Civics Final

Articles of Confederation

The United States first plan of government after the Revolutionary War

Enlightenment

Intellectual movement where philosophers applied reason and logical thought to society

Monarchy

Form of government led by a king or queen whose power is inherited

Federalists

Group of people who favored the ratification of the Constitution and supported and strong central government

Dictatorship

Form of government where a single leader makes decisions, usually backed by a military

Anti-federalists

Group of people who opposed the ratification of the constitution and supported individual's/state's rights

Natural Rights

Freedoms that all people receive simply by being born (life, liberty, property)

John Locke

This man is the one who came up with the belief about "natural rights"

Thomas Paine

This man wrote the book "Common Sense" which inspired people to break away from great britain

Shay's Rebellion

This event illustrated that the Articles of Confederation were weak

Boston Massacre

This event was the first moment that bloodshed occurred between the colonists and Britain and we foreshadow the revolution

Boston Tea Party

This event occurred after taxes were passed on certain goods by the british on the colonists

What are the three parts of the US Constitution?

Preamble, 7 articles, 27 amendments

what is the constitutional principle known as "checks and balances"?

the belief that each branch of government should be able to "balance" or "check" each other

what is the constitutional principle known as "federalism"

powers are divided between the national government and the states

what is the freedom of petition of the 1st amendment

where everyone comes together to sign a paper that does something

what is a limitation of the 1st amendment freedom of speech

a threat

what is the establishment clause of the 1st amendment?

the government can't support a certain religion

what is the 4th amendment

protects americans against unreasonable searches and seizures

what are three rights included in the 5th amendment

no double jeopardy, right not to testify against yourself, miranda rights

what are three rights included in the 6th amendment

speedy and public trial, aware of charges, right to an attorney

is the death penalty included in the 8th amendment

no

what would be an example of the 10th amendment when it comes to powers reserved for the states

traffic laws

13th amendment

officially ended slavery

15th amendment

gave black men the right to vote (poll tax was still used against them)

19th amendment

Gave women the right to vote

21st amendment

made alcohol legal again

26th amendment

changed the voting age from 21 to 18 years old

what was the social contract when it comes to our government?

an agreement between the people and the government based on certain conditions and functions

what is the difference bwteen an oligarchy and dictatorship?

an oligarchy is a small group of wealthy nobles while and dictatorship is when a single person controls everything

what was john locke's main idea that we borrowed

natural rights

what was one thing thomas paine argued for?

for america to break away from britain

what occurred at the boston massacre and how was it related to the eventual revolution?

an angry group of americans got into a shouting match with a group of british soldiers and they (british) ended up shooting them

what was the quartering act related to the revolution

it stated that great britain would house its soldiers in american barracks and public houses

what role did the french play in the american revolution

they supplied america with much needed firepower

what did the treaty of party 1783 do

it made the declaration of independence official after the colonists declared independence

what was the role of the second continental congress

members of each 13 colonies met and created and framework for how the u.s would be ran after they won their independence

what were two problems with the articles of confederation

lacked the power to levy taxes on americans, lacked a standing national army

how was shay's rebellion and the articles of confederation related

shay's rebellion illustrated how the articles were weak

how did the federalists and anti-federalists differ in how they saw the role of the government

federalists wanted a big government while anti-federalists wanted a small one

how did the great compromise help both large and small states

it created a senate which helped small states and a house which helped large states

what is the main job/function of the executive branch?

they can veto laws

what are three qualifications you need to become president of the united states

live 14 years in the u.s, be a citizen, and be over 35

explain the president's role as the nation's "commander in chief"

in charge of the military

what does a presidential pardon mean

president can pardon a crime for a criminal

what is the role/function of the department of state within the executive branch

they help the president with foreign affairs

what is the relationships between appointments and the executive branch

they can appoint supreme court justices and federal judges

what is the role/function of the legislative branch

creates laws

what is a filibuster and which chamber of congress does it occur in

when you try to talk a bill to death, senate

what is the president's role when it comes to passing laws

they can veto laws and pass them

what are the expressed powers of congress? what is an example?

powers stated in the constitution (ex: like make laws)

what "check" does the judicial branch have on the other two branches?

they can say whether a law is unconstitutional

how can the legislative branch "check" the powers of the other branches?

can impeach the president

preamble

the introduction to the constitution that lays out the purposes of government

eminent domain

the right of government to take private property for public use

federalism

principle of government where power is divided between state and federal levels

limited government

principle that the government is not all powerful

establishment clause

in the first amendment, prohibits congress for recognizing or endorsing an official religion

double jeopardy

the prosecution of a person twice for the same crime or offense, illegal based on the fifth amendment

due process

fair treatment in the legal system guaranteed by the constitution

separation of powers

principle of government where power is divided between the three branches

search warrant

legal document that gives police authority to look for evidence in private property

checks and balances

principle where each branch of government has some power over the other branches

self-incrimination

making statements or providing information that might prove one's own guilt. protected from this by the fifth amendment

grand jury

group that decides if there is enough evidence to charge a person with a crime

amendment

a change or addition to the constitution

plea bargain

a deal someone can make instead of going to trial in order to get a lesser sentence

public opinion

views popular among the general public, usually measured for certain issues

booking

process involves getting photographed, fingerprinted, read miranda rights, and a hearing

mandatory sentencing

these are required prison punishments for specific crimes

precedents

basing current decisions based on previous, similar court decisions

constitutional law

system of law that deals violations of rights and amendment protected by the us government, such as the freedom of speech

civil law

system of law that deals with disputes between two or more parties, including lawsuits, contracts, and family law

criminal law

system of law punishment acts that harm property, individuals, or the public welfare

international law

system of law that deals with disputes between nations, such as treaties, human rights, or environmental regulations

statutory

these laws are usually created at the state level and involve speeding tickets, traffic violations, and other state related laws

probation

this is a type of punishment that does not involve jail time

what were oral traditions

laws passed down orally

what was hammurabi's code? what was an example

an ancient law code created by hammurabi 4,000 years ago (ex: an eye for an eye)

what were two examples of how unjust laws existed within the united states?

women couldn't own property if they were married, even with the death of a husband, and they couldn't vote until 1919. also, black people couldn't vote until 1870

what was the grandfather clause

if your grandfather was a slave you couldn't vote

what is probation and what is an example?

no jail time, but you have restrictions (ex: community service)

what is the problem with mandatory sentencing?

it becomes very strict

how many states is the death penalty legal in?

27

what percentage of americas population is in prison?

0.7%

what is an example of constitutional law?

freedom of speech cases. ex: tinker v. des moines

what is an example of statutory laws?

speed limit

what is the goal with civil law?

to resolve conflicts and provide compensation or remedies to the affected party

what is international law used for?

treaties among nations within the world

what occurs during the mediation process of a civil trial?

one party offers a settlement amount and the other party denies or accepts

do most civil cases go to trial?

no

what occurs during the booking process of a criminal case?

read your right, photographed, fingerprinted