Part 1.2 includes question 13 to 47
13. Name one branch or part of the government
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 […]
14. What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
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 […]
15. Who is in charge of the executive branch?
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 […]
16. Who makes federal laws?
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 […]
17. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
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 […]
18. How many U.S. Senators are there?
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 […]
19. We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?
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 […]
20. Who is one of your state’s U.S. Senators now?
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
21. The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
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 […]
22. We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?
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 […]
23. Name your U.S. Representative
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
24. Who does a U.S. Senator represent?
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 […]
25. Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?
(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 […]
26. We elect a President for how many years?
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 […]
27. In what month do we vote for President?
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 […]
28. What is the name of the President of the United States now?
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 […]
29. What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?
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 […]
30. If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
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 […]
31. If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
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 […]
32. Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?
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 […]
33. Who signs bills to become laws?
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 […]
34. Who vetoes bills?
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 […]
35. What does the President’s Cabinet do?
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 […]
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 the Interior Secretary of Labor Secretary of State Secretary of Transportation Secretary of the Treasury Secretary of Veterans Affairs Attorney General Vice […]
37. What does the judicial branch do?
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 […]
38. What is the highest court in the United States?
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 […]
39. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
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 […]
40. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
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 […]
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 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 […]
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 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 […]
43. Who is the Governor of your state now?
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 […]
44. What is the capital of your state?
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 […]
45. What are the two major political parties in the United States?
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 […]
46. What is the political party of the President now?
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
47. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
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 […]