Illinois Constitution Unit
The Illinois Constitution Test
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•
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80 questions
All multiple choice
One class period
Passing grade is a
C- (70%).
• Retakes will be required
if you do not pass the
first time.
Branches of government you will need to
know
State of
Illinois
Legislative Executive
Judicial
Illinois
• The word Illinois comes
from a Native American
phrase. It means “tribe
of superior men.”
• The State Motto is
“State Sovereignty,
National Union.”
• The State Slogan is
“Land of Lincoln.”
• The State Nickname is
“Prairie State.”
Illinois Farming
• Illinois is largely an agricultural state (farming).
• The chief crops that Illinois produces include corn,
soybeans, wheat, oats and hay.
State symbols
http://www.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/symbols/index.html
Tree
Flower
Prairie grass
Snack food
Animal
Bird
Insect
Fish
Reptile
White Oak
Violet
Big Blue Stem
Popcorn
White Tail Deer
Cardinal
Monarch Butterfly
Blue Gill
Eastern Painted Turtle
State symbols
Amphibian
East. Tiger Salamander
Mineral
Fluorite
Soil
Drummer Silty Clay
Dance
Square Dance
State Flag
State Seal
Illinois’ Five Largest Cities
(2010 U.S. Census)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Chicago
Aurora
Rockford
Joliet
Naperville
2,695,598
197,899
152,871
147,433
141,853
Crystal Lake 40,743 (2010 U.S. Census)
States that Border Illinois
Five states border
Illinois. They are
Wisconsin, Iowa,
Missouri, Kentucky, and
Indiana.
Michigan does not
border Illinois.
History of Illinois
A. 1673 – French rule Illinois territory
1. Marquette & Joliet
2. Trading and exploring for the French
Government
B. French established forts at:
1. Fort St. Louis at Starved Rock
2. Fort de Crevecoeur
3. Pimitouri (Peoria) & Kaskaskia
History of Illinois
C. French and Indian War
1. The French lose to the British in 1763.
2. The British now possess most of America.
D. Revolutionary War
1. 1778
2. George Rogers Clark defeats British in the
Illinois area
E. After the war, Virginia claimed the Illinois area
as a county in 1783.
History of Illinois
F. 1787 – 1807
1. Illinois area became attached to a variety of
territories.
2. Indiana & Wisconsin
G. 1818
1. Illinois became a state on
December 3rd
2. Illinois is the 21st state in the Union.
3. Kaskaskia was named the first
capital.
4. Shadrach Bond was named the first
governor.
History of Illinois
H. Indian uprisings
1. Don’t want to leave land
2. Chief Black Hawk
3. Lose to Illinois militia
I. State Capitals
1. 1820 – moved from Kaskaskia to Vandalia
2. 1839 – moved from Vandalia to Springfield
because, in part, Abraham Lincoln and his
colleagues helped get the capital moved
(Long Nine)
History of Illinois
J. 1818 Constitution – 1st
1. Did not interfere with slavery already in
state
2. Did not allow anymore slaves to enter
K. 1824 – Proposed law
1. Allow slavery? Some people want it
2. Governor Edward Coles will not let it
happen
3. Illinois remains a FREE STATE
History of Illinois
L. More Slavery Issues
1. Lincoln challenges Stephan A. Douglas for
Senate seat
2. “Little Giant” wants people to choose, not the
state
3. Both debate the topic, gathers nationwide
attention
4. Douglas wins but Lincoln impresses many people
5. Lincoln nominated for and wins Presidency
M. 1848 Constitution
1. More power to the people
2. Executive offices will now be elected rather than
appointed.
History of Illinois
N. 1870 Constitution
1. Constitution changed again
2. Unchanged for 100 years and is outdated
O. 1970 Constitution
Two major changes:
Have a greater protection on individual rights
Improve the tax system
STOP HERE. STUDY FOR QUIZ #1.
History of Illinois (review)
1. Kaskaskia was the first capital, then
Vandalia, and then Springfield.
2. Illinois has had four constitutions – 1818,
1848, 1870, and 1970.
3. Illinois became a state in 1818 with a
population of 35,000.
