Learn: Ch1 and 2 Vocabulary/Amendments/Articles

1st Amendment

Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition

2nd Amendment

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

3rd Amendment

No quartering of soldiers

4th Amendment

Protection against Unreasonable Search and Seizure

5th Amendment

The Right to Remain Silent/Double Jeopardy, right to due process

6th Amendment

The right to a Speedy Trial by jury, representation by an attorney for an accused person

7th Amendment

Right to a trial by jury in civil cases

8th Amendment

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

9th Amendment

Citizens entitled to rights not listed in the Constitution

10th Amendment

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

11th Amendment

Prohibits citizens of one state or foreign country from suing another state.

12th Amendment

separation of votes for President and Vice President

13th Amendment (1865)

Abolition of slavery w/o compensation for slave-owners

14th Amendment

Declares that all persons born in the U.S. are citizens and are guaranteed equal protection of the laws

15th Amendment (1870)

U.S. cannot prevent a person from voting because of race, color, or creed

16th Amendment

Allows the federal government to collect income tax

17th Amendment

Established the direct election of senators (instead of being chosen by state legislatures)

18th Amendment

Prohibited the manufacture, sale, and distribution of alcoholic beverages

19th Amendment (1920)

Women gain the right to vote

20th Amendment

Congress begins on January 30th; President starts on January 20th

"Lame-duck" Amendment

21st Amendment

Amendment which ended the Prohibition of alcohol in the US, repealing the 18th amendment

22nd Amendment

Limits the president to two terms.

23rd Amendment

Gives Washington DC electoral college votes as if it were a state (DC still has no representation in Congress)

24th Amendment

Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1964) eliminated the poll tax as a prerequisite to vote in national elections.

25th Amendment

(1) Succession of VP if president dies or become incapable to do his job.(2) if there is no VP, president must appoint one, and congress must approve

26th Amendment

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18

27th Amendment

congressional pay raises are not begun until the next election

Article I of the Constitution

Establishes Congress as the legislative branch of Federal Government and lists the powers of Congress.

Article II of the Constitution

This article describes the role and power of the Executive Branch. The President and Vice President.

Article III of the Constitution

creates the Supreme Court but allows Congress to establish lower courts.

Article IV of the Constitution

addresses relationship between the federal and state governments

Article V of the Constitution

describes the process for amending the Constitution

Article VI of the Constitution

Supremacy Clause

Article VII of the Constitution

Ratification of the Constitution

Limited Government

A principle of constitutional government; a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution.

Natural Rights

the idea that all humans are born with rights, which include the right to life, liberty, and property

Popular Sovereignty

A belief that ultimate power resides in the people.

representative republic

A system of government in which citizens elect representatives, or leaders, to make decisions based on the law and/or constitution.

Republicanism

A philosophy of limited government with elected representatives serving at the will of the people. The government is based on consent of the governed.

elite democracy

a theory of democracy that limits the citizens' role to choosing among competing leaders

interest group

An organization of people sharing a common interest or goal that seeks to influence the making of public policy

participatory democracy

a system of government where rank-and-file citizens rule themselves rather than electing representatives to govern on their behalf

pluralist democracy

a theory of democracy that holds that citizen membership in groups is the key to political power

Representative Democracy

A system of government in which citizens elect representatives, or leaders, to make decisions about the laws for all the people.

Initiative

A procedure by which voters can propose a law or a constitutional amendment.

referendum

A state-level method of direct legislation that gives voters a chance to approve or disapprove proposed legislation or a proposed constitutional amendment.

factions

Political groups that agree on objectives and policies; the origins of political parties.

Federalists

A term used to describe supporters of the Constitution during ratification debates in state legislatures.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the American Constitution at the time when the states were contemplating its adoption.

Remember a little about each of the philosophers from the Enlightenment

This is on the colored paper that we completed in class. STUDY THAT.

Shay's Rebellion

Rebellion led by Daniel Shays of farmers in western Massachusetts in 1786-1787, protesting mortgage foreclosures. It highlighted the need for a strong national government just as the call for the Constitutional Convention went out.

bicameral

A legislature consisting of two parts, or houses

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution

Constitutional Convention

A meeting in Philadelphia in 1787 that produced a new constitution

Electoral College

A group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and vice president

Great Compromise

Compromise made by Constitutional Convention in which states would have equal representation in one house of the legislature and representation based on population in the other house

ratification

Formal approval, final consent to the effectiveness of a constitution, constitutional amendment, or treaty

Three-Fifths Compromise

Agreement that each slave counted as three-fifths of a person in determining representation in the House for representation and taxation purposes (negated by the 13th amendment)

checks and balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power

Separation of power

Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, with the legislative branch making law, the executive applying and enforcing the law, and the judiciary interpreting the law

stakeholders

All the people who stand to gain or lose by the policies and activities of a business and whose concerns the business needs to address.

USA Patriot Act

law passed due to 9/11 attacks; sought to prevent further terrorist attacks by allowing greater government access to electronic communications and other information; criticized by some as violating civil liberties

No Child Left Behind

2001 law that set high standards and measurable goals for education.

Virginia Plan

"Large state" proposal for the new constitution, calling for proportional representation in both houses of a bicameral Congress. The plan favored larger states and thus prompted smaller states to come back with their own plan for apportioning representation.

New Jersey Plan

A constitutional proposal that would have given each state one vote in a new congress

rule of law

principle that the law applies to everyone, even those who govern

rule of man

This political concept describes the political condition in which a single ruler or party exercises absolute authority and is not bound by any law.

Bureacracy

system of government that includes different job functions and levels of authority- under the purview of the executive branch

Social Contract Theory

A voluntary agreement between the government and the governed

Iron Triangle

A close relationship between an agency, a congressional committee, and an interest group

linkage institutions

The channels through which people's concerns become political issues on the government's policy agenda. In the United States, linkage institutions include elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.

federalism

the division of power between the state and federal government

civil liberties

Constitutional freedoms guaranteed to all citizens. Protections FROM the government

civil rights

principle that all americans should have opportunity and protection and this be secured BY the government.