Basic Facts Sheet



Basic Facts Sheet

Updated: January 2014

Important People

1st President of the United States: George Washington

President of the Union during the Civil War*: Abraham Lincoln

President of the Confederacy: Jefferson Davis

Current President: Barack Obama (D)

Current Vice President: Joseph (Joe) Biden (D)

Secretary of State: John Kerry

Secretary of Defense: Chuck Hagel

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: General Martin E. Dempsey, USA

Speaker of the House of Representatives: John Boehner (R)

Senate Majority Leader: Harry Reid (D)

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: John Roberts

Governor of California: Jerry Brown (D)

California’s 2 Senators: Dianne Feinstein (D)

Barbara Boxer (D)

San Jose’s three representatives in the House: Zoe Lofgren (D)

Mike Honda (D)

Anna Eshoo (D)

Mayor of San Jose: Chuck Reed (D)

Author of the Declaration of Independence: Thomas Jefferson

Author of The Star-Spangled Banner Francis Scott Key

Important Numbers

How many people are in the Senate? 100

How many people are in the House? 435

How many justices are on the Supreme Court? 9

Important Dates

Independence Day (from Great Britain) July 4, 1776

Signing of the Constitution (in Philadelphia) September 17, 1787

Miscellaneous Facts

The three branches of government: Executive (President)

Legislative (Congress)

Judicial (Supreme Court)

The three branches of CA state govt.: Executive (Governor)

Legislative (State Assembly and State Senate)

Judicial (State Supreme Court)

*The CA State Supreme Court has 7 justices who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by voters statewide for 12 years

Congress House of Representatives and Senate

*Note: the legislative (law-making) body (i.e., Congress) is called the legislatURE; the people in the legislative body are legislatORS; the laws that are created are known as legislaTION.

How many original states? 13

First 10 amendments to the Constitution Bill of Rights

How many stars on the flag? 50

How many stripes on the flag? 13

Capital of the United States Washington DC*

Note: the generic word “capitAL” refers to the main administrative city of a country. However, the CapitOL refers to the building where the Congress of the U.S. meets.

Central Bank of the United States Federal Reserve (“the Fed”)

Chairman of the Federal Reserve Janet Yellen

Terms and Ages of President, Senators, and Representatives

President: 4 year term 35 years old minimum

Senator: 6 year term 30 years old minimum

Representative: 2 year term 25 years old minimum

*Note: people who serve in the Senate are called senators; people who serve in the House are technically representatives, however, it is common to refer to members of the House as congressman or congresswoman.

President’s Executive Cabinet (the heads of each department are known as “Secretary” except for Department of Justice)

*Represesents George Washington’s original cabinet

Department of:

1. State*

2. Justice* (Attorney General not Secretary of Justice)

3. Defense* (used to known as War)

4. Treasury*

5. Agriculture

6. Interior

7. Commerce

8. Labor

9. Education

10. Energy

11. Transportation

12. Health and Human Services

13. Homeland Security

14. Veterans Affairs

15. Housing and Urban Development

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

OMB's predominant mission is to assist the President in overseeing the preparation of the federal budget and to supervise its administration in Executive Branch agencies. In helping to formulate the President's spending plans, OMB evaluates the effectiveness of agency programs, policies, and procedures, assesses competing funding demands among agencies, and sets funding priorities.

Council of Economic Advisers (CEA)

The CEA was established by the Employment Act of 1946 to provide the President with objective economic analysis and advice on the development and implementation of a wide range of domestic and international economic policy issues.

The CEA includes three members who are appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The President shall designate one of the members as Chairman. The duties and functions of the CEA include:

Office of National Drug Control Policy

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), a component of the Executive Office of the President, was established by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988.

The principal purpose of ONDCP is to establish policies, priorities, and objectives for the Nation's drug control program. The goals of the program are to reduce illicit drug use, manufacturing, and trafficking, drug-related crime and violence, and drug-related health consequences. To achieve these goals, the Director of ONDCP is charged with producing the National Drug Control Strategy. The Strategy directs the Nation's anti-drug efforts and establishes a program, a budget, and guidelines for cooperation among Federal, State, and local entities.