4. The Illinois Constitution is just like the
U.S. Constitution but much longer.
5. A constitution is a plan telling how a
government will be run.
Preamble
A preamble tells why the constitution is being
written – for the welfare of the people and to
maintain a representative (democratic)
government.
There are 14 articles in the Illinois
Constitution.
Article I
The Bill of Rights
1. Inherent and inalienable rights – people
have the right to life, happiness, and to be
free. It is up to the government to protect
these rights.
2. Due Process of law and equal protection
under the law – Due process is the means by
which fair treatment is attained.
(Hearing/respond)
3. Religious Freedom
Article I
4. Freedom of speech and freedom of the press
5. Right to assemble (meetings for peaceful purposes)
and petition (show opinions/feelings)
6. Freedom from unlawful search, seizures, or
invasions of privacy
a. Private homes
b. Unless there is proof of criminal activity
7. Right of Grand Jury Indictment (paper telling you
the crime you committed if there is enough
evidence)
Article I
8.
Rights of persons accused of crimes – meet with witnesses,
call witnesses, speedy public jury trial, and impartial jury.
9. Right of bail (getting freedom before trial) and Writ of
Habeas Corpus (order to bring a person before the court to
see if they have been legally imprisoned).
10. Self-incrimination and double jeopardy (a person cannot be
tried for the same crime twice).
11. Penalty limitations (Should fit the crime).
12. Right to Remedy and Justice for wrongs done to a person,
property, or reputation.
Article I
13. Right to trial by jury (impartial peers).
14. No imprisonment for debt (owing money).
15. Just compensation for property taken for public use –
eminent domain.
16. No ex post facto laws (a law punishing you for something
you did before it was illegal).
17. No discrimination in employment and the sale or rental of
property.
18. No sex discrimination in government.
19. No discrimination against handicapped.
20. Condemns insulting statements about persons.
Article I
21.
22.
23.
24.
No quartering of soldiers in peace time.
Right to bear arms subject to police power.
Residents have to obey laws if they are to be effective.
Residents have rights not mentioned in Article 1 (right to
vote, free schooling through grade 12, and healthful
environment)
STOP HERE. STUDY FOR QUIZ #2.
Article II - Powers of state
1. Powers are divided between the legislative,
executive and judicial branches of the government.
(3 branches)
2. Separation of powers
a. No branch is allowed to become more
powerful than another
b. System of checks and balances to make sure
Article III – Suffrage and Elections
1.
2.
3.
4.
Suffrage means the right to vote
You must be 18 years of age to vote in Illinois
You must be a resident of Illinois for at least 30 days
You cannot vote while you are in jail or if you were
convicted of a felony (major crime)
5. Your right to vote is returned to you if you complete
your sentence
6. Voting is a privilege, not a right! You can lose it.
Article IV – Legislative Branch
(Makes the Laws)
1. The General Assembly is when the Senate
and the House of Representatives meets
together
2. Members must be 21, a resident of their
district for 2 years and a citizen.
3. There are 59 districts with 1 senator and 2
representatives each
a. 3 for each district
b. Redistrict after each U.S. census
Article IV
4.
5.
6.
7.
Senators have a 4 year term; representatives have a 2
year term
The chairman (leader) of the Senate is called the
President of the Senate
The leader of the House of Rep. is called the Speaker
of the House
In case of Impeachment ( to impeach means to accuse
of wrongdoing), the House of Rep. starts the
proceedings (investigation) and the Senate will hold
the trial
Article IV
8. A bill becomes a law by passing both the House
and Senate and then being signed by the governor
9. It can also be held unsigned for 60 days and then it
will become a law
10. A governor may veto (vote “no”) all of a bill or just
parts of it
11. To pass a bill over a veto requires a 3/5 vote from
the both the House and the Senate
How a Bill becomes a Law
1. Legislator introduces a bill (idea) to their part of
the General Assembly
2. The bill is given a number and a title and then read
for the first time (the whole thing isn’t read, just
the number and title part. Some bills could be
really long)
3. The bill is assigned to a committee to examine if
this idea could work
a. If it does not pass, it is dead
b. If it does, it goes before the entire house
Bill becoming a Law
4. The bill is read a second time and other
legislators may add amendments to it
5. The bill is read a third time, debated over
and voted on by the entire house
6. If it passes, it must be sent to the other
house and all of the previous steps must be
followed again
Bill becoming a Law
7.
