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 Emancipation Proclamation do?

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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