Philosophical Foundations
This form of government means “government by the people.”
What is democracy?
This document explained why the colonies separated from Great Britain.
What is the Declaration of Independence?
This branch makes laws and includes the Senate and House of Representatives.
What is the legislative branch?
Freedom of speech, religion, and press are examples of these freedoms or protections
What are rights?
This amendment protects freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.
What is the First Amendment?
This level of government handles national defense, immigration, and foreign policy.
What is the federal government?
This First Amendment freedom allows news organizations to publish information without government censorship.
What is freedom of the press?
John Locke argued that people are born with these basic rights: life, liberty, and property.
What are natural rights?
This was the first plan of government for the United States---our first draft of the Constitution---but it created a weak national government.
What were the Articles of Confederation?
This branch enforces laws and includes the President, Cabinet, and federal agencies.
What is the executive branch?
Beyond just following laws, this is what it means to be an active citizen — staying informed, voting, and participating in your community
What are responsibilities or civic responisbilites?
In Marbury v. Madison, Chief Justice John Marshall established the power for the Supreme Court to determine laws unconstitutional. What is that known as?
What is Judicial Review?
This state executive leader enforces Massachusetts state laws and leads the Executive Branch
Who is the governor?
This means government or authority blocking information.
What is censorship?
The Founders were so worried about one person gaining too much power that they built this into the Constitution — splitting authority among three separate branches.
What is separation of powers?
This rebellion showed that the national government under the Articles was too weak to respond to crises.
What is Shay's Rebellion?
This branch interprets laws and includes the Supreme Court and lower federal courts.
What is the judicial branch?
This principle means the government must follow fair procedures — like a trial — before taking away someone's freedom or property.
What is due process?
This Massachusetts branch makes state laws and includes the State Senate and House of Representatives.
What is the state legislative branch?
Ancient Rome influenced this idea, where citizens elect people to make decisions for them. What type of democracy do we have in the United States?
What is representative democracy?
This group supported ratifying the Constitution because they wanted a stronger national government.
Who were the Federalists?
This power allows the President to reject a bill passed by Congress.
What is a veto?
This Supreme Court case declared school segregation unconstitutional
What is Brown v. Board of Education?
In this form of local government, residents vote directly on local issues.
What is a town meeting?
This kind of media gives the opinion of a newspaper or publication.
What is an editorial?
This principle means leaders and citizens must all follow the law.
What is rule of law?
This was added to the Constitution in 1791 to protect individual freedoms and helped answer Anti-Federalist concerns.
What is the Bill of Rights?
This system is used to determine presidential elections.
What is the Electoral College?
This amendment includes citizenship, due process, and equal protection.
What is the Fourteenth Amendment?
This amendment reserves powers not given to the federal government to the states or the people.
What is the Tenth Amendment?
When evaluating news, students should check the source, evidence, date, point of view, and missing information to judge this.
What is credibility?