8.
If the bill passes the second house, it is sent to the governor
The governor can then:
a. Sign it into law
b. Veto by sending it back to its house of origin with
objections
c. Leave it alone for 60 days and then it will become a
law automatically
(A governor can veto the bill anytime during those 60 days)
Article V – Executive Branch
(Enforces the Law)
1. The Governor:
a. Must account for all funds
b. Can appoint and remove officers
c. Can grant reprieves (temporary suspension or
delay in sentence)
d. Can grant pardons (set free from punishment)
e. Commands the National Guard (our militia)
f. Can assemble the Senate to elect a President (if
needed)
Article V
2. The Governor must be 25 years old, resident for 3
years, serve 4 year term
3. Other Executive Officers: (also must be 25, serve 4
year term)
a. Lieutenant Governor – second in command
b. Attorney General – Legal officer, states lawyer
c. Secretary of state – Maintains records
d. Comptroller – Deposits and holds money
e. Treasurer – Approves payments, writes checks
Executive Officers
Governor
Patrick Quinn
Comptroller
Judy Barr Topinka
Secretary of State
Jesse White
Lt. Governor
Sheila Simon
Treasurer
Dan Rutherford
Attorney General
Lisa Madigan
Article VI – Judicial Branch
(Interprets Laws and Justice)
1. 3 Illinois Court Systems:
a. Circuit Court – all cases start here
b. Appellate Court – you can appeal or ask for your case to be
looked at again if convicted the first time
c. Supreme Court – if case gets this far, their ruling is
considered final
2. Supreme Court has 7 judges (3 from Cook county
area)
a. Chief Justice runs the group
b. All serve 10 year terms
c. Can run for re-election without opposition
Article VII – Local Government
1. The basic subdivision of Illinois is called the county
a. There are 102 counties in Illinois
2. The county is responsible for many areas of
government such as:
Police
Roads
Taxes
Health Care
Licensing
Courts
Land use
Elections
Parks
etc…
Article VII
3. Counties are also divided into townships which
take care of :
a. Rural roads
b. Assistance to the needy
c. Assessment (evaluation) of property
4. The 1970 Constitution gave counties and cities
more power to deal with local problems
5. This is called Home Rule
6. This is all designed so that every problem does not
fall into one group’s responsibility
Article VIII - Finance
Illinois public funds (money), property or credit
may only be used for public purposes
Article IX – Revenue
The state taxes in 3 ways:
Property tax – house, land
Sales tax – clothes, food, etc…
Income tax – the amount of money that you make at
your job
Article X - Education
The 1970 Constitution set up a State Board of
Education
Free education from Kindergarten through 12th grade
Illinois does not pay for college
Article XI – Healthful Environment
It is the policy of the State of Illinois and the duty of
each person to maintain a healthful environment.
Pick up after yourself.
Article XII – State Militia
The Governor is the Commander–in–Chief of the
National Guard (The National Guard is a branch of the
U.S. Army. It protects our state and helps during crisis
situations.)
Article XIII – General Provisions
People convicted of major crimes are ineligible to
hold public office.
a. Must take oath swearing you will follow laws of Illinois
b. Break the oath and you face possible impeachment.
Article XIV – Changing the State
Constitution
1. There are 3 provisions:
a. 3/5 of the General Assembly must call for a
convention. The people of Illinois must approve
this call and also the proposals being made for it
b. 3/5 of the General Assembly is needed to propose
amendments to the people of Illinois
c. 3/5 of the General Assembly is needed or a
majority is needed to vote on any proposals for
passage
Your Illinois Senator & Representative
These people have local offices in McHenry County and represent us in
the General Assembly:
32nd District State Senator: Pamela Althoff
64th District State Representative: Michael W. Tryon
Your U.S. Representatives
These people have offices in Illinois but represent us in Washington D.C.:
16th District U.S. Representative: Don Manzullo
Illinois State Senators: Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk.