Florida Civic Literacy Exam (FCLE) Review Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary review flashcards for the Florida Civic Literacy Exam (FCLE), covering founding documents, constitutional principles, civic concepts, and landmark Supreme Court rulings.

Magna Carta (1215)

The 'Great Charter' that established the principle that everyone is subject to the law (rule of law), placed limits on kingly rule, and guaranteed rights to justice and a fair trial.

Mayflower Compact (1620)

An agreement signed by Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower in 1620; considered the first social contract and established rules for self-governance in the colony.

English Bill of Rights (1689)

Document that created a constitutional monarchy in England, restricting the crown from ruling without Parliament's consent and granting individual rights like petitioning the king.

Thomas Hobbes

Enlightenment philosopher who argued for social contract theory where individuals surrender certain rights to a governing authority in exchange for security and stability.

John Locke

Enlightenment author of 'Two Treatises of Government' who argued for natural rights to life, liberty, and property, asserting governments lose legitimacy if they fail to protect these rights.

Baron de Montesquieu

Enlightenment philosopher who proposed the concept of separation of powers, dividing authority into legislative, executive, and judicial branches to prevent tyranny.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Enlightenment philosopher who emphasized the 'general will' reflecting collective public interests and advocated for direct democracy and social equality.

Join, or Die

Political cartoon attributed to Benjamin Franklin that served as a symbol of unity rallying the American colonies to band together and form their own government.

Stamp Act (1765)

British tax on printed colonial materials to pay off French and Indian War debt, which sparked the famous protest slogan 'no taxation without representation!'

Common Sense

1776 pamphlet written by Thomas Paine arguing that Americans owed no allegiance to the English King, advocating for elected representatives, and urging complete separation from Britain.

Declaration of Independence (1776)

Founding document primarily authored by Thomas Jefferson stating independence from Great Britain based on natural rights (life, liberty, pursuit of happiness) and consent of the governed.

Articles of Confederation

First attempt at a national U.S. government that created a loose agreement among sovereign states with a weak central government that lacked essential powers like taxation.

Northwest Ordinance (1787)

Law defining rules for settling western lands north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi; prohibited slavery, guaranteed civil liberties, and established eminent domain.

U.S. Constitution

Proposed in 1787 and ratified in 1788, it serves as the supreme law of the land (Article VI), establishing a federal framework with seven articles and a system of shared power.

Federalist Papers

A series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the name 'Publius' to argue for the ratification of the Constitution.

Anti-Federalists

Group opposing a strong national government during ratification, favoring strong state power and demanding the addition of a Bill of Rights to protect individual liberties.

Monroe Doctrine (1823)

Executive policy policy statement warning European nations that any attempt to establish control in the Western Hemisphere would be opposed by the United States.

Missouri Compromise (1820)

Legislation that prohibited slavery in federal territories north of the 36°30' parallel line.

Equal Pay Act (1963)

An act of Congress passed to address the wage disparity between men and women in the workforce.

Equal Rights Amendment (1972)

A proposed constitutional amendment passed by Congress intended to guarantee equal rights regardless of sex that failed to meet approval by 3/4 of state legislatures.

Fair Housing Act (1968)

Federal legislation aimed at banning housing discrimination based on race, sex, familial status, ethnicity, or religion.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1791 to protect basic individual rights and civil liberties from government interference.

First Amendment

Protects fundamental freedoms of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition.

Second Amendment

Protects the right to bear arms (weapons) and maintain a militia.

Fourth Amendment

Prohibits unreasonable or warrantless searches and seizures of property by government officials.

Fifth Amendment

Protects individuals against self-incrimination, double jeopardy, and guarantees due process of law.

Sixth Amendment

Guarantees the right to a speedy and public trial, an impartial jury of peers, and legal counsel (attorney).

Eighth Amendment

Prohibits excessive bail, excessive fines, and cruel and unusual punishments.

Tenth Amendment

Reserved powers amendment establishing that powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states or the people.

