United States Government Leaders Worksheet
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT LEADERS
1. Who is the President of the U.S.A.?
2. Who is the current Vice President?
3. Give the definition of the President’s cabinet.
4. What does the Secretary of Defense do?
5. Who is the current Secretary of Defense?
6. What does the Attorney General do?
7. Who is the current Attorney General?
8. What does the Secretary of the Interior do?
9. Who is the current Secretary of the Interior?
10. What does the Secretary of State do?
11. Who is the current Secretary of State?
12. What does the Secretary of Treasury do?
13. Who is the current Secretary of Treasury?
14. What does the Secretary of Education do?
15. Who is the current Secretary of Education?
16. What are the other nine cabinet members’ official title? (Secretary of ……)
17. What is the title given to the leader of the House of Representatives?
18. Who is the current leader of the House of Representatives?
19. Who is the President of the Senate?
20. Who is the current President Pro Tempore of the Senate?
21. How many members are in the House of Representatives?
22. How many Senators are there in Congress?
23. List the House of Representatives members from your state. (1)
24. List the two Senators from your state.
POP QUIZ
COULD YOU PASS A CITIZENSHIP TEST?
Millions of people in countries around the world dream of becoming American citizens. What do they have to do to make that dream come true? Immigrants aged 18 or older who are legal permanent residents of the U.S. and who have lived here for five years (three if they are married to a U.S. Citizen) are eligible to become naturalized citizens. Naturalization means getting photographed, having fingerprints taken, filling out an application, paying a fee, and passing the citizenship test. Federal law requires that all new citizens be literate in English, of good moral character, and knowledgeable about U.S. government and history. That’s where the citizenship test comes in. Below is a sample of questions on the test.
1. What are the colors of our flag?
2. What do the stripes on the flag mean?
3. Who is the President of the United States?
4. Who is the Vice-President of the United States?
5. Who is the Chief Justice on the Supreme Court?
6. How many changes or amendments are there to the Constitution?
7. What is Congress’s major duty or responsibility?
8. Who becomes President if the President and Vice-President die?
9. What are the requirements to be eligible to become President?
10. Who was the main writer of the Declaration of Independence?
11. Who has the power to declare war?
12. What is the most important right granted to U.S. citizens?
13. In what month do we vote for President?
14. Give the names of the two Senators from your state.
15. Who is the current governor of your state?
16. Which countries were our enemies during World War II?
17. How are the number of Representatives determined for each state?
18. How many Representatives does your state have?
19. In what year did the United States declare their Independence?
Three Branches of Government Worksheet
THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT WORKSHEET
Using your Constitution booklet and your notes, answer the following questions:
1. Article one of the Constitution deals with which branch?
2. What are the two houses of Congress?
3. What are the three qualifications to be a member of the House of Representatives?
4. How many members of the House does each state get?
5. Who is the president or leader of the House?
6. How many Senators does each state get?
7. What are the three qualifications to be a member of the Senate?
8. Who is the president of the Senate?
9. Who impeaches the President?
10. Who acts as the jury during an impeachment trial?
11. Who is the judge in an impeachment trial?
12. What must the vote be in an impeachment to find the President guilty?
13. How often must Congress meet?
14. In which house must all bills for raising revenue (taxes) start?
15. Explain the two ways a bill can become a law without the President’s signature.
16. List five powers or responsibilities that only Congress can do.
17. What is a Writ of Habeas Corpus used for and why?
18. A ____________________________________ punishes someone without the benefit of a trial. Is that legal? Yes or No
19. How long is the term of
A. House of Representative?
B. Senator?
C. President?
20. Article two deals with which branch of government?
21. What are the three qualifications for President?
22. Who elects the President?
23. How is the number of votes each state gets determined?
24. If no candidate running for President receives a majority of votes, who then chooses the President?
25. If no candidate running for Vice-President receives a majority of votes, who chooses the Vice-President?
26. Who is the 2nd and 3rd in line if the President dies or can not fill his responsibilities?
27. What does pardon mean?
28. Who has to approve presidential appointments and treaties made by the President?
29. Article three deals with which branch of government?
30. What are the qualifications to be a judge?
31. What is the highest court in the country?
32. How many witnesses are needed to convict someone of treason?
The Preamble
We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Principles of Government Worksheet
SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNMENT WORKSHEET
Each statement below illustrates one of the seven principles of the Constitution.
