Florida Civic Literacy Exam Study Guide

Ancient Rome: The primary civilization associated with republicanism, the rule of law, and the separation of powers.
Magna Carta: Established the principle of due process.
Social Contract Theory: Postulates that government authority is derived from the consent of the people.
Declaration of Independence ( $1776$ ): Influenced by John Locke; provided the rationale for American independence and inspired the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Articles of Confederation: Created a weak national government that lacked the power to tax; replaced by the Constitution for a more centralized national power.
Federalist Papers: Documents written to argue that the proposed Constitution should be ratified.
Anti-Federalists: Opponents of ratification who demanded a Bill of Rights to protect individual liberties.
Northwest Ordinance of $1787$ : Established the process for new states to join the Union on equal footing and addressed the issue of slavery.

Marbury v. Madison: Established the principle of judicial review.
McCulloch v. Maryland ( $1819$ ): Based on the Necessary and Proper Clause; established the concept of implied powers and national supremacy over states.
Plessy v. Ferguson: Ruled that racial segregation was permitted under the "separate but equal" doctrine.
Dred Scott v. Sandford ( $1857$ ): Ruled that Congress had no authority to exclude slavery from federal territories.
Korematsu v. United States: Upheld the suspension of civil rights in the interest of national security.
Brown v. Board of Education: Overruled Plessy v. Ferguson; held that school segregation violates the Equal Protection Clause of the $14^{th}$ Amendment.
Gideon v. Wainwright: Ruled that counsel must be provided for defendants too poor to hire a lawyer.
Mapp v. Ohio: Established the exclusionary rule, prohibiting evidence from illegal searches at trial.
U.S. v. Nixon: Limited the application of executive privilege.
Texas v. Johnson ( $1989$ ): Ruled that the government may not prohibit expression (flag burning) simply because it is disagreeable.
Riley v. California: Established that police must obtain a warrant to search a cell phone.
Engel v. Vitale: Focused on the separation of church and state regarding the Pledge of Allegiance and school prayer.

Rule of Law: The principle that those inside and outside of government are held to the same standards; justifies the impeachment of a president for lying under oath.
Popular Sovereignty: The concept that the people have a say in their governance and the government is a trust.
Federalism: The constitutional principle reflecting the division of power between national and state governments.
Separation of Powers: Prevents branches from overreaching; for example, it prevents Congress from nominating Supreme Court justices.
Checks and Balances: Mechanisms like the War Powers Resolution Act, the presidential veto, and Senate confirmation (advice and consent) for ambassadors and judicial appointees.
Article I: Assigns the Vice President the role of breaking ties in the Senate.
Article V: Describes the process for amending the Constitution.
Supremacy Clause: Dictates that federal law takes precedence over conflicting state laws.

The Bill of Rights ( $1791$ ): The first ten amendments; originally intended to protect individual liberty from the federal government.
$1^{st}$ Amendment: Protects religious freedom and the right to political protest.
$4^{th}$ Amendment: Protects against searches and seizures without a valid warrant.
$5^{th}$ Amendment: Protects against self-incrimination and double jeopardy.
$10^{th}$ Amendment: Reserves powers not delegated to the federal government to the states.
$13^{th}$ Amendment: Abolished slavery; mirrors Art. 6 of the Northwest Ordinance.
$14^{th}$ Amendment: Guarantees equal protection under the law.
$15^{th}$ Amendment: Extended civil rights and voting rights to African Americans.
$17^{th}$ Amendment: Empowered voters through the direct election of U.S. Senators.
$19^{th}$ Amendment: Extended the right to vote to women.

Monroe Doctrine ( $1823$ ): Foreign policy aimed at protecting Central American nations from hostile aggression.
Legislative Branch: Holds the specific power to "lay and collect Taxes."
Three-fifths Compromise ( $3/5$ ): Addressed the dispute over population counts for representation and taxation.
Fair Housing Act of $1968$ : Outlawed sex discrimination in mortgage applications.
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Federal law centered on reducing the uninsured rate.
Executive Influence: When the President disagrees with a bill, the data suggests the President's view is ultimately reflected in policy-making.