U.S. Constitution L to J Quiz Created by Dan McCaulley, author of Continuous Improvement in the Social Studies Classroom
U.S. Constitution L to J Quiz
Created by Dan McCaulley, author of Continuous Improvement in the Social Studies Classroom
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2A
The first 10 Amendments to the Constitution are typically referred to as what?
The Bill of Rights
2B
If neither the President nor the Vice President can serve, who would fill the position?
The Speaker of the House of Representatives
3C
Powers that are not given to the national government and not forbidden to the states are called what by the 10th amendment?
Reserved powers
4B
The number of presidential electors a state gets is equal to what?
The number of Senators and Representatives
5B
Congress shall make no law that does what according to the 1st Amendment?
Set up or establish a national religion
5C
If the President is impeached, who presides over the trial?
The Chief Justice of the United States
9A An order making a jailer show that a person is in jail for a good reason is called a writ of:
Habeas Corpus
10A
A member of the U.S. Senate must have been a citizen of the United States for how many years?
9 years
10B
What document governed the United States prior to our present Constitution?
Articles of Confederation
11CNeither House, during the session of Congress, can adjourn for more than________ (length of time) without the consent of the other House:
3 days
A member of the House of Representatives must have been a citizen of the U.S. for
at least:
14B
Seven years (7)
15A
January 20 (at noon following his election)
Nowadays, the President is sworn into office on what
date?
15CIn order to make a treaty with another country, the President must have the approval of what fraction of the Senate?
2/3 approval
16AThe Supreme Court now has one Chief Justice and how many associate justices?
8 associate justices
16B The landmark Supreme Court case that established the principle of “judicial review” was:
Marbury vs. Madison
16CWhich Constitutional amendment guarantees a person accused of a crime a trial by jury?
Sixth Amendment
17A
Which Constitutional amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishments for crimes?
Eighth amendment
18B Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution changed it so that Senators are now elected by the people?
17th Amendment
19B
Who is the president of the Senate according to Article 1, Section 3 of the Constitution?
The Vice President of the United States
20AArticle 1; Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution forbids Congress from passing what kinds of laws?
Ex post facto or Bills of Attainder
20BIn order to do their work, the House and Senate must have at least this many of its members present (quorum):
majority
20CWhen a government official is impeached, he must convicted by what vote of the Senate?
Two-thirds of the Senators present
21BAfter a bill has been sent to the President, it becomes a law if he does not send it back within how many days?
10 days
21CThe requirement for a search warrant to search a person’s house or property is found in which Constitutional amendment?
4th Amendment
22A
The right of an accused person not to incriminate himself or herself is found in which amendment?
5th Amendment
22BIf the candidates for President have no majority of the electoral votes, who elects the President?
House of Representatives
23B
The right of all citizens to vote, regardless of their race is provided by which amendment?
15th Amendment
23CInvoking the fifth amendment or “taking the fifth” means what?
A person refuses to testify against himself
24AThe only President whose election was decided by the House of Representatives was:
Thomas Jefferson
24BWhich part of the Constitution begins with the words, “We the People of the United States…”?
The Preamble
24CWhich amendment to the Constitution provides for signing a petition of grievance against the government?
1st Amendment
25AWhich amendment to the Constitution forbids the military to force citizens to quarter or provide housing for troops?
3rd Amendment
25CWhich Constitutional amendment says that a person cannot be tried twice for the same crime (double jeopardy)?
5th Amendment
26BWhich amendment to the Constitution lowered the voting age to 18 in national elections?
26th Amendment
26C
The Constitution states that no person may be deprived of what three things without due process of law?
Life, liberty, and property
27BWho has the oldest and shortest written Constitution of any government in the world?
The United States
27C
On what day does the U.S. celebrate “Constitution Day?”
September 17 (the day the framers signed the document)
28ASince the Constitution did not originally set forth requirements for voting, who could originally vote in elections?
White male landowners
29AWho was the author of the so-called “Great Compromise” that saved the Constitution?
Roger Sherman (Connecticut)
29BThe Constitution forbids slavery or involuntary servitude with this one exception:
As a punishment for crime (13th amendment)
29CWhich Virginian was elected as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention but refused to attend because “he smelled a rat?”
Patrick Henry
30AWhat limits on how many terms a President could serve were placed in the original Constitution?
None
30C
Which city was the largest in the U.S. when the Constitution was signed?
Philadelphia ( the city where it was signed - 40,000 inhabitants)
31AWhich landmark Supreme Court decision said that African Americans, whether slave or free, were not citizens of the United States?
Dred Scott decision
31BWhich of the 13 original states did not send delegates to the Constitutional Convention and was the last state to ratify the Constitution?
Rhode Island
32AWhich landmark Supreme Court decision in 1954 stated that segregated schools were inherently unequal and, therefore, unconstitutional?
Brown vs. Board of Education
32B
Who decides if a President’s nominee for the Supreme Court is confirmed?
The Senate – by majority vote
32CThe two opposing parties during the time the Constitution was being ratified were:
Federalists and Anti-federalists
33B
Which house of Congress is based on population?
House of Representatives (Senate is based on equal representation)
33C
The Constitution says in Article 4 that each state must give “full faith and credit” to:
The other states
34A
Supreme Court justices hold office for how long?
Life (Constitution calls it “during good behavior”)
34C
Which U.S. President tried to “pack” the Supreme Court with his own nominees?
Franklin D. Roosevelt
35A
Why was the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution before it was even ratified?
So the Anti-federalists would accept it
36ARequiring the Senate to approve of treaties made by the President is a Constitutional example of:
Checks and balances
36B
Once an amendment to the Constitution is ratified, what does it take to change it?
