Final Exam Study Guide - KEY
Civics, Lambert, Fall 2011
Part 1: Write definition, rewrite in own words.
1. Monarchy
13. Federalism
Government ran by royal family
2. Native-Born
Citizen born in the U.S.
System of U.S. govt that separated
power between state and federal govt
14. Majority Rule
Ideal that decisions are made by the
largest group of people in a debate,
rather than by the rich or powerful
3. Dictatorship
Govt ran by one person with absolute power
4. Naturalized
Type of citizenship gained by immigrants
through testing and paperwork
5. Direct Democracy
Govt where people have power by meeting
together to make decisions
6. Confederation
Govt system where a power is divided among
the states with no central government
7. Representative Democracy
Govt ran by the people by electing
representatives to speak for the people
8. Articles of Confederation
Document setting up the first government of
the U.S., a weak state based govt
9. Constitution
Document that set up the current form of U.S.
government, by Madison
10. Declaration of Independence
Document that declared the U.S.’s
independence from Britain, by Jefferson
11. Ratification
Formal acceptance, as in of the Constitution
12. Preamble
15. Amendment
Official Change to the U.S.
Constitution
16. Delegated power
Power given to the Federal govt by the
Const
17. Reserved power
Powers kept for the states by the Const
18. Suffrage
The right to vote, as in Women’s
Suffrage (Women’s right to vote)
19. Legislative Branch
Lawmaking branch of government
20. Executive Branch
Branch that carries out laws
21. Judicial Branch
Branch that interprets laws
22. Checks and Balances
System that balances branches of govt
23. Bill
Proposed law being considered
24. Veto
25. Pocket Veto
Pres can reject a bill by not signing it
26. Impeachment
To charge a govt. official with
misconduct.
27.
Commander in Chief
President’s job to command military
28. Attorney General
Head of the Dept. of Justice
29. Visa
Document allows people to visit other
countries
30. Gerrymandering
Drawing congressional district to favor
party
31. Original jurisdiction
Authority to be 1st to hold trials
32. Appellate Jurisdiction
Authority to Appeal prior cases
33. Supreme Court
Highest court, appellate and original
jurisdiction
34. Profit
Income after expenses are paid
35. Monopoly
Country that controls all of a good or
service
36. Scarcity
Limited resources
The presidential power to reject a bill
Introduction to the Const; set goals of govt
Part 2: Short Answer
37. Which concept keeps the government from becoming too powerful?
Separation of Power and Checks and Balances
38. What are the two ways citizenship can be gained?
Birth (Native-Born) and Naturalization
39. Why were the Articles of Confederation tossed out in favor of the Constitution?
The had a weak central government, which made it hard for the U.S. to function, organize a military, pay debts, and much more
40. Why was Congress weak under the Articles of Confederation?
Could not organize a military, pay debts, and pay soldiers, trade between states, etc
41. In what ways does the U.S. population increase?
Natural increase (more born than die), immigration, adding territory
42. All powers not mentioned in the Constitution are reserved for whom?
The states
43. List the 5 freedoms of the 1st amendment.
Speech, Religion, Press, Assembly, Petition
44. Why did many of the states refuse to ratify the U.S. constitution?
They wanted a list of our rights, as was added with the Bill of Rights
45. List 3 powers shared by the state and federal governments.
Taxes, Create banks, create laws, enforce laws
46. What factors make our Constitution an “enduring document”?
It is easy to adapt to the change of times through Amendments and interpretation
47. Double Jeopardy – What is it? Which Amendment is it in?
You cannot be tried for the exact same crime twice, 5th Amendment
48. What right is guaranteed by the eighth Amendment?
Right to protection from cruel and unusual punishment
49. Which type of government would you consider the U.S.? United Kingdom?
Constitutional Monarchy
50. Explain the difference of direct and representative democracy.
Direct is where people meet together to make decisions. Representative is where you elect someone to make decisions for you.
