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96 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What are 3 reasons to criticize America's democratic system?
a)Presidency b)Supreme Court justices c)Congress |
a)Chosen from 2 men every 4 years
b)Appointed and death is their only balancing check c)99% incumbency rate |
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What does the word democracy mean, in Greek?
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"Democras" = people
"Kratia" = rule |
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Who is the author of the Republic?
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Plato
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Which English philosopher advocated for the rights of life, liberty and property?
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John Locke
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When was the Magna Carta created?
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1215
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By whom was the Magna Carta created and for what purpose?
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By the wealthy barons. It stated that no man was above the law.
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The Magna Carta set a precedent for ___________
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The Founding Fathers; America, writing the declaration of independence
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When was the Enlightenment?
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17th and 18th century
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What is the social contract?
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Government was a legal agreement between rulers and the people and the terms of the rule were binding on both parties
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Who is the mascot of the US?
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Uncle Sam
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Who was the continent of America named after? Who was he?
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Amerigo Vespucci. Italian navigator.
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When did the Pilgrims establish a colony in the New World?
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1620
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Where in the New World did the Pilgrims establish a colony? Who was the first elected leader?
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Plymouth. John Winthrop
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Which was the first US state to guarantee the constitutionality of gay marriage?
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Massachussetts
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What was the date that America officially broke with England?
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July 4, 1776
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What was the Tea Act and when was it passed?
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Raised tariff on tea. Passed in 1773. Angered the colonists
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When was the Stamp Act passed?
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1765 by King George III
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Who was John Dickinson?
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He wrote Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer which argued for greater colonial self-government
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What was the Boston Massacre and when was it?
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First major act of violence between UK and US when British troops fired into an angry mob and killed 5 citizens. 1770
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Who coined the slogan, "No taxation without representation"?
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Jebediah Sondheim
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What does the Declaration of Independence state?
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It is a list of grievances against the King and states America's case for freedom
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What happened in 1982 in Canada?
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Canada received permission to amend its constitution without the interference of the UK
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Who was Betsy Ross?
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Sewed the American flag
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Who was Abigail Adams? What was she best known for?
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Wife of President John Adams. Being a feminist.
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Who was "Molly Pitcher"?
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Real name: Mary Hays. She went out in the battlefield during the Revolutionary War to quench soldiers' thirst
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Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
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Thomas Jefferson
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Who was America's first Secretary of State?
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Thomas Jefferson
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Who was in charge of the Louisiana Purchase?
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Thomas Jefferson
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Who was the first VP?
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John Adams
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Who was the author of the majority of the Federalist Papers?
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Alexander Hamilton
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Who is considered the Father of Constitution?
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James Madison
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Who co-authored the Federalist Papers?
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James Madison
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Who is the creator of the checks-and-balances system?
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James Madison
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Who are all the Founding Fathers?
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Ben Franklin
Thomas Jefferson George Washington John Adams Alexander Hamilton James Madison |
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Who was the president of the Senate, and therefore Vice President, during the impeachment trial of Samuel Chase?
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Aaron Burr
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What is the most famous duel in US history? Details - when, what, result
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Burr-Hamilton duel of 1804. It was the culmination of a long-standing conflict between the two but immediate cause was that Hamilton had defamed Burr's character during the gubernatorial race. Hamilton died and Burr's political career ended.
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Who spoke these words and who was he: "I regret that I have but one life to give for my country"
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Nathan Hale.
-soldier for Continental Army during Revolution -Captured by the British (considered America's first spy) -Statue outside Langley (CIA HQs) -Official state hero of CT |
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When were the Articles of Confederation drafted and ratified?
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1776-1777.1781
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What was the greatest inadequacy of this document?
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Gave too much power to the states
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When and where was the Constitutional Convention?
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Philly in 1787
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Who was for the Constitution? Against?
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For:
1. Alexander Hamilton 2. James Madison 3. John Jay 4. George Washington Against: 1. Richard Henry Lee 2. Samuel Bryan 3. Melancton Smith 4. Patrick Henry |
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What were the Federalist/Anti-Fed papers?
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Created due to the debate over the Constitution
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Which was the first state to ratify the Constitution?
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Delaware
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When were the following revolutions?
1. American 2. French 3. Russian 4. Cuban 5. Iranian |
1. 1776
2. 1789 3. 1917 4. 1959 5. 1978 |
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Who were the winners of the following revolutions?
1. Russian 2. Cuban 3. Iranian |
1. Lenin, Stalin
2. Castro 3. Ayatollah Khomeini |
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What are the requirements to be President?
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1. Native citizen of the US
2. 14 years within US 3. At leats 35 years old |
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What is one of the most important power entrusted to the president?
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Control of the armed forces
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What is the constitutional provision that keeps the president from abusing the power of the armed forces? What are the ways to get around it?
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President is unable to declare war without the expressed written consent of Congress.
1. If the President can provide proof of an imminent threat 2. Police action |
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What are some examples of when the US undertook police action?
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Vietnam, Haiti, Kosovo, Grenada, Panama
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Other than the power of the armed forces, what are the other powers vested to the President?
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1. Negotiate treaties
2. Appointments - Cabinet, judges, ambassadors |
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Who is part of the President's Cabinet? Names in the current administration (in order of succession)?
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1. Vice President - Joseph Biden
2. Department of State - Hilllary Rodham Clinton 3. Department of the Treasury Secretary - Timothy F. Geithner 4. Department of Defense Secretary - Robert M. Gates 5. Department of Justice - Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr. 6. Department of the Interior - Secretary Kenneth L. Salazar 7. Department of Agriculture - Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack 8. Department of Commerce - Secretary Gary F. Locke 9. Department of Labor - Secretary Hilda L. Solis 10. Department of Health and Human Services - Secretary Kathleen Sebelius 11. Department of Housing and Urban Development - Secretary Shaun L.S. Donovan 12. Department of Transportation - Secretary Ray LaHood 13. Department of Energy - Secretary Steven Chu 14. Department of Education - Secretary Arne Duncan 15. Department of Veterans Affairs - Secretary Eric K. Shinseki 16. Department of Homeland Security - Secretary Janet A. Napolitano |
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What are the positions of Cabinet-rank? Names in the current administration?
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1. White House Chief of Staff -
Rahm I. Emanuel 2. Environmental Protection Agency - Administrator Lisa P. Jackson 3. Office of Management & Budget - Director Peter R. Orszag 4. United States Trade Representative - Ambassador Ronald Kirk 5. United States Ambassador to the United Nations - Ambassador Susan Rice 6. Council of Economic Advisers - Chair Christina Romer |
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What was the corollary to the Monroe Doctrine? When?
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Theodore Roosevelt's big stick policy was the corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. It was the idea of negotiating peacefully but at the same time threatening with military might. Phrase was first used by him in 1901
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What is revisionism?
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Critical re-examination of historical facts
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What were the nicknames of the following Presidents?
1. Calvin Coolidge 2. Abraham Lincoln 3. Ronald Reagan 4. Millard Fillmore |
1. Silent Cal
2. The Great Emancipator 3. The Gipper 4. Mr. Norris |
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When was the Emancipation Proclamation signed?
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1863
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What is a whip?
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Senator or congressman of either party in charge of promoting party unity and rounding up votes
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What is the structure of Congress' bicameral legislature?
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1. House of Reps - largest chamber, reps based on state's population, reelection every 2 years
2. Senator - 2 people from every state, reelection every 6 years |
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What is a congressional caucus?
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informal congressional organization to discuss issues of concern to a particular group
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Why is Senator Charles Sumner so famous?
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Beating by pro-slavery Representative Preson Brooks in 1856
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Which senator had the longest filibuster?
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Senator Strom Thurmond - 24-hour, 18-minute speech against a civil rights bill in 1957
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Who is the Senate run by? Who is the House of Reps run by? Who are they in the current administration, respectively?
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Senate president pro tem (Robert Byrd) & Speaker of the House (Nancy Pelosi)
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What is the point of the President pro-temp?
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Highest ranking official in the absence of the VP
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If there is a tie in the Senate, what happens?
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VP breaks the tie
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What is quorum?
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Min # of members present to enact legislation
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What is a bill?
