7th Grade Civics Midterm- Florida Vermette

Famous line from DOI

"All men are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness"

First sentence of DOI

"When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."

Magna Carta

(1215) a charter of liberties (freedoms) that King John "Lackland" of Englad was forced to sign; it made the king obey the same laws as the citizens of his kingdom

Requirements for Representative

1. 25 years old 2. citizen of US for at least 7 years 3. resident in state which elected

Requirements for Senate

1. 30 years old 2. citizen for 9 years 3. resident of state

How does a bill become a law?

1. Each house passes a version of a bill. 2. A conference merges the two bills. 3. The House and Senate vote on the revised bill. 4. The President signs, vetoes, or ignores the bill.

What are the 6 goals of the preamble?

1. Form a more perfect union 2. Establish justice 3. Insure domestic tranquility 4. Provide for the common defense 5. Promote the general welfare 6. Secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity

Requirments for President

1. natural born citizen 2. live in us for 14 years 3. Be at least 35 years of age

Mayflower Compact

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.

English Bill of Rights

1689- laws protecting the rights of English subjects and Parliament

Sugar Act

1764- English Parliament placed a tariff on sugar, coffee, wines, and molasses. colonists avoided the tax by smuggling and by bribing tax collectors.

Quartering Act

1765 - Required the colonials to provide food, lodging, and supplies for the British troops in the colonies.

Stamp Act

1765- law that taxed printed goods, including: playing cards, documents, newspapers, etc.

Tea Act

1773- act which eliminated import tariffs on tea entering England and allowed the British East India Company to sell directly to consumers rather than through merchants. Led to the Boston Tea Party.

Thomas Pain's Common Sense

1776- convinced many colonists to separate from Britain. He said that colonists had nothing to gain and much to lose by staying tied to an unjust king

Articles of Confederation

1st Constitution of the U.S. 1781-1788 (weaknesses-no executive, no judicial, no power to tax, no power to regulate trade)

How many amendments does the Constitution have?

27

How could an amendment to the Constitution that failed because only 2/3 of the states ratified it still be passed?

3/4 of the State Legislatures ratify it

The First Amendment

5 freedoms: speech, press, religion, assembly, petition

Shay's Rebellion

A 1787 rebellion in which ex-Revolutionary War soldiers attempted to prevent foreclosures of farms as a result of high interest rates and taxes

Continental Congress

A body of representatives from the British North American colonies who met to respond to England's Intolerable Acts. They declared independence in July 1776 and later drafted the Articles of Confederation.

Amendment

A change to the Constitution

The Federalist Papers

A collection of 85 articles written under the name "Publius" to defend the Constitution in detail.

Direct Democracy

A form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives

Confederal System of Government

A form of government in which independent states unite to accomplish common goals.

Oligarchy

A government ruled by a few powerful people

Monarchy

A government ruled by a king or queen

Federal system of government

A government that divides the powers of government between the national government and state or provincial governments

Confederation

A joining of several groups for a common purpose.

Enlightenment

A movement in the 18th century that advocated the use of reason in the reappraisal of accepted ideas and social institutions.

proposal

A plan or suggestion put forward for consideration or discussion by others

Democracy

A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

Socialism

A system in which society, usually in the form of the government, owns and controls the means of production.

Representative Democracy

A system of government in which citizens elect representatives, or leaders, to make decisions about the laws for all the people.

Parliamentary System of government

A system of government in which the legislature selects the prime minister or president.

Checks and Balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power

Federalists

A term used to describe supporters of the Constitution during ratification debates in state legislatures.

Social Contract

A voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their rights and welfare by creating a government and abiding by its rules.

Declaratory Act

Act passed in 1766 after the repeal of the stamp act; stated that Parliament had authority over the the colonies and the right to tax and pass legislation "in all cases whatsoever."

Loyalist

American colonists who remained loyal to Britain and opposed the war for independence

Thomas Jefferson

Author of the Declaration of Independence

Where does Congress meet?

Capitol Building in Washington D.C.

Example of checks and balances

Congress can check the executive branch by controlling taxes and spending

Separation of Powers

Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, with the legislative branch making law, the executive applying and enforcing the law, and the judiciary interpreting the law

United States Constitution

Document creating the United States government. Based on Enlightenment ideas. Ratified in 1788.