Read each statement then identify the principle involved. You may review pages 218-220 if needed.
PRINCIPLES
Popular Sovereignty
Republicanism
Limited Power of Government
Federalism
Separation of Powers
Checks and Balances
Individual Rights
1. __________________________ The power to govern comes from the people.
2. __________________________ The people elect representatives to make laws and conduct government.
3. __________________________ Congress makes laws for the nation.
4. __________________________ The President and all other government officials must obey the law like all American citizens.
5. __________________________ Voters in Virginia elected the first black governor to office in 1989
6. __________________________ The Supreme Court declares a law unconstitutional.
7. __________________________ Congress cannot make a law that violates freedom of speech.
8. __________________________ The powers of the national government are distributed among three branches of government.
9. __________________________ The government cannot arrest a person unless that person has violated a law.
10. __________________________ State and local governments supervise the public school system
11. __________________________ The Senate can refuse to approve a treaty that the President has negotiated.
12. __________________________ The President can veto a bill that has been approved by the House of Representatives and the Senate.
13. __________________________ The President is commander in chief of the military.
14. __________________________ States can make marriage laws for their state.
15. __________________________ Amendment 19 gave women the right to vote.
16. __________________________ The national and state governments can conduct elections.
17. __________________________ Congress passes a law forbidding abortions in all situations, but the Supreme Court declares it unconstitutional.
18. __________________________ Congress can impeach and remove the President for improper conduct.
19. _________________________ Congress can coin money.
20. _________________________ Congress approved of President Reagan’s appointment of Sandra Day O’Conner to the Supreme Court.
21. _________________________ A President can only serve two terms.
22. _________________________ Governments get their power from the consent of the governed.
23. _________________________ In 2000, Americans chose George Bush as President.
24. _________________________ The Government has only those powers granted by the people and stated in the Constitution.
National & State Bill Assignment
For this assignment students will need to research a national and state bill that is proposed to become law. They will need to briefly explain and summarize what the bill is intended to do and include possible benefits and or punishments involved. Students will then need to explain, in their own opinion, whether this is a good or a bad bill and reasons why. Each bill should be approximately 1/2 page.
Steps to Researching a National Bill:
1. Go to the link “Library of Congress” on this website or type in the address: http://thomas.loc.gov/
2. Click on the page “Bills, Resolutions” located on the left hand side.
3. Click on “Browse Bills & Resolutions”
4. “ Click on “Popular & Short Titles”.
5. Bills will be listed alphabetically. Find a bill that interests you and click on it.
6. This will give you a short summary.
7. The Bill will be labeled either H.R. # (House of Representative #) or S. # (Senate #). Click on it.
8. Then click on “Text of Legislation”. This will give you the entire bill and explain it along with procedures, benefits and or punishments.
9. Write a short 1/2 page summary explaining the bill and include whether it is a good or bad bill and why.
Steps to Researching a State Bill:
1. Go to the link “Wyoming State Legislature” found on this website or type in the address: http://legisweb.state.wy.us/
2. Click on the link labeled “2011 Bill Tracking Information”.
3. Click on “2011 Bills”.
4. They will now be shown by the “House Bill # (HB) or Senate File # (SF)” with a short abbreviated description.
5. Choose one that you find interesting and click on “Title”.
6. A short summary of the new proposed law will be given.
7. Click on the link at the top with the “Title and #”. This will give the entire bill along with effective dates, procedures, benefits and or punishments.
8. Write a short 1/2 page summary explaining what it would do and include whether it’s a good or bad bill and why.
Key Terms of Government
KEY TERMS OF GOVERNMENT
Amendment – An addition to a formal document such as the Constitution.
Bicameral – Consisting of two houses, or chambers, especially in a legislature.
Bill – A proposed law.
Bill of Attainder – Punishes someone without the benefit of a trial.
Cabinet – A group of advisors to the President.
Caucus – A meeting held by a political party to choose their party’s candidate for president.
