Enlightenment Ideas
This philosopher argued that people possess life, liberty, and property simply by being human.
John Locke
In this form of government, citizens vote directly on issues like whether to build a new park.
Democracy (or direct democracy)
This amendment protects a news reporter who criticizes the president's policies without government punishment.
1st Amendment
The Constitution separates power among three branches so no single branch becomes too powerful, demonstrating this principle.
Limited government (or separation of powers)
This amendment abolished slavery in the United States.
13th Amendment
Enlightenment thinkers used this approach, logic and reason rather than tradition or religion, to understand government.
Rationalism
A government where a small group of wealthy business owners controls all decisions.
Oligarchy
This amendment allows a citizen to legally purchase a firearm for home protection.
2nd Amendment
A state creates its own education standards because the Constitution doesn't give that power to the federal government, illustrating this amendment.
10th Amendment
The 19th and 26th Amendments both expanded democracy by doing this.
Expanding the electorate/who could participate in voting
This theory says citizens agree to follow laws and give government authority in exchange for protection of their rights.
Social Contract
In this system, citizens elect representatives to Congress who make laws on their behalf.
Republicanism (or representative democracy)?
Police must obtain a warrant before searching someone's home under this amendment.
4th Amendment
In this system, both federal and state governments can levy taxes, maintain courts, and create laws within their respective jurisdictions.
Federalism
This amendment guaranteed women's voting rights.
19th Amendment
In Common Sense, Thomas Paine argued government should serve this primary purpose.
Protecting individual liberty and preventing concentration of power in the hands of a monarch or small elite
Queen Elizabeth II inherited her position from her father, King George VI, in this form of government.
Monarchy
A defendant can refuse to testify at their own trial under this amendment.
5th Amendment
The amendment process requires this type of support at multiple levels, making change possible but deliberately difficult.
Supermajority support (or 3/4 vote)
The 14th Amendment's equal protection clause did this to the relationship between federal and state governments
Extending federal authority to regulate state governments' treatment of citizens and individual rights.
This Enlightenment thinker's concept of separation of powers influenced the U.S. Constitution by dividing government into executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
Charles de Montesquieu
A dictator makes all decisions without input from citizens or other officials in this form of government.
Autocracy
Courts recognize a right to privacy even though it's not mentioned in the Constitution, thanks to this amendment.
9th Amendment
This major limitation of the Articles of Confederation led to the Constitution.
The lack of power to levy taxes and regulate interstate commerce
The 24th Amendment, which prohibited poll taxes, and the 26th Amendment, which lowered the voting age to 18, both expanded democracy by doing this.
Removing barriers that prevented eligible citizens from voting.