FCLE

🔥 CONSTITUTION BASICS

- Preamble = purpose of government (“We the People…”)

- 3 branches:

Legislative = makes laws

Executive = enforces laws

Judicial = interprets laws

- Checks and balances = branches limit each other

- Federalism = power split between federal & state

🔥 CLAUSES (THEY LOVE THESE)

- Supremacy Clause = federal law > state law

- Necessary & Proper (Elastic) Clause = Congress can expand powers

- Commerce Clause = regulate trade (used A LOT)

- Establishment Clause = no official religion

- General Welfare Clause = laws for public good

🔥 RIGHTS & LIBERTIES (SUPER TESTED)

- Civil liberties = freedom FROM government (speech, religion)

- Civil rights = protection FROM discrimination

- Due process = fair legal treatment

- Habeas corpus = can’t be jailed unfairly

- 1st Amendment = speech, religion, press, assembly, petition

🔥 COURT CASE IDEAS (NOT NAMES ALWAYS—CONCEPTS)

- Judicial review = courts can declare laws unconstitutional

- “Separate but equal” = unconstitutional now

- Schools + prayer = not allowed if government involved

- Rights can be LIMITED (not absolute)

🔥 VOTING & ELECTIONS

- Suffrage = right to vote

- Poll taxes = illegal

- Gerrymandering = unfair district drawing

- Electoral College = electors pick president

- General election = final vote

🔥 CONGRESS / LAWMAKING

- Bill → becomes law

- Veto = president rejects

- Override veto = 2/3 vote

- Filibuster = delay vote

- Cloture = stop filibuster

🔥 FEDERAL vs STATE POWERS

- Enumerated powers = federal powers listed

- Reserved powers = state powers

- Concurrent powers = shared

- Implied powers = suggested powers

🔥 ECONOMICS (BASIC BUT SHOWS UP)

- Deficit = spending > revenue

- National debt = total owed

- Taxation = government income

- Recession = economy slows

- New Deal = government helped economy

🔥 CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORY

- Jim Crow laws = segregation

- Civil Rights Movement = ended segregation

- De jure = by law

- De facto = by practice

- Affirmative action = helping disadvantaged groups

🔥 MEDIA / SPEECH

- Censorship = limiting speech

- Prior restraint = stopping speech BEFORE it happens

- Slander = spoken lies

- Defamation = harming reputation

🔥 LAW & JUSTICE

- Probable cause = reason to search/arrest

- Search warrant = legal permission

- Presumption of innocence = innocent until proven guilty

- Felony = serious crime

- Misdemeanor = minor crime

🔥 GOVERNMENT POWER

- Executive order = president action without Congress

- Bureaucracy = agencies that carry out laws

- Regulation = rules made by agencies

🔥 POLITICAL BEHAVIOR

- Interest groups = influence policy

- Lobbying = trying to influence government

- PACs = money for campaigns

- Free rider problem = benefit without contributing

🔥 RANDOM BUT TESTED

- Eminent domain = government takes land (with pay)

- Amnesty = legal forgiveness

- Citizenship = legal membership

- Immigration status matters for rights (but basic rights still apply)

🎯 TEST STRATEGY

- If answer mentions “federal law over state” → Supremacy Clause

- If about expanding power → Necessary & Proper

- If about trade → Commerce Clause

- If about religion in school → Establishment Clause

- If about fairness in court → Due process

- If about discrimination → Civil rights

🔥 What the FCLE REALLY cares about (based on your sheets)

1. Foundations of Government (KNOW THESE COLD)

These show up a lot.

* Social Contract → people give up some freedoms for protection

* Natural Rights → life, liberty, property (from John Locke)

* Popular Sovereignty → power comes from the people

* Rule of Law → everyone follows the law

* Checks and Balances → branches limit each other

* Federalism → power split between state & national

👉 If you see a question like:

“Which principle is shown when the people elect leaders?”

Answer = Popular Sovereignty

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2. Founding Documents (HUGE portion of test)

📜 Declaration of Independence

* Purpose: justify breaking from Britain

* Key idea: natural rights

* Lists grievances against the king

📜 Articles of Confederation

* Weak central government

* No taxes, no army control

* Led to problems → replaced

📜 United States Constitution

* Stronger federal government

* 3 branches (legislative, executive, judicial)

* Includes checks & balances

📜 Bill of Rights

* Protects individual freedoms (speech, religion, etc.)

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3. Federalists vs Anti-Federalists

This WILL show up.

* Federalists

* Wanted Constitution ratified

* Strong national government

* Supported by Alexander Hamilton

* Anti-Federalists

* Feared strong government

* Wanted Bill of Rights

👉 Trick:

If question mentions protecting rights → Anti-Federalists

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4. Amendments & Rights

You need to recognize these FAST:

* 1st → speech, religion, press

* 4th → no unreasonable searches

* 5th → due process

* 6th → fair trial

* 14th → equal protection

* 10th → powers to states

👉 KEY concept:

Selective Incorporation = applying Bill of Rights to states

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5. Supreme Court Cases (VERY IMPORTANT)

These are straight memorization + meaning:

* Marbury v. Madison

→ judicial review

* Brown v. Board of Education

→ ended school segregation

* Tinker v. Des Moines

→ student free speech

* Gideon v. Wainwright

→ right to attorney

* McDonald v. Chicago

→ 2nd Amendment applies to states

👉 Tip:

If question asks:

“Which case expanded rights?”

Pick civil rights/liberties cases like Brown, Gideon, Tinker

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6. Big Clauses (sneaky test favorites)

* Supremacy Clause → federal law > state law

* Elastic Clause → Congress can stretch powers

* Commerce Clause → regulate trade

* Full Faith & Credit Clause → states respect each other’s laws

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7. Landmark Legislation (less obvious but testable)

* Civil Rights Act of 1964 → ended segregation

* Voting Rights Act of 1965 → protected voting rights

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🧠 Last-Minute Strategy (this is what boosts your score)

1. Use elimination HARD

Even if you don’t know the answer:

* 2 choices will usually be obviously wrong

* narrow → guess smart

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2. Watch for keywords

* “power of the people” → Popular Sovereignty

* “limits government” → Rule of Law / Constitution

* “protects rights” → Bill of Rights