Checks & Balances – The system in which each branch of government has a check on the other two branches so that no one branch becomes too powerful.
Citizen – A person who owes loyalty to and is entitled to the protection of a state or nation.
Concurrent Powers – Powers shared by the sates and the federal government.
Constituents – People that members of Congress represent.
Constitution – A formal plan of government.
Due Process of Law – Idea that the government must follow procedures established by law and guaranteed by the Constitution.
Elastic Clause – A section in the Constitution that allows Congress to stretch their powers to fulfill their responsibilities.
Electoral College – A special group of voters selected by their state’s voters to vote for the president and vice-president.
Enumerated Powers – Powers belonging only to the federal government.
Ex Post Facto Law – Punishes someone for something they did that was not illegal at the time they did it.
Executive Branch – The branch of government headed by the president that carries out the nation’s laws and policies.
Federalism – The sharing of power between the federal and state governments.
Habeas Corpus – A legal order for an inquiry to determine whether a person has been lawfully imprisoned. A writ of habeas corpus is used to get someone out of jail who is being held without evidence or cause.
Impeach – To bring formal charges against a public official for misconduct.
Implied Powers – Powers not specifically mentioned in the Constitution.
Incumbent – Someone who currently holds an office or position.
Judicial Branch – The branch of government, including the federal court system that interprets the nation’s laws.
Judicial Review – The right of the Supreme Court to determine if a law violates the Constitution.
Legislative Branch – The branch of government that makes the nation’s laws.
Limited Power of Government – A government whose powers are outlined to restrict or limit their power. No people or groups are above the law.
Naturalization – The process of becoming a citizen or to grant citizenship to a foreigner.
Nullify – To cancel or make ineffective.
Override – To defeat or overturn, as a bill proposed in Congress.
Partisan – Favoring one side of an issue.
Poll Tax – A tax that had to be paid in order to vote.
Popular Sovereignty – A political theory that government is subject to the will of the people.
Primary – An election in which voters choose their party’s candidate.
Ratify – To approve.
Reserved Powers – Powers retained by the states.
Separation of Powers – The division of power among the three branches of government each with their own powers and responsibilities.
Suffrage – The right to vote.
Supremacy of National Law – The Constitution is the highest law of the land.
Unconstitutional – Goes against the Constitution.
Veto – To reject a bill and prevent it from becoming a law.
Goals of the Constitution (Preamble) Worksheet
GOALS OF THE CONSTITUTION (PREAMBLE)
1. List the six goals of the constitution found in the preamble.
Use one of the goals of the Constitution (Preamble) to answer the following questions. Page 217-218
2. Education is supported by tax money.
3. A court system was established consisting of District, Appeals, and the Supreme Court.
4. A military force consisting of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines was established.
5. A Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution.
6. An Executive Branch was created to carry out the laws.
7. A Social Security system was established to ensure that the disabled and elderly would be taken care of.
8. A Supreme Court that determines if laws are Constitutional or not.
9. A National Guard was established to make sure national laws are carried out.
Constitution Worksheet (practice test)
CONSTITUTION WORKSHEET
(PRETEST)
True or False
1. ______ Our first Constitution was called the Articles of Confederation.
2. ______ Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress had too much power.
3. ______ The first fifteen amendments are called the “Bill of Rights”.
4. ______ Our government is divided into three main branches.
5. ______ The number of articles in the Constitution is seven.
6. ______ There are 21 amendments to the Constitution.
7. ______ Laws for our country may be made only by Congress.
8. ______ United States Representatives have a four year term.
9. ______ Senators have six year terms.
10. ______ The number of representatives a state gets depends on the number of
people in the state.
11. ______ Representatives must be at least 30 years old.
12. ______ Senators must be at least 25 years old.
13. ______ The Vice President serves as Speaker of the House.
14. ______ The number of senators each state gets is three.
15. ______ All impeachments are tried by the Senate.
16. ______ A majority vote makes an impeached man guilty.
17. ______ Congress must meet at least once a year.
18. ______ Senators and Representatives are not paid for their work by the United States Government.
19. ______ Senators and Representatives may hold no other government jobs while they are in office.