Government Agencies (note: do not confuse “agency” with “administration”)

CIA Central Intelligence Agency

NSA National Security Agency

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency

OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration

FAA Federal Aviation Administration

TSA Transportation Security Administration

FCC Federal Communications Commission

FDA Food and Drug Administration

FDIC Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation

FTC Federal Trade Commission

IRS Internal Revenue Service

USCIS United States Citizenship and Immigration Services

NIH National Institutes of Health

SEC Securities and Exchange Commission

Major Religions and the People Who Practice Those Religions

*Note: there is a difference between the words “religion” and “denomination.” It is apparent that many people do not distinguish between these two words when they speak.

Religion Followers

Christianity Christian

A. Roman Catholic

B. Eastern Catholic

C. Orthodox (Greece, Russia, and Eastern Europe)

D. Protestant

1. Anglican

2. Episcopalian

3. Lutheran

4. Baptist

5. Pentecostal/Charismatic/Assemblies of God

6. Presbyterian

7. Reformed

8. Methodist

9. “Nondenominational” or typically called “Bible” or “Christian” churches

Judaism Jewish (also somebody who is ethnically Jewish)

Islam Muslim

*Sunni (majority) and Shiite

Buddhism Buddhist

World Capitals

Countries Capital Cities

Europe

United Kingdom* London

France Paris

Germany Berlin

Italy Rome

Netherlands Amsterdam

Belgium Brussels* (Capital of the European Union)

Ireland Dublin

Spain Madrid

Portugal Lisbon

Czech Republic Prague

Hungary Budapest

Russia* Moscow

Austria Vienna

Greece Athens

Sweden Stockholm

Denmark Copenhagen

Norway Oslo

Finland Helsinki

North America and Caribbean

Canada Ottawa

Mexico Mexico City

Cuba Havana

Australia (considered both country and continent) Canberra

Middle East

Iran Tehran

Iraq Baghdad

Syria Damascus

Lebanon Beirut

Afghanistan Kabul

Israel Jerusalem

Egypt Cairo

Pakistan Islamabad

Asia

India New Delhi

China Beijing

South Korea Seoul

North Korea Pyongyang

Japan Tokyo

Addendum to Basic Facts Sheet

Cabinet

The United States Cabinet (usually simplified as "the Cabinet") is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, and its existence dates back to the first who appointed a Cabinet of four people (Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson; Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton; Secretary of War, Henry Knox; and Attorney General, Edmund Randolph) to advise and assist him in his duties. Cabinet officers are nominated by the President and then presented to the United States Senate for confirmation or rejection by a simple majority. If approved, they are sworn in, receive the title "Secretary," (except the Attorney General) and begin their duties.

1. Department of State

The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the foreign affairs agency of the United States government, equivalent to foreign ministries in other countries. The Secretary of State is the first Cabinet member in the line of succession in the event of the disability or death of the President. The Secretary of State is the President’s principal foreign policy advisor.

2. Department of Treasury

It was created to manage government revenue. It prints and mints all paper currency and coins in circulation through the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (paper) and the United States Mint (coins).

Subdivisions:

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)*

Bureau of Engraving and Printing

United States Mint

3. Department of Defense

The DOD is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the military. The DOD is located at the Pentagon and has three major components: Department of the Army, Department of the Navy, and Department of the Air Force (the person who runs these sub-departments is also called “secretary.”)

The National Security Agency (NSA) is a subdivision of the DOD

4. Department of Justice

The DOJ is designed to enforced the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.

The DOJ has subdivisions including:

1. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF)

2. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)*

3. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)*

4. United States Marshals Service

5. Department of Interior

Manages and conserves most federally owned lands (public or national parks)

6. Department of Agriculture

The purpose of the USDA is to develop and execute policy on farming, agriculture, and food. It aims to meet the needs of farmers and ranchers, promote agricultural trade and production, works to assure food safety, and foster rural communities.

