Illinois Constitution Flashcard Information

Flashcards are a great way to help retain information.

I suggest making flashcards out of the following information and reviewing them daily with other classmates or parents.

Questions are in regular type. Answers are in bold.
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How many members in the Illinois State Senate? 59

How many members in the Illinois State House of Representatives? 118

How many justices in the Illinois State Supreme Court? 7

How many years does an Illinois governor serve in one term? 4

What is the maximum years an Illinois governor can serve? unlimited

How many years does an Illinois State Senator serve in one term? 4

How many years does an Illinois State Representative serve in one term? 2

How many years does an Illinois Supreme Court Justice serve in one term? 10

What is the maximum number of years an Illinois State Senator or Representative can serve?
unlimited

How many capitals has Illinois had? 3

How many days does an Illinois Governor have to approve or veto a bill? 60

What is the minimum age to be an Illinois Governor? 25

What is the minimum age to be an Illinois State Senator or Representative? 21

How many branches in Illinois' government? 3

How many Constitutions has Illinois had? 4

How many alderman are there on the Chicago City Council? 50

In what year did Illinois become a state? 1818

What year was our present Illinois Constitution written? 1970 (adopted in 1971)

Where in the Illinois Constitution would you find the Illinois Bill of Rights? at the beginning
(Article 1)

What is the main duty of the state Legislative Branch? make laws

What is the main duty of the state Executive Branch? enforce or administer the laws

What is the main duty of the state Judicial Branch? judge or interpret the laws

What branch contains the state House and Senate? Legislative

The state Senate and state House put together are called what? the General Assembly

What branch contains the state Supreme Court? Judicial

What branch contains the Governor? Executive

What branch contains the Illinois Attorney General and Illinois Secretary of State? Executive
What control over foreign policy does the state government have? NONE

How do judges in the state of Illinois get their jobs? they are elected by the people

What does Illinois call the person immediately under the Governor? Lieutenant Governor

What is the title of the person who presides over the Illinois House of Representatives? Speaker of the House

What is the title of the person who presides over the Illinois Senate? President of the Senate (but he/she is NOT the Lieutenant Governor; they're elected from within the Senate)

What city is Illinois' current capital? Springfield

Can a member of Illinois' General Assembly also be in the U.S. Congress? NO

Which type of court in Illinois hears the most cases? Circuit courts

Name three types of courts in Illinois. 1. Circuit 2. Appellate 3. Supreme

What does "municipality" mean? city, village or town

What type of municipal government does Chicago have? Mayor and Council

For what reasons can someone in Illinois obtain an absentee ballot for voting? being out of the state or having a long-term illness

What is a "referendum"? a vote on a public issue

In what month and year will the next Governor be elected? November, 2010

What are some powers a Governor has in common with the President? vetoing bills,
grant pardons

What does the Illinois Attorney General do? handle legal issues for the state

What does the Illinois Secretary of State do? maintains official records

Name three types of taxes Illinois can raise. 1. Income tax, 2. Sales tax, 3. Property tax

What are three qualifications for being Governor? 1. 25 years old, 2. resident of the state for three years preceding the election, 3. a U.S. citizen

How does a Governor get his/her job? elected by the people

Greetings 8th Graders!

We will all be able to use this page for updates to our class notes from the previous day and additions to our study guide.

Currently we are working towards our U.S. constitution test. Our first installment here will be a break-down/review of the Three Branches of government.

Please see me with questions about this blog.



LEGISLATIVE: makes laws

CONGRESS
- must meet at least one time each year

Senate
- 100 senators
- 2 senators from each state
- term: 6 years

Qualifications:
- at least 30 years old
- citizen for 9 years

Presiding officer:
- the Vice president, or
- an elected President pro tempore

House of Representatives
- 435 representatives
- 435 representatives are divided among the 50 states. States with larger population get more representatives.
- term: 2 years

Qualifications:
- at least 25 years old
- citizen for 7 years

Presiding officer:
Speaker of the House


EXECUTIVE: carries out laws

President and Vice President
- elected by the Electoral College who are elected by the people at the November general election
- a person can be elected president only two times
- term: 4 years

Qualifications
- at least 35 years old
- a native-born citizen
- lived n the U.S. for 14 years before the election

Cabinet
- 14 cabinet departments
- 14 cabinet officers
- appointed by the President but must be approved by the Senate
- term: determined by President. Serve as long as the President wants them
- meet whenever the President wants
Supreme Court


JUDICIAL: explains laws

- 9 justices
- serve for life unless impeached
- appointed by the President but must be approved by the Senate

Circuit Court of Appeals
12 courts throughout the U.S.
- serve for life unless impeached
- appointed by the President but must be approved by the Senate

District Courts
91 trial courts throughout the U.S.
- serve for life unless impeached
- appointed by the President but must be approved by the Senate