20. ______ Only the Senate may write tax bills.
21. ______ A bill can never be passed without the President’s signature.
22. ______ Congress has no power to borrow money.
23. ______ Only the President can declare war.
24. ______ Congress may keep an army for two years at a time.
25. ______ Congress has no power over state militias.
26. ______ A writ of habeas corpus is the same as a bill of attainder.
27. ______ Ex post facto laws may be passed by Congress.
28. ______ Congress has no right to tax products sent from a state.
29. ______ Any state has the right to print its own money.
30. ______ The number of electoral votes a state gets is the same as its number in the
House of Representatives.
31. ______ The President must be at least 40 years old.
32. ______ The President must have lived in the United States for at least 14 years.
33. ______ The President is the Commander in Chief of the armed forces.
34. ______ The President has the power to pardon an impeached man.
35. ______ The President may make a treaty with a foreign country only if the Senate
approves it.
36. ______ The President chooses Supreme Court judges.
37. ______ The President may call Congress together whenever he thinks it is necessary.
38. ______ Congress has the power to say what punishment is to be given for treason.
39. ______ United States judges are appointed for life.
40. ______ After amendments have been proposed, they must be ratified by a two thirds vote in both houses of Congress to become part of the Constitution.
41. ______ An amendment may be made to change the number of senators the states get.
42. ______ The Constitution is the highest law of our land.
43. ______ All Americans have the right to follow any legal religion they want.
44. ______ The United States Government may take any person’s property if they can show a necessity for it, but they must pay for it.
45. ______ In court trials, witnesses against a man must speak when he is there.
46. ______ A person may be tried any number of times for the same crime.
47. ______ A court may give any punishment the judge wishes to give.
48. ______ A state may make a law to keep a person from voting because of his religion or race.
49. ______ Senators are elected by state legislators.
50. ______ A “writ of habeas corpus” may be suspended in times of war or in cases where the public safety is involved.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
51. People are guaranteed freedom of speech, press, and religion according to the
a. second amendment c. fifth amendment
b. first amendment d. ninth amendment
52. The only amendment to be repealed is the
a. 15th b. 20th c. 18th d. 2nd
53. The number of main branches in our government is
a. 6 b. 21 c. 7 d. 3
54. Congress is divided into
a. 3 parts b. 2 parts c. 4 parts d. 12 parts
55. A Representative in the House is elected to a
a. 2 year term b. 4 year term c. 6 year term d. 8 year term
56. To be a Representative in the House you must have these qualifications
a. live in the state you represent
b. live in the state and have been a citizen for 7 years
c. be 25 years old, live in the state, and be a citizen
d. live in the state, have been a citizen for 7 years, be 25 years old
57. The number of Representatives a state gets depends on
a. the number of voters it has c. the number of Senators it has
b. the number of people it has d. how many they want
58. The Speaker of the House of Representatives is
a. the man they elect c. the Vice President
b. the Secretary of State d. the oldest Representative
59. The power to impeach an officer is given only to
a. the House of Representatives c. the Senate
b. the Supreme Court d. the President
60. Each state gets this number of Senators
a. 1 for every 30,000 c. 2 for each district
b. 3 d. 2
61. The length of a Senator’s term is
a. 2 years b. life c. 6 years d. 8 years
62. The Senators are now elected by
a. state legislators c. the state electors
b. the House of Representatives d. the people
63. To be a Senator in Congress you must have these qualifications
a. live in the state you represent
b. live in the state, be 25 years old, and have been a citizen for 7 years
c. live in the state, be 25 years old, and have been a citizen for 9 years
d. live in the state, be 30 years old, and have been a citizen for 9 years
64. All impeachments are tried by the
a. Supreme Court c. Cabinet
b. Senate d. House of Representatives
65. Bills to raise taxes may come only from the
a. Senate c. House of Representatives
b. President d. Cabinet
66. A bill becomes a law without the President’s signature if
a. two thirds of both houses pass it c. the Senate passes it
b. the House of Representatives passes it d. the Supreme Court passes it
67. A bill which has passed both houses can become a law without the President’s
signature if
a. the Supreme Court says so
b. the President does not return it to Congress in 10 days
c. the Chief Justice says so
d. the state legislators pass it
68. Taxes may be called for only by the