7. Department of Commerce

The mission of the department is to promote job creation and improved living standards for all Americans by creating infrastructure that promotes economic growth, technological competitiveness, and suistainable development. Among its tasks are gathering economic and demographic data for business and government decision-making, issuing patents and trademarks, and helping to set industrial standards.

8. Department of Labor

The Labor Department is responsible for occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services, and some economics statistics.

Subdivisions:

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)*

9. Department of Health and Human Services

Its goal is to protect the health of all Americans and to provide essential human services.

Subdivisions:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

National Institutes of Health (NIH)*

10. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Its mission is to develop and execute policy on housing and cities.

11. Department of Transportation

Its mission is to serve the United States by ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible, and convenient transportation system.

Subdivisions:

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)*

12. Department of Energy

The DOE is responsible for energy policy and nuclear safety. Its purview includes the nation’s nuclear weapons program, nuclear reactor production for the Navy, energy conservation, radioactive waste disposal, and domestic energy production.

13. Department of Education

The primary function of the Department is to formulate federal funding programs involving education and to enforce federal educational laws regarding privacy and civil rights.

14. Department of Veterans Affairs

The VA is a government-run military veteran benefit system. It is responsible for administering programs of benefits for veterans, their families, and survivors. The benefits include compensation, pension, education, home loans, life insurance, medical benefits, and burial benefits.

15. Department of Homeland Security

DHS has the responsibility of protecting the territory of the United States from terrorist attacks and responding to natural disasters. The DHS works in the civilian sphere to protect the United States within, at, and outside its borders. Its goal is to prepare for, prevent, and respond to domestic emergencies, particularly terrorism.

Subdivisions:

Federal Emergency Management Agency*

Transportation Security Administration*

Secret Service

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

United States Coast Guard

Selected Government Agencies Description

FAA: regulates and oversees all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S.

TSA: responsible for security of nation’s transportation systems

FCC: regulates all non-federal government use of the radio spectrum (including radio and television) and all interstate telecommunications as well as all international communication that originate or terminate in the United States

FDA: regulates food, dietary supplements, drugs, biological medical products, blood products, medical devices, veterinary products, and cosmetics in the United States

FDIC: provides deposit insurance which currently guarantees checking and savings deposits in member banks up to $100,000 per depositor

FBI: the primary investigative arm of the DOJ serving as both a federal criminal investigative body and a domestic intelligence agency

FTC: its principal mission is the promotion of consumer protection and the elimination and prevention of what regulators perceive to be anticompetitive business practices

USCIS: charged with processing immigrant visa petitions, naturalization petitions, and asylum and refugee applications. It does NOT perform immigration enforcement; that is left to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement—ICE

IRS: government agency responsible for tax collection and tax law enforcement

CIA: obtains and analyzes information about foreign governments, corporations, and persons. It is also the government’s hidden hand via covert operations at the direction of the President and under oversight by Congress

NSA: responsible for collection and analysis of foreign communications, it coordinates, directs, and performs highly specialized activities to produce foreign signals intelligence information, which involves a significant amount of cryptanalysis. It is also responsible for protecting U.S. government communications and information systems for similar agencies elsewhere.

EPA: charged with protecting human health and with safeguarding the natural environment: air, water, and land

FEMA: coordinates the response to a disaster which has occurred in the United States and which overwhelms the resources of local and state authorities

OSHA: its mission is to prevent work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths by issuing and enforcing rules for workplace safety and health

DEA: a federal police service tasked with enforcing federal drug laws

NASA: responsible for the nation’s public space program

NIH: primary agency responsible for biomedical research

SEC: enforces securities laws and regulates the securities industry/stock market

Common Grammatical and Spelling Mistakes

*Some examples taken from The Goof-Proofer

Correct Spelling

1. Definitely NOT Definately

2. Unfortunately NOT Unfortunitely

Nonexistent Words That Are Frequently Misused

Wrong: Right:

Irregardless Regardless

Alot A lot

Alright All right

#1 Misuse of I and Me

Wrong: She invited Jennifer and I.

Right: She invited Jennifer and me.

Wrong: Just between you and I, it’s true.

Right: Just between you and me, it’s true

Always use he, she, we, and they when they’re one of the subjects of a sentence:

Wrong: Him (her, us, them) and you should go.

Right: You and he (she, we, they) should go.

Wrong: “This is him.”

Right: “This is he.”

#2 Misuse of pronoun Myself

Wrong: Myself and my guest will be right back.

Right: My guest and I will be right back.

Wrong: She told Pamela and myself.

Right: She told Pamela and me.

#3 Misuse of Verbs That Don’t Agree in Number with Their Subjects

Wrong: His list of honors and qualifications are impressive.

Right: His list of honors and qualifications is impressive.

Wrong: None of us have enough money.

Right: None of us has enough money.

#4 Misuse of Could and Could Have

Wrong: I could of danced all night.

Right: I could have danced all night.

#5 Confusion of Affect and Effect

Affect means to have an influence on or cause a change in. The verb effect means to produce a result or bring about.

Wrong: Smoking can adversely effect health.

Right: Smoking can adversely affect health.

#6 Confusion of Disinterested and Uninterested

Disinterested means impartial. Uninterested means indifferent to or not interested in.

Wrong: An umpire should be uninterested.

Right: An umpire should be disinterested.

Wrong: Ted was disinterested in the dull lecture.

Right: Ted was uninterested in the dull lecture.

#7 Confusion of Farther and Further

When you refer to physical distance, always use farther—the word that has far in it.

Wrong: New York is further east than St. Louis.

Right: New York is farther east than St. Louis.

Use further when you refer to additional time or amount:

Wrong: This requires farther study.

Right: This requires further study.

#8 Confusion of Fewer and Less

Fewer refers to things that can be counted:

Wrong: Less people voted this year.

Right: Fewer people voted this year.

Less refers to things that cannot be counted

Wrong: He has fewer milk than she does.

Right: He has less milk than she does.

Exception: In some cases, when referring to time or money, less is correct:

Right: It took Jessica less than five minutes to spend a little less than one hundred dollars.

However, you would say “I have fewer hours of spare time than Jessica does” and “I have fewer dollars to spend than Jessica does.”

#9 Confusion of Lend and Loan

Lend is the verb, while loan is the noun.

Wrong: Joe asked Jim to loan him ten dollars.

Right: Joe asked Jim to lend him ten dollars.

Right: If she asks for the loan of my car, I’ll be glad to lend it to her.

#10 Confusion of Who and That

Always use who to refer to persons:

Wrong: The man that won was very happy.

Right: The man who won was very happy.

Exception: That is correct when referring to a class, species, or type of person: They are the kind of students that does well in Economics.

Use that to refer only to animals and thing:

Wrong: This is the dog who barked.

This is the dog that barked.

#11 Whether versus Weather

Easy: Weather refers to the climate only.

Wrong: Weather or not you do well on your exam depends on your study habits.

Right: Whether or not…

Wrong: The whether is bad.

Right: The weather is bad.

#12 Their versus There

“Their” is a possessive adjective referring to possession. For example, “Their house is located by a lake.”

“There” refers to location. For example, “His car is parked over there.”

Here is an example of both words in the same sentence: “Their house is over there located at the corner of Main Street.”

#13 Your versus You’re

“Your” is a possessive adjective. For example, “Your suit is very nice.”

“You’re” is a contraction of “You are.” For example, “You’re going to be late if you don’t leave by 6 am.”

#14 Are versus Our

“Are” is a verb. “Our” is a possessive adjective. For example, “Our school is on top of the hill.”

The confusion comes from the way we pronounce these words. Be clear when you speak! “Are” is pronounced like the letter “R.” “Our” is pronounced like “hour” or “sour.”

#15 Loose versus Lose

Loose refers to something that is not tight:

Wrong: My shoe laces are lose.

Right: My shoe laces are loose.

Lose refers to not winning:

Wrong: We will loose the game tonight.

Right: We will lose the game tonight.

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