#1 Constitution Flashcards (20 Questions)
1.
(M) What does Ratify/Ratification mean? To give official approval
2.
(M) What is a constitution? A document that contains a set of basic principles and laws that states the powers and duties of the government
3.
(L) What is known as the Upper House? Senate
4.
(L) What is known as the Lower House? House of
Representatives
5.
(L) Which house has 2 representatives from each state?
Senate
6.
(L) Which house has the number of representatives based on the state’s population? House of Representatives
7.
(L) The legislative branch is also known as what?
Congress
8.
(L) How many houses are in the legislative branch? 2
9.
(L) What are the names of the 2 houses in the legislative branch? House of Representatives and the Senate

10.
(M) A system in which the power to govern is divided between the central government and the states is called?
Federalism
11.
(L) Which branch is responsible for proposing and passing laws? Legislative
12.
(E) Which branch of government includes the president?
Executive
13.
(E) Which branch of government makes sure the law is carried out? Executive
14.
(J) Which branch is made up of all the national courts?
Judicial
15.
(J) The judicial branch is responsible for doing what?
Interpreting laws, punishing criminals, and settling disputes between states
16.
(M) What are the three branches of government?
Judicial, Legislative, Executive
17.
(M) What is the system that keeps any branch of government from becoming too powerful? Checks and
Balances

18.
(M) On what date was the constitution signed?
September 17, 1787
19.
(M) What are official changes that are made to a document called? Amendments
20.
(M) What are the first 10 amendments to the constitution called? Bill of Rights
#2 Constitution Flashcards (40 Questions)
21.
(L) How many members are in the House of
Representatives? (435)
22.
(L) How long is the term of office for the House of
Representatives? (2 Years)
23.
(L) How old must a person be to run for the House of
Representatives? (25 Years Old)
24.
(L) How long must a person be a citizen to run for the
House of Reps? (7 Years)
25.
(L) Who can propose revenue (tax) laws? (House of Reps)
26.
(L) How many members are in the Senate? (100)

27.
(L) How old must a person be to run for Senate? (at least
30)
28.
(L) How long is the term of office for a Senator? (6
Years)
29.
(L) What is the citizenship requirement for being a
Senator? (9 Years)
30.
(L) What is the residency requirement for being in the
House of Reps? (Must live in the State in which they are elected)
31.
(L) What is the residence requirement for being in the
Senate? (Must live in the state in which they are elected)
32.
(E) Who is the head of the Executive Branch? (The
President)
33.
(E) What is the citizenship requirement for being the
President? (Must be a natural born Citizen of the US)
34.
(E) What is the citizenship requirement for being the
Vice-President? (Must be a natural born Citizen of the
US)

35.
(E) How old must a person be to become President? (at least 35 Years Old)
36.
(E) How old must a person be to become Vice-President?
(at least 35 Years Old)
37.
(E) How many years must a person have been a resident of the U.S. to become president? (at least 14 years)
38.
(E) How many years must a person have been a resident of the U.S. to become Vice-President? (at least 14 years)
39.
(E) What is the term of office for the President? (4
Years)
40.
(E) How many terms can the President serve? (no more than 2 Terms)
41.
(E) What is the term of office for the Vice-President? (4
Years)
42.
(E) How many terms can the Vice-President serve? (no more than 2 Terms)
43.
(M) What is the meaning of a veto? (The President does not sign a bill and sends it back to Congress and its house of origin)

44.
(M) What does it mean to impeach? (Vote to bring charges of serious crimes against a President. If found guilty he can be taken out of office and the
Vice-President would become President.)
45.
(L) Which house can impeach the President? (House of
Representatives)
46.
(E) Who can grant a pardon? (The President)
47.
(M) What is a pardon? (When the President grants freedom to a person who was convicted of a federal crime or is facing federal charges.)
48.
(E) Which branch of government enforces federal laws?
(Executive)
49.
(J)Which court was set up by the Constitution? (Supreme
Court)
50.
(J) What is the age requirement for a Supreme Court
Justice? (None)
51.
(J) How many terms of office can a Supreme Court
Justice serve? (Unlimited – Life)
52.
(J) What is the residency requirement for a Supreme
Court Justice? (None)

