Florida Civic Literacy Exam Study Guide PDF

Florida Civic Literacy Exam Study Guide Dr. Heather Bryson An understanding of the basic principles of American democracy and how they are applied in our republican form of government. 1)​ Democracy a)​ Type of government where power is derived from the people and the people elect...

Florida Civic Literacy Exam Study Guide Dr. Heather Bryson An understanding of the basic principles of American democracy and how they are applied in our republican form of government. 1)​ Democracy a)​ Type of government where power is derived from the people and the people elect representation 2)​ Citizenship a)​ Rights & responsibilities entitled to citizens belonging to a political state or country; only citizens can run for federal office (i.e. President, Congress) 3)​ A Two-Party System a)​ An electoral system with two dominant parties that compete in national elections. The two major parties currently are the Republicans and the Democrats. 4)​ Civic Duty a)​ A belief that one has an obligation to participate in civic and political affairs. 5)​ Civic Responsibility a)​ the responsibilities of a citizen, examples include voting, serving on juries, holding public office 6)​ What is the Electoral College? a)​ The president is elected by a majority of electoral votes. After an election, a group of electors chosen by each state officially cast the electoral votes for their state to choose the President. 7)​ A Governor a)​ The highest-ranking member of a state's executive branch 8)​ A Mayor a)​ The head of a city's government is elected by the people who are citizens of that city 9)​ Federalism a)​ The division of the government into federal and state levels, each having certain powers. 10)​Checks and Balances a)​ system outlining that each branch of government has the power to check the power of the other to make sure no one branch becomes too powerful 11)​What is a bill? a)​ a statute in draft before it becomes law 12)​Who is the Chief Justice? a)​ the judge who presides over the Supreme Court 13)​Popular Sovereignty a)​ The power lies with the people 14)​Natural Rights  a)​ The rights people have by the virtue of being human beings; both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution address the government's role in protecting these rights 15)​Rule of Law a)​ No one is above the law; Everyone must follow the laws, regardless of their position of power. This was established by the Magna Carta in 1215. 16)​Due Process (of law) a)​ Fair treatment through the normal judicial system 17)​Consent of the Governed a)​ The idea that our government derives its power from the people because we elect representatives to the legislative branch of government 18)​Social Contract Theory a)​ The belief is that people are free and equal by natural right, but will give up some freedom to give power to the government so that the government can protect their rights. 19)​What is the Selective Service Act? a)​ The law requiring men to register for military service (in case there is a draft for war) An understanding of the United States Constitution. 1)​ The Constitution: a)​ Sets up the government b)​ Defines the government c)​ Protects the basic rights of Americans 2)​ What is the supreme law of the land? a)​ The Constitution 3)​ The Judicial Branch a)​ The branch of government that interprets the law; is made up of the U.S. Supreme Court and lower federal courts 4)​ The Legislative Branch a)​ The branch of government that makes the laws; is the branch the founders gave the most powers to because it is made up of many representatives elected directly by the people. 5)​ The Executive Branch a)​ The President, Vice President, and Cabinet members who are responsible for carrying out and enforcing the laws. 6)​ The Senate a)​ Upper house of the United States Congress with 100 members-2 from each state; Senators serve 6-year terms and represent all of their state's citizens 7)​ The House of Representatives  a)​ Lower legislative house of Congress; the number of representatives from each state is based on population and each representative is elected by a district in their state; members serve 2-year terms 8)​ The Speaker of the House of Representatives a)​ Leader of the majority party who serves as the presiding officer of the House of Representatives 9)​ Who is the Commander-in-Chief? a)​ The Presiden is the supreme commander of the armed forces of the United States. The idea here is that a civilian, rather than a military general, is at the top of the armed forces. 