Civic Literacy

Amendments

100

This amendment protects freedom of assembly

1st amendment

200

This amendment requires police to get a warrant before searching you or your belongings

4th Amendment

300

This amendment allows Americans to vote regardless of gender

19th

400

This amendment requires the government to provide a lawyer if someone cannot afford one

6th amendment

500

The courts interpreted this amendment so that anyone born in the US is automatically a US citizen.

14th Amendment

Supreme Court Cases

100

This case established the idea of "separate but equal"

Plessy v. Ferguson

200

This court case abolished "separate but equal" and required public places to desegregate

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka

300

This court case created the juvenile justice system

In re Gault

400

This case ruled that Japanese-Americans could legally be imprisoned because of their ethnic background during WWII

Korematsu v United States

500

This court case established that Native Americans born on reservations were not automatically US citizens

Elk v. Wilkins

Founding Principles

100

This founding principle states that powers should be divided between the state level and the national level

Federalism

200

The principle that government officials should have a way to limit each others powers

Checks and balances

300

The idea that governmental powers need to be spread across several government officials

Separation of powers

400

This founding principle states that government gets its power from...

"the consent of the governed"

500

This system was created as a compromise between founders who wanted citizens to vote for president and founders who wanted Congress to choose the president

The Electoral College

Forms of government

100

In this system, every decision is made by citizens who vote

Democracy

200

In this system, voters choose government officials who make decisions and run the country

Democratic Republic

300

In this system, a king or queen is the leader and makes all decisions

Absolute monarchy

400

In this system, a single person controls the government and makes all the decisions

Dictatorship or Authoritarian

500

In this system of government, a small group of people (usually wealthy) operate the government

Oligarchy

Unit 1: Foundations of government

100

The type of government the US has

Democratic Republic

200

This governing document came before the Constitution and failed because it did not create a strong central government.

Articles of Confederation

300

This Article of the Constitution created the legislative branch

Article 1

400

This compromise was written into the Constitution, and allowed states to count a specific group of people as less for tax and representation purposes

3/5ths Compromise

500

This landmark document, signed in 1215, is often regarded as the foundation for modern democracy and established the principle that everyone, including the king, is subject to the law. 

Magna Carta