More Supreme Court Cases
the Due Process Clause of Fourteenth Amendment makes the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms for the purpose of self-defense applicable to the states and bans on guns in any part of the United States are in violation of citizens’ Second Amendment rights.
McDonald vs. Chicago
Most common process is to have ⅔ of vote in both chambers to propose an amendment and ¾ of vote of state legislature to ratify an amendment
Article V (5)
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people meaning (people have additional rights to those specifically mentioned in the constitution)
9th Amendment
These individuals opposed the ratification of the Constitution out of fears that the new national government would become too strong and that states would lose their autonomy
Antifederalists
Voting for candidates of different political parties on the same ballot
split-ticket voting
voluntary associations of people who come together with the goal of getting the policies that they favor enacted
Interest groups
Under the necessary and proper clause, Congress may create a national bank and under the Supremacy clause, states cannot tax it.
McCulloch vs. Maryland
Part of this creates one Supreme Court, allows Congress to create lower courts, salary can’t be reduced while in office, terms of “good behavior” (life)
Article III (3) Judicial Branch
No state can make laws that deny someone any privileges or immunities of U.S. citizens or deny someone life, liberty, or property without due process of law or deny anyone equal protection of the laws
14th Amendment
Agreement that there would be two chambers of Congress: the House of Representatives which each state's representation will be based on population and the Senate where each state will have two representatives regardless of population
Great Compromise
voting based on what a citizen believes is in his or her best interest
rational choice voting
when the media focuses on the polls in an election and which candidate is ahead instead of the viewpoints that each candidate is taking on issues
horse race journalism
The First Amendment does not protect speech that creates a clear and present danger of a significant evil that Congress has power to prevent such as printing pamphlets encouraging young men to disobey the draft during a war.
Schenck vs. United States
This article states that Congress may create all laws necessary and proper and shall regulate commerce between states and with foreign governments
Article I (1)
Clarified succession plan for vacancies of President or Vice President and allowed President to select a new Vice President with majority vote of both chambers of Congress
25th Amendment
Each state had one vote regardless of size and 9 of 13 states needed to pass anything. Weaknesses included: the National government the couldn't tax, No independent leadership position to direct the government and Did not allow the government to regulate interstate and foreign commerce.
Articles of Confederation
all registered voters may vote, but voters may only vote on a ballot for one political party in these elections to choose nominees for that political party for the general election
open primaries
applying the Bill of Rights to the states on a case by case basis
selective incorporation
The government must be able to prove a substantial threat to national security to stop newspapers from printing information under Freedom of the Press, which means going beyond that the items are stolen classified documents
New York Times vs. United Staters
This article has clauses such as full faith and credit clause for laws and judicial proceedings of each state, citizens get all privileges and immunities of each state, and provides the process to admit new states
Article IV (4)
no one can be held to answer for a federal crime unless a grand jury determines sufficient evidence or be tried for the same crime twice or has to testify against himself/herself or lose life, liberty, or property without due process of law or lose private property without just compensation
5th Amendment
People have natural rights that cannot be taken away by government such as life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness and people agree to government to protect natural rights and can remove rulers (revolt) who violate these inalienable rights.
Declaration of Independence
a state where levels of support for the parties are similar and elections go back and forth between Democrats and Republicans in presidential elections
swing state
political power is distributed among many competing groups, which means that no one group can grow too powerful
pluralism
Students do not automatically lose their first amendment rights of freedom of speech on school property unless the school can prove that it will disrupt the operations of the school, which wearing armbands to protest a war did not do
Tinker vs. Des Moines Independent County School District
This article includes that the Constitution and federal laws are supreme law of the land (supremacy clause) and that all office holders take oath of office to uphold Constitution.
Article VI (6)
outlawed poll taxes in all federal elections including primaries
24th Amendment
This was an agreement in the Constitution on how slaves would be counted for the purposes of taxation and representation
3/5 Compromise
major national election that signals a change in the balance of power between the two parties
critical election
the intentional use of redistricting to benefit a specific interest or group of voters, typically done by the majority party in the state legislature
gerrymandering