Executive Branch

Enforces laws

John Locke

English philosopher who advocated the idea of a "social contract" in which government powers are derived from the consent of the governed and in which the government serves the people; also said people have natural rights to life, liberty and property.

Baron de Montesquieu

French aristocrat who wanted to limit royal absolutism; Wrote The Spirit of Laws, urging that power be separated between executive, legislative, and judicial branches, each balancing out the others, thus preventing despotism and preserving freedom. This greatly influenced writers of the US Constitution. He greatly admired British form of government.

Judicial Branch

Interprets the laws

Preamble to the Constitution

Introduction to the U.S. Constitution, establishing the goals and purposes of government, starts "We the People"

Authors of the Federalist Papers

James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay

King George III

King of England during the American Revolution

Three branches of government

Legislative, Executive, Judicial

Legislative Branch

Makes laws

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the American Constitution at the time when the states were contemplating its adoption.

enumerated powers

Powers specifically given to Congress in the Constitution; including the power to collect taxes, coin money, regulate foreign and interstate commerce, and declare war.

What are the three parts to the Constitution?

Preamble, Articles, Amendments

Florida Constitution

Preamble, Articles, Amendments, including a Florida Declaration of Rights, is about Florida living. Similar to the US constitution because they both established three branches of government and lists basic rights

Parts of DOI

Preamble, Natural Rights, List of Grievances, Dissolving the Bonds

2nd Amendment

Right to keep and bear arms

Declaration of Independence

Signed in 1776 by US revolutionaries; it declared the United States as a free state.

Where does the Judicial Branch meet?

Supreme Court Building

Where does the president live and work?

The White House, Washington DC

Judicial Branch

The branch of government that is endowed with the authority to interpret and apply the law, adjudicate legal disputes, and otherwise administer justice.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution

Accomplishments of the Articles of Confederation

Treaty of Paris (1783), The Land Ordinance of 1785, Northwest Ordinance (1787)

What is the supreme law of the land?

U.S. Constitution

Complaints in the Declaration of Independence

Unfair taxation, no representation, unfair trials, violations of rights

What are the first three words of the Constitution?

We the people

Communism

a political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs.

bill

a proposed law

Autocracy

a system of government by one person with absolute power.

Requirements for Federal Judge

appointed by the president confirmed by the Senate

Which side ultimately won the debate between Federalist and Anti-Federalist?

both sides, since compromises led to the ratification and passage of The constitution

Limit of Freedom of Speech

can't cause physical harm to others

United State Supreme Court

highest court in the land

Intolerable Acts

in response to Boston Tea Party, 4 acts passed in 1774, Port of Boston closed, reduced power of assemblies in colonies, permitted royal officers to be tried elsewhere, provided for quartering of troop's in barns and empty houses

Townshend Acts

laws passed in 1767 that taxed goods such as glass, paper, paint, lead, and tea- gave British officials the power to combat smuggling

Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

no power to tax, President lacked power, no money to buy ships or pay soldiers

concurrent powers

powers shared by the national and state governments

reserved powers

powers that the Constitution does not give to the national government that are kept by the states

Fundamental purpose of government

protect people's natural rights

Founding Fathers

representatives from each of the 13 colonies who decided to meet and write a document stating their reasons for separation and independence from England

freedom of the press

right of newspapers and other public media to publish articles believed to be accurate

Natural Rights

the idea that all humans are born with rights, which include the right to life, liberty, and property

House of Representatives

the lower house of Congress, consisting of a different number of representatives from each state, depending on population

dissolving the legislature

the practice of a chief executive disbanding the legislature, often accompanied in a democratic regime by the calling for new elections

rights of the accused

the rights included in the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendments: protection from unreasonable search and seizure, double jeopardy, and self-incrimination, the right to due process, right to a speedy and public trial, trial by jury, the right to be informed of criminal charges, right to be confronted by adverse witnesses, right to an attorney, protection from self-incrimination

Ratify

to approve

Why did the Pilgrims create the Mayflower Compact?

to help them govern their new colony fairly since there was no English presence in what would become the Massachusetts Bay Colony

Why did the British government pass the Stamp Act?

to raise money to pay for British debt acquired during the French & Indian War

Colonial Leaders

whom King George III placed blame on for starting the rebellion