Proof Through the Night

Part 5: Know Your Officials

It’s important to learn who your officials are. If you are an American citizen, these people work for you. Later, you will learn how to contact these people and let them know your views and desires. Right now, you'll need to learn their names and in general what they do.

Some of these questions will re-appear on the proficiency test. For this and all similar exercises, we recommend that you print out the printable version of the questions and write in your answers, or else paste and cut them to file and fill them in. Keep the question sheets for review.

Memory Tip: If you just write down their names once, you are unlikely to remember their names in a week. Please review the lists you make at least three times within the first week of making the list.

Go to the http://vote-smart.org and find the “current officials” link to answer the following questions:

Executive officials These people carry out and enforce the laws.

What are the names of the following Cabinet officials who advise the President? We recommend that you look at their pictures.

Secretary of State? (The cabinet member who works with other nations.)

Secretary of Defense?

The Attorney General? (the chief legal advisor)

Secretary of Homeland Security?

Secretary of the Treasury?

What’s the name of the Vice-President?

Judicial Branch These people make rulings on the law, and can strike down laws that are unconstitutional.

There are nine members of the Supreme Court. Who is the chief justice?

Legislative Branch These people make the laws.

For the next five questions, use the following links on www.Vote-Smart.Org:

Current officials --> U.S. Congress --> Congressional leadership

Who is the president of the Senate?

The senate majority leader?

The senate majority whip?

The senate minority leader?

The senate minority whip?

The Speaker of the House?

House majority leader?

House minority leader?

What are the names of your two senators? [At vote-smart.org, put in your zip code or state to find out the answer to this and the following questions.]

What’s the name of your representative (or Congressman)?

Your state’s governor?

Your state senator?

Your state representative?

Local governments can’t be accessed through Vote-Smart.Org. You will need to use the following link:

http://www.firstgov.gov/Agencies/Local_Government/Cities.shtml and then click on your state, and then search for your local government.

* We recommend you bookmark this local website. It usually contains a lot of useful information about your community!

When ready, go to the next part, Easy Advocacy.