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Proposed legislation
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What is a committee in Congress?
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Members of both party review a bill, making changes
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Which congressional committees are concerned with the financial implications of each bill?
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1. Senate Appropriations Committee
2. House Ways and Means Committee |
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What is floor action?
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When a bill is out of committee it is put on the floor where the backers of the bill talk about how great it is
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What is the Congressional Record?
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Where all legislative speeches and documents are entered into
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What are all the lobbies and examples?
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1. Environmental - Greenpeace, Sierra Club
2. Gun - NRA 3. NAACP - Black people 4. Labor - AFL-CIO 5. Pharmaceutical 6. Big Tobacco 7. Christian Coalition 8. Pro-choice Movement - Planned Parenthood 9. Hollywood 10. Retired - AARP 11. Legal - American Bar Association |
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What are the duties of Congress?
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1. Enacting legislation
2. Lay and collect taxes 3. Acts as a check and balance on other branches of gov't 4. Final approval over appointments and treaties 5. Ability to declare war 6. Print money 7. Maintain militias and navies |
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How many members make up the House of Reps?
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435
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Who are the current Supreme Court justices? Who is the Chief Justice?
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1. John Roberts, Jr. (Chief Justice)
2. John Paul Stevens 3. Antonin Scalia 4. Anthony M. Kennedy 5. Clarence Thomas 6. Ruth Bader Ginsberg 7. Stephen G. Breyer 8. Samuel A. Alito, Jr. 9. Sonia Sotomayor |
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What are the 2 types of judicial philosophies that can be held by Supreme Court Justice nominees?
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1. Judicial activist
2. Strict constructionist |
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Which politican served both as US Supreme Court Justice and President?
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Howard Taft
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Who was the first female US Supreme Court Justice? When was she appointed?
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Sandra Day O'Connor. 1981 by Ronald Reagan
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When and what were the decisions in these landmark Supreme Court cases?
1. Marbury v. Madison 2. Dred Scott 3. Plessy v. Ferguson 4. Brown v. Board of Ed 5. Roe v. Wade 6. Miranda v. Arizona 7. Bush v. Gore |
1. 1803 - established judicial review - SC has the right to declare laws unconstitutional
2. 1856 - Slaves are property, not persons 3. 1896 - Separate but equal doctrine 4. 1954 - Overturned Plessy ruling, outlawing segregated schools 5. 1973 - Right to privacy protects a woman's decision to have an abortion 6. 1966 - Suspects must be informed of their legal rights (Miranda Warnings) upon arrest which safeguards defendants from self incrimination and abuse 8. 2000 - Stop the recount in the disputed Florida election, giving Bush the presidency |
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How many US courts of appeals are there?
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11
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How does the Supreme Court choose to hear cases?
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4/9 justices must agree to hear it
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What is the time limit for oral arguments in the Supreme court?
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1/2 hour
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What is a platform, within the context of political parties?
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A political party's worldview, its beliefs
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What is an exploratory committee?
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Organization to determine whether a potential candidate should run for an elected office
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What is a stump speech?
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Same speech candidates use repeatedly wherever they campaign to keep a consistent message
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What are the common elements of a campaign?
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Meeting constituents
Endorsements Debates |
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What and when was the sinking of the Maine?
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Accidental sinking of a US warship in 1898 that led to the Spanish American War (under McKinley)
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Who wrote The Jungle? When?
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Upton Sinclair. 1906
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When did Titanic happen?
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1912
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When was Watergate?
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1974
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Who wrote "Common Sense" and what was it about?
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Thomas Paine, inspiring the young colonies to revolution
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When and what was the Alien and Sedicition Acts?
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1798, revoked First Amendment right to free speech
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Which was the first 24 hour news network?
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CNN
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What is yellow journalism? Provide a historical example.
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Sensationalistic journalism started by William Hearst and (vs.) William Pulitzer, mostly done in 1898 to incite the Spanish American War
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Who started the Fireside chats and during what era?
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President Roosevelt during the Depression
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When did corporate sponsorships begin?
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Radio
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Who invented the American political cartoon? What was it about?
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Ben Franklin with the "Join or Die" cartoon in 1754
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