Civic Literacy Review

The president is elected by a majority of electoral votes. After an election a group of electors chosen by each state officially cast the electoral votes for their state to choose the President.

This document was adopted by the Second Continental Congress in 1781 during the Revolutionary War to create a national government. The new government was weak because states held most of the power, and Congress lacked the power to tax, regulate trade, or control the coining of money. It was later replaced with the U.S. Constitution.

introduced by Roger Sherman; set up a bicameral Congress - upper house
called Senate with each state getting 2 votes & a lower house called the House of Representatives
with each state's representation based on its population--satisfied both the large and small states

compromise made when writing the Constitution to sastify both free and slave states; said for every 5 slaves, 3 would count in a state's population for both representation and tax purposes

is the breaking of the gov't into Federal and state levels, each having certain powers

system of each branch of gov't having a power to check the power of the other to make sure no one branch becomes too powerful

headed by the President and carries out the laws; also includes the Vice President and the Cabinet members

separation between Church and State in schools. S.C. prayer in public schools is unconstitutional, violates separation of church and state and freedom of religion (First Amendment)

This case proves that the 5th Amendment requires that individuals arrested for a crime must be advised of their right to remain silent and to have counsel present.

Evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment, which protects against "unreasonable searches and seizures," may not be used in criminal prosecutions in state courts, as well as federal courts.

14th amendment Due Process Clause allows requirements for state delinquency proceedings. established the principle that young persons have constitutional rights

a statute in draft before it becomes law

the judge who presides over the supreme court

The role of the president as the supreme commander of the armed forces of the United States.

highest ranking member of a state's executive branch

powers reserved for the states; examples: creating and maintaining an education system, creating local governments

presidential power to stop a bill from becoming a law by rejecting it

a formal document charging a public official with misconduct in office

the order in which officials fill the office of president in case of a vacancy-1. Vice President, 2. Speaker of the House of Representatives, 3. President of the Senate Pro Tempore, ...

9 justices nominated by President, confirmed by Senate; highest court in the nation; hears only appeals; interprets Constitutional law

A series of acts passed by the government in response to the Boston Tea Party. They caused outrage, as the colonists viewed the acts as a violation of their rights. This led to the creation of the First Continental Congress and the Revolutionary War.

demonstration (1773) by citizens of Boston who raided three British ships in Boston harbor and dumped hundreds of chests of tea into the harbor; organized as a protest against taxes on tea.

People's rights are not limited to those in the Constitution.

Amendment that states some powers reserved to the states

Amendment that states cases in which a state was sued without the consent from jurisdiction of federal government must be removed

Amendment that states presidential electors have to vote for president and vice president seperately

No person under the jurisdiction of the US can be a slave and congress can pass legislation implementing the abolition of slavery

Amendment that gives rights of citizens: 1)all persons born in the united states are granted citizenship, 2) no state can deny any person the equal protection of the laws, 3)no state can deny any person life, liberty, property without due process of law

Amendment that doesn't allow you to deny a vote because of race, color, previous condition of servitude

Amendment that states congress has the right to levy an income tax

Amendment that gives the right to elect US senators by popular vote

Congress has the right to prohibit the manufacture, sale and transportatin of liquor

Amendment that states all women have the right to vote

Presidential Inauguration Day is Jan. 20 and Jan. 3 is the date for the new congress opening. If the president dies before swearing in, the Vice President elect becomes president

Rights & responsibilities entitled to citizens belonging to a political state or country; only citizens can run for federal office (i.e. President, Congress)

meeting of state delegates in 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation, which produced the new U.S. Constitution

Amendment that represents freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition

The right to bear arms

Amendment that prohibits forced quartering of soldiers

Amendment that prohibits unreasonable search & seizures

Amendment that lists the rules for indictment by grand jury, and eminent domain. Protects the right to due process. Prohibits self-incrimination and double jeopardy

Amendment that protects the right to a fair and speedy trial. Gives you the right to be notified of accusations, confront the accuser, and obtain a witness for or against you

Amendment that provides the right to trial by jury in civil cases

Amendment that prohibits cruel & unusual punishment

An electoral system with two dominant parties that compete in national elections. Our two major parties are the Republicans and the Democrats.