10)​The Supremacy Clause a)​ The clause of the Constitution states that the Constitution is the highest law of the land. 11)​What is “Reserved Powers”? a)​ Powers reserved for the states; examples: creating and maintaining an education system, creating local governments 12)​Concurrent Powers a)​ powers shared by the state and federal government b)​ Ex: power to tax citizens 13)​Delegated Powers a)​ powers specifically stated in Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution as being granted to Congress b)​ Ex: the power to establish post offices, power to regulate commerce 14)​Implied Powers a)​ powers Congress has that are not specifically stated in the Constitution 15)​The President a)​ The head of the executive branch; powers: enforces laws, signs/vetoes bills, negotiates treaties, nominates Supreme Court justices 16)​What is “veto power”? a)​ The presidential power to stop a bill from becoming law by rejecting it 17)​What is impeachment? a)​ a formal document charging a public official with misconduct in office 18)​The order of Presidential succession: a)​ the order in which officials fill the office of president in case of a vacancy-1. Vice President, 2. Speaker of the House of Representatives, 3. President of the Senate Pro Tempore, … 19)​The Supreme Court a)​ Nine justices nominated by President, confirmed by Senate; highest court in the nation; hears only appeals; interprets Constitutional law 20)​First Amendment a)​ The amendment guarantees the freedom of speech, religion (free exercise), press, assembly, and the right to petition the government 21)​Second Amendment  a)​ The right to bear arms and raise a militia 22)​Third Amendment a)​ Prohibits forced quartering of soldiers 23)​Fourth Amendment a)​ Prohibits unreasonable search & seizures 24)​Fifth Amendment a)​ Protects the right to due process. Prohibits self-incrimination and double jeopardy 25)​Sixth Amendment a)​ Protects the right to a fair and speedy trial. Gives you the right to be notified of accusations, confront the accuser, and obtain a witness for or against you 26)​Seventh Amendment a)​ Provides the right to trial-by-jury in civil cases 27)​Eighth Amendment a)​ Prohibits cruel & unusual punishment 28)​Ninth Amendment a)​ People's rights are not limited to those in the Constitution. 29)​Tenth Amendment a)​ Amendment that states some powers reserved to the states (“Reserved Powers”) 30)​Thirteenth Amendment a)​ Abolition of slavery in the U.S. 31)​Fourteenth Amendment a)​ Amendment that gives rights of citizens: 1)all persons born in the united states are granted citizenship, 2) no state can deny any person the equal protection of the laws, 3)no state can deny any person life, liberty, property without due process of law b)​ The Equal Protection Clause in the Fourteenth Amendment forbids any state to deny to any person equal protection of the laws. i)​ This clause is the major constitutional restraint on the power of governments to discriminate against persons because of race, national origin, or sex. 32)​Fifteenth Amendment a)​ Amendment that doesn't allow you to deny a vote because of race, color, previous condition of servitude (universal male suffrage) b)​ *****13th/14th/15th Amendments are known as the Civil War Amendments because they all deal with the freedom and rights of newly freed Americans*** 33)​Sixteenth Amendment a)​ Congress has a right to levy income taxes b)​ Think of the 16th when you see the money withheld from your paycheck 34)​Seventeenth Amendment a)​ Amendment that gives the right to elect US senators by popular vote 35)​Eighteenth Amendment a)​ No more alcohol! 36)​Twenty-First Amendment a)​ Alcohol back!  37)​Nineteenth Amendment a)​ Women get the right to vote (finally!!!) 38)​Twenty-Second Amendment a)​ The President can serve only two full terms in office Knowledge of the founding documents/events and how they have shaped the nature and functions of our institutions of self-governance. 1)​ The Mayflower Compact a)​ 1620, The first agreement for self-government in America. It was signed by the 41 men on the Mayflower and set up a government for the Plymouth colony (Pilgrims). 2)​ The English Bill of Rights a)​ 1689, a document written by the English Parliament, designed to prevent abuse of power by English monarchs; parts of the U.S. Bill of Rights have a foundation in that document 3)​ The Boston Tea Party a)​ 1773, a demonstration by citizens of Boston who raided three British ships in Boston harbor and dumped hundreds of chests of tea into the harbor; was organized as a protest against taxes on tea. 4)​ Intolerable Acts/Coercive Acts a)​ 1774, A series of acts passed by the government in response to the Boston Tea Party. They caused outrage, as the colonists viewed the acts as a violation of their rights. This led to the creation of the First Continental Congress and the Revolutionary War. 5)​ The Declaration of Independence a)​ 1776, Written by Thomas Jefferson and adopted on July 4, 1776, establishing the 13 American colonies as independent states, free from rule by Great Britain. The preamble (first section) lists our unalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 6)​ Common Sense a)​ 1776, a pamphlet was written by Thomas Paine that advocated for the colonies to declare independence from Britain; supported the need for a democratic government where the people had representation 7)​ The American Revolution a)​ 1776-1783, the war between Great Britain and its American colonies, by which the colonies won their independence 8)​ The Articles of Confederation a)​ 1781, This document was adopted by the Second Continental Congress during the Revolutionary War to create a national government. The new government was weak because states held most of the power, and Congress lacked the power to tax, regulate trade, or control the coining of money. It was later replaced with the U.S. Constitution. 