53.
(J) What is the citizenship requirement for a Supreme
Court Justice? (None)
54.
(J) The type of cases that a court has the power to hear is called the court’s what? (Jurisdiction)
55.
(J) How many Supreme Courts are there? (One)
56.
(J) How many Justices are there on the U.S. Supreme
Court? (9)
57.
(J) Who makes appointments to federal courts? (The
President)
58.
(L) Who is the presiding officer in the House of
Representatives? (Speaker of the House)
59.
(L) How many representatives does California have in the
House of Representatives?
(53)
60.
(L) Who has the power to coin money? (Congress)
#3 Constitution Flashcards
61.
(L/E) The number of electors (Electoral votes) is based on what? The number of Senators and Representatives each state has

62.
(M) What does the Bill of Rights guarantee? Personal
Freedoms
63.
(M) What is the only amendment ever repealed?
64.
Amendment 18 – Liquor/Alcohol prohibition (ban)
(L) Since the addition of the 17 th amendment to the constitution, how are Senators elected? By the people
65.
(M) How many times has the Constitution been amended?
27 times
66.
(M) What is revenue? Money bills, taxes
67.
(M) What is a majority? 50% plus 1 vote
68.
(M) What is a writ that requires any person accused of a crime to have a hearing before a judge to determine if there is enough evidence to hold him/her in jail called?
Habeas Corpus
69.
(M) What is an ex post facto Law as it is used in the
Constitution? A guarantee that no person can be punished for a wrong deed that was not a crime by law when he/she committed it.
70.
(L) Who must approve all high presidential appointments?
Senate
71.
(M) What is the legal voting age in the US? At least 18 years old
72.
(M) What year were women given the right to vote? 1920
73.
(L) What vote is needed in both houses to send a bill to the president? Majority
74.
(L) How many days does the president have to act on a bill sent to him by congress? 10 days

75.
(L) What do we call the minimum number of members that must be present to conduct business? Quorum
76.
(L) Who has the power to declare war?
Congress/Legislative Branch
77.
(E/J) Who appoints Supreme Court Justices? The president
78.
(L) If the president vetoes a bill, how can Congress override that veto? With a 2/3 vote of both houses
79.
(J) Who sets up inferior Courts? Congress
80.
(M) What is the meaning of unanimous? When voting, all voters vote the same way
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81.
(E) How many members are in the president’s cabinet? 15
82.
(E) What is the executive branch department that has charge of foreign countries? State Department
83.
(E) What is the executive branch department that investigates crime and enforces law? Justice Department
84.
(E) What is the president’s yearly salary? $400,000
85.
(M) What is a census? An official count of the population
86.
(M) What is a filibuster? Talking a bill to death

87.
(M) What is unconstitutional? Goes against the
Constitution
88.
(M) What is a constituent? Any citizen residing in a district represented by a member of congress
89.
(L) If congress adjourns while the president has a bill, and he doesn’t sign it, the bill dies. What is this process called? Pocket Veto
90.
(M) What is a patent? Legal protection giving inventors exclusive right to make, sell, or use their inventions
91.
(M) What is copyright? Legal protection giving authors, playwrights, and musician’s exclusive right to publish and sell their work
92.
(M) When are congressional elections held? The first
Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even numbered years
93.
(L/E) Who presides over the Senate during an impeachment if the president is being impeached? Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court
94.
(J) Who is the head of the justice department? Attorney
General

95.
(L) If the president of the Senate (VP of U.S.) is not there, who presides? President Pro Tempore
96.
(L) What is the President Pro Tempore? The temporary president of the Senate who takes over if the VP of the U.S. is not there to preside
97.
(M) How many articles are there in the Constitution? 7
98.
(E) If the president were to die, who are the first 4 people to succeed him (in order)? Vice President,
Speaker of the House, President Pro Tempore,
Secretary of State
99.
(J) What is an appeal? When higher courts review the decision of lower courts and make a ruling
100.
(M) What is residency?
you live
101.
(M) What is citizenship?
Which country you belong to
102.
(M) Which amendments talk about the right to a fair trial? 5 th , 6 th , 7 th , 8 th
103.
(M) Where was the Constitution signed? Philadelphia’s
Independence Hall

#5 Constitution Flashcards
104.
(J) Who sets up federal courts inferior to the Supreme
Court? Congress
105.
(L) Who has the right to levy income taxes? Congress
106.
(E) How is the president elected? Electoral Votes – not directly by the people
107.
(J) What two types of jurisdiction does the Supreme
Court have? 1. Appellate (they have the power to hear appeals of cases that were decided in lower courts) 2.
Original jurisdiction (rarely used – where they hear cases about ambassadors or higher ranking people, or hear cases between the states)
108.
(L) How does a bill become a law? 1 one of the 2 houses of congress. 2 st nd
introduced into
Must pass with
MAJORITY vote. 3 rd The president signs the bill and it becomes a law.