Amendment that repeals the 18th Amendment; empowered Congress to regulate liquior industries

Amendment that limits the Presidnet to two full terms in office

Granted voters in the District of Columbia the right to vote for president and vice president

Amendment that forbade requiring the payment of a poll tax to vote in a federal election

Amendment that provided for succession to the office of president in the event of death or incapicity and for filling vacancies in the office of the vice president

Amendment that guaranteed the right to vote to 18 year olds

Amendment that banned Congress form increasing its members' salaries until the next election

Supreme Court case that ruled separate but equal public accommodations for the races was constitutional

A belief that one has an obligation to participate in civic and political affairs.

the responsibilities of a citizen, examples include voting, serving on juries, holding public office

clause of the Constitution that says the Constittution is the highest law of the land. Article 6, Clause 2

powers shared by the state and federal government
Ex: power to tax citizens

powers specifically stated in Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution as being granted to Congress
Ex: power to establish post offices, power to regulate commerce

clause in Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution that gives Congress the right to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out powers not expressly stated but necessary; cited in the Supreme Court landmark case McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

powers Congress has that are specifically stated in the Constitution
Ex: power to coin money and set its value, power to declare war

powers Congress has that are not specifically stated in the Constitution

the branch of government that interprets the law; made up the U.S. Supreme Court and lower federal courts

the branch that makes the laws; This is the branch the founders gave the most powers to because it is made up of many representatives elected directly by the people.

power lies with the people

the opening section of the Constitution; brief introductory statement of the fundamental purposes and guiding principles that the Constitution is meant to serve

Officer of the Senate selected by the majority party to act as chair in the absence of the Vice President who is the President of the Senate

the lower legislative house of Congress; number of representatives from each state is based on population and each representative is elected by a district in their state; members serve 2 year terms

the leader of the majority party who serves as the presiding officer of the House of Representatives

the upper house of the United States Congress with 100 members-2 from each state; Senators serve 6 year terms and represent all of their state's citizens

part of the first amendment explaining that you have the freedom to practice any religion of your choice

type of government where power is derived from the people and the people elect representation

state courts are required under the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution to provide counsel in criminal cases for defendants who are unable to afford their own attorneys.

the court decided that the First Amendment applied to public schools, and that administrators would have to demonstrate constitutionally valid reasons for any specific regulation of speech in the classroom.

Document written by English Parliament in 1689, designed to prevent abuse of power by English monarchs; parts of the U.S. Bill of Rights have foundation in that document

1620 - The first agreement for self-government in America. It was signed by the 41 men on the Mayflower and set up a government for the Plymouth colony (Pilgrims).

rights people have by the virture of being human beings; both the Declaration of Independence and Constitution address the government's role in protecting these rights

This document was written by Thomas Jefferson and
adopted on July 4, 1776 establishing the 13 American colonies as independent states, free from rule by Great Britain. The preamble (first section) lists our unalienable rights: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

"Supreme law of the land" Was written at a Constitutional Convention in Phillidelphia in 1787.

No one is above the law; Everyone must follow the laws, regardless of their position of power. This was established by the Magna Carta in 1215.

fair treatment through the normal judicial system

Clause in the Fourteenth Amendment that forbids any state to deny to any person equal protection of the laws. This clause is the major constitutional restraint on the power of governments to discriminate against persons because of race, national origin, or sex.

pamphlet that advocated for the colonies declaring independence from Britain; supported the need for a democratic government where the people had representation

The idea that our government derives its power from the people because we elect representatives to the legislative branch of government

a series of essays written to counter and defeat the proposed U.S. Constitution; argued against a strong central government and pushed for more protection of the people's rights

The belief that people are free and equal by natural right, but will give up some freedom to give power to the government so that the government can protect their rights.

Article VI of the Constitution, which makes the Constitution the supreme law of the land and states that states cannot pass laws that conflict with federal laws.

supreme court decides if laws passed by Congress or President are constitutional

head of a city's government elected by the people who are citizens of that city

movement in the United States beginning in the 1960s to establish civil rights

law requiring men to register for military service

war between Great Britain and its American colonies, by which the colonies won their independence

A belief that ultimate power resides in the people. The people rule.

The Supreme Court overruled Plessy v. Ferguson, declared that racially segregated facilities are inherently unequal and ordered all public schools desegregated.

1857 Supreme Court decision that stated that slaves were not citizens; that living in a free state or territory, did not free slaves

head of the executive branch; powers: enforces laws, signs/vetoes bills, negotiates treaties, nominates Supreme Court justices

The court ruled that manual recounts of presidential ballots in the Nov. 2000 election could not proceed because inconsistent evaluation

The U.S Supreme Court held for the first time that public schools can limit what appears in school-sponsored student publications.

the Supreme Court upheld the power of the national government and denied the right of a state to tax the federal bank using the Constitution's supremacy clause. The Court's broad interpretation of the necessary and proper clause paved the way for later rulings upholding expansive federal powers

The court ruled that states could not put limits on abortion access in the first trimester of pregnancy

The court ruled that established a right to privacy in the marital bedroom

The court ruled that centered on political speech paid for by unions and corporations

The power of government to take private property for public use

The court ruled that achieving “a diverse student body” was a “compelling public purpose,”, but the method of a rigid quota of admission slots assigned on the basis of race violated the Fourteenth Amendment’s equal protection clause