Exam (elaborations) Civics Literacy guaranteed Q&A

Civics Literacy guaranteed Q&A What is Civics Literacy? - ANSWER The knowledge and skills to participate effectively in civic life through knowing how to stay informed, understanding governmental processes, and knowing how to exercise the rights and obligations of citizenship at local, state, national, and global levels. Individuals also have an understanding of the local and global implications of civic decisions Civil Law - ANSWER the system of law concerned with private relations between members of a community rather than criminal, military, or religious affairs. libel/slander - ANSWER (written) (oral) you cannot make false statements in public that might damage a persons reputiation unless you can prove it system of checks and balances - ANSWER Constitutional system in which each branch of government places limits on the power of other branches A written constitution is important because it - ANSWER provides a rule book for government Popular Sovereignty - ANSWER A belief that ultimate power resides in the people. due process of law - ANSWER denies the government the right, without due process, to deprive people of life, liberty, and property Social Contract Theory - ANSWER The belief that people are free and equal by natural right, and that this in turn requires that all people give their consent to be governed; espoused by John Locke and influential in the writing of the declaration of independence. Divine Right of Kings - ANSWER the belief that kings receive their power from God and are responsible only to God Republican form of government - ANSWER Free people govern themselves without a king through elected representatives of the people Roman Civilization - ANSWER Patterned much of its politics and culture after the Greeks. Over time, its people passed those patterns to civilizations in Europe, Southwest Asia, and North Africa. Greek gods replaced Roman gods but were given Roman names. Its classical era includes both the Republic (c. 500 BCE-c. 30 BCE) and the Empire 9c. 30 BCE-476 CE). Its civilization was dedicated to building (monuments, aqueducts, roads). Its government used its military, both land and sea forces, to protect trade routes within its borders. Its western half fell in 476 CE and the city of Rome spiraled into decay; the eastern half (Byzantine) continued for another thousand years. Greek Civilization - ANSWER Period following Mycenaean civilization to the death of Alexander the Great. It was a period of political, philosophical, artistic and scientific achievements that formed a legacy with unparalleled influence over Western Civilization. Rule of Law - ANSWER principle that the law applies to everyone, even those who govern Separation of Powers - ANSWER Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, with the legislative branch making law, the executive applying and enforcing the law, and the judiciary interpreting the law Republicanism is the idea that - ANSWER governments should be based on consent of the people through their elected representatives. equality - ANSWER As a political value, the idea that all people are of equal worth. Communism - ANSWER a political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs. Dictatorship - ANSWER A government controlled by one person or a small group of people Monarchy - ANSWER a form of government with a monarch at the head. Preamble to the Constitution - ANSWER Introduction to the U.S. Constitution, establishing the goals and purposes of government Purposes of Government (Preamble) - ANSWER form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, secure the blessings of liberty proable cause - ANSWER a strong reason to think that a person or property was involved in a crime Search Warrant Requirements - ANSWER Probable cause, evidence that the police officers present to the judicial officer must by supported by oath or affirmation, 2nd Amemdment - ANSWER Right to keep and bear arms 3rd Amendment - ANSWER No quartering of soldiers 4th Amendment - ANSWER Protection against Unreasonable Search and Seizure 5th Amendment - ANSWER Criminal Proceedings; Due Process; Eminent Domain; Double Jeopardy; Protection from Self incrimination freedom of assembly - ANSWER the right of the people to gather peacefully and to petition government Article 1 of the Constitution - ANSWER Legislative Branch Article 2 of the Constitution - ANSWER Section of the Constitution laying out powers and responsibilities of the Executive Branch Article 3 of the Constitution - ANSWER Section of the Constitution laying out powers and responsibilities of the Judicial Branch Article 4 of the Constitution - ANSWER Outlines the rights and expectations for all states and citizens including the adding of new states petition for a writ of habeas corpus - ANSWER a request that the court order the release of one who is imprisoned or otherwise confined Extradition - ANSWER The legal process by which a fugitive from justice in one state is returned to that state Power of impeachment - ANSWER House of Representatives Enlightenment - ANSWER A philosophical movement which started in Europe in the 1700's and spread to the colonies. It emphasized reason and the scientific method. Writers of the enlightenment tended to focus on government, ethics, and science, rather than on imagination, emotions, or religion. Many members of the Enlightenment rejected traditional religious beliefs in favor of Deism, which holds that the world is run by natural laws without the direct intervention of God. Progressivism - ANSWER The movement in the late 1800s to increase democracy in America by curbing the power of the