Citizenship questions

• Supreme law of the land

  the Constitution
• What the Constitution does


  • Sets up the government
  • Defines the government
  • Protects basic rights of Americans
• Self-government


  The first three words of the Constitution: "We the People"
• Amendment


  • A change (to the Constitution)
  • An addition (to the Constitution)
• First ten amendments to the Constitution

  the Bill of Rights
• Rights or freedoms from the First Amendment


  • Speech
  • Religion
  • Assembly
  • Press
  • Petition the government
• Number of amendments to the Constitution


  Twenty-seven (27)
• What the Declaration of Independence did


  • Announced our independence (from Great Britain)
  • Declared our independence (from Great Britain)
  • Said that the United States is free (from Great Britain)
• Two rights in the Declaration of Independence


  • Life
  • Liberty
  • Pursuit of happiness
• Freedom of religion


  You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion
• Economic system in the United States


  • Capitalist economy
  • Market economy
• Rule of law


  • Everyone must follow the law
  • Leaders must obey the law
  • Government must obey the law
  • No one is above the law
• Branches or parts of the government


  • Congress
  • Legislative
  • President
  • Executive
  • The courts
  • Judicial
• What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful


  • Checks and balances
  • Separation of powers
• Who is in charge of the executive branch


  The President
• Who makes federal laws


  • Congress
  • Senate and House (of Representatives)
  • (U.S. or national) legislature
• Parts of the U.S. Congress


  The Senate and House (of Representatives)
• Number of U.S. Senators

  One hundred (100)
• How long a U.S. Senator is elected for


  Six (6) years
• Answers will vary for who your state's U.S. Senators are now
• Number of voting members in the House of Representatives


  Four hundred thirty-five (435)
• How long a U.S. Representative is elected for

  Two (2) years
• Answers will vary for who your U.S. Representative is
• Who a U.S. Senator represents


  All people of the state
• Why 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
• How long a President is elected for

  Four (4) years
• Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the name of the President of the United States
• Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the name of the Vice President of the United States
• Who becomes President if the President can no longer serve

  The Vice President
• Who becomes President if both the President and Vice President can no longer serve

  The Speaker of the House
• Who is the Commander in Chief of the military

  The President
• Who signs bills to become laws

  The President
• Who vetoes bills


  The President
• What the President's Cabinet does


  Advises the President
• 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 President
• What the judicial branch does


  • Reviews laws
  • Explains laws
  • Resolves disputes (disagreements)
  • Decides if a law goes against the Constitution
• Highest court in the United States

  The Supreme Court
• Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the number of justices on the Supreme Court
• Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the name of the Chief Justice of the United States
• Powers of the federal government


  • To print money
  • To declare war
  • To create an army
  • To make treaties