Founding
This event revealed that the congress created by the Articles of Confederation lacked the power to act in a crisis
Shays’s Rebellion
Which Amendment to the Constitution states that the powers not delegated to the national government are “reserved to the States respectively, or to the people”?
10th Amendment
What are civil liberties? And give an example.
The protections of citizens from improper governmental action. Some examples: freedom of speech, press, religion, cruel and unusual punishment, unreasonable search and seizure etc.
Where is the Equal Protection clause found and what does it say?
14th amendment. Guarantees equal protection under the laws for all people under a state’s jurisdiction.
In the struggle over the Constitution, this was the “party” that was most likely to advocate greater democracy and insist that representatives must be “a true picture of the people”
The Anti-Federalists
Which SCOTUS case declared that the national laws are superior to the state laws, whenever they conflict?
McCulloch V. Maryland
What is the Miranda rule and how and why was it established?
The convention derived from the Supreme Court’s 1966 ruling in the case of Miranda v. Arizona whereby persons under arrest must be informed of their legal rights, including their right to counsel, before undergoing police interrogation.
In what case was the “Separate but Equal” doctrine articulated and what does it mean?
Plessy v. Ferguson. The doctrine that public accommodations could be segregated by race but still be equal.
The Agreement Reached at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that gave each state an equal number of senators regardless of size of its population, and linked representation in the House of Reps, to population size
The Great Compromise (or Connecticut Compromise)
What is a legislative body composed of two chambers or houses called?
Bicameral legislature
What is the primary difference between libel and slander? And give an example of one of them.
Libel is a written statement made in “reckless disregard of the truth” and considered damaging to a victim because it is “malicious, scandalous, and defamatory.” Slander is an oral statement to that same end. Libel would be if the NYTimes printed an article containing false and malicious statements about Andrew Reeves. Slander would be if I got on CNN and did the same thing.
How many states have ratified the Equal Rights Amendment, as of today?
38
What were the Federalist Papers and who wrote them?
A collection of articles and essays written under the pseudonym “Publius” intended to promote the ratification of the Constitution. Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, James Madison
The ways in which each branch of government is able to influence the activities of the other branches is known as...
Checks and balances
Name two SCOTUS cases involving the right to privacy
Roe v. Wade
Lawrence v. Texas
Griswold v. Connecticut
Olmstead v. US
Loving v. Virginia,
What level of scrutiny does the SCOTUS apply to cases involving gender discrimination?
Intermediate scrutiny
What suggestion do Howell and Moe (America’s Antiquated Constitution Article) make to create a more efficient government?
Presidential “fast track” authority. Presidents would craft policy proposals—which are likely to be far more coherent, well integrated, and effective than anything Congress would design—and Congress would be required to vote up or down on those proposals, within a specified period of time and on a majoritarian basis, without changing them.
Name the 2 ways that COVID is testing the federalist framework (according to Jha article)
(1) Governors’ executive powers have expanded
(2) Variation in the legal frameworks that govern the electoral process
From the Bazelon article, name one (or more) ways recent SCOTUS cases changed the power of the first amendment.
Moved from preserving a person’s freedom to dissent to entrenching the power of wealthy interests.
“Weaponizing the First Amendment” in the service of corporate interests
Used to protect an individual’s intentional lies, at least as long as they don’t cause serious harm.
Describe the difference between De Jure and De Facto segregation.
De Jure → Racial segregation that is a direct result of law or official policy.
De Facto → Racial segregation that is not a direct result of law or government policy but is, instead, a reflection of residential patterns, income distributions, or other social factors.