Civics

Question 1

What is a democracy

Answer 1

Government by the people, especially rule of the majority

Question 2

What is a republic

Answer 2

a government in which power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote for elected officials and representatives responsible to them and governing according to law

Question 3

What type of government is the U.S

Answer 3

republic

Question 4

Who make up the local government?

Answer 4

City council members and a mayor

Question 5

What issues does the local government decide on

Answer 5

Community services, schools, safety, and local laws

Question 6

What level is the local government at?

Answer 6

City level

Question 7

What does the state government control

Answer 7

California

Question 8

Who makes up the state government?

Answer 8

The California state legislature, made up of the State Senate and the State assembly

Question 9

How many people are in the state assembly, and how long are their terms?

Answer 9

80 representatives, 2 year terms

Question 10

How many people are in the state senate, and how long are their terms?

Answer 10

40 senators, 4 year terms

Question 11

What do state government officials do

Answer 11

Create and vote on state laws and budgets that impact the entire state

Question 12

What does the federal government control

Answer 12

The United States

Question 13

Who controls the federal government?

Answer 13

The U.S congress, made up by the U.S House of Representatives and the U.S Senate

Question 14

What do federal government officials do?

Answer 14

Create federal laws, approve national budgets, and represent the interests of the people and states

Question 15

What is the population of California?

Answer 15

39.5 million

Question 16

What is the population of Los Angeles County

Answer 16

10.04 million

Question 17

How many democrats and republicans make up the state senate

Answer 17

30 democrats, 10 republicans

Question 18

How many districts does California have, and which one is Sierra Madre in?

Answer 18

52 districts, in the 27th district

Question 19

What’s the political party of the assembly members?

Answer 19

62 democrats, 18 republicans

Question 20

Who are California’s 2 democratic senators?

Answer 20

Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla

Question 21

How many members does the House of Representatives have, what are they called, and how long are their terms?

Answer 21

435 members, called congressmen, congresswomen, or congresspeople, and 2 years

Question 22

What does the House of Representatives represent?

Answer 22

The people based on population

Question 23

How many members does the Senate have, what are they called, and how long are their terms?

Answer 23

100 (2 from each state), called senators, with 6 year temrs

Question 24

What does the senate represent?

Answer 24

The states, regardless of population

Question 25

What is our system of congress called and what does it represent?

Answer 25

A bicameral legislature, which represents both the people and the states

Question 26

Where do bills/laws begin?

Answer 26

Either in the house or the senate, but most often the house. Only house members can propose tax bills

Question 27

What is the current majority of the house?

Answer 27

Republican, with 219 republican congresspeople, 212 democrat congresspeople, and 4 vacancies

Question 28

Who can confirm presidential appointments, such as judges, cabinet members, and ambassadors, and also ratify treaties?

Answer 28

The senate

Question 29

What is the majority status of the senate?

Answer 29

Republican, with 53 republican, 45 democrat, and 2 independent senators

Question 30

What are the 3 branches of the us government?

Answer 30

Legislative (congress), Executive (president) and Judicial (supreme court)

Question 31

What are the key responsibilities of the legislative branch?

Answer 31

Making laws, controlling taxing and spending policies, declare war (but the senate must ratify peace treaties), regulates interstate and foreign commerce, and confirms nominations for public officials

Question 32

What are the key responsibilities for the executive branch

Answer 32

Carries out laws, controls military, controls foreign policy and diplomacy, issues executive orders, presidential memoranda and proclamations, and nominates public officials

Question 33

What does the judicial branch do?

Answer 33

Interprets laws and decides if laws or presidential actions are unconstitutional

Question 34

What are the checks and balances of making laws?

Answer 34

Congress creates laws, but the president can veto it. Congress can still pass the law with 2/3 majority

Question 35

What are the checks and balances of war and peace?

Answer 35

The president is the commander-in-chief of the military, but only Congress can officially declare war. The senate must approve peace treaties.

Question 36

What are the checks and balances of the courts

Answer 36

Makes sure the president and congress are following the constitution and law. The president chooses judges, but the senate must approve them

Question 37

How are laws made in the Legislative branch?

Answer 37

1. Bills start in the house or the senate, but all tax bills are started by the house 2. The bill earns a majority vote in both chambers, who agree on the same version 3. The president either signs the bill, vetos the bill (which can be overrun with a 2/3 majority vote by both chambers), or takes no action. If no action is taken for 10 days while Congress is in session, it becomes law, but if it’s not in session, it becomes a pocket veto

Question 38

How many Supreme Court members are there, what are they called, and how are they approved and removed

Answer 38

1. Nine 2. Justices 3. Proposed by the president and approved by the senate, serve until they retire, quit, die, or are removed by special procedures

Question 39

Who elects the president

Answer 39

The electoral college, a process where the citizens elect representatives to cast a vote for president

Question 40

How many electors are there, and how many are required to win? What happens if there’s a tie?

Answer 40

538 electors, 270 to win. In the case of a tie, the house chooses president and the senate chooses the vice (aka a contingent election).

Question 41

How many electors does each state (+ the capital of the us) have?

Answer 41

2 senators + number of representatives in the house

Question 42

Besides the president, who does the executive branch include?

Answer 42

Vice president and over 5 million government workers

Question 43

Where does the process of using electors come from, and what does it solve

Answer 43

The constitution, compromising a vote by citizens and Congress

Question 44

In 48 states and Washington DC, how are the votes distributed? What 2 other states do something different and what is it?

Answer 44

Winner takes all. Maine and Nebraska assign electors in a proportional system

Question 45

Despite the projected winner being announced on election night, when does the actual electoral college vote take place?

Answer 45

Mid December

Question 46

Is it possible to win the popular vote but lose the election? If so, when did it happen

Answer 46

Yes. 2016, 2000, and 3 times in the 1800s

Question 47

What happens if no candidate wins the majority of electoral votes

Answer 47

The vote goes to the house, who chooses from the top three candidates, and the senate elects a vice.

Question 48

When was the only time no candidate won majority?

Answer 48

1824, and the house elected John Quincy Adams

Question 49

What are the requirements to become a presidential candidate

Answer 49

1. Be a natural born citizen of the United States 2. Be at least 35-years old 3. Have been a U.S resident for 14 years