Florida Civic Literacy Examination (FCLE) Sample Items

Flashcards created to help students review important vocabulary and concepts related to the Florida Civic Literacy Examination.

popular sovereignty

The principle that the authority of a state and its government are created and sustained by the consent of its people.

checks and balances

A system that ensures no one branch of government becomes too powerful by allowing each branch to have some measure of influence over the other branches.

separation of powers

The division of responsibilities among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government.

Writ of Habeas Corpus

A court order that requires a person under arrest to be brought before a judge.

impeachment

The process by which a legislative body levels charges against a government official.

Preamble of the U.S. Constitution

The introductory statement that outlines the purpose and guiding principles of the Constitution.

divine right of kings

The doctrine that kings derive their authority from God and are not accountable to their subjects.

Fourteenth Amendment

An amendment to the U.S. Constitution that addresses citizenship rights and equal protection under the law.

McCulloch v. Maryland

A landmark Supreme Court case that established the principle of federal supremacy over state law.

Gideon v. Wainwright

A Supreme Court case that ruled that the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution provides a right to counsel.

The Great Compromise

An agreement during the Constitutional Convention that established a two-house legislature.

Declaration of Independence

The document in which the American colonies declared their independence from Britain.

civil disobedience

The active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government.

civil law

The branch of law dealing with the rights and duties of individuals between each other.

The Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing individual liberties.

social contract theory

The theory that individuals have consented, either explicitly or implicitly, to form a government.

Ninth Amendment

An amendment that states that the enumeration of certain rights in the Constitution does not deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Federalist Papers

A collection of 85 articles and essays promoting the ratification of the United States Constitution.

rule of law

The principle that all individuals and institutions are accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated.

Korematsu v. United States

A Supreme Court case that upheld the government's decision during WWII to intern Japanese Americans.