The Constitution Day Primer

The Constitution Day “Primer”

In preparation for Constitution Day - September 17, 2016

The U.S. Constitution is the bedrock of our American government, our American history, our American culture and our American civilization.

How much do you know as an American?

Answer as many as you can for theConstitution Day competition.

Read the “primer” questions which is part curriculum, part trivia.

The following websites might help:

1. What form of government is rule by one person?
2. What form of government is rule by an elite few?
3. What form of government is ruled by a royal family?
4. What form of government does the U.S. have today?
5. Which civilization had the first republic?
6. Which Greek city-state had the first democracy?
7. Name the oldest colony of the original 13 colonies.
8. Name the youngest colony of the original 13 colonies.
9. Which 17th century philosophe was the inspiration behind the Declaration of Independence?
10. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
11. On what date was the Declaration of Independence officially proposed?
12. Who were the 5 men on the committee responsible to write the Declaration of Independence?
13. On what date was the Declaration of Independence approved?
14. What document served to govern the colonies during and right after the American Revolution?
15. On what date was the Articles of Confederation adopted by the Continental Congress?
16. Who was the first president of the Continental Congress under the Articles of Confederation?
17. The Articles of Confederation had one major fatal flaw to be an effective constitution. Name it.
18. In what Maryland city did the founders meet to consider changing the earlier constitution?
19. Which incident in early 1787 which led to the constitutional convention in Philadelphia?
20. What British document from the medieval ages became a cornerstone for the U.S. Constitution?
21. Which 18th century philosophe was the inspiration behind the U.S. Constitution?
22. Which Founding Father is known the "Father of the Constitution"?
23. What principle is evident in having 3 branches co-exist in the federal government?
24. Name 3 of the 5 principles upon which the U.S. Constitution is based.
25. Which British physiocrat conceived the idea of the free market upon which our capitalistic system is based?
26.According to the U.S. Constitution, the United States was born as what kind of government?
27. On what date did the constitutional convention begin in Philadelphia?
28. Who was the president of the constitutional convention?
29. Which state did not send delegates to the constitutional convention?
30.What was the name of the plan which became the basis of the U.S. Constitution?
31. Who proposed the New Jersey Plan?
32. How many men attended the constitutional convention?
33. Which 3 delegates at the constitutional convention refused to sign the U.S. Constitution?
34.What was the main reason why 3 delegates refused to sign the U.S. Constitution?
35. How many men actually signed the U.S. Constitution on September 17th, 1787?
36. When asked what kind of government the constitutional convention approved, how did Benjamin Franklin answer?
37. In what environment did the constitutional convention draft the document?
38. Who was the Secretary of the constitution convention?
39.Who came up with the “Great Compromise”?
40. The “Three-Fifths Compromise” dealt with what 2 issues?
41. How many articles are in the U.S. Constitution?
42. Who is credited with writing the preamble and final draft of the U.S. Constitution?
43. How many words are in the U.S. Constitution?
44.Name the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution?
45. N.J. became which number state to ratify the U.S. Constitution?
46. Which state’s ratification provided the majority required to put the U.S. Constitution into effect?
47. Which colony became the 2nd, 3rd, 4th states?
48. Which colony became the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th states?
49. Which colony became the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12thstates?
50. Which colony became the 13th state?
51. What is the title of the 85 essays written to promote the ratification of the U.S. Constitution?
52. What three authors wrote those 85 essays supporting ratification of the U.S. Constitution?
53. What are the three branches of government?
54. Article One in the U.S. Constitution regulates what branch of government?
55. Which congressional body has the power to impeach federal officials?
56. Which congressional body has the sole power to judge federal officials?
57. What is the minimum age to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives?
58. What is the minimum age to serve in the U.S. Senate?
59. How many members does the House of Representatives have?
60. How many members does the Senate have?
61.How is representation of the states based in the U.S. House of Representatives?
62. New Jersey has how many members sitting in the U.S. House of Representatives?
63. How many U.S. Senators represent each state?
64. How long is a term of office in the U.S. House of Representatives?
65. How long is a term of office in the U.S. Senate?
66. For how long must a person be a U S citizen before they are qualified to serve in the House?
67. For how long must a person be a U.S. citizen before they are qualified to serve in the Senate?
68. Congress cannot suspend the “writ of habeas corpus”. What is that?
69. Congress cannot pass “ex post facto” laws. What kind of laws are those?
70. Congress cannot pass “bills of attainder” laws. What kind of laws are those?
71. Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 of the U.S. Constitution states that the U.S. Congress can make all laws, which may be “______and ______”. Fill in the blanks.
72. Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 of the U.S. Constitution also goes by this name, “the ______clause”. Fill in the blank.
73. What percentage of the U.S. Senate is required for the confirmation of a presidential appointee?
74. What fraction of the U.S. Senate is necessary for the confirmation of a treaty?
75. Who serves as the President of the U.S. Senate?
76. The executive branch is regulated by which article in the U.S. Constitution?
77. How old must a person be to become President of the United States?
