popular sovereignty
This famous three-word phrase opens the Preamble of the Constitution, establishing popular sovereignty
What is "We the People"?
This document is considered the "Supreme Law of the Land," and the government cannot violate it.
What is the Constitution?
Headed by the President, this branch of government is responsible for enforcing and administering laws.
What is the Executive Branch?
This is the President's primary power to reject a bill passed by Congress
What is a veto?
Under federalism, power is divided between the national government and these local governments.
What are state governments?
This is the primary way ordinary citizens exercise their popular sovereignty and choose their leaders.
What is voting (or elections)?
This is the concept that no one is above the law, not even the President or members of Congress.
What is the rule of law?
Made up of the Senate and House of Representatives, this branch is responsible for creating laws
What is the Legislative Branch?
Congress can check a presidential veto if this fraction of members in both houses votes to override it.
What is two-thirds (2/3)?
Coining money, declaring war, and making treaties are powers belonging exclusively to this level of government.
What is the federal (or national) government?
In a system of popular sovereignty, the government gets its right to rule from the consent of this group.
Who are the governed (or the people)?
Added to the Constitution in 1791, this specific section was demanded by Anti-Federalists to explicitly limit federal power over individuals
What is the Bill of Rights?
Headed by the Supreme Court, this branch is responsible for interpreting the laws and the Constitution.
What is the Judicial Branch?
Established by Marbury v. Madison, this is the Supreme Court's power to declare a law unconstitutional.
What is judicial review?
Powers like taxing citizens and building roads are held by both federal and state governments, making them this type of power
What are concurrent powers?
This specific type of government, where citizens elect representatives to make laws for them, is guaranteed by the Constitution
What is a republic (or representative democracy)?
Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution lists things Congress cannot do, which are known by this two-word term
What are denied powers?
This French philosopher famously wrote about the necessity of dividing government power into three separate branches to protect liberty
Who is Montesquieu?
While the President selects federal judges and cabinet members, this specific house of Congress must confirm them.
What is the Senate?
According to the Tenth Amendment, powers not given to the federal government are given to the states, which are called this.
What are reserved powers?
This constitutional amendment expanded popular sovereignty by allowing citizens to directly elect their U.S. Senators instead of state legislatures choosing them.
What is the 17th Amendment?
This historic 1215 English document was one of the earliest inspirations for limiting the power of an absolute ruler
What is the Magna Carta?
The concept of Separation of Powers is structurally spread across these first three specific parts of the U.S. Constitution
What are Articles I, II, and III?
This is the ultimate check the Legislative branch has to put high officials, like the President, on trial for misconduct.
What is impeachment?
Found in Article VI, this clause states that if a state law and a federal law conflict, the federal law wins.
What is the Supremacy Clause?