PAF

Democracy

A system where power is held by the people through free and fair elections, rule of law, and protection of rights.

Autocracy

A system where one person or a small elite holds concentrated power, often restricting freedoms and using coercion.

Rule of Law

The principle that all people, including leaders, are subject to the law.

Political Participation

Citizens' involvement in political processes such as voting, protesting, and joining parties.

Accountability

The requirement for government officials to answer for their actions through elections or oversight.

Transparency

Openness in government actions that allows citizens to monitor and evaluate officials.

Hybrid Regime

A government that holds elections but restricts freedoms and engages in corruption.

Authoritarian State

A system with limited pluralism and repression of opposition, often through censorship or intimidation.

Totalitarian Regime

A government with total control over political, economic, and cultural life, often enforcing a single ideology.

Democratic Backsliding

The decline or erosion of democratic institutions and freedoms.

Articles of Confederation

The first U.S. constitution; created a weak national government with no power to tax or enforce laws.

Founding Principles

Core ideas of U.S. government: natural rights, popular sovereignty, limited government, and rule of law.

Natural Rights

Rights people are born with: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Popular Sovereignty

The idea that the government's power comes from the consent of the governed.

Limited Government

The belief that government power should be restricted to protect individual rights.

Shays' Rebellion (1786-1787)

An uprising by Massachusetts farmers protesting high taxes and debt; showed the weakness of the Articles of Confederation.

"League of Friendship"

Description of the Articles of Confederation emphasizing state sovereignty over national unity.

Constitutional Convention (1787)

Meeting held to replace the Articles of Confederation and create a stronger federal government.

Federalists

Supporters of the Constitution who wanted a strong central government (Hamilton, Madison, Jay).

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the Constitution who favored state power and demanded a Bill of Rights (Patrick Henry, George Mason).

Federalist Papers

Essays written to defend and explain the Constitution's principles.

Federalist No. 10

Madison's argument that a large republic prevents factions from dominating.

Federalist No. 9

Hamilton's essay arguing for a strong union to prevent political chaos.

Faction

A group of citizens united by a common interest that may harm others or the public good.

Bill of Rights

The first 10 amendments added to the Constitution to protect individual freedoms.

Checks and Balances

System ensuring no branch of government becomes too powerful.

Montesquieu

Enlightenment thinker who argued for separation of powers to prevent tyranny.

Ratification Compromise

Agreement to add the Bill of Rights to secure Anti-Federalist support for the Constitution.

Federalism

A system dividing power between national and state governments.

Enumerated Powers

Powers specifically granted to Congress by the Constitution, such as taxation and declaring war.

Reserved Powers

Powers kept by the states under the 10th Amendment.

Concurrent Powers

Powers shared by both state and federal governments, like taxation and courts.

Supremacy Clause

Declares the Constitution and federal laws the supreme law of the land.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Established implied powers of Congress and confirmed federal supremacy.

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

Expanded federal authority over interstate commerce.

Wickard v. Filburn (1942)

Allowed federal regulation of local economic activity that affects interstate commerce.

Commerce Clause

Gives Congress power to regulate trade between states.

10th Amendment

Reserves powers not delegated to the federal government to the states or the people.

Bill of Rights (1791)

The first 10 amendments protecting fundamental liberties.

1st Amendment

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

2nd Amendment

Right to bear arms.

4th Amendment

Protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.

5th Amendment

Protection from self-incrimination, double jeopardy, and loss of property without due process.

6th Amendment

Right to a fair and speedy trial and legal counsel.

8th Amendment

Protection from cruel and unusual punishment.

9th Amendment

States that people have rights beyond those listed in the Constitution.

10th Amendment

Reserves powers not given to the U.S. to the states or people.

Gitlow v. New York (1925)

Allowed states to restrict speech that threatens government stability.

Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

Made illegally obtained evidence inadmissible in court.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Guaranteed the right to an attorney for defendants who can't afford one.

Civil Rights

Legal protections ensuring equality and freedom from discrimination.

Civil Rights Act (1964)

Outlawed segregation and workplace discrimination.

Voting Rights Act (1965)

Banned literacy tests and ensured fair voting access.

13th Amendment

Abolished slavery in the United States.

14th Amendment

Established equal protection and birthright citizenship.

15th Amendment

Prohibited voting discrimination based on race or color.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Legalized segregation under "separate but equal."

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Kenneth and Mamie Clark "Doll Test"

Study showing segregation harmed Black children's self-esteem.

Regents v. Bakke (1978)

Struck down racial quotas but allowed race as one factor in admissions.

Grutter v. Bollinger (2003)

Upheld limited use of race in admissions to promote diversity.

Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (2023)

Ended race-based admissions as unconstitutional.

Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)

Guaranteed equal rights and access for people with disabilities.

Democracy vs. Autocracy

Democracy values citizen power and freedom; autocracy emphasizes control and stability.

Federalism

Divides power between federal and state governments to balance authority.

Bill of Rights

Safeguards individual liberties from government overreach.

Civil Rights Movement

Extended equality and legal protection to all citizens under the law.