Basic Training - Civics - 1 - PreTest

We the People is the introductory phrase in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution. This idea helped define early America’s fundamental purposes and guiding ____________.

The phrase “a more perfect Union”, found in the Preamble to U.S. Constitution, refer to states staying together to form a single nation. They also imply the idea that the progress of the American experience is never ____________.

The principle that all individuals are equal in dignity and rights, regardless of background is called ___________.

Included in the U.S. Constitution is the division of government authority among different branches: the legislative branch, the executive branch and the judicial branch. This ________________ is designed to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.

The system that allows each branch of government to limit the power of the other branches to prevent abuse of power is called _______________.

The following scenario best describes the idea of __________________________.

The president serves as commander in chief of the military forces, but Congress appropriates funds for the military and votes to declare war. In addition, the Senate must ratify any peace treaties.

The idea of a strong _____________________ was a belief of early Americans like Alexander Hamilton who were known as Federalists.

The idea of the need for a strong _________________ was promoted in a series of 85 essays that appeared in various New York newspapers between October 1787 and August 1788. These essays, written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, were called the Federalist Papers.

The idea that a new __________________ would be too powerful was supported by a group called the Anti-Federalists. Based on this belief they opposed the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1787.

The _________________ is an essential characteristic of every constitutional democracy that guarantees rights to liberty. It’s the guiding principle of government and civil society.

No matter who we are or where we live, the _________________ affects us all. It is the foundation for communities of justice, opportunity, and peace—underpinning development, accountable government, and respect for fundamental rights.

The _______________ is often described as the cornerstone of all democratic societies. A proper system of checks and balances maintains the separation of powers, ensures accountability and enhances resilience.

Court cases that involve disputes between people or businesses, over money or some injury to personal rights, are called civil cases. These cases, which exercise the _____________, usually begin when one person or business (called the “plaintiff”) claims to have been harmed by the actions of another person or business (called the “defendant”).

A criminal court case exercises ______________ when a person who is charged with having committed or omitted an act against the community or state is brought to trial. The defendant is either found not guilty or guilty and sentenced.

The right of a citizen to Assistance of Counsel is considered ________________ law. This right extends to individuals who are accused of a crime and requires that an attorney will be appointed for the defendant, if they cannot afford to hire their own.

________________ is the idea that citizens are expected to prioritize the common good and act in a way that benefits society as a whole.

_______________ is the idea that citizens have a duty to participate in civic life, such as voting, serving on juries, and staying informed about public issues. 

_____________ is a system of government in which the same territory is controlled by two levels of government. The idea is that both the national government and the smaller political subdivisions, like states or territories, have the power to make laws and both have a certain level of autonomy from each other.

In U.S history, there was a belief that the people of federal territories should decide for themselves whether their territories would enter the Union as free or slave states. This controversial political idea was referred to by most settlers as _________________.

________________ is a Western political ideology that encompasses a range of ideas from civic virtue, political participation, harms of corruption, positives of mixed constitution, rule of law, and others. The responsibilities and duties of citizens are most important, and the exemplary citizen readily gives up personal interests to public interests.

The political philosophy of ____________, based on the primacy of constitutionally guaranteed rights of individuals, is distinctly modern. Prominent among the formulators of these political ideas during and after the Enlightenment era was the English political philosopher John Locke.

The combined ideas of republicanism and liberalism were used by the founders of the United States of America to establish a constitutional government. This combination was designed to guarantee the inherent and inalienable rights of every _____________.

When the framers of the United States included the phrase “establish justice,” they were emphasizing the importance of creating a system of fairness and ____________ for the new nation.

E Pluribus Unum, translates to the idea “________________”. The phrase was established as the nation’s motto when adopted by Congress in 1782 and first appeared on the U.S. Great Seal.

The idea of ___________________ is related to the debate over whether or not the United States has a unique role to play in transforming the world into a better place.

The main idea of “The New Colossus” is that the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of hope and welcome for ____________ and the oppressed, offering the a new beginning in America. The words of Emma Lazarus are etched in bronze in the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, a few hundred yards from Ellis Island.

When asked what kind of government had been decided upon by the delegates to the Constitutional convention, Benjamin Franklin remarked, “A ______________, if you can keep it.” These words are a reminder of the historic long shot that American self-rule represents.

The United States the most prosperous nation in history because of industry and ________________. That concept led Calvin Coolidge to remark, “The chief business of the American people is business.”

The _________________ occurred from 1715-1789. It was a new way of thinking in the world. People during this time period started to challenge ideas from their leaders and to base their ideas on facts and thoughts instead of just being told what to believe.

______________ was an English Enlightenment philosopher/thinker (1632-1704). He worked to convince people that they are born with natural rights (life, liberty, and property) that a government can’t take away from you unless you break the law.

_______________ was a French philosopher who lived from 1689-1755 during the Enlightenment. He worked to convince people that governments powers should be separated into three branches and should not be in the hands of one person. This evolved into the concept called separation of powers.

