number of justices on the Supreme Court. In the past, there have been as many as 10 and as few as six justices. Now, there are nine justices on the Supreme Court: eight associate justices and one chief justice. The Constitution gives the president the power to […]

John Roberts (John G. Roberts, Jr.) John G. Roberts, Jr. is the 17th chief justice of the United States. After the death of former chief justice William Rehnquist in September 2005, President George W. Bush nominated Roberts for this position. Judge Roberts became chief justice when he was 50. He is the youngest chief justice […]

to print money to declare war to create an army to make treaties The powers of government are divided between the federal government and the state governments. The federal government is known as a limited government. Its powers are restricted to those described in the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution gives the federal government the power […]

provide schooling and education provide protection (police) provide safety (fire departments) give a driver’s license approve zoning and land use In the United States, the federal and state governments both hold power. Before the Constitution, the 13 colonies governed themselves individually much like state governments. It was not until the Articles of Confederation and then […]

Answers will vary. [District of Columbia residents should answer that D.C. does not have a Governor.] To learn the name of the governor of your state or territory, go to www.nga.org/governors. Similar to the federal government, most states have three branches of government. The branches are executive, legislative, and judicial. The governor is the chief […]

Answers will vary. [District of Columbia 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.] To learn the capital of your state or territory, go to http://www.census.gov/schools/facts. Each state or territory has its own capital. The state capital is where the […]

Democratic and Republican The Constitution did not establish political parties. President George Washington specifically warned against them. But early in U.S. history, two political groups developed. They were the Democratic-Republicans and the Federalists. Today, the two major political parties are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. President Andrew Jackson created the Democratic Party from […]

Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the political party of the President For more information about the political party of the president, visit whitehouse.gov. Photo Credit

Paul D. Ryan (Paul) Ryan  The current speaker of the House of Representatives is Paul D. Ryan. He has represented Wisconsin’s First Congressional District in the House of Representatives since 1999. As speaker, he presides over the House of Representatives and leads the majority political party in the House, the Republican Party. The speaker is […]

Citizens 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). Voting is one of the most important civic responsibilities of citizens in the United States. In a democratic society, the people […]

serve on a jury vote in a federal election Two responsibilities of U.S. citizens are to serve on a jury and vote in federal elections. The Constitution gives citizens the right to a trial by a jury. The jury is made up of U.S. citizens. Participation of citizens on a jury helps ensure a fair […]

vote in a federal election run for federal office U.S. citizens have the right to vote in federal elections. Permanent residents can vote in local or state elections that do not require voters to be U.S. citizens. Only U.S. citizens can vote in federal elections. U.S. citizens can also run for federal office. Qualifications to […]

freedom of expression freedom of speech freedom of assembly freedom to petition the government freedom of religion the right to bear arms Thomas Jefferson said, “[The] best principles [of our republic] secure to all its citizens a perfect equality of rights.” Millions of immigrants have come to America to have these rights. The Constitution and […]

the United States the flag The flag is an important symbol of the United States. The Pledge of Allegiance to the flag states, “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” When […]

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 When the United States became an independent country, the Constitution gave […]

eighteen (18) and older For most of U.S. history, Americans had to be at least 21 years old to vote. At the time of the Vietnam War, during the 1960s and 1970s, many people thought that people who were old enough to fight in a war should also be old enough to vote. In 1971, […]

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 Citizens play an active part in their communities. When Americans […]

April 15 The last day to send in your federal income tax to the Internal Revenue Service is April 15 of each year. The Constitution gave the federal government the power to collect taxes. The federal government needs money to pay the nation’s debts and to defend and provide for the needs of the country. […]

at age eighteen (18) between eighteen (18) and twenty-six (26) President Lincoln tried to draft men to fight during the Civil War, but many people became angry and rioted. In 1917, Congress passed the Selective Service Act. This act gave President Woodrow Wilson the power to temporarily increase the U.S. military during World War I. […]