78. According to the U.S. Constitution, what was the original date for the presidential oath of office?
79. How long is the president’s term in office?
80. Who is the Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces?
81. To what does the president, the military and the federal officials swear to uphold and defend?
82. What 2 specific crimes does the U.S. Constitution cite as grounds for the president to be impeached?
83. When does the Vice-President have the right to vote in the U.S. Senate?
84. After the Vice-President, who is next in line to the presidency?
85.What percentage of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate is required to send a bill to the president?
86. For how long may the president keep a bill for his veto or approval?
87. How long must one live in the U.S. before he/she can be eligible to be president?
88. Why was the Electoral College created?
89. What is the minimum number of electors a state must have?
90. How many electors in the Electoral College?
91. How many electoral votes does it take to win the presidency?
92.How are each state’s electors calculated?
93. Which man won the Electoral College by the greatest number of electoral votes (523-8)?
94. Which man won the greater number of both the electoral vote and popular vote but still lost the election?
95. In what 2 states can their electoral votes be split?
96. In the 2000 election - which state decided the outcome?
97. What was the last election year N.J. voted for the Republican nominee (when was it a red state)?
98.What does “impeach” mean?
99. What does “ratify” mean?
100.What does “appeal” mean?
101. What does “repeal” mean?
102. What branch of government regulates commerce?
103. Who presides over the presidential impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate?
104. Who can grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the U.S.?
105. What branch has the power to declare war?
106. Which branch has the power to make laws?
107.Which branch has the power to enforce the laws?
108.Which branch has the power to establish foreign policy?
109. Which branch has the power to interpret the constitutionality of a law?
110. Which branch has the power to appoint people to the federal government?
111. Which branch has the power to pay debt, borrow and print money?
112. To what branch of government does Article Three of the U.S. Constitution refer?
113. How many justices are there on the U.S. Supreme Court?
114. Who was the first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court?
115. For how long do U.S. Supreme Court justices serve?
116. Who appointsthe U.S. Supreme Court justices?
117. How many senators are required to approve U.S. Supreme Court nominees?
118. The power to judge a law as “unconstitutional” and therefore invalid is known as what?
119. What principle is evident in Article Four of the U.S. Constitution, which states the need for the states to have powers along with the federal government?
120.Under Article Four, every state is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution to have what kind of government?
121. What does the Fifth Article of the U.S. Constitution describe?
122. Why did the Founding Fathers make the amendment process so cumbersome?
123. What fraction of Congress is necessary for it to propose a constitutional amendment?
124. What fraction of states is necessary for a constitutional amendment to be ratified?
125. According to Article Six of the U.S. Constitution, what is the Constitution referred to as?
126. According to Article Seven of the U.S. Constitution, how many states had to ratify the U.S. Constitution before it became law?
127. The relationship between the national government and the state governments is regulated by which article of the U.S. Constitution?
128. What article prohibits a religious test for public office?
129. Who has the power to adjourn or convene a special session of the U.S. Congress?
130. Who is responsible for proposing the national budget?
131. Which article specifies the rules for ratification of the U.S. Constitution?
132. Which state’s name is misspelled on the U.S. Constitution?
133. Who actually penned the U.S. Constitution?
134. Who were the only 2 signers of the U.S. Constitution who would later become president?
135. Who is the only person to sign the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Treaty of Paris of 1783?
136. On what date was the U.S. Constitution officially adopted as the Supreme Law of the Land?
137. Name 2 of the 4 representatives of N.J. who signed the U.S. Constitution.
138. What was the original number of proposals that made up the Bill of Rights?
139. How many amendments are contained in the Bill of Rights?
140. How many amendments are in the U.S. Constitution?
141. Name the 5 freedoms of the First Amendment.
142. The 2ndAmendment protect the right to ______.
143. The 3rd Amendment protects the right against ______.
144. The 4th Amendment protects Americans from unreasonable ______and ______.
145. The 5th Amendment protects an individual from being charged for what?
146. The 5th Amendment protects an American from “self-______”?
147. The 5th Amendment protects an American citizen against the government from taking private property for public use without ______?
148.The 5th Amendment guarantees “due process under ______”?
149. The 6th Amendment requires that the accused face their ______?
150. The 6th Amendment secures the right for a defendant to have a trial which is ______and
______?
151. The 7th Amendment provides the right to a trial jury if you want to ______.
152. The 8th Amendment prohibits excessive fines or inflicting what kind of punishment?
153. The 9th Amendment states that the rights stated in the Bill of Rights should not exclude other rights which may be guaranteed to the ______.
154. The 10th Amendment states that all powers not delegated to the national government by the Constitution are ______for the states or people.
155. The11th Amendment says that states may not ______other states.
156. The 12thAmendment contains the laws governing the ______?
157.The 13th Amendment prohibits ______.
158. Which amendment gave women the right to vote?
159. Congress is granted power to collect income taxes under the terms of which amendment?
160. Which amendment prohibits any state from depriving “any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law”?
