Civics (Government and Citizenship)

14th Amendment

Declared that all persons born or naturalized in the US would be US citizens and citizens in the state in which they live. Gave all citizens due process.

Model Parliament

Britain's first elected legislative body whose purpose was to tax the wealthy landowners and create laws, formed in 1295

Representative Democracy / Democratic Republic

A system of government in which all eligible citizens vote to elect representatives to act on their behalf (USA)

19th Amendment

Ratified in 1920, it gave women the right to vote (known as women's suffrage).

Inalienable Rights

Rights held by all individuals that are seen as natural to every person and outside the jurisdiction of the government

Common Law

Laws created and developed through judicial decision

Confederation

an alliance of states in which each member state retains significant autonomy. During the American Revolution, the Articles of Confederation organized the US as a confederation.

Absolute Monarchy

Rule by one person who has supreme authority and is not restricted by written law.

Social Contract Theory

According to Locke, an agreement between citizens and their ruler in which the ruler derives his power from his subjects.

Naturalization

The process of becoming a citizen in a country when not already a native citizen

English Civil War

A conflict between Charles I and Parliament that resulted in the beheading of Charles I and the establishment of England as a Commonwealth. 1642-1651

2nd Amendment

Amendment to the US Constitution which protects against restrictions of the right to bear arms

15th Amendment

Gave the right to vote to every male citizen regardless of race, color, or previous servitude.

Anarchy

Absence of government authority and law, and absolute freedom of the individual (Somalia Early 2000’s

Dictatorship

one person holds absolute power without constitutional limitations

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution which protected legal rights and civil rights of individuals. Created in 1791.

Civil War

1861-1865. Fought between the northern and southern states of the US. Causes of the war centered on the issue of slavery and the rights of the states vs. the federal government.

1st Amendment

Amendment to the US Constitution which protects against restrictions on freedom of speech, religion, press, petition, and assembly

3rd Amendment

Amendment to the US Constitution which protects against the quartering of troops in homes

Aristocracy

form of oligarchy in which the nobility have power and control

Popular Sovereignty

The idea that all powers of government ultimately rest in the people

Glorious Revolution

A revolution against James II of England and his absolute rule; also called the Bloodless Revolution. Paved the way for the creation of the English Bill of Rights and a constitutional monarchy. (1688)

Social Contract

The idea that individuals covenant to create and follow a form of government

4th Amendment

Amendment to the US Constitution which protects against unlawful searches and seizures

Direct Democracy

A system of government in which all eligible citizens can vote on every issue

English Bill of Rights

secured the power of the Parliament over the monarchy and guaranteed the individual rights of the citizens. (1689)

Democracy

A system of government in which all members of society have a share in decision making

Government

Institution to provide citizens with basic services

Natural Rights

The rights possessed by an individual with no requirement (life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness)

Autocracy

government ruled by one. monarchy, dictatorship

Natural Law

Laws universally recognized by the virtue of human reason or human nature

Freeholders

white male landowners who met a certain property qualifications and were originally the only citizens allowed to vote in the United States

John Locke

Enlightenment-Era political philosopher; wrote about social contract theory and a limited monarchy; believed in the natural rights of life, liberty, and property; inspired American Declaration of Independence

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Passed in an attempt to eliminated legal barriers to voting.

10th Amendment

limits the power of the federal government and protects the rights of the states and the people by reserving powers not delegated to the federal government to the states or to the people

Magna Carta

First English document to establish the idea of limited government, or the belief that the king did not have absolute power. Signed in 1215.

Autocratic/Totalitarian Governments

Governments in which a single person or small group has ultimate control and the rights and freedoms of citizens are limited; often restrict the existence and participation of opposition voices and exercise a high level of control over all aspects of society (Kim Jong Un)

Republic

form of democracy in which representatives make laws and run the government

Monarchy

single person serves as head of state; often granted the position through heredity

8th Amendment

Amendment to the US Constitution which protects against cruel and unusual punishment

Citizen

a legally recognized subject of a government, either native or naturalized. In the US, a citizen is required to obey the law, serve as a juror if called, and pay taxes. Citizens are also expected to be informed on issues and vote in elections, volunteer in their community, and serve in the military if they are interested.

John Locke's Two Treatises of Government

Outlined ideas of Social Contract Theory and natural rights that heavily influenced Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence

Theocracy

a government run by religious officials who enforce religious principles

Oligarchy

government ruled by few

7th Amendment

Amendment to the US Constitution which protects the right to a jury trial in civil cases

5th Amendment

Amendment to the US Constitution which protects against unsupported accusations of wrongdoing, self-incrimination, and double jeopardy (being charged for the same crime twice)

Constitutional Monarchy

Governmental system in which a country is ruled by a monarch who is limited in power by a constitution.

6th Amendment

Amendment to the US Constitution which protects the right to a fair, speedy, and public trial; the right to a lawyer, the right to confront accusers, and the right to an impartial jury

Women's Suffrage

The right of women to vote in political elections.

26th Amendment

lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, granting the right to vote to younger citizens; a response to the Vietnam War, where many argued that individuals old enough to be drafted should also have the right to vote

9th Amendment

Amendment to the US Constitution which protects the rights of the individuals not specifically listed (unenumerated rights)

Jim Crow Laws

Laws written after Reconstruction that enforced segregation in the South. Restricted the civil rights of black citizens, such as voting and educational equalities.

Hammurabi's Code

Early regulation of society with a basic outline that presumes innocence and follows "eye for an eye"

Thomas Hobbes

Political philosopher and author of Leviathan, advocate of absolute monarchy; viewed authoritarian rule as the only security against humanity which he believed to be inherently cruel.

Enlightenment

17th century intellectual movement centered on the belief that societies could improve through reason, science, and progress, primarily led by the philosophers: Locke, Rousseau, Voltaire, and Montesquieu.

Divine Right

Political doctrine that states that kings derive their power from God, not from their subjects; therefore kings are not subject to earthly authority. To question or rebel against their rule would be a sin (King Louis XIV of France)

Justinian's Code of Laws

Laws compiled in early 500 A.D. by Emperor Justinian of Rome

Republicanism

A form of government in which representatives—usually elected—determine the laws