The U.S. Constitution

The United States Constitution has been used to model the Constitution of over 100 countries.  This makes it one of the most influential documents in the world.  The constitution has established the strong points in our government.  Before the constitution was written, the government had what is known as the Articles of Confederation.  The Articles of Confederation were too weak and the government had "fixed the problems". The "fixed" Articles is what we know today as the constitution.  On september 17, 1787, in the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pa, the constitution was adopted.  There were many people involved in the writing of the constitution, but perhaps the most famous were Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington.

The group that presented this topic did a really good job.  They spoke well and kept me interested.  They seemed to know their topic well and seemed to have a good understanding of what they were talking about.

Republican Party

In the United States government there are two major parties.  These parties are the Democratic and the Republican party.  This presentation however is all about the Republican party.  The Republican party was "born" in 1854.  Another name for the Republican party is the Grand Old Party.  It has this nickname because it is the party that has been around longest.  Although the Republican party is a single party, it is broken down into separate factions.  Each faction has its own goal and they stick to that goal.  The group that presented this topic did so really well.  They explained everything very well and they got to the point.  They even taught me things I didn't know.

Judicial Branch!

On fridays presentation I learned a lot about the Supreme Court.  I learned that the judges that are in the Supreme Court are nominated by the president, but that doesn't mean that they are definitely a judge.  For them to become a judge they have to be approved by the Senate. There are usually nine judges on the Supreme Court at once, although there doesn't have to be.  Even though there doesn't have to be nine judges, there always has to an odd number of judges because then they can come to a decision.  William O Douglas is the longest serving judge in the Supreme Court with 36 years of service.  Sonia Sotomayor is the newest judge in the Supreme Court.

U.S. Citizen Test

1. How many stars are there on our flag?
2. What do the stars on the flag mean?
3. What color are the stripes?
4. What do the stripes on the flag mean?
5. What is the date of Independence Day?
6. Independence from whom?
7. What do we call a change to the Constitution?
8. How many branches are there in our government?
9. How many full terms can a president serve?
10. Who nominates judges of the Supreme Court?
11. How many Supreme Court justices are there?
12. Who was the main writer of the Declaration
    of Independence?
13. What holiday was celebrated for the first
    time by American colonists?
14. Who wrote the Star-Spangled Banner?
15. What is the minimum voting age in the
    United States?
16. Who was president during the Civil War?
17. Which president is called the "Father of
    our Country?"
18. What is the 50th state of the Union?
19. What is the name of the ship that brought
    the Pilgrims to America?
20. Who has the power to declare war?
21. What were the 13 original states of the
    United States called?
22. In what year was the Constitution written?
23. What is the introduction to the
    Constitution called?
24. Which president was the first Commander in Chief
    of the United States Army and Navy?
25. In what month do we vote for the president?
26. How many times may a senator be re-elected?
27. Who signs bills into law?
28. Who elects the president of the United States?
29. How many states are there in the United States?
30. Who becomes president if both the president and
    vice president die?

1* 50 stars on the flag.

2* The 50 states.

3* Red and White

4* Original 13 colonies.

5* July 4th, 1776.

6* Great Britain.

7* Amendments.

8* Three branches in the government of the united states.

9*  Two full terms.

10* The president.

11* Nine

12* Thomas Jefferson

13* Thanksgiving

14* Francis Scott Key

15* 18

16* Abraham Lincoln

17* George Washington

18* Hawaii

19* The Mayflower

20* The Congress

21* Colonies

22* 1787

23* The Preamble

24* George Washington

25* November

26* There is no limit

27* The President

28* The Electoral College

29* 50

30* Speaker of the House of Representatives.