9)​ The Constitutional Convention  a)​ 1787, a meeting of state delegates to revise the Articles of Confederation, which produced the new U.S. Constitution 10)​The Great Compromise a)​ 1787, set up a bicameral Congress - the upper house called Senate with each state getting 2 votes & a lower house called the House of Representatives with each state's representation based on its population satisfying both the large and small states 11)​⅗ Compromise a)​ 1787, the compromise made when writing the Constitution to satisfy both free and slave states; said for every 5 slaves, 3 would count in a state's population for both representation and tax purposes (the debate was about counting the population of the state) An understanding of landmark Supreme Court cases and their impact on law and society. Landmark Supreme Court Cases 1)​ Marbury v. Madison, 1803 a)​ Supreme Court decides if laws passed by Congress or President are constitutional b)​ Establishes Judicial Review 2)​ McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) a)​ The Supreme Court upheld the power of the national government and denied the right of a state to tax the federal bank using the Constitution's supremacy clause. b)​ The Court's broad interpretation of the necessary and proper clause paved the way for later rulings upholding expansive federal powers 3)​ Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) a)​ Supreme Court decision that stated that slaves were not citizens; that living in a free state or territory, did not free slaves 4)​ Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896 a)​ Supreme Court case that ruled separate but equal public accommodations for White and Black Americans was constitutional 5)​ Brown v. Board of Education, 1954 a)​ The Supreme Court overruled Plessy v. Ferguson, declared that racially segregated facilities are inherently unequal, and ordered all public schools desegregated. (Fourteenth Amendment-Equal Protection Clause) 6)​ Miranda v. Arizona, 1961 a)​ This case proves that the 5th Amendment requires that individuals arrested for a crime must be advised of their right to remain silent and to have counsel present. (Fifth Amendment) b)​ Miranda was arrested for kidnapping and rape; held for two hours of questioning without the police telling him that he had the right to remain silent and had access to an attorney. 7)​ Mapp v. Ohio (1961)  a)​ Evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment, which protects against "unreasonable searches and seizures," may not be used in criminal prosecutions in state courts, as well as federal courts. (Fourth Amendment) b)​ Police waved a fake warrant to enter a home suspected of having a bomb. Found pornography instead. 8)​ Engel v. Vitale (1962) a)​ the separation between Church and State in schools. b)​ prayer in public schools is unconstitutional, violates the separation of church and state, and freedom of religion (First Amendment) 9)​ Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) a)​ State courts are required to provide counsel in criminal cases for defendants who are unable to afford their own attorneys. (Sixth Amendment) b)​ Public defenders 10)​In Re Gault (1967) a)​ Supreme Court Case: Due Process Clause allows requirements for state delinquency proceedings. Established the principle that young persons have constitutional rights. (Fourteenth Amendment) b)​ Minor made an obscene phone call to a neighbor. 11)​Tinker v. Des Moines (1968) a)​ First Amendment applied to public schools, and that administrator would have to demonstrate constitutionally valid reasons for any specific regulation of speech in the classroom (First Amendment) b)​ Students were wearing black armbands to protest the war in Vietnam 12)​Roe v. Wade (1973) a)​ Fourth Amendment (right to privacy) and Fourteenth Amendment (due process clause) protects the right of pregnant women who choose to have an abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy. (Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments) ****** Overturned by Dobbs in 2022 13)​ U.S. v. Nixon a)​ resulted in a unanimous decision against President Richard Nixon, ordering him to deliver b)​ considered a crucial precedent limiting the power of any U.S. president to claim executive privilege. 14)​Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, (1988) a)​ The U.S. Supreme Court held for the first time that public schools can limit what appears in school-sponsored student publications. b)​ Student journalists in high school tried to publish stories in the school newspaper about teen pregnancies and divorce, prohibited by the school 15)​Bush v. Gore, 2000 a)​ The court ruled that manual recounts of presidential ballots in the Nov. 2000 election could not proceed because of inconsistent evaluation