Today (Sept. 17) is Constitution Day.
In recognition of the day the U.S. Constitution was signed, all federally-funded educational institutions shall provide education on the Constitution. The first ten amendments to the Constitution — the Bill of Rights — were added by the first Congress and ratified in 1791, to more explicitly safeguard individual rights. Test your knowledge of the Bill of Rights by taking this quiz:
1. Which of the following rights and freedoms is specifically guaranteed by the first ten amendments?
- a) freedom of the press
- b) right to an education
- c) right to privacy
- d) freedom to own property
2. What amendment provides criminal defendants with the right to a speedy and public trial in federal courts? The Supreme Court has ruled these rights are so fundamental that they are protected in state courts by the 14th Amendment’s Due Process Clause.
- a) 3rd Amendment
- b) 7th Amendment
- c) 6th Amendment
- d) 9th Amendment
3. The Fifth Amendment states that a person cannot be:
- a) tried twice for the same crime
- b) forced to give evidence against himself or herself
- c) deprived of life, liberty, and property without due process of law
- d) all of the above
4. According to the Fourth Amendment, the police can search and seize a person’s property only if:
- a) the owner consents
- b) a judge issues a warrant
- c) the chief of police gives permission
- d) the neighbors sign a petition
5. One provision of the First Amendment is:
- a) the right to an impartial jury
- b) the right to bear arms
- c) freedom of speech
- d) freedom from unusual punishments
Answers: 1, a; 2, c; 3, d; 4, b; 5, c