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).