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Branches of Government
Constitutional Clauses and Amendments
Federalism
Elections
Basic Vocabulary
100
The legislative branch; the executive branch; the judicial branch.
What are the three branches of government in the US?
100
This amendment gives states all the powers not explicitly delegated to the central government in the original Constitution.
What is the 10th Amendment?
100
The organization of government where power is shared between a central government and regional governments. Choices are: federal government, confederal government, or unitary government.
What is federalism?
100
The winner-take-all-system is part of this. It is also the reason why Americans technically do not directly vote for the office of the president and vice president.
What is the electoral college?
100
The organization of government where all of the power resides within the central government. Choices are: federal government, confederal government, or unitary government.
What is a unitary government?
200
This is the elected office that is established by Article II of the U.S. Constitution.
What is the Office of the President? (Executive branch will also be accepted as an answer)
200
The amendment that gave African-Americans citizenship following the end of the Civil War. It also created the incorporation doctrine which applied most of the Bill of Rights to protecting residents from their state's government.
What is the 14th Amendment?
200
An example of this is the ability of both states and the federal government to pass laws and to impose taxes.
What are concurrent powers?
200
This is the age group that is the least likely to vote. (Choices are: young Americans, middle aged Americans, and elderly Americans)
Who are young Americans?
200
These are the powers explicitly delegated to the different branches of government within the U.S. Constitution. For example, Article I clearly states that it is the job of Congress to deal with pirates and to provide the funds to maintain an army.
What are enumerated powers?
300
The system that allows power to be distributed amongst the branches of government so that one branch of government does not have dominant power in the central government.
What is the system of checks and balances?
300
This is the amendment that protects you from unnecessary search and seizures by police.
What is the Fourth Amendment?
300
This landmark U.S. Supreme Court case's decision sided with the federal government by asserting that the U.S. Congress had the right to create and regulate national banks.
What is McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)? (Will accept the answer with minor spelling errors, also without the date)
300
This type of candidate is most likely to win an election due to name recognition, ability to fundraise, and ability to directly resolve constituents' concerns.
Who are incumbent candidates?
300
This is the ability of the media to influence which issues the American public pays attention to and takes action on.
What is agenda setting?
400
The Framers intended for this branch of government to be nonpartisan. It is one of the reasons why a lobbyist would not, and should not, try to lobby anyone within this branch.
What is the judicial branch?
400
This clause is the basis for implied powers of the U.S. Congress. In this clause, it asserts that Congress may pass any laws that are fundamental to the functioning of the United States.
What is the Necessary and Proper Clause?
400
The clause in the Constitution that allows for federal laws to trump any laws issued by states. For example, it is argued by some that due to this clause , Attorney General Jeff Sessions has the constitutional right to take legal action against any states who have legalized marijuana since federal law deems it an illegal substance.
What is the Supremacy Clause?
400
This demographic (race) group most consistently votes for the most liberal candidates.
Who are African-Americans? (Other acceptable responses include Black Americans)
400
This was the plan proposed at the Constitutional Convention that proposed a bicameral and strengthened legislative branch.
What is the Virginia Plan?
500
This branch of government was initially very weak in the Articles of Confederation because the Founders wanted to try to give states more autonomy.
What is the legislative branch?
500
It is also known as the first ten amendments of the U.S. Constitution.
What is the Bill of Rights?
500
This is the term used to describe the federal governments ability to both reward states who are compliant with federal policy and also punish those that are resistant.
What are the "carrots and sticks"?
500
This is the type of information most reported by the media during general elections.
What are day-to-day campaign activities? (Responses with similar meanings or descriptions will be accepted)
500
This late 18th century uprising demonstrated a need to reform the Articles of Confederation in order to create a stronger national government.
What is Shay's Rebellion?