Title: Gr00 Government Basics
Course: Civics Citizenship Class of 20##

Q: Who is the Governor of your state now?
- Kevin Cramer
- Heidi Heitkamp
- John Hoeven
- Kelly Armstrong
A: Kelly Armstrong
Feedback: Kelly Armstrong is the N.D. Governor [Image: Kelly Armstrong]Kelly Armstrong was sworn in as the 34th Governor of the great state of North Dakota on December 15, 2024, and began working to grow and diversify North Dakota’s economy and create good jobs and economic opportunities for its citizens.

Q: Name one branch or part of the government.
- state government
- Congress
- parliament
- United Nations
A: Congress
Feedback: There are three branches of the federal government: Congress, the president, and the courts. Each branch has a special role. The Congress is called the legislative branch. Congress writes, debates, and makes laws. The president leads the executive branch. The president enforces the laws. The president also represents the United States to other countries. The courts are called the judicial branch. The courts explain laws. They decide if laws follow the Constitution. They also decide if people break laws.

Q: What is the economic system in the United States?
- communist economy
- capitalist economy
- none of these answers
- socialist economy
A: capitalist economy
Feedback: Capitalism is the economic system in the United States. It is a market economy. Capitalism means that people, not the government, own most businesses. In the United States, businesses decide what to sell. They decide how much money to charge for products and services. Then people decide what they want to buy. This is called a market economy. The economy is controlled by individual people, not by the government. The United States is a capitalist, market economy.

Q: What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
- the President
- checks and balances
- freedom of speech
- the people
A: checks and balances
Feedback: The system of checks and balances stops one branch of the federal government from becoming too powerful. The United States government is divided into three separate branches. They are the president, Congress, and the courts. Here is an example of how this works. Congress makes laws. But the president can veto a law. That means the president can refuse to sign it. The law is then sent back to Congress. This is one way the president limits, or ?checks,? the power of Congress.

Q: The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?
- We the British
- We the People
- We the Colonists
- Congress shall make
A: We the People
Feedback: The first three words of the Constitution are ? We the People.? The document says that the people of the United States choose to create the government. ?We the People? also explains that people elect representatives to make laws. This is a form of self-government.

Q: What does the Constitution do?
- protects basic rights of Americans
- all of these answers
- defines the government
- sets up the government
A: all of these answers
Feedback: The Constitution creates the federal government. It says how the federal government works. It creates a government where citizens choose senators and representatives to make laws for the country. The Constitution also protects the basic rights of all Americans. People at the Constitutional Convention wrote the Constitution in 1787. It is the oldest Constitution in the world that is used today.

Q: What is the supreme law of the land?
- the Constitution
- the Articles of Confederation
- the Emancipation Proclamation
- the Declaration of Independence
A: the Constitution
Feedback: The Constitution is the supreme law of the land. All laws in the United States need to follow the Constitution. Sometimes, people think a law does not follow the Constitution. They make a case. They take the case to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court can decide that a law is unconstitutional. If that happens, it can't be a law anymore. Everyone must follow the Constitution. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land.

Q: Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?
- to issue driver's licenses
- to declare war
- to provide police departments
- to provide schooling
A: to declare war
Feedback: The powers of the United States government are listed in the Constitution. It has the power to declare war. The president can ask Congress for a declaration of war. In 1941, President Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war. Congress voted to declare war. The United States entered World War II. The federal government also has the power to print money, create an army, and make treaties.

Q: Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states?
- create an army
- make treaties
- provide schooling and education
- coin or print money
A: provide schooling and education
Feedback: State governments have the power to do many things. They provide schooling and education. State and local governments provide protection and safety. States give drivers' licenses, and approve zoning and land use.

Q: What is the "rule of law"?
- All laws must be the same in every state.
- Government does not have to follow the law.
- Everyone but the President must follow the law.
- Everyone must follow the law.
A: Everyone must follow the law.
Feedback: In the United States, everyone must follow the law. All people and groups must follow the law. Government officials must follow the law. Everyone is equal under the government. This way, the government can protect everyone's rights. The rule of law means that everyone must follow the law.