Roots
American colonists drew on these two classical models of government, one from Athens, one from Rome.
What are direct and representative democracy?
These are the three branches of the U.S. government.
What are the Legislative, Executive & Judicial?
This constitutional provision guarantees freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition.
What is the 1st Amendment?
In our federal system, this part of the government has "expressed", or "enumerated" powers.
What is the national (or federal) government?
This founder wrote the majority of the Federalist Papers, advocating for strong central government.
Who is Alexander Hamilton?
This Enlightenment thinker argued that government must protect natural rights of life, liberty, and property and that people may overthrow rulers who violate those rights.
Who is John Locke?
The name often given to the clause in Article I, Section 8, that empowers the legislative branch to "make all laws which shall be necessary and proper"
What is the “Elastic Clause”?
This doctrine or process describes applying most protections of the Bill of Rights to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.
What is Incorporation?
In our federal system, this part of the government has "reserved" powers.
What are state governments?
This phrase from the Preamble indicates the source of governmental authority in the United States.
What is "We the People"?
This principle—rooted in the Magna Carta and English legal tradition—means that government is based on clear, fairly enforced laws and that no one is above the law
What is the Rule of Law?
The Great Compromise between large and small states led to the creation of these two legislative institutions.
What are the Senate and House of Representatives?
This constitutional provision protects people from government officials conducting unreasonable searches and seizures.
What is the 4th Amendment?
This position is the head of the Executive branch at the state level.
What is a governor?
This charter document describes the founders' philosophy of natural rights that all men were born with.
What is the Declaration of Independence?
This infamous agreement counted enslaved people as part of representation and taxation calculations at the Constitutional Convention.
What is the 3/5 Compromise?
This phrase describes how one branch keeps another branch from becoming too powerful.
What are Checks & Balances?
This important Supreme Court case requires law enforcement officers to advise criminal suspects of their constitutional rights to remain silent, and to have an attorney.
What is Miranda [v. Arizona]?
Taxation is an example of this kind of power, which is shared by federal and state governments.
What are Concurrent Powers?
This is when a state legislature draws legislative districts for the benefit of the majority party.
What is Gerrymandering?
Montesquieu recommended a divided form of government that influenced our constitutional structure; name the specific phrase used to describe that structure.
What is Separation of Powers?
An amendment proposed by Congress must be approved by this fraction of states.
What is 3/4?
In Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court first invoked this power to determine that laws passed by Congress are unconstitutional.
What is Judicial Review?
This is a federalist system in which national, state, and local governments all significantly share powers.
What is Cooperative Federalism?
This is the only process by which a federal judge can be removed from their job.
What is impeachment?