corporation. It fought to end corruption in government and business, and worked to bring equal rights of women and other groups that had been left behind during the industrial revolution. Reformation - ANSWER A religious movement of the 16th century that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the creation of Protestant churches. Transcendentalism - ANSWER A philosophy pioneered by Ralph Waldo Emerson in the 1830's and 1840's, in which each person has direct communication with God and Nature, and there is no need for organized churches. It incorporated the ideas that mind goes beyond matter, intuition is valuable, that each soul is part of the Great Spirit, and each person is part of a reality where only the invisible is truly real. Promoted individualism, self-reliance, and freedom from social constraints, and emphasized emotions. Influenced the Declaration of Independence - ANSWER John Locke Bill of Rights - ANSWER The first ten amendments to the Constitution Mayflower Compact - ANSWER 1620 - The first agreement for self-government in America. It was signed by the 41 men on the Mayflower and set up a government for the Plymouth colony. Northwest Ordinance - ANSWER Enacted in 1787, it is considered one of the most significant achievements of the Articles of Confederation. It established a system for setting up governments in the western territories so they could eventually join the Union on an equal footing with the original 13 states Magna Carta - ANSWER the royal charter of political rights given to rebellious English barons by King John in 1215 James Madison - ANSWER "Father of the Constitution," Federalist leader, and fourth President of the United States. Thomas Jefferson - ANSWER Author of the Declaration of Independence Thomas Hobbes - ANSWER English materialist and political philosopher who advocated absolute sovereignty as the only kind of government that could resolve problems caused by the selfishness of human beings () Richard Henry Lee - ANSWER Member of the Second Continental Congress who urged Congress to support independence; signer of the Declaration of Independence. Benjamin Franklin - ANSWER Printer, author, inventor, diplomat, statesman, and Founding Father. One of the few Americans who was highly respected in Europe, primarily due to his discoveries in the field of electricity. Ethan Allen - ANSWER leader of a Patriot group of fighters known as the Green Mountain Boys Federalist Papers - ANSWER Written by Hamilton, Jay, & Madison to support ratification of the U.S. Constituiton Articles of Confederation - ANSWER 1st Constitution of the U.S. (weaknesses-no executive, no judicial, no power to tax, no power to regulate trade) Northwest Ordinance - ANSWER Enacted in 1787, it is considered one of the most significant achievements of the Articles of Confederation. It established a system for setting up governments in the western territories so they could eventually join the Union on an equal footing with the original 13 states Watergate break-in - ANSWER The 1972 illegal entry into the Democratic National Committee offices by participants in President Richard Nixon's reelection campaign. Sherman Antitrust Act - ANSWER First federal action against monopolies, it was signed into law by Harrison and was extensively used by Theodore Roosevelt for trust-busting. However, it was initially misused against labor unions Interstate Commerce Act - ANSWER Established the ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission) - monitors the business operation of carriers transporting goods and people between states - created to regulate railroad prices Pendleton Act - ANSWER 1883 law that created a Civil Service Commission and stated that federal employees could not be required to contribute to campaign funds nor be fired for political reasons Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) - ANSWER Legalized segregation in publicly owned facilities on the basis of "separate but equal." Great Compromise - ANSWER 1787; This compromise was between the large and small states of the colonies. The Great Compromise resolved that there would be representation by population in the House of Representatives, and equal representation would exist in the Senate. Each state, regardless of size, would have 2 senators. All tax bills and revenues would originate in the House. This compromise combined the needs of both large and small states and formed a fair and sensible resolution to their problems. Monroe Doctrine - ANSWER an American foreign policy opposing interference in the Western hemisphere from outside powers Voting Amendments - ANSWER 15, 19, 23, 24, 26 New Deal - ANSWER The name of President Roosevelt's program for getting the United States out of the depression Great Society - ANSWER a domestic program in the administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson that instituted federally sponsored social welfare programs. Fair Deal - ANSWER An economic extension of the New Deal proposed by Harry Truman that called for higher minimum wage, housing and full employment. It led only to the Housing Act of 1949 and the Social Security Act of 1950 due to opposition in congress. Brain Trust - ANSWER Group of expert policy advisers who worked with FDR in the 1930s to end the great depression Fair Housing Act - ANSWER The federal law that prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, and national origin Social Security Act - ANSWER (FDR) 1935, guaranteed retirement payments for enrolled workers beginning at age 65; set up federal-state system of unemployment insurance and care for dependent mothers and children, the handicapped, and public health Bush