a. Congress b. President c. Supreme Court d. Cabinet
69. Rules for becoming a U.S. citizen may be made only by the
a. states b. Supreme Court c. Congress d. President
70. Money may be coined or printed only by the
a. Congress c. President
b. Secretary of Treasury d. Secretary of State
71. War may be declared only by the
a. Congress c. President
b. Secretary of Defense d. War Department
72. A writ of habeas corpus is used to
a. impeach the president c. get a man out of jail
b. tell a jury what to do d. ask for an amendment
73. The Constitution forbids the use of a
a. veto b. oath c. preamble d. bill of attainder
74. A law which punishes a man for something not wrong when he did it is called a
a. bill of attainder b. treason c. felony d. ex post facto
75. The Constitution forbids states to
a. make laws b. lay a sales tax c. coin money d. take a census
76. The Constitution forbids Congress to lay a tax on
a. goods sent from one state to another c. liquor
b. goods sent from other countries d. any good sent by ship
77. The number of presidential electors a state gets is
a. the same as the number of Representatives
b. the same as the number of Senators
c. the number of Representatives plus the number of Senators
d. the same as the number of state legislators
78. The qualifications for President are
a. be 35 years old, be a natural born citizen, have lived in the U.S. for 14 years
b. be a citizen, be 35 years old, have lived seven years in the U.S.
c. be a citizen, be 25 years old, have lived 14 years in the U.S.
d. be a natural born citizen, have lived in the U.S. 9 years, and be 30 years old
79. If neither the President nor the Vice President can serve as President, the next in
line is the
a. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court c. Speaker of the House
b. Secretary of State d. Attorney General
80. Treaties made by the President must get the approval of the
a. Supreme Court c. House of Representatives
b. Senate d. people
81. The length of a U.S. government judge’s term is
a. 2 years b. life c. 4 years d. 6 years
82. The number of people in the Supreme Court is
a. 8 b. 9 c. 12 d. 15
83. The Constitution guarantees everybody who has done a crime a trial
a. by jury c. in the Supreme Court
b. in the Department of Justice d. in the state of their choice
84. The number of witnesses needed to convict a man of treason is
a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. 4
85. A new state may be admitted into the Union only by the
a. Supreme Court c. Congress
b. State Department d. Department of Interior
86. The Constitution guarantees to every state in the Union
a. freedom to make any law it wishes c. legal help
b. a republican form of government d. a pension system
87. To propose an amendment it is necessary to have the agreement of
a. two thirds of both houses of Congress c. the Senate
b. three fourths of both houses of Congress d. the President
88. An amendment goes into the Constitution after it has been ratified by
a. three fourths of the State Legislators c. the Supreme Court
b. two thirds of both houses of Congress d. a majority of Congress
89. No Constitutional amendment could ever change
a. the way we elect the President c. the way Senators are elected
b. equal state representation in the Senate d. the number of states we have
90. Nobody holding a United States office will ever have to pass
a. a Constitution test c. a mental test
b. a religious test d. an age test
91. Congress shall make no law to
a. set voting ages c. establish a draft
b. tax incomes d. set up a religion
92. No person’s house or property may be searched without a
a. bill of attainder c. search warrant
b. government investigation d. writ of habeas corpus
93. The court may not take a persons life without
a. a circuit judge’s agreement c. due process of law
b. evidence of treason d. a confession
94. A person accused of a crime has the right to
a. hear the witnesses against them
b. appeal their case to the Supreme Court
c. have any judge he or she wants
d. be tried wherever they choose
95. The President is elected if
a. they receive a majority of the electoral votes
b. they receive the most popular votes
c. they win the most states
d. they receive the most electoral votes
96. If the candidates for President have no majority of the electoral votes, the President is elected by the
a. Cabinet c. Senate
b. House of Representatives d. Supreme Court
97. A citizen of the U.S. is a person who
a. owns property in the U.S. c. is white and was born or naturalized here
b. pays taxes d. was born or naturalized here
98. The U.S. can punish a state which denies the right of citizens to vote by
a. fining it
b. reducing its number of Representatives
c. putting it out of the Union
d. reducing its number of Senators
99. How many articles are in the Constitution?
a. 7 b. 21 c. 27 d. 10
100. How many amendments are in the Constitution?
a. 7 b. 21 c. 27 d. 10
MATCHING – Write the number of the amendment that corresponds with the appropriate amendment.
