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Constitution Cards [L.E.J.]
Legislative, Executive, Judicial
119
History
8th Grade
11/12/2007

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Cards

Term
Who may suggest a bill?
Definition
Any concerned citizen
Term
How many U.S. Senators are there?
Definition
100
Term
How long does a Senator serve a term?
Definition
6 years
Term
What number is a “quorum” in the Senate?
Definition
51
Term
How Many Senators does Minnesota have?
Definition
2
Term
Who is charge of the Senate?
Definition
The Vice President of the U.S.
Term
Where do most bills die?
Definition
In committee
Term
What is the minimum number of Representatives a state must have in the House of Representatives?
Definition
1
Term
What is the minimum age that a Representative must be?
Definition
25
Term
All bills involving money must begin in which house?
Definition
House of Representatives
Term
When the V.P. is not available who is in charge of the Senate?
Definition
President Pro Tempore
Term
If a state has 29 electoral votes, how many representatives does the state have?
Definition
27
Term
What are the 3 Branches of government?
Definition
Legislative, Executive, Judicial
Term
What is the job of the Legislative Branch of government?
Definition
To make the laws
Term
When does Congress convene?
Definition
January 3rd
Term
How do we decide how many representatives each state should have?
Definition
By population
Term
According to our founding fathers, if your government isn’t serving your needs you have the duty to ______.
Definition
Change it
Term
Who is in charge of the House of Representatives?
Definition
Speaker of the House
Term
How does the President Pro Tempore get his job?
Definition
Direct vote of the Senate
Term
Our government is self-governing so we call this country a _______.
Definition
Democracy
Term
What is a TWO-house legislature called?
Definition
Bicameral
Term
What is a filibuster?
Definition
When a Senator talks endlessly to delay action on a bill.
Term
What does the rules committee do?
Definition
1]Send a bill to its proper committee
2]Make specific rules for individual bills
Term
Can the Vice President vote on Senate issues?
Definition
No-unless there is a tie
Term
A Senator must be at least _____ years old to be elected.
Definition
30
Term
What is a “quorum”?
Definition
The number necessary to legally do business (in our government 1 more than half)
Term
How many representatives are in the House of Representatives?
Definition
435
Term
A representative’s term of office is ____ years.
Definition
2
Term
What are the names of the 2 houses in our government?
Definition
House of Representatives and Senate
Term
A representative must have been a U.S. citizen for _____ years.
Definition
7
Term
The Speaker of the House must always be a member of the ______ party.
Definition
Majority
Term
A senator must have been a U.S. citizen for ______ years.
Definition
9
Term
Who elects The Speaker of the House?
Definition
Direct vote of the House
Term
To keep one branch from gaining too much power, we have a system of ______ and ______.
Definition
Checks and balances
Term
What fraction of our Senators is elected every 2 years?
Definition
1/3
Term
When the population of the U.S. is officially counted, we call that count a _____.
Definition
Census
Term
A committee, which consists of members from both houses, is called a ______ committee.
Definition
Joint or conference
Term
When a vetoed bill is re-passed by 2/3 of both houses, this is referred to as an ________. The bill then becomes a law.
Definition
Override
Term
If Congress adjourns before the President acts on a bill, he may refuse to sign it. This is called a _____ veto.
Definition
Pocket
Term
What majority is required to override the President’s veto?
Definition
2/3
Term
Neither house may adjourn for more than 3 days without what?
Definition
Permission of the other house
Term
What is a “caucus”?
Definition
A meeting of members
Term
What is the supreme law of the land?
Definition
The Constitution
Term
A record of what goes on is printed in the _____ _____.
Definition
Congressional Record
Term
The Constitution grants all law making powers to whom?
Definition
Congress
Term
In our system of government, the Constitution gets authority from _____.
Definition
The People
Term
Who succeeds the President in the case of his death or disqualification from office?
Definition
The Vice President
Term
Who Succeeds the Vice President as President?
Definition
The Speaker of the House
Term
Who is the head of the executive Branch of government?
Definition
The President
Term
What is the minimum age for the Presidency?
Definition
35 years
Term
Who succeeds the Speaker of the House as President?
Definition
The President Pro Tempore
Term
Who succeeds the President Pro Tempore as President?
Definition
The Secretary of State
Term
What Federal Department is responsible for foreign affairs?
Definition
State
Term
What department is responsible for coining and regulating money?
Definition
Treasury
Term
Which department is not represented by a “secretary”?
Definition
Justice (Attorney General)
Term
What department oversees the F.B.I.?
Definition
Justice
Term
Name 5 Federal Departments
Definition
Treasury, Defense, Justice, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Housing and Urban Development, Energy, Education, Transportation, Health and Human Services, Veteran Affairs, Homeland Security
Term
The President must have lived in the United States for a minimum of _____ years prior to election.
Definition
14 years
Term
Who actually elects the President?
Definition
The Electoral College
Term
How long does the President serve per term?
Definition
4 Years
Term
What are the term limits placed on the presidency?
