U.S. Government Functions and Structure

Government Functions

• Government passes and enforces laws
• Protects public health
• Manages the economy

Forms of Government

• Representative Democracy

U.S. Government

• Location of Ellis Island: New York
• Dred Scott: A slave who fought for freedom

Civic Duties and Responsibilities

• Civic Duty: Actions required by law (e.g., paying taxes)
• Civic Responsibility: Actions not legally required but encouraged (e.g., voting)

Wars and Independence

• French and Indian War: Fought between the British and French (with Native Americans)
• Reasons for Colonial Independence: No taxation without representation

Constitutional Amendments

• Number of amendments: 27

Political Parties

• Theodore Roosevelt's Party in 1912: Bull Moose/Progressive (Third Party)
• Senators per state: 2 per state
• Representatives in the House: 435

Congressional Committees

• Types of committees: Standing, Select, Joint

Presidential Succession

• Vice President
• Speaker of the House
• President pro tempore of the Senate

Executive Branch

• Executive Office departments: Office of Management and Budget (OMB), National Security Council (NSC), Council of Economic Advisers

Presidential Terms

• Number of terms a president can serve: 2 terms (10 years maximum)

Thirteen Original Colonies

• List of the original 13 colonies (New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia)

Mayflower Trip

• Year of the Mayflower voyage: 1620
• Reasons for colonial settlement: Religious freedom

Colonial Conflicts

• Fined amount for Rosa Parks: $10

Integration

• Escorted the Little Rock Nine to school: National Guard

Mayflower

• Death rate of Mayflower passengers: Half of them died of sickness during their first winter in the colonies

U.S. Citizenship

• Birth in U.S. = U.S. citizen: True
• Major cash crops in New England: Fur (hunting)

Voting Rights

• Vice President vote in Senate: No
• Citizenship loss: Possible

Legal Terms

• Immigrant: Person moving permanently to another country
• Refugee: Person leaving home due to war, famine, or natural disasters
• Tolerance: Respecting differences in beliefs and practices
• Ethnic group: Group sharing common national, cultural, or racial background
• Values: Guiding principles for decision-making
• Concurrent powers: Shared authorities of state and federal government
• Popular sovereignty: Government authority derived from people
• Separation of powers: Division of government power among branches
• Amendment: Change to the Constitution
• Electoral College: Group to elect president and vice president
• Second Amendment: Right to bear arms
• Tenth Amendment: Recognition of limited government power
• Twenty-sixth Amendment: Voting age 18 for federal elections
• Ninth Amendment: Unenumerated/unlisted rights exist beyond the constitution
• Slander: Spoken false statements causing harm
• Libel: Written false statements causing harm
• Segregation: Separation of races
• Bail: Security to ensure return for trial
• Poll tax: Tax preventing voting
• Impeachment: Accusation of misconduct in office
• Expressed powers: Powers listed explicitly in the constitution
• Implied powers: Powers not explicitly stated but implied
• Amnesty: Pardon to a group
• Pardon: Forgiveness and release from punishment
• Ambassador: Representative of a nation
• Embargo: Trade restrictions
• Subpoena: Court order for a person to appear in court
• Tenure: Right to hold an office after confirmation
• Nullify: Cancel legally

Test your knowledge on the various functions and structures of the U.S. government. This quiz covers topics from civic duties, political parties, and historical events to constitutional amendments. Challenge yourself on key facts and understand the foundation of American governance.