U.S. Founding Documents Quiz

Declaration of Independence

• Used to rally troops and secure foreign alliances.
• Preamble justified the colonies' separation from Britain.

Brutus No. 1

• Argued against a strong central government.
• Warned of threats to individual liberties and state sovereignty.
• Advocated for a decentralized government with more local control.

Federalist No. 10

• Written by James Madison.
• Argued that a republic with many factions would prevent any one faction from dominating.
• Compromise and debate would be necessary to pass laws.

Factions

• Groups of citizens motivated by self-interest aimed at dominating government.

Constitution

• Created a national government with sufficient power to act but without infringing on basic rights.
• Written to address weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

Article 1

• Establishes the legislative branch (Congress).
• Congress is bicameral, composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Article 2

• Establishes the executive branch, headed by the president.
• Outlines presidential election methods, powers, duties, and removal procedures.

Federalist No. 70

• Alexander Hamilton argued for a single, energetic executive.
• This executive is crucial for protecting liberty and property.
• A strong executive can better manage laws and defend against foreign threats.

15th Amendment (1870)

• Prohibits denying voting rights based on race.

17th Amendment

• Established the direct election of senators by the people, rather than state legislatures.

19th Amendment (1920)

• Granted women the right to vote.

22nd Amendment

• Limits presidents to two terms or ten years in office.

24th Amendment

• Abolished poll taxes.

25th Amendment

• Addresses presidential succession and disability.
• Outlines procedures for filling vacancies in the presidency and vice presidency.

McCulloch v. Maryland

• Supreme Court ruled federal law superior to state law. This involved a Maryland tax on a national bank.

Baker v. Carr

• Established the principle of "one person, one vote."
• All votes within a state should have equal weight regardless of residency.

Shaw v. Reno

• Ruled that race cannot be the sole factor in drawing voting districts.
• This case challenged North Carolina's redistricting plan.

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

• Ruled that restrictions on corporate and union contributions to political campaigns violate free speech.

Federalism

• Division of power between national and state governments.

Fiscal Federalism

• How the federal government spends, taxes, and distributes grants to state and local governments.

Categorical Grants

• Funds for specific, clearly defined purposes.

Block Grants

• General funds for programs within a broad category.

Government Mandate

• Federal directives states must follow, often with financial incentives.

Unfunded Mandate

• Federal directives without financial support for compliance.

Concurrent Powers

• Shared powers between national and state governments.

Necessary and Proper Clause

• Grants Congress powers implied but not explicitly stated in the Constitution.

Electoral College

• Unique American institution for presidential selection by electors.

Winner-Take-All System

• The party with one more vote than any other wins all the electoral votes in a state.

Horse-Race Journalism

• News coverage that focuses on who is ahead in a campaign, rather than policy issues.

Incumbency Advantage

• An advantage for the current officeholder during re-election campaigns.

Keynesian Fiscal Policy

• Government spending and tax cuts increase economic activity.

Supply-Side Economics

• Reagan-era policy aimed at increasing economic supply by decreasing tax rates.

Sampling Error

• Potential inaccuracies of a sample survey's findings due to not accurately representing the population.

Retrospective Voting

• Evaluating a candidate's or party's previous performance in office.

Prospective Voting

• Voting based on a candidate's platform and policy proposals.

Political Efficacy

• Belief that political participation can influence policy outcomes.

Exit Polls

• Surveys conducted after voters leave polling places.

Full Faith and Credit Clause

• Article IV, Section 1 of the Constitution requires states to recognize the laws and court decisions of other states.

Underfunded Mandate

• Federal government gradually reduces funding for a program, leaving states to cover the shortfall.

Amendment Process

• Amendments must be proposed and ratified via specific constitutional processes

Participatory Democracy

• Emphasizes broad citizen participation in political processes for a true democracy

Pluralist Democracy

• Characterized by competition and bargaining between interest groups, which influence policies.

Elite Model

• Political power is concentrated in a few influential elite individuals and groups.

Liberal Views

• Support for social equality and active government intervention.

American Political Culture

• Dominant beliefs, customs, traditions, and values defining citizens' relationship with government.

Judicial Review

• Power of federal courts to declare laws unconstitutional.

Limited Government

• Government power is restricted to prevent tyranny over citizens; protecting rights and maintaining checks & balances.

Political Socialization

• Factors influencing voters' political beliefs.

Political Parties

• Organized groups that attempt to place candidates in office.

Candidate-Centered Campaigns

• Campaigns focused on the candidate, not necessarily the party affiliation.

Likelihood of Voting

• Factors such as age, education, gender, and economic status influence voting habits.

Bully Pulpit

• Presidential use of media platforms to promote policies and engage the public.

Executive Checks Legislative

• Veto power, nomination of officials, and budgetary influence.

Legislative Checks Executive

• Impeachment, confirmation or rejection of nominees, and oversight.

House Rules Committee

• Sets rules regulating debates and amendments in the House of Representatives.
• Similar to a "traffic cop" for legislation in the House.

Filibuster

• Senate tactic to delay or block a vote through extended debate.
• Senators can speak for any amount of time until recognized by the presiding officer.

Presidential Approval Ratings

• Public assessment of a president's performance.

Gridlock

• Political stalemate in government when different parties control different branches.

Apportionment

• Allocation of congressional seats based on a state's population during the decennial census.

Congressional Leadership

• Speaker of the House, party leaders, and whips organize and direct the House.

Minority Leader

• Advocates for minority party's agenda and legislation.

Whips

• Links party leaders to other members, facilitating legislative action.

Types of Voters in Congress

• Partisan, delegate, trustee, politician-types, and log-rolling.

Impeachment Process

• House formally accuses, Senate tries and removes an official.

Congressional Oversight

• Congress' authority to monitor executive branch activities.

Interest Group Activities

• Educating the public, lobbying, drafting legislation, mobilizing members.

Lobbying

• Influencing legislative outcomes and policy makers' decisions.

Winner Take All System

• Candidate with most votes wins all electoral votes in a state;
• A voting method.