Chapter 1-7 Review: Introduction to Government and Civil Liberties

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, people, and legal features from Chapters 1–7 of the lecture notes.

Detained

Being held by authorities and not free to leave, sometimes before Miranda rights are read.

Miranda rights

Rights to remain silent and to counsel when questioned by police; not always a grounds for overturning a conviction if not read.

Habeas corpus

A legal principle protecting against unlawful detention by requiring the detained person to be brought before a court.

Constitutional Convention

The gathering where the U.S. Constitution was drafted; Washington presided, Jefferson was not present, Madison was a key author.

James Madison

Principal author of the Constitution and a major figure in establishing its structure and protections.

Thomas Jefferson

Principal author of the Declaration of Independence; not at the Constitutional Convention; served as U.S. ambassador to France.

Sally Hemmings

Jefferson’s enslaved concubine; used to illustrate the paradox of liberty and slavery in founding-era America.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution, protecting individual liberties and limiting government power.

Republic

A system of government where citizens elect representatives to make decisions, rather than direct democracy.

Democracy

A system emphasizing broad direct participation of citizens in decision-making (contrasted with a republic in the notes).

Federalism

Division of power between national and state governments, providing checks on central power.

Checks and balances

A system where each branch of government can limit the powers of the others; the judiciary often serves as a referee.

Surveillance State

Post-9/11 expansion of government data collection and monitoring of citizens through agencies like Homeland Security.

Posse Comitatus Act

A law restricting the use of federal military forces for domestic law enforcement without explicit authorization.

Three-Fifths Compromise

A constitutional provision counting enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for representation.

Slavery

Institution of human bondage that persisted in the United States and shaped constitutional compromises.

19th Amendment

Gave women the right to vote in 1920.

15th Amendment

Affirmed voting rights for citizens, originally addressing race; served to extend suffrage beyond property requirements.

Electoral College

Indirect system in which states vote for electors who then choose the president.

Indirect election

The president is not elected directly by popular vote; electors cast the final vote for president.

Direct Election of Senators (Seventeenth Amendment)

Senators were originally chosen by state legislatures; later direct election by voters was instituted.

Staggered terms

Terms are not all up for election at once: House members every 2 years, Senators every 6 years, with only a portion up each cycle.

Gerrymandering

Drawing electoral district boundaries to benefit a party or group, reducing competitive elections.

Marbury v. Madison

1803 Supreme Court case establishing judicial review—the power to declare laws unconstitutional.

Judicial Review

The court's power to examine and strike down actions or laws that violate the Constitution.

Judiciary Act of 1789

Law establishing the federal judiciary and the initial framework for federal courts.

Pendleton Act

Civil Service Act of 1883 introducing merit-based hiring and reducing political patronage.

Civil Service

Non-political, merit-based government employment protected from partisan spoils.

Spoils system / Political patronage

Hiring and rewarding government employees based on loyalty rather than merit; later reformed by the Pendleton Act.

Federalist Papers

Essays by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay explaining and defending the Constitution and its intended design.

Separation of powers

Dividing government powers among legislative, executive, and judicial branches to prevent tyranny.

Civil Liberties

Individual rights protected from government infringement, such as speech, assembly, and due process.