Key Terms
Define Direct Democracy
One person, One vote
Thomas Jefferson wrote the _________________ to explain why the colonies were breaking away from Great Britain
Declaration of Independence
Brown v Board of Education ruled that ______________
Segregated schools were unconstitutional
What is the 6th Amendment?
What is the right to a speedy, public and impartial trial with a lawyer?
The United States is a ______________ Democracy
Representative
Define Limited Government
The principle that government power is limited by law, and that individuals have certain fundamental rights that the government cannot take away
The U.S. constitution been amended ___ times
27
Which amendment did Engel v Vitale look at
1st Amendment - Religion issue (states can't require prayers)
How did the Constitution fix the problem in the Articles of Confederation of Congress not being able to regulate federal trade?
What is the Interstate commerce Clause to give Congress interstate regulatory powers?
The ______________ was drafted in the Philadelphia Convention
U.S. Constitution
Define Checks and Balances
The system by which the powers of the different branches of government are balanced and limited, preventing any one branch from becoming too powerful
______________ wrote the Letter from Birmingham Jail after being sent to jail for ______________
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ; protesting segregation in Birmingham.
What effect did McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) have on the power of the national government
It strengthened the power of the national government and confirmed the principle of federal supremacy
What does Article IV of the U.S. constitution establish
The relationship between the states and the federal government, and outlines certain obligations of the states to one another
How do people shape public policy (other than voting)? How does policy impact us?
Join political parties, run for office, form/join interest groups, internet postings, peaceably assemble, etc.
Define Federalism
A system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units, such as states or provinces
Brutus No. 1 raised concerns about __________________
The concentration of power in the national government and the potential for the elected representatives to become an elite class, disconnected from the people they were supposed to represent
What clause did US v. Lopez (1995) deal with?
The Commerce Clause in the US Constitution
The supremacy clause can be found in Article ____
Article VI
Theory of government in which power lies among many competing groups
Pluralism
Define Concurrent Powers
Powers that are shared by both the federal government and the states.
Federalist No. 10 addressed __________________
The issue of factions, or interest groups, in a large republic. James Madison argued that a large republic would prevent any single faction from gaining complete control, but also recognized that factions could lead to the suppression of minority opinions
What court case affirmed the supremacy of the US congress to regulate commerce?
Gibbons vs. Ogden
Describe the "Necessary and Proper" Clause
The Necessary and Proper Clause enables Congress to pass special laws to require other departments of the government to prosecute or adjudicate particular claims, whether asserted by the government itself or by private persons
Federalist No. 10 addresses the problem of ___________
Factions