v. Gore - ANSWER this case ruled in favor of Bush by saying that recounting the votes in certain counties of Florida was unconstitutional because of equal protection of the law; Gore's wish to make the process as simple and painless as possible backfired Miranda v. Arizona - ANSWER Supreme Court held that criminal suspects must be informed of their right to consult with an attorney and of their right against self-incrimination prior to questioning by police. Marbury v. Madison - ANSWER This case establishes the Supreme Court's power of Judicial Review Dredd Scott v. Sanford - ANSWER A 1857 Supreme Court decision that inflamed hostilities between the north and the south regarding slavery.The Court stated that an African American,was not a citizen and did not have the right to sue for his freedom Regents of the University of California v. Bakke - ANSWER A 1978 Supreme Court decision holding that a state university could not admit less qualified individuals solely because of their race. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka - ANSWER 1954 - The Supreme Court overruled Plessy v. Ferguson, declared that racially segregated facilities are inherently unequal and ordered all public schools desegregated. District of Columbia v. Heller - ANSWER U.S. Supreme Court case that upheld that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to possess a firearm Korematsu v. US - ANSWER 1944 Supreme Court case where the Supreme Court upheld the order providing for the relocation of Japanese Americans. It was not until 1988 that Congress formally apologized and agreed to pay $20,000 2 each survivor McCulloch v. Maryland - ANSWER Maryland was trying to tax the national bank and Supreme Court ruled that federal law was stronger than the state law Gideon v. Wainwright - ANSWER A person who cannot afford an attorney may have one appointed by the government Representative Democracy - ANSWER A system of government in which citizens elect representatives, or leaders, to make decisions about the laws for all the people. Enlightenment thinkers - ANSWER believed that reason could be used to improve society and human nature. political party - ANSWER A group of individuals with broad common interests who organize to nominate candidates for office, win elections, conduct government, and determine public policy Propaganda - ANSWER information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view. Super PACs - ANSWER Independent expenditure-only PACs are known as Super PACs because they may accept donations of any size and can endorse candidates. Their contributions and expenditures must be periodically reported to the FEC. Federalists - ANSWER supporters of the Constitution Antifederalists - ANSWER Opponents of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong central government, generally. Supreme Court - ANSWER Consists of nine justices, each appointed by the President and confirmed by Congress. Appointment is for life. Supreme Court exercises the power to determine constitutionality of statutes President's Cabinet - ANSWER an advisory group created by the president that includes the department heads and other officials chosen by the president President Pro Tempore - ANSWER Officer of the Senate selected by the majority party to act as chair in the absence of the vice president President of the Senate - ANSWER the presiding officer of a senate; in Congress, the vice president of the United States; in a state's legislature, either the lieutenant governor or a senator line-item veto - ANSWER Presidential power to strike, or remove, specific items from a spending bill without vetoing the entire package; declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. The "Necessary and Proper" clause is also known as the - ANSWER Elastic Clause The 11th Amendment - ANSWER Protects the states from some lawsuits. The reallocation of House seats between the States every ten years is known as - ANSWER Reapportionment Shirley Chisholm was - ANSWER The first African American woman to enter the House of Representatives Which is the only Federal legislative office a person can not be appointed to? - ANSWER US House In the majority of States, Federal House district boundaries are determined by - ANSWER The State Legislature Congress's role in watching over the executive branch is known as - ANSWER Oversight Differences between the House and Senate versions of the same bill are sorted out through - ANSWER Conference committee The votes required in each chamber to overturn a Presidential veto are - ANSWER A two-thirds majority in both House and Senate Which Article of the Constitution describes the Powers of the Presidency? - ANSWER Article II As Commander-in-Chief, the president has the sole power to declare war. - ANSWER False What were the qualifications for the executive agreed upon in Philadelphia and included in the Constitution? - ANSWER 35 years old, 14 years residency in the USA, and natural born citizen In United States v Nixon the Supreme Court ruled that - ANSWER Executive privilege does not cover criminal actions by the President. Which of the following Founding Fathers was in favor of the strongest executive? - ANSWER Alexander Hamilton The recordings of President Nixon's conversations ultimately lead to his downfall. Which of the following is a reason he did not make the tapes? - ANSWER To implicate White House counsel John Dean Which of the following powers does the President possess? - ANSWER Grant pardons A brief submitted to the court by a person or organization not directly involved in the case is called - ANSWER An amicus brief. Justices of the Supreme Court - ANSWER Have life tenure.