📜The Paper Trail
"Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" — name this breakup letter.
What is the Declaration of Independence?
Government based on elected representatives speaking for the people? That's this.
What is republicanism? Or Democratic Republic?
This landmark case gave SCOTUS a superpower: judicial review.
What is Marbury v. Madison?
This clause lets Congress stretch its powers like political yoga.
What is the Necessary & Proper Clause (Elastic Clause)?
This type of democracy says you vote directly on policy decisions.
What is participatory democracy?
This document flopped harder than a bad sequel—no power to tax, no exec, just vibes.
What are the Articles of Confederation?
System where national and state govs are in a power-sharing (sometimes bickering) relationship.
What is federalism?
Maryland tried to tax the national bank—SCOTUS said “Not today!”
What is McCulloch v. Maryland?
When federal and state laws collide, this clause declares a winner.
What is the Supremacy Clause?
This big Compromise created our bicameral Congress—House for the big states, Senate for the small.
What is the Great Compromise?
Madison’s Fed 10 feared this divisive force but believed a large republic could tame it.
What are factions?
Powers literally spelled out like ink on parchment.
What are enumerated powers?
This case boosted Congress’s power over interstate trade using the Commerce Clause.
What is Gibbons v. Ogden?
Found in Article I, this clause gives Congress the power to regulate trade between states.
What is the Commerce Clause?
This clause kicked off one of the earliest debates about slavery and representation.
What is the Three-Fifths Compromise?
Necessary and Proper are wholly unnecessary and improper! A large government, unchecked, is the source of true tyranny. Right, Cesar?
What is Brutus No. 1?
hese rights aren’t just good ideas—they’re life, liberty, and property must-haves.
What are natural rights?
In this case, Marshall ruled that national laws are supreme over state laws.
What is McCulloch v. Maryland?
This clause in Article IV says states must honor each other’s laws (like driver’s licenses).
What is the Full Faith and Credit Clause?
This model of democracy says a few wealthy elites run the show behind the scenes.
What is elite democracy?
What is Federalist 51?
The people are the boss. Say it fancy.
What is popular sovereignty?
This case contracted federal jurisdiction over lawmaking and ruled that some powers are better left with the states.
What is US v. Lopez?
The Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause are both found here.
What is the First Amendment?
In this model of democracy, interest groups duke it out like political UFC fighters.
What is pluralist democracy?