📚 FCLE CIVIC LITERACY FLASHCARDS

Religious freedom, escape persecution, and economic opportunity.

Why did colonists originally come to America?

Taxation without representation, quartering soldiers, and lack of self-government.

Why did colonists declare independence from Great Britain?

Colonists were taxed by Britain without having representation in government.

What does “no taxation without representation” mean?

An early agreement for self-government among colonists.

What is the Mayflower Compact?

Thomas Paine

Who wrote Common Sense?

To convince colonists to support independence from Britain.

What was the purpose of Common Sense?

July 4, 1776.

When was the Declaration of Independence signed?

Thomas Jefferson.

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

Rights that cannot be taken away.

What are unalienable rights?

Life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.

Which of the following are rights in the Declaration of Independence?

Articles of Confederation.

What was the first U.S. government system?

Weak central government and too much power given to states.

Why did the Articles of Confederation fail?

The U.S. Constitution.

What replaced the Articles of Confederation?

The supreme law of the land.

What is the U.S. Constitution?

Officially approved.

What does “ratified” mean?

Establish government structure and limit federal power.

What is the purpose of the Constitution?

The Bill of Rights.

What are the first 10 amendments called?

Division of power between state and federal government.

What is federalism?

“We the People”

What are the first 3 words of the Constitution?

The government gets its power from the people.

What does “We the People” mean?

No one is above the law.

What is the rule of law?

People elect representatives to make decisions for them.

What is representative democracy?

Enforces laws.

What is the role of the executive branch?

President, Vice President, Cabinet.

Who is in the executive branch?

Signs treaties, proposes laws, appoints officials, vetoes bills, commands military.

What are the President’s powers?

The President

Who is Commander-in-Chief?

Congress (legislative branch).

Who declares war?

4 years.

How long is a presidential term?

2 terms

What is the term limit for President?

Vice President → Speaker of the House.

What is the basic presidential succession order?

Makes laws.

What is the role of the legislative branch?

House of Representatives and Senate.

What is Congress made of?

Two houses.

What does “bicameral” mean?

100

How many Senators are there in total in the US?

435

How many Representatives are there?

6 years

How long is a Senate term?

2 years

How long is a House term?

Based on population and closer elections.

Why is House of Representatives more “representative”?

Interprets laws and checks constitutionality.

What is the role of the judicial branch?

9

How many Supreme Court justices are there?

Nominated by President, confirmed by Senate.

How are Supreme Court justices chosen?

Life term

How long do Supreme Court justices serve?

Freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, petition.

What does the First Amendment protect?

Freedom to practice any religion or none

What is the Free Exercise Clause?

Right to bear arms

What does the 2nd Amendment protect?

The quartering of soldiers in homes.

What does the 3rd Amendment prevent?

Protection from unreasonable search and seizure.

What does the 4th Amendment protect?

Fair legal procedures for all people.

What is due process?

Cannot be tried twice for the same crime.

What is double jeopardy?

You cannot be forced to testify against yourself (“plead the Fifth”).

What is self-incrimination?

Speedy public trial, jury, and right to an attorney.

What does the 6th Amendment guarantee?

Jury trials in civil cases.

What does the 7th Amendment cover?

No excessive bail, fines, or cruel punishment.

What does the 8th Amendment protect?

Rights not listed still exist.

What does the 9th Amendment mean?

Powers not given to federal government belong to states.

What does the 10th Amendment establish?

Abolished slavery.

What did the 13th Amendment do?

Citizenship + equal protection + due process.

What did the 14th Amendment establish?

Gave Black men the right to vote.

What did the 15th Amendment do?

15th, 19th, 24th, 26th.

Which amendments relate to voting rights?

Gave women the right to vote

What did the 19th Amendment do?

Banned poll taxes

What did the 24th Amendment do?

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.

What did the 26th Amendment do?

Power shared between federal and state governments.

What is federalism?

Declare war, print money, make treaties, raise military.

What powers does the federal government have?

Education, licenses, policing, zoning, local laws.

What powers do states have?

Men 18–26 must register for possible military draft.

What is selective service?

Capitalist economy

What is the economic system of the U.S.?

George Washington.

Who was the first President of the U.S.?

Thomas Jefferson.

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

Abraham Lincoln.

Who was President during Civil War?

Susan B. Anthony.

Who led women’s suffrage movement?

Martin Luther King Jr.

Who led civil rights movement?

Diplomat, inventor, Postmaster General, founding father.

What is Benjamin Franklin known for?

Marbury v. Madison.

What case established judicial review?

The Supreme Court’s power to strike down unconstitutional laws.

What is judicial review?

Gideon v. Wainwright.

What case requires states to provide attorneys for those who cannot afford one?

Public defender system.

What system came from Gideon v. Wainwright?

Miranda v. Arizona.

What case requires police to read rights to suspects?

Right to remain silent and right to an attorney.

What are Miranda Rights?

Mapp v. Ohio.

What case made illegally obtained evidence inadmissible in court?

New Jersey v. T.L.O.

What case allows school searches with reasonable suspicion?

Tinker v. Des Moines.

The case that involved three students who wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam War and were suspended by their school.

Texas v. Johnson.

What case allowed flag burning as protected speech?

Engel v. Vitale.

What case ruled school prayer unconstitutional?

Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier.

What case allowed schools to limit student newspaper content?

West Virginia v. Barnette.

What case allowed students to refuse the pledge of allegiance?

McCulloch v. Maryland.

What case established implied powers of Congress?

Powers not written but necessary to carry out constitutional duties.

What is implied power?

Gibbons v. Ogden.

What case gave federal government control over interstate commerce?

Plessy v. Ferguson.

What case established “separate but equal”?

Brown v. Board of Education.

What case ended school segregation?

Regents v. Bakke.

What case allowed race as one factor in admissions?

Korematsu v. United States.

What case upheld Japanese internment during WWII?

United States v. Nixon.

What case said the president must obey the law and turn over evidence?

6th Amendment.

Gideon v. Wainwright relates to which amendment?

5th and 6th Amendments.

Miranda v. Arizona relates to which amendments?

4th Amendment.

Mapp v. Ohio relates to which amendment?

1st Amendment.

Tinker v. Des Moines relates to which amendment?

Dred Scott v. Sandford.

What case ruled that enslaved people were not citizens and had no right to sue in federal court?

It effectively made the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional and allowed slavery to expand.

What did Dred Scott v. Sandford decide about slavery in federal territories?