A new amendment
37A
The Constitutionally mandated assembly that elects the President is called:
The Electoral College
37CWhich two branches of the federal government share the power of establishing foreign policy?
Congress and the President (legislative and executive)
38CArticle 1; Section 8 of the Constitution contains a provision to allow Congress to make laws that reflect changing conditions. What is this provision usually called?
The elastic clause
39A
When is the only time that God is mentioned in the Constitution?
In the dates as in “The year of our Lord, 1787…” (the Declaration of Independence mentions God four times.)
39BWhich founding father believed that the Constitution should be rewritten every generation?
Thomas Jefferson
39C
How can a candidate win the popular vote and yet lose the election for President?
Because of the electoral college
40AWhen, according to the Constitution, is the only time the writ of habeas corpus can be suspended?
During invasion or rebellion
40B
Why must police inform suspects of their rights when they are being arrested?
A Supreme Court decision requires it (Miranda vs. Arizona)
40CA series of essays written by Madison, Hamilton, and Jay encouraging citizens to ratify the proposed Constitution were called:
The Federalist (Papers)
41A
Which amendment to the Constitution allows people to sue for discrimination?
Fourteenth Amendment (Equal protection clause)
41CEvery ten years the nation decides how many representatives each state will have. How do we determine that?
The Census
42AIf Thomas Jefferson had strictly followed the Constitution, he could not have added what to the United States?
Louisiana Territory (Purchase)
42CWhat two-word phrase means that the government gets it power from the people?
Popular Sovereignty
43A
The fact that the Constitution divides powers between the three branches is called:
Separation of Powers
43CIn Article 1; Section 2; Paragraph 3 of the Constitution, to whom does the phrase “three-fifths of all other persons” refer?
Slaves (the Three-Fifths Compromise)
44AThe Constitution speaks of “reserved powers” in the 10th Amendment. To whom are they “reserved?”
The states (and the people)
44B
What are the three parts of the Constitution?
The Preamble, the seven articles, and the 27 amendments
44CThe three Constitutional qualifications for President are that he or she must be at least 35 years old, have lived in the U.S. for 14 years, and:
Be a natural born citizen
45A
Powers that are given to both the federal government and the states are called:
Concurrent powers
45BAccording to the Constitution, who has the power to coin money?
National government only (states cannot print money)
45CPowers that are specifically given to the federal government by the Constitution are called:
Delegated powers
46A
A law that makes an act illegal after it has been committed is called:
An “ex post facto” law (Latin for “after the fact” – prohibited by the Constitution)
46C
How many members of the House of Representatives are there today?
435 (but that can change with the population of the states)
47A
Who presides over the Senate when the Vice President is not there?
The President Pro Tempore of the Senate
47C
How are electoral votes given out by the states to Presidential candidates?
Whoever wins the popular vote gets them all.
48B
What is the main duty of the Vice President of the United States?
Take the President’s place if he cannot serve
48C
How many Constitutions has the United States had?
Two (the Articles of Confederation and the present Constitution)
50AWhich amendment guarantees that Americans can practice any religion or no religion?
1st Amendment
50BDouble jeopardy or being tried twice for the same crime is prohibited in which amendment?
5th Amendment
50C
What happens to powers not given to Congress and not prohibited to the states?
They belong to or are reserved for the states.
51CWhich amendment says that anyone born in the United States is a citizen of the United States?
14th Amendment
52CA proposed amendment to the Constitution can be suggested by what fraction of both houses of Congress?
2/3 of both houses
53BAccording to Article Six of the Constitution, what is the supreme law of the land?
The Constitution of the United States
54BIf someone adopts a child in California, will the child still be theirs if they move to Ohio?
Yes! (Article 4 Full faith and credit clause)
55AAccording to the 4th Amendment, what must the police have in order to get a warrant to search your house?
Probable cause
55BWhich amendment actually gives citizens the right to a jury trial if they are being sued for more than $20.00?
7th Amendment
56CThe naming of certain rights in the Constitution does not mean we don’t have other rights not mentioned. Where is this found?
9th Amendment
57AWhat do the 15th, 19th, and 26th amendments all have in common?
They all gave voting rights to people that did not previously have them. (15th-African Americans, 19th-Women, 26th-18 year-olds)
57CBefore the passage of the 23rd amendment, what could the people of Washington, D.C. not do?
They could not vote for President
58ARichard Nixon is the only U.S. President to resign. Which amendment allowed Gerald Ford to become the next president?
25th Amendment
58BSome states were making people pay a “poll tax” in order to vote. This discriminatory practice was banned by which amendment?
24th Amendment
58C
The legislative branch of government is made up of:
Two houses – House of Representatives and Senate
59AFor what purpose did the delegates to the Constitutional Convention originally meet?
Revise the Articles of Confederation
60AFor what reason may a President be removed from office?
Treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors (Article 2; Sec. 4)
60CWhat is the legal voting age in the United States since ratification of the 26th Amendment?
18 years of age
61B
At least how old must the Vice President be?
35 (same as the requirement for President since he could become President)
62AWhich 1973 landmark Supreme Court decision said that states could not prevent a woman from obtaining an abortion?
Roe vs. Wade
62COf the three branches of government, which has the power to interpret laws or say what they mean?
The Judicial Branch
63A
How is the number of Senators for each state determined?
By equal representation (each state gets two)
63BWhich article of the Constitution describes the powers and duties of the legislative branch?
Article 1
63C
In an impeachment process, who has the sole power to bring up charges?
The House of Representatives
64AWhich article of the Constitution describes the primary role and duties of the President?
Article 2