The federal government often provides grants of money to state and local governments, including this type of grant, in which states are told exactly how the money should be spent.
What are categorical grants?
100
During the debate over the new Constitution, the founders split into these two "parties" due to a disagreement over how powerful the national government should be.
Who were the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists?
100
This amendment prohibits the government from infringing upon freedom of the press, the right to peaceably assemble, and the right to free speech.
What is the 1st amendment?
100
Southern states used these segregation laws to systematically undermine the rights of minorities for almost 100 years after the civil war.
What are Jim Crow Laws?
100
The first ten amendments to the Constitution are collectively referred to by this name.
What is the Bill of Rights?
200
In this type of federalism, states and the national government each had their own distinctive responsibilities, and operated largely independently from one another.
What is dual federalism? (Also referred to as the "layered cake" model)
200
Congress is given 17 of these in the constitution, essentially telling them what they are responsible for doing
What are enumerated powers?
200
Writing something knowingly false, also referred to as this term, is a type of speech that is generally not protected by the courts.
What is libel?
200
The 15th amendment extended this basic civil right to African American males. Women didn't receive this right until the 19th amendment.
What is the right to vote?
200
The United States is this type of government, which allows its citizens to vote to choose their own elected officials.
What is a Democratic Republic?
Also acceptable: Constitutional Republic, Democracy, Republic, etc.
300
The New Deal initiated this type of federalism, in which the national and local governments work together to solve public problems.
What is cooperative federalism? (also referred to as "marble cake" federalism)
300
In order to carry out its granted powers, Congress also has the ability to make laws that are deemed "necessary and proper" thanks to this useful clause in the Constitution.
What is the elastic clause?
300
The Supreme Court initially stated that this type of speech, which includes the burning of flags, was not covered under Constitutional Rights, but changed their mind in 1989 after Texas v. Johnson.
What is symbolic speech?
300
The 1965 court case Griswold v. Connecticut struck down a state law that prohibited the use of birth control. The courts said it violated this right, which you won't find written in the constitution.
What is the right to privacy?
300
This document was the first attempt at a national Constitution, but failed, largely due to lack of a central government.
What are the Articles of Confederation?
400
This amendment established the idea of "reserved powers" because it states that any powers not given to the federal government were left to the states.
What is the 10th Amendment?
400
Small states and large states reached an agreement on the issue of how many representatives each state should have in this this event, which took elements from the Virginia plan, and the New Jersey plan.
What is the Connecticut Compromise?
400
This landmark 1961 court case resulted in the "exclusionary rule", which prohibited the use of illegally obtained evidence in court cases, stating that it is a violation of the 4th amendment.
What is Mapp v. Ohio
400
In this 1966 court case, the court declared that police must now read rights to citizens that they arrest.
What is Miranda v. Arizona?
400
The founders believed it was wise to have a separation of powers in order to keep one person from becoming to powerful, so they divided government into these three branches.
What are the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative Branches?
500
This constitutional clause states that the laws and treaties of the United States are the highest law of the land. Bad news for states trying to legalize marijuana.
What is the supremacy clause?
500
In order to convince the South to ratify the Consitution, the North had to make some concessions in the document, including this one, which says how slaves should be counted for representation and taxation purposes.
What is the Three-Fifths Compromise?
500
John Adams encouraged Congress to pass these laws in 1798, which punished members of the press for being overly critical of the president. Jefferson pardoned all those convicted when he took office, believing that these acts violated civil liberties.
What were the Alien and Sedition Acts?
500
This amendment requires states and local governments to follow the national constitution and provide citizens with due process. This was a big win for civil rights and civil liberties, even though it wasn't really enforced until 100 years later.
What is the 14th amendment?
500
This term refers to a legislative branch that is formed by two separate chambers, like the U.S. Congress which has the House of Representatives and Senate.