11th Grade Common Assessment Notes

The Declaration of Independence

• 1776 in Philadelphia.
• Written by Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and John Adams.
• Formally declared grievances against King George of England.
• Declared the separation of the US from Britain.

The Articles of Confederation

• America’s first government.
• Failed because it did not give the national government enough power.
• Demonstrated failure through Shays’ Rebellion.
• Ultimately thrown out at the Constitutional Convention.

The Constitution

• Constitutional Convention: 1787 in Philadelphia.
• Ratified by the last state in 1788.
• Main writer was James Madison.
• Antifederalists wanted to add a Bill of Rights to protect individual freedoms.
• Consisted of compromises between:
  • Large states and small states.
  • Slave-holding states and non-slave-holding states.
  • 3/5ths Compromise: Addressed representation for enslaved persons.
• Established a government based on Federalism:
  • Power and authority over a territory is shared by the state and national government.
• Established 3 separate branches of government:
  • Legislative Branch (Article 1):
    • House of Representatives:
      • Representation based on state population.
      • Serve a 2-year term.
      • Example: Pennsylvania currently has 17 Representatives.
    • Senate:
      • Equal representation for each state (2 senators per state).
      • Serve a 6-year term.
    • Bills must pass through both the House and the Senate to become law.
    • Then sent to the President to sign.
    • Impeachment:
      • Can be impeached by the legislative and judicial branches.
      • Like a trial, where the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is the judge, and the Senate is the jury.
      • Example of the “Separation of Powers”.
  • Executive Branch (Article 2):
    • George Washington was unanimously elected the 1st president in 1789.
    • Roles:
      • Commander & Chief of the Military.
      • Chief Diplomat.
    • President serves a 4-year term.
    • When the President receives a bill passed by Congress, they can:
      • Sign the bill into law.
      • Veto it and send it back to Congress.
      • Ignore it:
        • Congress is in session = becomes law.
        • Congress is not in session = vetoed.
  • Judicial Branch (Article 3):
    • Creates the Supreme Court - currently 9 members.
    • Final authority in cases involving questions about the Constitution (“Judicial Review”).
    • Supreme Court Justices have lifetime appointments (no term limits).
    • Analyzes and interprets the laws made by the legislative branch.
    • Can check the power of the legislative branch by declaring a Congressional law unconstitutional.
    • Established that the American government gets its power and authority from the people (“popular sovereignty”).
    • The United States is considered an indirect democracy, because people vote for their representatives who then participate in the government.

The Bill of Rights

• 1st Amendment - Freedom of Expression:
  • Freedom of Speech.
  • Freedom of Religion.
  • Freedom of Petition.
  • Freedom of the Press.
    • New York Times vs. United States:
      • Ruled that the New York Times could publish secret government documents.
  • Doesn’t protect against anything that is a “clear and present danger”.
    • Example: Yelling ‘fire’ in a crowded movie theater would not be protected because it would create a dangerous situation.
• 2nd Amendment - Right to Bear Arms.
• 3rd Amendment - Protection from the quartering of soldiers.
• 4th Amendment - Protection against unreasonable search and seizures.
• 5th Amendment - Protection against self-incrimination (can’t be forced to testify or provide evidence against yourself):
  • Miranda vs. Arizona:
    • Police are required to inform you of your right to remain silent and have a lawyer while being detained and questioned.
• 6th Amendment - Right to a speedy trial by jury, witness, counsel.
• 7th Amendment - Trial in civil cases.
• 8th Amendment - Protection against excessive bail, fines, and cruel and unusual punishment.
• 9th Amendment - Non-enumerated rights retained by the people.
• 10th Amendment - Rights reserved to states of people.

Political Parties & Elections

• You must be 18 to vote in the United States.
• Political party platforms include:
  • Republican Party:
    • Most-closely associated with protecting individual rights regarding the Second Amendment.
    • Higher defense spending.
    • Lower taxes.
    • Smaller government.
  • Democratic Party:
    • Most-closely associated with urgent concern for climate change.
    • Supporting universal healthcare.
• Demographics regarding who votes for certain political parties have been proven with data regarding voting trends.
  • Examples include:
    • African American women mostly voted for Democratic candidates (liberal).
    • Democratic ‘safe states’ include California and Massachusetts.
    • Those who live in rural areas mostly voted for Republican candidates (conservative).
    • Republican ‘safe states’ include Texas and Alabama.
• Electoral College
  • President is elected by the electoral college, not the popular vote.
  • A candidate must win 270 of the electoral college votes to win the presidency.
  • Current President and Vice President of the US is Donald Trump (pres) and J D Vance(VP) (This information should be updated with current office holders).