161. Which amendment granted freed black men the right to vote?
162. How did the 17th amendment change the election process of senators?
163. In what amendment was the District of Columbia granted three electors to the Electoral College so it could be represented in presidential elections?
164. Which 3 amendments were known as the “Civil War amendments”?
165. Which amendment gives the right to sue for money?
166. “Equal protection of the laws” is protected by which amendment?
167. Which amendment repealed prohibition?
168: What amendment repeals the poll tax or any other tax which denied the right to vote?
169.What amendment addresses the succession of the presidency in case of the death or disability?
170. The 26th Amendment lowered the voting age to what?
171. Which amendment prohibited the sale of alcohol?
172. Which amendment states that compensation for the Congress shall not take effect until after the election of Congress shall have intervened?
173. President Obama cannot run for a 3rd term. Which amendment prohibits it?
174. Name 4 presidents who served 2 complete terms (8 full years).
175. Who were the first 7 Presidents of the United States?
176. Who was the first Republican president?
177. Who was the first Democrat president?
178. Who wrote the “Star-Spangled Banner”?
179. In what year was the “Star Spangled Banner” written?
180. During what battle was the “Star-Spangled Banner” written?
181.In what year did the “Star-Spangled Banner” become our national anthem?
182. How often is the U.S. Census taken?
183. What happens after the census is determined?
184. What state has the most representatives in the House?
185.Before Obama, in reverse order who were the last 6 presidents?
186. Legislation which deals with money can only be introduced by a member of which chamber of Congress?
187. How many days does a president have to either sign or return a bill before it becomes law?
188. What fraction of both houses does it take to override a presidential veto?
189. How many options does a president have when he/she is faced with a bill on his/her desk?
190. Only one state has a unicameral government. Which is it?
191. Which 2 Founding Fathers died on the exact same date – July 4, 1826?
192. What two cities became our capitals before Washington D.C. became our permanent capital?
193. Who was the first president to live in the White House?
194. Which president officially named the executive mansion – “The White House”?
195. What is the session number of this current congress?
196. How many men have been president?
197. Who is the current Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court?
198. Who is the current Speaker of the House?
199.Who is the current president pro-tem of the U.S. Senate?
200. Who is the current Vice-President?
201. Who is the current Secretary of State?
202. Who are the current U.S. Senators from New Jersey?
203. Who is your representative?
204. Name 5 of the current 9 U.S. Supreme Court justices.
205. Which Founding Father is considered to be the “Father of the Bill of Rights”?
206. Which Founding Father is considered to be the “Father of the American Economy”?
207. Which Founding Father invented the principle of “judicial review” for the U.S. Supreme Court?
208. In what Supreme Court case was “judicial review” established?
209. Which American is on the $10.00 bill?
210. Which American STILL is on the $20.00 bill?
211. Which American is on the $50.00 bill?
212. Which American is on the $100.00 bill?
213. Who termed the famous incident which saw the death of 5 Americans “The Boston Massacre”?
214. Name 2 powers that ONLY the federal/national/central government has.
215. Name 2 powers that are reserved to the states.
216. When is the last day you can submit your taxes? Hint: it is my kid’s (Ethan’s) birthday.
217. On what date was President Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” delivered?
218. Which president made “In God We Trust” our national motto?
219. Which president asked Congress to declare war against Britain to begin the War of 1812?
220. Which president asked Congress to declare war against Mexico to begin the Mexican-American War in 1846?
221. Which president asked Congress to declare war against Spain to begin the Spanish-American War in 1898?
222. Which president asked Congress to declare war against Germany to bring the U.S. into World War I in 1917?
223. Which president asked Congress to declare war against Japan to bring the U.S. into World War II in 1941?
224. Which president proposed a package of legislative initiates he called the “New Deal”?
225. When was D-Day?
226. Which president brought the U.S. into the Korean War in 1950?
227. Which president brought the U.S. into the Vietnam War in 1964?
228. Which president brought the U.S. into the Gulf War in 1991?
229. Under what president were the words “under God” inserted into the pledge of allegiance?
230. Under the 25th Amendment, what happens if a vice president died in office?
231.Who is the only man to become president having never been elected?
232. Who was the only vice-president to resign in disgrace?
233. Name the 3 of the 4presidentswho were considered “Whigs”?
234. Three men who became president ran against each other in what election year?
235. Name the 2 menwho ran for president THREE times and lost every time.
236. Which 2 presidential winners won 49 of the 50 states?
237. Which 2 men won EVERY state in the Electoral College to become president?
238. Which presidential election outcome was known as the “Corrupt Bargain”?
239. On what date was the Emancipation Proclamation to take effect?
240. Name the 2 presidents who were impeached.
241. September 17th marks not only “Constitution Day” but also the deadliest day in American history. Cite the event which made it the deadliest date.
242. What 4 presidents died in office due to illness?
243. What 4 presidents were assassinated?
244. On what date was President Lincoln assassinated?
245. On what date was President Kennedy assassinated?
246. Name the 4 vice-presidents who took office after their president was assassinated?
247. Name the 2 years in which there were3 presidents during that same year.
248. Name the 4 presidents on Mount Rushmore.
249. Which president ended the “Cold War” with the Soviet Union?
250. Name both 2016 presidential tickets?