Thirteenth Amendment (1865)

Civil rights amendment that officially abolished slavery in the United States.

Fourteenth Amendment (1868)

Defines citizenship for people born in the U.S. and prohibits states from depriving any person of due process and equal protection under the law.

Fifteenth Amendment (1870)

Prohibits denying the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Seventeenth Amendment (1913)

Shifted power directly to voters by establishing the direct election of U.S. Senators by popular vote rather than state legislatures.

Nineteenth Amendment (1920)

Constitutional amendment that extended voting rights (suffrage) to women.

Twenty-Second Amendment (1951)

Limits the U.S. President to serving a maximum of two four-year terms in office.

Twenty-Sixth Amendment (1971)

Lowered the voting age requirement across the United States to 18 years old.

Great Compromise

Constitutional agreement creating a bicameral legislature with the House of Representatives based on population and the Senate based on equal representation.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Agreement at the Constitutional Convention where enslaved individuals were counted as three-fifths of a person for legislative representation and taxation purposes.

Rule of Law

Principle that all laws apply equally to all citizens and government officials, ensuring no person is above the law.

Due Process

Requirement guaranteed under the 5th and 14th Amendments that government must respect all legal rights and provide fair judicial procedures before depriving anyone of life, liberty, or property.

Popular Sovereignty

Principle that the people are the ultimate source of governmental power, deriving authority from the consent of the governed.

Cooperative Federalism

System where national and state governments work together on shared policy responsibilities like education, crime, and public highways.

Elastic Clause

Provision in Article I granting Congress implied powers to make all laws 'necessary and proper' to carry out its expressed constitutional powers.

Checks and Balances

System where each branch of government has specific powers to limit or check the actions of the other branches.

Judicial Review

The power of the Supreme Court to declare laws passed by Congress or actions of the President unconstitutional.

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Landmark Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review.

Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

Supreme Court case ruling that African Americans were not citizens and that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional; later overturned by the 13th and 14th Amendments.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Supreme Court decision that upheld racial segregation laws under the 'separate but equal' doctrine.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Supreme Court ruling declaring that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson.

Korematsu v. United States (1944)

Supreme Court decision holding that civil rights can be suspended for national security reasons, upholding Japanese internment during World War II.

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)

Supreme Court case upholding affirmative action but striking down racial quotas in university admissions as a violation of the 14th Amendment.

Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

Supreme Court case applying the 4th Amendment exclusionary rule to states, prohibiting unconstitutionally obtained evidence from being used in court.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Supreme Court case ruling that states must provide legal counsel to criminal defendants unable to afford their own attorney under the 6th Amendment.

Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

Supreme Court decision requiring police to inform suspects of their 5th Amendment custodial rights against self-incrimination before interrogation.

Schenck v. United States (1919)

Supreme Court ruling establishing the 'clear and present danger' test, affirming that not all speech is protected under the 1st Amendment.

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

Supreme Court decision holding that public school students retain their 1st Amendment rights to peaceful symbolic protest at school.

Texas v. Johnson (1989)

Supreme Court ruling that burning the American flag is symbolic speech protected by the 1st Amendment.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Supreme Court ruling that Congress has implied powers under the Necessary and Proper Clause and that states cannot tax federal institutions.

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

Supreme Court case affirming that only Congress has constitutional authority to regulate interstate commerce.

Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)

Supreme Court decision establishing a constitutional right to privacy within the 'penumbras' of the Constitution regarding access to contraception.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Supreme Court case ruling that a woman's right to an abortion is protected under the liberty clause right to privacy of the 14th Amendment.

United States v. Nixon (1974)

Supreme Court case establishing that executive privilege is not absolute and enforcing the rule of law over the President.

District of Columbia v. Heller (2008)

Supreme Court case ruling that the 2nd Amendment protects an individual's right to possess a firearm in the home for self-defense.

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)

Supreme Court ruling requiring states to license and recognize same-sex marriages under the 14th Amendment.