8th Grade Constitution Test

An amendment to the Constitution must pass by what minimum margins?

A 2/3 majority in the House and Senate and adoption by at least 3/4 of the states, a signature of the president is not required

The Constitution allows the president to make treaties and agreements with foreign powers, providing that:

A 2/3 majority of the Senate concurs

The Constitution creates what type of government?

A Republican form of government

Name 1 important idea found in the Declaration of Independence:

All men are created equal

The Constitution forbids slavery or involuntary servitude, except:

As a punishment for a crime

The powers which are not specifically stated in the Constitution as powers of the federal government, are:

Automatically given to the states

According the the Constitution, the minimum infraction necessary for the impeachment of a judge is:

Bad behavior

Name 1 famous battle from the Revolutionary War:

Battle of Lexington

The Constitution does not allow any bills of attainder to be passed-- bills of attainder are:

Bills which allow forfeiture of rights or property without trial

When the Constitution was first ratified, how were US Senators elected?

By a vote of the state legislatures

The whom does the Constitution guarantee the right to vote?

Citizens

10th Amendment

if the Constitution says the federal government or national government get to do it, then that is law, but if it is not mentioned, the right goes to the state, if they don't want it, it goes to the people

Prior to the passage of the 16th Amendment in 1913, income taxes were unconstitutional. How did the federal government pay for itself before income taxes were collected?

Import duties, excise taxes and taxes divided among the states by population

The Constitution does not allow the passage of any ex-facto law-- ex-facto laws are:

Laws which take effect before they are passed

The Constitution states that no person shall be deprived of:

Life, liberty, or property

The Constitution requires Congress to be assembled:

Only once per year

What are the two major political parties in the US today?

Republicans and Democrats

What are the two parts of the United States Congress?

Senate & House of Representatives

According to the Constitution, who has the right to govern that part of the military employed in the service of the United States?

The Congress

How does the Constitution of the United States provide for changes, so that it may be fluid with time and appropriate for future generations?

The Constitution can be amended

What are inalienable rights?

individual rights that people are born with

Name one thing only a state government can do:

issue marriage licenses

due process

course of legal proceedings established by the legal system of a nation or a state to protect individual rights and liberties, rights EVERYONE (in the US) gets

Name 2 rights of every living in the US:

freedom of trial by jury, freedom of the press

1st Amendment

freedom of: religion, speech, press, assembly, to petition the government

9th Amendment

if a right is forgotten-- the people still get it

What does freedom of religion mean?

we can believe and practice any religion or none at all

writ of Habeas Corpus

writ (order/piece of paper) to have detained person brought before the court to decide the legality of detention (my rights have been violated)

eminent domain

the right of the government to take private property for public use- a just compensation is given to the owner (5th Amendment)

The Constitution allows government:

to take private property for public use, but only if the owner is paid a fair price for it

According to the Constitution, a trial by jury cannot be denied if the value of the lawsuit exceeds:

$20

Which of the following phrases DOES NOT appear in the Constitution?

...a wall of separation between Church and state

When was the Constitution written?

1787

In the form of government expressed in the Declaration of Independence and defined by the Constitution, power flows:

From God to the people, then to the elected officials

Who is called the "Father of our Country"?

George Washington

The Constitution allows the federal government (congress) to promote the progress of science and the useful arts of:

Giving authors and inventors exclusive rights to their work

The Constitution states that the people have a right to be secure against unreasonable search and seizures, and requires that warrants specify:

The place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized

Choose the only power in the following list which the Constitution DOES NOT give to Congress:

The power to create a Social Security system

Choose the only power in the following list which the Constitution does not give to the states:

The power to enter into an agreement with a foreign power

The Constitution states that:

The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed

The Senate and the Electoral College share a common reason for their existence, which is:

To give a greater voice to the smaller states

5th Amendment

a grand jury is needed for capital or infamous crimes; no grand jury is needed for armed forces crimes; you cannot be tried for the same thing twice; cannot be forced to be a witness against yourself; cannot be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process or law; no private property can be taken without just compensation

ex post facto law

a law that punishes a person for doing something before the law making it illegal was passed (ex post facto laws are illegal)

bill of attainder

a legislative measure that condemns and punishes a person without the benefits of a trial by jury (Bill Clinton lied under oath- you cannot punish someone before they go to court)

8th Amendment

no excessive bail or fines; no cruel or unusual punishments

3rd Amendment

one cannot be forced to house soldiers during time of peace, but can be forced to house soldiers in times of war

Name one thing only the federal government can do:

print money

7th Amendment

right to a jury trial if the value your fighting exceeds $20

6th Amendment

right to a speedy and public trial; right to impartial jury in place where the crime was committed; right to be informed of the nature of the charge; right to be confronted by witnesses against you; right to force witnesses for your side to testify; right a defense attorney

4th Amendment

right to be secure in person, house, paper, effect; no warrants will be issued without probable cause and the warrant must list places, persons, and things to be seized

2nd Amendment

right to keep and bear arms

Name 2 rights of that are only for United States citizens:

right to vote, right to hold office