Purdue Civic Exam

Private Life

Relates to a citizen's right to privacy and the pursuit of private and personal interests

Civic Life

The public life of the citizen concerned with the affairs of the community and nation; example: campaigning for a school board member

Limited Government

The government has only the powers granted to it in the Constitution, and it can only conduct actions permitted by the Constitution; there are established and respected restraints on government power

Rule of Law

An essential component of limited government; society is governed according to widely known and accepted rules followed by both citizens and those in authority; "no one is above the law"

Checks and Balances

The constitutionally granted power for one branch of government to block action by another equal branch of government

Separation of Powers

The Constitution keeps the executive, legislative, and judicial branches separate; powers and responsibilities are divided among them

14th Amendment (1868)

Grants citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the US; guarantees due process and equal protection under the law; expanded civil rights and enabled incorporation doctrine

15th Amendment (1870)

Granted African American men the right to vote regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude

19th Amendment (1920)

Guaranteed women the right to vote

26th Amendment

Granted the right to vote to citizens age eighteen or older

Branches of the Federal Government

Legislative, Executive, Judicial

Legislative Branch

The branch of government that makes laws

Executive Branch

The branch of government that carries out laws

Judicial Branch

The branch of government that interprets laws

Examples of Checks and Balances

Executive can veto bills; judicial can rule laws unconstitutional; legislature approves judges and cabinet members; legislature can override vetoes with 2/3 vote

Which is the most direct way the wishes of citizens are represented in the United States government?

By the actions of their elected officials

Unlimited Government

Government structure in which there are no effective limits on government actions

Supreme Law of the Land

The Constitution is the highest law and all state and local laws must comply with it

Magna Carta (1215)

English document limiting the king's power and influencing later constitutional documents; emphasized individual liberty

Republic

A form of government in which people elect representatives to govern them

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution

Which power is held concurrently by the state and national government?

Legislating taxation

According to the Declaration of Independence, what is the primary purpose of government?

To secure the unalienable rights of citizens including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

Which statement best explains why the framers adopted a federal system of government?

To distribute government power across levels and branches

What is the major role of political parties in the United States?

To nominate candidates to run in elections

What would Benjamin Franklin most likely see as a major role of the press?

To investigate and report on government actions

What do the 14th, 15th, and 19th Amendments have in common?

They increased citizen participation in politics

4th Amendment (1791)

Protection against unreasonable searches and seizures

5th Amendment (1791)

Right to remain silent, protection from double jeopardy, and right to due process

6th Amendment (1791)

Right to a fair and speedy trial

3rd Amendment (1791)

No quartering of soldiers

2nd Amendment (1791)

Right to keep and bear arms

7th Amendment (1791)

Right to trial by jury in civil cases

8th Amendment (1791)

No cruel or unusual punishment

9th Amendment (1791)

Citizens have rights not specifically listed in the Constitution

10th Amendment

Powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states or the people

Intolerable Acts

Punitive laws passed after the Boston Tea Party including closing Boston Harbor and allowing quartering of troops

Seven Years' War (French and Indian War)

War between Britain and France from 1754–1763 over territory in North America; Britain won

Boston Tea Party (1773)

Colonists dumped British tea into Boston Harbor in protest of the Tea Act; led to the Intolerable Acts

New Jersey Plan

Proposed equal representation for each state in Congress and a weaker national government

Virginia Plan

Proposed proportional representation in Congress and a stronger national government

Great Compromise

Created equal representation in the Senate and population

Why did the British government impose new taxes on colonists before the American Revolution?

To help pay for defending the colonies during the French and Indian War

Which of the following was a major cause of the Civil War?

Conflicts over the expansion of slavery into new states

How did Dred Scott v. Sandford impact abolitionists?

It gave momentum to the anti

Dred Scott v. Sandford

1857 Supreme Court case ruling that enslaved people were property, not citizens, and Congress could not ban slavery in territories

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)

Supreme Court case legalizing same people marriage

Grandfather Clause

Allowed people to vote if their father or grandfather had voted before Reconstruction

Poll taxes and literacy tests

Methods Southern states used to prevent African Americans from voting despite the 15th Amendment

Cross burning

Supreme Court ruled states may ban cross burning intended as intimidation

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Established judicial review

Judicial Review

The power of courts to declare laws unconstitutional

How is an amendment ratified?

By approval from 3/4 of state legislatures or conventions in 3/4 of states

A power the states do NOT have

Making treaties or regulating interstate commerce

A power shared with state and local government

Police power

US State senator

Member of the legislative branch at the federal level

Funding for the army is held with who?

Congress

Filibuster

Senate tactic used to delay proceedings and block a vote

Oversight function

Congress reviewing executive branch policies and programs

Override

Congress reversing a presidential veto with a two

Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Leading figures in the women's rights movement