Podcast
Questions and Answers
How many electoral votes must a candidate win in order to become president?
How many electoral votes must a candidate win in order to become president?
What is the minimum number of people required for a municipality to become a city in Massachusetts?
What is the minimum number of people required for a municipality to become a city in Massachusetts?
Who has the power to declare war?
Who has the power to declare war?
What is the process by which someone can become a U.S. citizen if neither they nor their parents were born in the U.S.?
What is the process by which someone can become a U.S. citizen if neither they nor their parents were born in the U.S.?
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How many branches of government are there in the U.S. and what are their responsibilities?
How many branches of government are there in the U.S. and what are their responsibilities?
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What groups make up Congress and how many members are there in each group?
What groups make up Congress and how many members are there in each group?
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Study Notes
Massachusetts Government
- Massachusetts has an unspecified number of cities and towns.
Municipalities
- A municipality must have more than 12,000 people to be considered a city.
Citizenship
- If neither you nor your parents were born in the U.S., you can still become a citizen through naturalization.
U.S. Government
- The U.S. has 2 main ways to become a citizen by birth: by being born in the U.S. or being born abroad to parents who are U.S. citizens.
- A presidential candidate must win at least 270 electoral votes to become president.
- The number of electoral votes per state is determined by the state's population.
Presidential Election
- Presidential elections are always held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
Amendments and the Constitution
- The 13th Amendment abolished slavery.
- The 14th Amendment granted citizenship to former slaves.
- The 15th Amendment granted voting rights to African American men.
- The 19th Amendment granted women's suffrage.
Bill of Rights
- The 1st Amendment guarantees freedom of speech, religion, and assembly.
- The 2nd Amendment guarantees the right to bear arms.
- The 4th Amendment protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.
- The 5th Amendment guarantees due process and protects against self-incrimination.
- The 6th Amendment guarantees the right to a fair trial.
- The 7th Amendment guarantees the right to a jury trial.
- The 8th Amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishment.
Historical Documents
- The Articles of Confederation was the first U.S. constitution.
Government Structure
- The 3 branches of government are the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches.
- The Executive branch is headed by the President, responsible for enforcing laws.
- The Legislative branch is Congress, responsible for making laws.
- The Judicial branch is the Supreme Court, responsible for interpreting laws.
Political Concepts
- Daniel Shays was a leader of Shays' Rebellion, a protest against high taxes and debt.
- Checks and balances are the system of limits on each branch of government to prevent abuse of power.
- Ratify means to approve or confirm a treaty or amendment.
Government Powers
- The President has the power to declare war.
- The Senate must approve all presidential appointments.
- Congress consists of the House of Representatives (435 members) and the Senate (100 members).
- If the President and Vice President die, the Speaker of the House becomes President.
Impeachment
- The Senate acts as a court during impeachments.
Electoral Process
- There are 27 amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
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Description
This quiz covers various aspects of US civics and government, including municipal governance, citizenship, and constitutional amendments.