The _______________ was issued in England in June 1215. It was the first time a document put into writing the principle that the king and his government was not above the law. It also sought to prevent the king from exploiting his power, and placed limits of royal authority by establishing law as a power in itself.

The ________________ was written to create laws for New World settlers and for the good of their new colony. It was a short document which established that the colonists would remain loyal subjects to King James, despite their need for self-governance.

__________________ is a pamphlet that was written by Thomas Paine advocating independence from Great Britain to people in the Thirteen Colonies. Writing in clear and persuasive prose, Paine marshaled moral and political arguments to encourage common people in the Colonies to fight for egalitarian government.

In response to the Stamp and Tea Acts, the __________________________ was written in 1765. This document made clear that American colonists opposed the acts because they were passed without the consideration of the colonists’ opinion. This spawned the rallying cry, “No Taxation without Representation”.

The revolutionary organization founded by Samuel Adams in the Thirteen American Colonies was called ______________. Their purpose was to advance the rights of the European colonists and to fight taxation by the British government. The group played a major role in most colonies in battling the Stamp Act in 1765.

The _________________________ was a confrontation that took place on March 5, 1770, in which British soldiers shot and killed several people while being harassed by a mob in Boston. The event was heavily publicized by leading Patriots such as Paul Revere and Samuel Adams. British troops had been stationed in the Province of Massachusetts Bay since 1768 in order to support crown-appointed officials and to enforce unpopular Parliamentary legislation.

The 17th-century English philosopher ________________ discussed natural rights in his work, identifying them as being “life, liberty, and estate (property)”, and argued that such fundamental rights could not be surrendered in the social contract. Preservation of the natural rights to life, liberty, and property was claimed as justification for the rebellion of the American colonies.

People are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. This bold statement, expressing human equality, was included in the writing of the __________________. 

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. This statement was referencing _________________ when it was written into The Declaration of Independence.

The adoption of the U.S. Constitution came about in part because of the weakness of the __________________, which could not address state conflicts like Shays’ Rebellion.

To avoid any perception of “taxation without representation,” the ______________________ allowed only state governments to levy taxes. To pay for its expenses, the national government had to request money from the states.

The _______________________ created a national governing system created by early Americans that placed most power in the hands of the states. The Founders feared giving too much power to a central government, which might become tyrannical. It was argued they went too far, leaving a central government that could not fund itself, resolve disputes between its component states, or defend the country.

Paideia began as the rearing and education of the ideal member of the ancient ____________ city or state. These educational ideals later spread and were called humanitas in Latin. They were meant to instill aristocratic virtues into young citizen men who were trained in this way.

________________ theory asserted that individuals, in a “state of nature” (before the existence of government), would live in a constant state of war due to their self-interest and the lack of a common authority. To escape this, people benefit by entering into a social contract, surrendering some of their individual freedoms to a sovereign power in exchange for security and order.

While others may have conceived a democratic society, _____________ was the first to articulate it in such terms. He described a reordering of society governed by the expression of each citizen. He said the combination of such expression is absolute and leads to outcomes in the form of laws or legislation.

The implication of __________________ is that citizens have an obligation to learn and to participate in discussions rather than just vote. This means that people are expected to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitude that lead them to read and discuss the news and current events with diverse fellow citizens. Discussions might be both face-to-face and mediated by the news media and social media.

Current civic education might include putting students into the community-at-large. Referred to as ______________, this practice is a common form of civic education that integrates classroom instruction with work within the community.

The Magna Carta, or Great Charter, was effectively the first written constitution in European history.  It is considered one of the most important documents in history because it established the principle that everyone is subject to the law, even the king of _________.

The _____________ was drafted in the 13th century, at a time when kings frequently abused their power and considered themselves as being above the law. At the time for example, King John of England believed that the king’s word was law and that he had divine right to rule without consideration of his subjects.

The following clause of the ________________ remains part of English law today.

No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgement of his equals or by the law of the land.

The ______________ of 1628 is one of England’s most famous Constitutional documents. It was written by Parliament as an objection to an overreach of authority over civil rights by King Charles I.

The _____________ created a constitutional monarchy in England, meaning the king or queen acts as head of state but his or her powers are limited by law.

The _______________ was an agreement created by the passengers on the ship that carried the English settlers known as the Pilgrims to North America in 1620. This was the first government document to be signed in the land that became the United States.

William Bradford and other Pilgrim leaders convinced everyone of the need to work together. In 1620 they agreed to form a “body politic” — a group united under one government, by signing the _______________.

Common Sense, a pamphlet authored by ____________, used plain language to convince American colonists to demand independence from Great Britain.

The pamphlet called Common Sense was distributed to colonists during the events leading to the __________________. This document was very important because it helped sway people into supporting those individuals who favored declaring independence from Great Britain.

The following is from which historical U.S. document?

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.