Unit 1: Basics of American Government

 

35 Things about the US Government that you need to know...

 

The United States Declared Independence from Great Britain in 1776.

Three Rights mentioned in the Declaration of Independence are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Thomas Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence.

The United States is governed by a written Constitution.

The Constitution has an introduction known as the Preamble.

The Constitution has twenty seven Amendments.

The First Ten Amendments are known as the Bill of Rights.

An Amendment is a modification to the Constitution.

George Washington was the first President of the United States.

The Capital of the United States is in Washington, D.C.

The Government of the United States is divided into three Branches.

The Legislative Branch consists of Congress.

Congress consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The number of House Representatives that each state has depends on the state’s population.

A United States Representative is elected for two years.

Laws are made by the Congress in the Legislative Branch.

Each State is Represented by two Senators.

A United States Senator is elected for six years.

The Executive Branch consists of the President, the Vice-President and the Cabinet.

The current President of the United States is Donald Trump.

The President is elected to a four year term. 

The Judicial Branch consists of the Supreme Court and other courts.

A Supreme Court Justice is elected for life.

Article I of the Constitution details the powers and responsibilities of the Legislative Branch.

Article II of the Constitution details the powers and responsibilities of the Executive Branch.

Article III of the Constitution details the powers and responsibilities of the Judicial Branch.

The Constitution has Seven Articles.

The two major political parties in the United States are the Democrats and the Republicans.

Each State has its own written Constitution and is led by a Governor.

Each State has three branches of Government, just like the Federal Government.

The current Governor of Tennessee is Bill Haslam.

The Capital of Tennessee is in Nashville.

Tennessee has 95 Counties. 

Tennessee was founded as a state in 1796.

Murfreesboro is in Rutherford County, Tennessee.