The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law for the country.
The Constitution is the foundation of the U.S. government. What exactly does it do, and how does it protect the rights of Americans?
Why are the first three words of the Constitution – We the People – so important?
How we got a Bill of Rights, and the arguments for and against it.
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects five natural rights.
The amazing story of the 27th Amendment and how it was ratified 202 years after it was proposed.
The writing of the Declaration of Independence and what it did.
The importance of the unalienable rights listed in the Declaration of Independence.
What is freedom of religion, and why is it protected by the First Amendment?
The United States operates on a free market economy. Why?
The rule of law is the cornerstone of American government. What is it, and why is it important?
The U.S. government is divided into three main parts. What are they?
The U.S. government was designed with a system of checks and balances. How does that work?
The president oversees the executive branch of the United States government.
Congress is supposed to write the laws of the U.S. But regulatory agencies have changed that. How?
Why we have a dual-part (bicameral) Congress, and the responsibilities of each part.
The 100 U.S. senators were not always directly elected by the people. The 17th Amendment changed that. Why?
Why are senators elected for a much longer term than representatives?
How can you find the name of your senators?
How many voting members in the House of Representatives and how did we get that many?
How long is a U.S. representative's term and why?
How to find the name of your U.S. representative, why it matters, and what earmarks are.
Who does a U.S. senator represent and how did we end up with a two-part (bicameral) Congress?
Why some states have more U.S. representatives than others, and what kind of government the U.S. has.
What's in a name? How to find the name of the current U.S. president and a look at some of the prior presidents' names and nicknames.
How the vice presidency of the U.S. has changed over the years.
Who becomes president of the United States if the current president can no longer serve?
What is the line of succession for the U.S. presidency and how has it been used over the years?
Why is the president of the United States also the commander in chief of the U.S. military?
Who signs bills into laws, and how an executive order differs from a law.
How a bill becomes – or doesn't become – a law based on the president's veto power and Congress's power to override a veto.
What the U.S. president's cabinet does and how they derive their authority.
How the president's cabinet began and expanded over the years.
What is the judicial branch of the U.S. government does and why it's set up as it is.
How the Supreme Court began the process of judicial review, deciding which laws are and are not Constitutional.
The history of how many justices serve/served on the Supreme Court and why.
The history and duties of the chief justice of the United States.
An overview of some of the powers granted to the federal government by the U.S. Constitution.
An overview of some of the powers reserved by the states under the U.S. Constitution.
Why the Framers designed the Constitution to leave more power with the states.
How have states chosen the locations of their capitals?
What the two main political parties in the U.S. are, and what third parties have sometimes arisen to compete with them.
The history of the Democratic and Republican Parties, and how their basic ideas have changed over the years.
How to find the name of the current speaker of the House, and some history about the position.
The four amendments to the U.S. Constitution that have protected and expanded voting rights to include more citizens.
Two responsibilities are reserved only for U.S. citizens: voting in a federal election and serving on a jury.
Two rights that are reserved solely for U.S. citizens are the right to hold federal office and to vote in a federal election.
What rights are for everyone in the United States, citizen or not?
Saluting the U.S. flag honors and demonstrates loyalty to our country, but is it mandatory or voluntary in public schools?
When becoming a U.S. citizen, what promises does a person make?
How old must you be to vote in an election, and how did we expand the right to vote across U.S. history?
How can people participate in the civic life of our republic?
How the 16th Amendment brought the U.S. an income tax. Don't miss April 15!
Why and at what age U.S. men must register for the Selective Service.
Explore why the colonists came to America, particularly seeking religious freedom.
Native American treatment by the U.S. government has been appalling, but there is a movement towards sovereignty and self-sufficiency by tribes.
From Egypt to North America, from ancient civilizations to today, slavery is among the worst of humanity's institutions.
The many Acts and events that led to the cry of "No taxation without representation" and the "shot heard 'round the world."
The history of Thomas Jefferson's writing of the Declaration of Independence, and the importance of his words.
How a local rebellion became a national revolution: the events that led to the Declaration of Independence.
Why were there 13 distinct original colonies instead of one British colony in what became the United States?
The structure that emerged from the Constitutional Convention created a government designed to protect the rights and liberty of the people.
In 1787, the Constitution was written to address the flaws in the Articles of Confederation and provide a federal government strong enough to protect the nation and preserve the rights of the people.
Q67 – The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
The Federalist Papers, which urged the states to ratify the Constitution, were written by several famous Framers, including Alexander Hamilton and James Madison.
Benjamin Franklin is revered not only for his contributions to America's government, but for many other accomplishments.
George Washington is called the Father of the United States for many reasons, including his leadership during the Revolutionary War.
George Washington served well as the first president of the United States, knowing he set the standard for those to follow.
How the Louisiana Purchased doubled the size of the United States.
Learn more about the four major wars fought by the United States during the 1800s.
The Civil War was fought between the North and the South – between free states and slave states.
How a number of issues, including slavery, different economic systems, and the idea of states' rights, led to the Civil War.
Why Abraham Lincoln is considered one of the greatest presidents in American history.
The details and results of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.
Susan B. Anthony played a major role in gaining the vote (suffrage) for women.
A brief overview of the five wars the United States fought during the 1900s against aggressors.
How the United States entered World War I and the results.
Examples from Franklin Roosevelt's government during the Great Depression and WWII illustrate constitutional principles.
How the United States became the world's superpower after defeating Japan, Germany, and Italy in World War II.
Dwight D. Eisenhower's service as a general in World War II helped pave his way to the presidency.
During the Cold War, communism was a huge concern to the United States.
An overview of how the Civil Rights movement fought to end racial discrimination in America.
Martin Luther King, Jr., the greatest Civil Rights leader, fought for the rights of black Americans.
On 9/11, terrorists attacked the United States, flying hijacked passenger planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
There are 574 recognized American Indian tribes whose names can be found woven into the geography and landscape of the country.
The importance of the Mississippi River, the longest river in the United States.
The role the Pacific Ocean, off the West Coast of the United States, has played in American history.
The role the Atlantic Ocean, off the East Coast of the United States, has played in American history.
The differences between a territory and a state, and the territories held by the United States.
The history of the Canadian border with the United States.
The history of the Mexican border with the United States.
Why Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, is not a state.
The history, location, and meaning of the Statue of Liberty.
The story behind the U.S. national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
