civic exam

U.S. Constitution

Articles of the Constitution

1. Article I – Legislative Branch (Congress): Creates the House of Representatives and Senate, outlines lawmaking powers.

2. Article II – Executive Branch (President & VP): Defines presidential powers, duties, and impeachment process.

3. Article III – Judicial Branch (Supreme Court & lower courts): Establishes the federal court system.

4. Article IV – State Relationships: Includes the Full Faith and Credit Clause (states must recognize laws of other states).

5. Article V – Amendment Process: Explains how the Constitution can be changed.

6. Article VI – Supremacy Clause: The Constitution and federal laws override state laws.

7. Article VII – Ratification: Required nine states to approve the Constitution for it to take effect.

Key Amendments

Bill of Rights (Amendments 1-10)

1. Freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition.

2. Right to bear arms.

3. No forced quartering of soldiers.

4. Protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.

5. Right to due process, no self-incrimination, no double jeopardy.

6. Right to a speedy and public trial, impartial jury, legal counsel.

7. Right to a jury trial in civil cases.

8. No cruel and unusual punishment.

9. People have rights beyond those listed in the Constitution.

10. Powers not given to the federal government belong to the states or people.

Other Important Amendments

• 13th Amendment – Abolished slavery.

• 14th Amendment – Granted citizenship and equal protection under the law.

• 15th Amendment – Gave Black men the right to vote.

• 19th Amendment – Gave women the right to vote.

• 21st Amendment – Repealed Prohibition (allowed alcohol).

• 22nd Amendment – Limited the president to two terms.

Key Supreme Court Cases

1. Brown v. Board of Education (1954) – Ended segregation in schools.

2. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) – Congress can create a national bank; states cannot tax the federal government.

3. Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) – Only Congress can regulate interstate commerce.

4. Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (1988) – Schools can censor student newspapers.

5. Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) – Right to an attorney, even if you cannot afford one.

6. Marbury v. Madison (1803) – Established judicial review (courts can declare laws unconstitutional).

7. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) – Allowed segregation under “separate but equal” (overturned by Brown v. Board).

8. Schenck v. U.S. (1919) – Free speech can be limited during wartime if it creates a “clear and present danger.”

9. U.S. v. Nixon (1974) – The president is not above the law; Nixon had to release Watergate tapes.

10. District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) – Individuals have a right to own firearms.

11. Roe v. Wade (1973) – Legalized abortion based on the right to privacy.

Important U.S. Laws & Acts

Early U.S. Policies

• Northwest Ordinance (1787) – Set rules for how new states could join the U.S.; banned slavery in the Northwest Territory.

• Alien and Sedition Acts (1798) – Limited immigration and made it illegal to criticize the government.

• Judiciary Act of 1789 – Established the federal court system.

• Land Act of 1800 – Made it easier for settlers to buy land in the West.

• Judiciary Act of 1801 – Allowed John Adams to appoint last-minute judges before leaving office.

1800s Laws & Compromises

• Indian Removal Act (1830) – Forced Native Americans to move west (Trail of Tears).

• Missouri Compromise (1820) – Allowed Missouri to enter as a slave state and Maine as a free state; limited slavery in new territories.

• Compromise of 1850 – Allowed California to enter as a free state but strengthened the Fugitive Slave Act.

• Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) – Allowed states to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery (led to violence in Kansas).

• Homestead Act (1862) – Gave free land to settlers in the West.

Civil Rights & Immigration Laws

• Civil Rights Act of 1866 – Gave citizenship rights to African Americans.

• Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) – Banned Chinese immigration.

• Civil Rights Act of 1964 – Banned segregation and discrimination based on race, gender, religion, or national origin.

• Voting Rights Act of 1965 – Banned literacy tests and other barriers to Black voting rights.

Military & War-Related Laws

• Selective Service Act (1917) – Required men to register for the military draft.

• Espionage Act (1917) & Sedition Act (1918) – Limited free speech during WWI to prevent anti-government speech.

• Tonkin Gulf Resolution (1964) – Allowed the president to use military force in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war.

Economic & Social Legislation

• New Deal Legislation (1930s) – Series of laws passed to address the Great Depression (Social Security, labor rights, etc.).

• Great Society Legislation (1960s) – Programs to reduce poverty and racial injustice (Medicare, Medicaid, education programs).

• Affordable Care Act (2010) – Expanded healthcare coverage.

Executive Actions

Presidential Doctrines & Policies

• Monroe Doctrine (1823) – Warned European countries not to interfere in the Americas.

• National Bank Veto (1832, Andrew Jackson) – Jackson vetoed the recharter of the Second National Bank.

• Adams-Onis Treaty (1819) – U.S. acquired Florida from Spain.

Presidential War Powers & Military Actions

• Lincoln’s Suspension of Habeas Corpus (1861) – Allowed the government to arrest people without trial during the Civil War.

• Emancipation Proclamation (1863) – Freed enslaved people in Confederate states.

• Executive Order 9066 (1942, FDR) – Ordered Japanese Americans into internment camps during WWII.

• Executive Order 9981 (1948, Truman) – Desegregated the U.S. military.

• Executive Order 10730 (1957, Eisenhower) – Sent federal troops to enforce school desegregation in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Civil Rights & Social Policies

• Gentleman’s Agreement (1907) – Limited Japanese immigration.

• New Deal Advocacy (FDR, 1930s) – Promoted social programs to help Americans during the Great Depression.

• Executive Orders 10925 & 11256 (1961 & 1965) – Established and expanded Affirmative Action to promote equal job opportunities.

• Great Society Advocacy (LBJ, 1960s) – Pushed for programs to reduce poverty and racial inequality.