Florida Civic Literacy Exam (FCLE) Study Guide

Flashcards covering key terms, historical documents, and landmark Supreme Court cases for the Florida Civic Literacy Exam (FCLE).

Constitutional republic

The type of government system present in the United States.

Federalism

A system where power is shared between individual states and the national government.

The Constitution

The document considered the supreme law of the land.

Veto

A check on legislative power used by the executive branch.

Consent of the governed

The principle that governments derive their power from the people they rule; highlighted by the establishment of the legislative branch.

Judicial review

The power of the courts to declare a law unconstitutional, established by the case Marbury v. Madison ($1803$).

Running for federal office

An example of a right reserved specifically for a U.S. citizen.

Eminent Domain

A constitutional principle mentioned as part of the legal facts for the exam.

Supremacy Clause

A constitutional principle establishing the priority of federal law.

Selective Service system

The system used to provide for the common defense.

First Amendment

The amendment that protects the freedoms of speech, the press, and religion.

Equal protection clause

A clause within the $14^{th}$ Amendment associated with the promote of equality under the law.

Common Sense ($1776$)

A document written by Thomas Paine that provided rationale and justification for American independence from Great Britain.

The Federalist Papers ($1787$-$1788$)

A series of essays written to argue for the ratification of the Constitution.

$3/5$ Compromise

A historical constitutional compromise regarding how enslaved individuals would be counted for representation and taxation.

Anti-Federalists

The group that opposed the creation of a stronger U.S. federal government and sought to protect individual liberties via a Bill of Rights.

Declaration of Independence ($1776$)

The document stating that all men are created equal and outlining natural rights and popular sovereignty.

Articles of Confederation

The first governing document of the U.S., noted for its significant weaknesses before being replaced by the Constitution.

Two

The number of Senators the U.S. Constitution permits to represent each state ($2$).

Electoral College

The entity responsible for selecting the President of the United States.

Commander in Chief

The role of the President as the head of the military.

Third Amendment

The amendment influenced by the English Bill of Rights ($1689$) that protects Americans from quartering soldiers in their homes.

Miranda v. Arizona ($1966$)

A Supreme Court case concerning the rights of the accused and police interrogations.

Roe v. Wade ($1973$)

A Supreme Court case that established a right of privacy and reduced the power of state governments.

Brown v. Board of Education ($1954$)

The landmark Supreme Court case that overturned Plessy v. Ferguson ($1896$).

U.S. v. Nixon ($1974$)

A case involving executive privilege and the limits of presidential power.

McCulloch v. Maryland ($1819$)

A Supreme Court case involving the necessary and proper clause.

Gideon v. Wainwright ($1963$)

A Supreme Court case ensuring the right to legal counsel.

Engel v. Vitale ($1962$)

A Supreme Court case involving the issue of prayer in public schools.