Foundations
The document that established the rule of law.
What is the Magna Carta?
A minor change or addition designed to improve a text, piece of legislation, etc.
What is an amendment?
The action a president can take to informally kill a bill by leaving it on his desk for 10 days.
What is a pocket veto?
Making an official choice for or against someone or something by casting a ballot.
What is voting?
The action or state of setting someone or something apart from others.
What is segregation?
The type of government in which people vote directly on the law.
What is direct democracy?
The governing document prior to the Constitution.
What is the Articles of Confederation?
The section of the executive branch that enforces laws and fills in legislative grey area.
What is the bureaucracy?
The type of election to remove a person from office.
What is a recall election?
The annual tax imposed by some states before a person was allowed to vote.
What is a poll tax?
The idea that governments should be ruled with the consent of the governed.
What is popular sovereignty?
The group of individuals that fought for the ratification of the Constitution.
Who are the Federalists?
The technique used by SCOTUS to analyze the constitutionality of the actions of other branches.
What is judicial review?
The population that an official represents.
What is a constituency?
The event in which President Eisenhower sent the Army National Guard to integrate/desegregate a high school in Arkansas.
What is Little Rock Nine?
The Enlightenment philosopher who coined the idea of natural rights that later influenced the Declaration of Independence.
Who is John Locke?
The constitutional compromise that led to the creation of the bicameral legislature.
What is the Great Compromise?
The redistricting technique used to benefit a specific party or candidate.
What is gerrymandering?
A yes or no vote by citizens on a law or candidate proposed by the state government.
What is a referendum?
To deprive (someone) of a right or privilege.
What is disenfranchise?
The idea that governments should have the responsibilities split between branches of government.
What is the separation of powers?
The powers given to federal government by the Constitution.
What are the enumerated/expressed powers?
The type of committee created when the House and the Senate create un-identical bills in the legislative process.
What is Conference Committee?
An election to vote on a law or constitutional amendment proposed and passed by the voters.
What is an initiative election?
The state and local laws that promoted racial segregation and undermined Black voting rights in the south after Reconstruction
What are Jim Crow laws?