101. ________ right to bear arms
102. ________ defines citizens and their rights
103. ________ voting age lowered to 18
104. ________ freedom of expression (speech, press, religion, assemble, petition)
105. ________ abolition of slavery
106. ________ right of women to vote
107. ________ income tax
108. ________ repeal of prohibition
109. ________ election of the President & Vice President and who chooses if no majority
110. ________ limit of presidential terms
111. ________ presidential disability and succession, process for choosing a new V.P.
112. ________ powers reserved to the states
113. ________ prohibition of alcoholic beverages
114. ________ “lame duck” amendment, moves up date of President’s inauguration
115. ________ direct election of senators by the people
116. ________ powers reserved to the people
117. ________ right of Washington D.C. to vote in presidential election
118. ________ no quartering of troops
119. ________ bail and punishment
120. ________ suits against the states
121. ________ abolition of poll taxes
122. ________ search and seizure
123. ________ a speedy and fair trial
124. ________ civil suits have the right to a jury
125. ________ rights of an accused person, double jeopardy
126. ________ right of black men to vote
127. ________ congressional salaries
Constitution Worksheet #2 Test
CONSTITUTION WORKSHEET #2
Each statement below illustrates one of the seven principles of the Constitution: popular sovereignty, republicanism, limited power of government, federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances, individual rights. Review pages 218-220, then identify the principle involved in each statement.
1. ________________ Congress has the power to coin money.
2. ________________ The Senate can refuse to approve a Presidential appointment.
3. ________________ A President can only serve two terms.
4. ________________ In 2000, Americans chose George W. Bush as President.
5. ________________ State and local governments supervise the public school system.
6. ________________ Congress passes a law forbidding abortions in all situations, but the Supreme Court declares it unconstitutional.
7. ________________ The national and state governments can conduct elections.
8. ________________ The President and all other government officials must obey the law like all American citizens.
9. ________________ Congress makes laws for the nation.
10. _______________ Amendment 19 gave women the right to vote.
11. _______________ The President can veto legislation
12. _______________ Congress cannot make a law that violates freedom of speech.
13. _______________ The Bill of Rights guarantees basic rights to all Americans.
Use one of the following goals of the Constitution (Preamble): form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, provide for the general welfare, secure the blessings of liberty. To answer the following questions. Page 217-218
14. Education is supported by tax money.
15. A court system was established consisting of District, Appeals, and Supreme Court.
16. A military force consisting of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines was established.
17. A Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution.
18. An Executive Branch was created to carry out the laws.
19. A Social Security system was established to ensure that the disabled and elderly would be taken care of.
20. A Supreme Court that determines if laws are Constitutional or not.
21. A National Guard was established to make sure national laws are carried out.
Define the following words:
22. Enumerated Powers –
23. Reserved Powers –
24. Concurrent Powers –
25. Amendments –
26. Implied Powers –
27. Judicial Review –
28. Appropriates –
29. Impeach –
30. Constituents –
31. Due Process of Law –
32. Citizen –
33. Naturalization –
Answer the following questions using pages 217-230
34. List one way the President can check the power of the Legislative Branch.
35. List two ways the President can check the power of the Judicial Branch?
36. List three ways the Legislative Branch can check the power of the Executive Branch.
37. List two ways the Legislative Branch can check the power of the Judicial Branch.
38. How does the Judicial Branch check the power of the Legislative Branch?
39. One way an amendment may be proposed is by the vote of ______ _____ of both houses of Congress or by two thirds of the __________ ________________.
40. Ratification of an amendment requires approval by _____ _______ of the states.
41. What is the President’s Cabinet?
42. What are the qualifications for naturalization (a person of foreign birth to become a citizen of the U.S.)?
43. What are the three important functions of laws?