FCLE STUDY GUIDE

What form of government originated in greek culture where representatives made decisions on the behalf of the people?

representative government

Which idea states that the power comes from the people?

popular sovereignty

What form of government passes power through inheritance and family rulings?

hereditary monarchy

Who can citizens vote for to voice their opinion to the government?

representatives

What is the process of directly voting on laws proposed by the constitution?

direct democracy

What is the purpose of a written Constitution? (2 answers)

inform citizens of the powers and limitations of the government

Which idea in the constitution outlines the powers of the 3 branches of government?

separation of powers

Which branch of government does article 1 establish?

legislative branch

Which branch of government does article 2 establish?

executive branch

Which branch of government does article 3 establish?

judicial branch

What was put in place to ensure that one branch could not overpower another / allow branches to put others in check?

checks and balances

Which part of the Constitution outlines the principles of what the country was founded on?

the preamble

Which clause states that Federal law is supreme / superior to any state law?

the supremacy clause

Which court case aided in the enforcement of the supremacy clause?

McCulloch vs. Maryland

What are some of the powers of the legislative branch?

creation of laws, collecting money, taxing, regulating interstate / foreign commerce

Which branch of government is able to impeach officers?

the legislative branch is able to impeach federal officers

Which enlightenment thinker developed the social contract theory?

Jean Jacques Rousseau

What is the social contact theory?

persons' moral and/or political obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement among them to form the society in which they live.

Which enlightenment thinker developed the idea of having 3 branches of government?

Montesquieu

Which enlightenment thinker believed in checks and balances?

John Locke

What was the official name for the list of grievances sent to King George III?

Declaration of Independence

Which documents inspired the US constitution? (3 answers)

The Magna Carta, Declaration of Independence, and Articles of Confederation

What was America's first official form of government that failed?

The Articles of Confederation

What was the Great Compromise?

a plan that created a bicameral legislature (combined VA and NJ plans to create Congress) one house based on representation, one house has equal representation

What is the Commerce Clause?

gives Congress the power "to regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes."

Which court case created the commerce clause?

Gibbons vs. Ogden

What are the first 10 amendments called?

Bill of Rights

What freedoms are guaranteed by the 1st Amendment?

religion, speech, press, assembly, petition

Which court cases involve freedom on speech?

Tinker v. Des Moines & Schenk v. United States

Which clause was created as a result of Schenk v. United States?

Clear and Present danger clause

What freedoms are included in the 2nd amendment?

The right to keep and bear arms

What does the 3rd amendment state?

No soldier can be quartered in a citizen's home

What does the 4th amendment state?

Freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures

Which court case overturned Plessy v. Furgeson?

Brown v. The Board of Education

What does the 5th amendment protect?

self incrimination and double jeopardy

Which case created the Miranda warning / Miranda rights?

Miranda vs. Arizona

What does the 6th amendment guarantee?

the right to a speedy and public trial

Which case allowed citizens to have a lawyer even if they couldn't afford one?

Gideon vs. Wainwright

What does the 7th amendment guarantee?

right to trial by jury in civil cases

What does the 8th amendment state?

excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

What does the 9th amendment protect?

grants people rights, even if they aren't listed in the Constitution

What does the 10th amendment guarantee?

To protect the states from excessive power

What does the 11th Amendment prohibit?

States may not be sued by citizens of their state or other states

What did the 12th amendment state?

electors vote separately for President and Vice President

What did the 13th amendment prohibit?

slavery

Which court case was overturned by the 13th amendment?

The Dred Scott decision

What does the 14th amendment guarantee?

equal protection of the laws, the naturalization process to allow non-citizens to become citizens, and due process

Which court case established women's rights on abortion?

Roe vs. Wade

What does the 15th amendment state?

no person can be denied the right to vote based on the color of their skin

What does the 16th amendment allow?

allows the federal government to collect income tax

What does the 17th amendment allow?

direct election of senators from voters

What did the 18th amendment prohibit?

alcohol — thus creating the prohibition period

What does the 19th amendment guarantee?

women's suffrage — the right to vote

What does the 20th amendment do?

removes the excessively long period of time a defeated president / member of congress would continue to serve after their failure for re-election — also called the "Lame Duck Amendment"

What does the 21st amendment do?

repeals 18th amendment (prohibition)

What does the 22nd Amendment do?

requires that presidents serve only two full terms

How may a president serve more than 2 terms?

If the president is to become disabled, in which the VP carries out 2 more years

What does the 23rd amendment do?

provides Washington D.C. 3 electoral college votes

What does the 24th amendment do?

bans poll tax

Which court case expanded powers to prohibit gerrymandering?

Gill vs. Whitford

What is gerrymandering?

manipulation of boundaries (in electoral constituency) to favor one party or class.

What does the 25th amendment establish?

That the president gets to choose their VP if the seat falls open — if VP dies or president dies and VP becomes president

What does the 26th amendment do?

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18

What did the 27th amendment do?

prevented members of congress from giving themselves pay raises during their current term

How many amendments does the Constitution have?

27

How many House of Representatives members are there?

435 members

How long do the House of Representatives serve?

2 year terms

How many members are in the US Senate?

100 members

How long do US senators serve?

6 year terms

What are the requirements to be a HOR member?

25 years of age, be a US citizen for at least 7 years, and must live in the state/district they represent

What are the requirements to be a US senator?

30 years of age, be a US citizen for at least 9 years, and live in the state you represent

The US public debt currently exceeds how much?

roughly 30 trillion dollars

Who must confirm all presidential appointments?

the senate must approve all major appointments made by the president

Who confirms all treaties made by the president?

the senate must confirm all treaties made by the president with a 2/3 vote

Which branch of government can declare war?

The legislative branch is able to declare war and raise an army + funding

What are the requirements to run for presidency?

35 years of age, must be a natural born citizen, and must have lived in the United States for at least 14+ years.

How long does is one presidential term?

4 years per term

How many votes are needed to win the Presidency?

270 of the 538 electoral votes

What is the power of the Supreme Court to decide on the constitutionality of government acts called?

Judicial Review

Which court case established judicial review?

Marbury v. Madison

How does a supreme court justices determine if they want to hear a case?

4 justices must agree on hearing a case for it to be passed into the Supreme Court

What must be shown to a judge when presenting a prisoner that provides a good reason as to why the accused is being confined?

Writ of Habeas Corpus

What is the only crime that is specifically stated in the Constitution?

Tyranny