51. What was the purpose of the Declaration of Independence?
To declare our independence from Britain and explain the purpose of a good government
52. Who is “The Father of the Constitution” and why?
James Madison, he kept a journal of all events and did a lot of the work on it.
53. Why did the Constitutional Convention meet in private?
To avoid corruption from outsiders and because they were considered by many to be “messing up the country”.
54. The Constitution was meant to “insure domestic tranquility”. What does this mean?
This meant to have peace within the U.S.
55. The Constitution was meant to “Secure the blessings of Liberty”. What does this mean?
Protect the rights of the citizens
56. How is an Amendment made? Explain.
Congress proposes by 2/3rd vote in both houses OR 2/3rd of the states can propose. Must be ratified, or passed, by 3/4 th of the states.
57. Name and explain the TWO amendments that secure our homes.
3rd – Keeps soldiers from being quartered, or housed, in our homes during times of peace. 4th – Protects us from illegal search and seizure.
58. Compare and contrast the 13th, 14th, & 15th Amendments.
All are Civil Rights Amendments, giving rights to African-Americans. 13th - freedom from slavery, 14th - citizenship, and 15th - right to vote.
59. List TWO of the ways African Americans were prevented from voting AFTER the 15 th amendment.
Poll Taxes, Literacy Tests, and the Grandfather Clause prevented many blacks from voting.
60. What is repeal? Explain the Amendment that was repealed by the 21st Amendment.
Repeal is an amendment that gets rid of or cancels out another amendment. The 21 st amendment was a repeal, canceling out the 18th
amendment which prohibited use or sale of alcohol.
61. In what ways does the Judicial branch check and balance the Executive branch?
Judicial Review (can declare actions of the president as unconstitutional), free from executive control.
62. What is the law of supply? Law of demand?
Businesses will provide more of a product if they can make more $ from it. Buyers will demand more of a product if they can get it cheaper.
63. What two presidents were impeached?
Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, neither was removed from office.
64. Who is the leader of the Senate?
Vice President, and President Pro Tempore when VP is not available.
65. Who is the leader of the House of Representatives?
Speaker of the House
66. Name the qualifications to be US president.
35 yrs old, Native-born U.S. Citizen, Resident of U.S. for 14 years
67. What is the elastic clause?
Necessary and proper clause that allows Congress to stretch the Constitution to make laws.
68. What are the 3 things a president can do with a bill?
Sign it, Veto, Pocket Veto
69. How many members are in Senate? House of Representatives?
100, 435
70. What are the 3 levels of federal courts?
District Court, Appellate Court, Supreme Court
71. What are the 4 principle sources of law?
Statutory Law – laws made by Congress, Common Law – law by precedent and common sense, Administrative Law – created by govt agencies
for our safety and daily life, Constitutional Law – Law taken directly from Constitution.
72. What are the 3 basic economic systems?
Traditional – Trade and Barter, Command – Govt controlled, Market – Controlled by the consumers and demand
73. How do the other 2 branches of government check and balance the Judicial Branch?
Executive – President appoint justices, Legislative – Congress can impeach Supreme Court justices.
74. Which level of federal courts is able to use both forms of jurisdiction?
Supreme Court can use both Appellate and Original (in some situations).
75. What is Gross Domestic Product? How is it used?
Dollar value of goods and services produced annually in a country. Used as a measure of a country’s economic health.
76. List the steps of “How a Bill Becomes a Law”.
Introduce the bill  First House Committee Hearing  Full House Hearing  Second House Committee hearing  Full House Hearing 
Back to Original House to approve changes if needed  President’s Desk
77. What type of economy do we have in the U.S.? Explain.
Mixed economy – Mostly market economy, but some government regulations make it a partial command economy
78. List the order of Succession.
President  Vice President  Speaker of the House  President Pro Tempore  Cabinet members by order of creation
79. When does the Supreme Court use original jurisdiction?
Involving diplomats and leaders of other countries, cases between states, cases between state and federal government
80. How are Supreme Court justices replaced and how long is their term?
A justice serves for life, until he retires or dies, and the current President replaces him with a candidate of his choosing.