Florida Civic Literacy Exam Master Guide

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on official Florida Civic Literacy Exam prep materials covering supreme court cases, constitutional principles, and founding documents.

MARBURY V. MADISON

The supreme court case that established the principle of judicial review.

ROME

The ancient civilization most closely associated with the basic principles of separation of powers, rule of law, and republicanism.

POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY

The government theory describing government as a trust, or the concept of people having a say in how they are governed.

MONROE DOCTRINE OF $1823$

A policy focused on protecting Central American nations from hostile aggression.

U.S. CONSTITUTION (CENTRALIZED POWER)

The document that most significantly centralized government power at the national level compared to the Articles of Confederation.

THE FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS

The political entity formed in response to Parliament's implementation of the Coercive or Intolerable Acts.

IMPLIED POWERS

The group of constitutional powers illustrated by the court's attempt to understand them in McCulloch v. Maryland.

SEVENTEENTH AMENDMENT

The amendment to the U.S. Constitution that empowered voters.

THE WAR POWERS RESOLUTION ACT

An illustration of checks and balances exercised by the U.S. Congress over the U.S. President.

RULE OF LAW

The constitutional principle used to justify impeaching a president for lying under oath or holding all people accountable to the same standards.

GIDEON V. WAINWRIGHT

The U.S. Supreme Court case ruling that a person too poor to hire a lawyer must be provided counsel for a fair trial.

FEDERALIST PAPERS

The documents that argued the proposed Constitution should be ratified and began with the phrase "After an unequivocal experience…".

NEW DEAL LEGISLATION

Executive or legislative action that was potentially threatened by a resistant U.S. Supreme Court.

FOURTH AMENDMENT

The amendment violated when a police officer enters a private home without a valid search warrant.

SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY

The theory stating that the U.S. government receives authority to rule from the consent of the people.

U.S. V. NIXON

The case that limited the ways in which executive privilege could be used by the presidency.

U.S. CONSTITUTION

The founding document that established federalism as the nation's system of government.

VICE PRESIDENT

The official assigned the legislative role of breaking a tie in the Senate according to Article I.

KOREMATSU V. UNITED STATES

The Supreme Court case that upheld a suspension of civil rights in the name of national security.

REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY

The political principle described by the creation of district boundaries for voters.

FIFTH AMENDMENT

The amendment in the Bill of Rights protecting against self-incrimination and double jeopardy.

LIVING DOCUMENT

The view that the U.S. Constitution was intended to have different interpretations over time.

THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE

The constitutional mechanism giving individual states a key role in selecting the president.

PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

The federal law associated with data regarding the uninsured rate.

INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY

A principle applied when a court overturns a conviction for burning the American flag as political protest.

STANDING ARMY

The presence of this group was a grievance contained in the Declaration of Independence.

PLESSY V. FERGUSON

The Supreme Court case ruling that racial segregation was permitted if states complied with "separate but equal."

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

The branch of federal government granted the "Power To lay and collect Taxes."

NORTHWEST ORDINANCE OF $1787$

The act establishing the process by which new states could join the nation on an equal footing.

ARTICLE V

The article of the U.S. Constitution describing the constitutional amendment process.

DRED SCOTT V. SANDFORD ($1857$)

The case where the Supreme Court ruled Congress had no authority to exclude slavery from federal territories.

MAPP V. OHIO

The court case illustrating the exclusionary rule prohibiting illegally obtained evidence at trial.

SEPARATION OF POWERS

The principle preventing Congress from nominating a Supreme Court justice.

NORTHWEST ORDINANCE

The document addressing both the question of slavery and the establishment of new states.

BILL OF RIGHTS ($1791$)

Protects individual liberty against infringement by the federal government.

FIRST AMENDMENT

The amendment reflecting President Jefferson's viewpoints on religion.

BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION

The Supreme Court decision that overruled the "separate but equal" doctrine.

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

The document influenced by John Locke that provided a rationale for American independence.

RILEY V. CALIFORNIA

The case where a conviction was overturned because police failed to obtain a warrant to search a phone.

CHECKS AND BALANCES

The principle illustrated by the President signing legislation or one branch limiting another's overreach.

MCCULLOCH V. MARYLAND ($1819$)

A decision based on the Necessary and Proper Clause that affected the relationship between national and state governments.

NECESSARY AND PROPER CLAUSE

A clause introduced to provide flexibility to the powers granted to Congress.

CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED

The perspective describing the role of interest groups in a healthy democracy.

TEXAS V. JOHNSON ($1989$)

The case ruling that government may not prohibit expression simply because people find it disagreeable.

NINETEENTH AMENDMENT

The amendment to the U.S. Constitution that extended voting rights to women.

FEDERALISM

The constitutional principle reflected in the division of power between national and state governments.

THREE-FIFTHS COMPROMISE

The negotiation addressing disputes over population counts for taxation and representation.

FAIR HOUSING ACT OF $1968$

A law aimed to outlaw sex discrimination in mortgage applications.

TENTH AMENDMENT

The amendment intended to reserve powers to the states.

ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

The document that created a weak national government lacking the power of taxation.

ADVICE AND CONSENT

An example of the Senate confirming an ambassador to the United Nations.

DUE PROCESS

A principle from the Magna Carta regarding the "law of the land."

ANTI-FEDERALISTS

The group that wanted rights for the people as a condition of ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

ENGEL V. VITALE

The Supreme Court case focused on the use of religion in programs like the Pledge of Allegiance.

SUPREMACY CLAUSE

The constitutional clause used to invalidate state laws that conflict with federal laws.

CHIEF JUSTICE SELECTION

A process involving nomination by the President and confirmation by the Senate.

FOURTEENTH AND FIFTEENTH AMENDMENTS

Amendments designed to extend civil rights to African Americans.

THIRTEENTH AMENDMENT

The amendment reflecting language from the Northwest Ordinance regarding the prohibition of slavery.