US Government & Civics (US High School)
Standard 12th-grade US Government and Civics course covering foundations of US democracy, the Constitution, federalism, three branches of government, civil liberties and rights, political participation, and policymaking — aligned with the C3 Framework and common state standards.
Ämne: Samhällskunskap · Nivå: Gymnasium (16–19) · 436 kort
Innehåll
- John Locke's Two Treatises of Government (1689) argued that legitimate government derives from the consent of the governed and exists to protect natural rights to life, liberty, and property.
- Baron de Montesquieu's The Spirit of the Laws (1748) introduced the doctrine of separation of powers, dividing government into legislative, executive, and judicial branches to prevent tyranny.
- Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan (1651) argued that without a strong central authority, human life in the state of nature would be "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau's The Social Contract (1762) argued that legitimate political authority comes from a social contract reflecting the general will of the people.
- The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776, primarily drafted by Thomas Jefferson and asserting the colonies' separation from Great Britain.
- The Declaration of Independence asserts that all men are created equal and endowed with unalienable rights including "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
- Natural rights, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence, are rights people possess by virtue of being human — not granted by government and not subject to being legitimately taken away.
- Popular sovereignty is the principle that government's authority is derived from the people, who are the ultimate source of political power in a democracy.
- Limited government is the principle that governmental power should be restricted by law, typically through a written constitution, to protect individual rights.
- Republicanism, as understood by the Founders, is a system in which citizens elect representatives to make and enforce laws on their behalf rather than ruling directly.
- A direct democracy is a system where citizens vote on policies themselves rather than electing representatives to do so — used today in some local referenda and Swiss cantons.
- A representative or indirect democracy (republic) is a system where citizens elect officials to make policy on their behalf — the model adopted by the US Constitution.
- Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common Sense (January 1776) argued in plain language for American independence from Britain and sold over 100,000 copies within a few months.
- Shays' Rebellion (1786–1787) was an armed uprising by Massachusetts farmers led by Daniel Shays that exposed the weakness of the Articles of Confederation and pushed for a stronger central government.
- The Articles of Confederation (ratified 1781) created a weak national government with no power to tax, no executive branch, and no national judiciary — replaced by the Constitution in 1789.
- The Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia from May to September 1787, attended by 55 delegates from 12 states (Rhode Island did not send any).
- James Madison is known as the "Father of the Constitution" for his role in drafting the Virginia Plan and his detailed notes from the 1787 Convention.
- The Virginia Plan, proposed by Edmund Randolph, called for a strong national government with a bicameral legislature in which representation in both houses was based on state population.
- The New Jersey Plan, proposed by William Paterson, called for a unicameral legislature with equal representation for each state — favored by small states.
- The Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise) created a bicameral Congress with proportional representation in the House and equal representation (two senators) in the Senate.
- The Three-Fifths Compromise counted three out of every five enslaved persons toward a state's population for purposes of both representation in the House and direct taxation.
- The Slave Trade Compromise prohibited Congress from banning the importation of enslaved persons before 1808, while allowing a tax on each imported person up to $10.
- The Federalist Papers were 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay between 1787 and 1788 to persuade New York to ratify the Constitution.
- Federalist No. 10 (Madison) argues that a large republic is the best defense against the dangers of factions because rival factions will check each other.
- Federalist No. 51 (Madison) explains how separation of powers and checks and balances protect liberty — "If men were angels, no government would be necessary."
- Federalist No. 70 (Hamilton) argues for a single, energetic executive (one president) rather than a plural executive, valuing decisiveness and accountability.
- Federalist No. 78 (Hamilton) defends judicial review and the independence of the judiciary, calling the judiciary the "least dangerous branch."
- Anti-Federalists, including Patrick Henry and George Mason, opposed ratification of the Constitution, fearing a strong central government would threaten states' rights and individual liberties.
- Brutus No. 1, an Anti-Federalist essay, warned that the new national government would absorb state power and that a large republic could not preserve liberty.
- The Constitution required ratification by nine of the thirteen states; New Hampshire became the ninth on June 21, 1788, putting the new government into effect.
- The Constitution is organized into a Preamble, seven Articles, and (currently) 27 Amendments. It is the supreme law of the United States.
- Article I of the Constitution establishes the legislative branch (Congress), describing its structure, powers, and procedures.
- Article II of the Constitution establishes the executive branch, vesting executive power in the President and outlining presidential election, qualifications, and duties.
- Article III of the Constitution establishes the judicial branch, creating one Supreme Court and authorizing Congress to create inferior courts.
- Article IV addresses relationships among states, including the Full Faith and Credit Clause, the Privileges and Immunities Clause, extradition, and admission of new states.
- Article V outlines the amendment process: an amendment may be proposed by two-thirds of both houses of Congress or a national convention, then ratified by three-fourths of the states.
- Article VI contains the Supremacy Clause, declaring the Constitution and federal laws "the supreme law of the land" — binding state judges even if state laws conflict.
- Article VII set the rules for ratifying the Constitution itself — requiring approval by conventions in nine states to take effect.
- Checks and balances allow each branch of government to limit the powers of the others — e.g., the president can veto laws, Congress can override vetoes, and courts can strike down unconstitutional laws.
- The Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the Constitution, was ratified on December 15, 1791, after being promised during the ratification debates.
- The First Amendment protects five freedoms: religion (Free Exercise and Establishment), speech, press, peaceable assembly, and petition.
- The Second Amendment protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms, in connection with service in a well regulated militia.
- The Third Amendment prohibits quartering soldiers in private homes during peacetime without the owner's consent — rooted in colonial grievances against the British.
- The Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable searches and seizures and requires warrants to be issued only upon probable cause, supported by oath and particularity.
- The Fifth Amendment protects against self-incrimination and double jeopardy, requires grand jury indictment for serious federal crimes, and guarantees due process and just compensation for takings.
- The Sixth Amendment guarantees the rights of a criminal defendant: a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury, notice of charges, confrontation of witnesses, compulsory process, and assistance of counsel.
- The Seventh Amendment preserves the right to a jury trial in federal civil cases where the value in controversy exceeds twenty dollars.
- The Eighth Amendment prohibits excessive bail and fines, as well as cruel and unusual punishments, limiting how the government may punish those convicted of crimes.
- The Ninth Amendment makes clear that rights not specifically enumerated in the Constitution are still retained by the people — the Bill of Rights is not exhaustive.
- The Tenth Amendment reserves to the states (or to the people) all powers not delegated to the federal government nor prohibited to the states — the foundation of state "reserved" powers.