Definition
2 terms only
Term
What is the name of the President’s official plane?
Definition
Air Force One
Term
What date does the President take office?
Definition
Jan. 20th
Term
Who swears in the President?
Definition
The Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
Term
Who approves all cabinet members?
Definition
The Senate (with 2/3 majority)
Term
What title is given to cabinet members?
Definition
Secretary
Term
What do we call it when a prisoner is released from their sentence?
Definition
Pardon
Term
What do we call it when a prisoner’s sentence is delayed or put off?
Definition
Reprieve
Term
The President can limit your personal freedoms during a time of ___________.
Definition
National Emergency
Term
Who is the commander in chief of the U.S. armed forces?
Definition
The President
Term
What department protects our natural environment?
Definition
Interior
Term
What power is given to the president concerning legislation?
Definition
Veto
Term
What does the Executive Branch do?
Definition
Enforces the laws
Term
Who makes valid treaties?
Definition
Senate (2/3 majority)
Term
Who is directly responsible for the security of the president and his family?
Definition
The Secret Service
Term
Who can declare war on another country?
Definition
Congress
Term
When a government official is charged with wrong-doing what is it called?
Definition
Impeachment
Term
Which branches of government are liable for impeachment?
Definition
Executive and Judicial
Term
Where must impeachment proceedings begin?
Definition
House of Representatives
Term
Who acts as the court in an impeachment trial?
Definition
The Senate
Term
Who presides at a presidential impeachment trial?
Definition
The Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
Term
What vote is required for a guilty verdict in an impeachment trial?
Definition
2/3 majority
Term
Name the two presidents who have been impeached.
Definition
Andrew Johnson
Bill Clinton
Term
Who conducts a presidential impeachment trial?
Definition
The Senate
Term
How many people serve on the U.S. Supreme Court?
Definition
9
Term
What does the Judicial Branch of government do?
Definition
Interprets the laws
Term
How do superior court judges get their jobs?
Definition
Appointed by the governor of the state
Term
“According to the established law of the land” is another way of saying…
Definition
Due process of law
Term
What actions can the circuit court of appeals take on a case?
Definition
1]May approve the district court’s decision
2]May reverse the district court’s decision
3]May order a new trial at the district court level
4]May pass the case onto the U.S. Supreme Court
Term
A party defending against a lawsuit is called the __________.
Definition
Defendant
Term
What are the 4 ways for a case to reach the U.S. Supreme Court?
Definition
1]State Supreme Court
2]Circuit Court of Appeals
3]Court of Claims
4]U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals
Term
All cases brought before an Independent Regulatory Agency are conducted with a _________.
Definition
Commission
Term
A party who starts a lawsuit is called the __________.
Definition
Plaintiff
Term
What is a minor crime called?
Definition
Misdemeanor
Term
How do we decide how many district courts a state will have?
Definition
By the population of the state
Term
There are 2 types of court cases. Name them.
Definition
Criminal and civil
Term
What is a “brief” in a court case?
Definition
A written argument
Term
What is the highest court of the land?
Definition
The United States Supreme Court
Term
When a U.S. Supreme Court Justice agrees with a decision, but not necessarily with the reasons for that decision, he may write a _________ opinion.
Definition
Concurring or majority
Term
How do Supreme Court Justices get their jobs?
Definition
Appointed by the President and
approved by the Senate
Term
What is the supreme law of the land?
Definition
The U.S. Constitution
Term
What are the people who serve under the Chief Justice called?
Definition
Associate Justices
Term
What is the minimum number of district courts a state must have?
Definition
1
Term
What is a serious crime called?
Definition
Felony
Term
How long does a U.S. Supreme Court Justice serve for?
Definition
Life or until retirement
Term
How do district judges get their jobs?
Definition
Appointed by the Presiden
Term
For judicial purposes, the United States and its protectorates are divided into ______ circuits.
Definition
13
Term
If a person had a claim against the U.S. government, what court would hear his case?
Definition
Court of Claims
Term
Who presides over the U.S. Supreme Court? (Name the position.)
Definition
Chief Justice
Term
How many votes form a majority in the U.S. Supreme Court?
Definition
5
Term
The U.S. Supreme Court decides cases by a ________ majority vote.
Definition
Simple
Term
Our court system is derived from another country—what country?
Definition
England
Term
How many women currently serve on the U.S. Supreme Court?
Definition
one
Term
What court case established the power of the U.S. Supreme Court to review laws and compare them to Constitutional rights?
Definition
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
Term
When a U.S. Supreme Court justice disagrees with a court decision, he or she may write a ___________.
Definition
Dissenting opinion
Term
What court case established the “separate but equal” policy that maintained segregation in some states public education facilities?
Definition
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
Term
What court case overturned the “separate but equal” policy and led to the integration of all schools?
Definition
Brown v. Topeka Board of Education
(1954)
Term
Who has the power to establish the lower court system?
Definition
Congress
Term
The U.S. is divided into districts for federal courts. How many districts are there?
Definition
94
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