Study Guide for Civics and Economics Final Exam Foundations of the American Political System and the Basic Values and Principles 1. Describe how geographic diversity influenced economic, social, and political life in colonial North America. Mercantilism – Puritans – Triangular Trade – Quakers – Middle Passage – Bacon’s Rebellion – indentured servants – Religious dissentors: Pilgrims –
People to Know: William Penn (PA) Thomas Jefferson Alexander Hamilton Benjamin Franklin
2. Trace the development of ideas about self-government in colonial North America. Terms and People to Know: Magna Carta – Social Contract Theory – (Locke, Voltaire, Rousseau, Montesquieu) English Bill of Rights – l Mayflower Compact – Virginia House of Burgesses – Natural rights –
3. What were the causes of the American Revolution? 1. 4. 2. 5. 3.
Terms to Know: . French and Indian War – . Sons of Liberty – . Proclamation line of 1763 – . Boston Tea Party – . Stamp Act – . Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts) – . Quartering Act – . Common Sense – . Declaratory Act – . Boston Massacre – . Navigation Acts – . First Continental Congress – . Writs of assistance – . Second Continental Congress – . Albany Plan of Union – People to Know: John Peter Zenger :
4. What were the major problems of the nation under the Articles of Confederation and how were they resolved by the new Constitution? Confederation – Articles of Confederation – Problems with the Articles: 1. 4. 2. 5. 3. Federal System – ______Congress with ______branches to provide ______ Maintain Power to House based on Senate based on necessary and proper clause (elastic clause) Terms to Know: o Shay’s Rebellion - o Three-Fifths Compromise – o Virginia Plan – o Commerce and Slave Trade Compromises – o New Jersey Plan – o Electoral College – o Great Compromise (Connecticut Plan) –
5. Compare the viewpoints of the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. Federalist – The Federalist Papers Anti-Federalist –
6. How did the Bill of Rights Extend the Constitution? 1. Provided guarantees for individual liberties 2. Limit or extend rights and powers of the government 3. First 10 amendments to the Constitution First Amendment - Free Exercise Clause – Prior restraint – Establishment Clause – Libel – Symbolic speech – Slander – Second – Third - Fourth – Probable Cause – Exclusionary Rule – Fifth – Miranda Warning – Sixth - Ninth – Seventh – Tenth – Eighth –
7. Compare the American system of government to other forms of government. Dictatorship (Authoritarian) – totalitarianism Democracy – Direct Popular Sovereignty Representative rule of law Monarchy – (limited and absolute) Oligarchy – Theocracy –
The United States Constitution and Values, Purposes, and Principles of American Democracy 1. Identify principles in the U.S. Constitution. o Popular Sovereignty – o Checks and Balances – o Limited Government – o Judicial Review – o Separation of Powers – o Federalism –
Federalism in Action: Delegated or Expressed Powers – Reserved Powers – Concurrent Powers – Powers Denied to both Federal and State Governments: . Ex post facto laws – . Bills of Attainder –
Legislative Branch – . National – . State – . Local – Judicial Branch – . National – . State – NC Supreme Court Executive Branch – . National – . State – . Local – County: . City/Town: . High elected official in the state:
Separation of powers: The Checks & Balances System
2. Explain how U.S. Constitution defines the framework and structure of the 3 branches of the federal government. Preamble: 1. 4. 2. 5. 3. 6. Article I: Article IV: Necessary and Proper Clause (Elastic Clause ) – “full faith and credit clause” – Article II: Article V: Article III: Article VI: Supremacy Clause – Article VII:
The Legislative Branch What are they called, how many members & what is it based on? US Congress – 1. House of Representatives – 2. Senate – Qualifications 2. Senate – 1. House – Terms of Office – unlimited terms 1. House – 2. Senate 3. – Legislative Leaders 1. President of the Senate who is it? a. c. b. d. President pro tempore: Speaker of the House who is it? a. c. b. d. 2. Majority Leader – 3. Minority Leader – Powers of Congress: 1. passes 4. impeaches 2. confirms or rejects 5. ratifies 3. declares 6. overrides 7. finances 8. approves 9. Steps in Making a Law 1. 5. 2. 6. 3. 7. 4. 8. If bill is approved by both houses, it’s then sent to the . a. President can Congress can b. Pocket veto – Ways in which a Law may be Changed 1. 3. 2. 4. a. referendum b. initiative Types of Laws 1. statutory laws - 3. administrative law – 2. common law – 4. constitutional law – The Executive Branch Who is in it? 1. 3. 2. 4. Qualifications – President: 1. 2. 3. Terms of Office – ______Amendment Cabinet and Executive Departments Cabinet – a. b. c. Functions and Powers of the Executive Branch: 1. approves or 6. prepares 2. commands 7. grants 3. develops & 8. administers 4. appoints 9. may call 5. proposes 10. Presidential / Vice Presidential Elections 1. Primaries and Caucuses 2. Delegates 3. General Election 4. Electoral College a. How many votes does each state have? NC has b. No state has fewer than ______electoral votes c. Total of d. candidate must have (what is the break down of ec votes) 5. If no candidate wins a majority, who chooses the president. The Judicial Branch Function – Components – from lowest to highest District Courts – US Courts of Appeal appellate jurisdiction Decisions: US Supreme Court – original jurisdiction disputes between
Terms of Office – Appointment Process – Terms to Know: o Majority opinion – o Due Process of Law – o Minority opinion o Criminal law – o ( Dissenting Opinion )– o Civil law – o Concurring opinion – o Defendant – o Writ of Habeas Corpus – o Misdemeanor – o Writ of Certiorari – o Felony –
Court Proceedings: 1. First Court Appearance – 2. Probable Cause Hearing - 3. Arraignment – 4. Jury Selection – a. Trial or Agreement: d. Parole – b. Plea Bargain e. Acquit – c. Probation –
Important US Supreme Court Decisions: Marbury v. Madison - Regents of the University of California v. Bakke- McCulloch v. Maryland - Roe v. Wade- Gibbons v. Ogden- Furman v. Georgia- Gideon v. Wainwright- Gregg v. Georgia- Miranda v. Arizona- Engel v. Vitale- Mapp v. Ohio- Tinker v. Des Moines- Plessy v. Ferguson - Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier- Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka- New Jersey v. T.L.O. - Swann v. Charlotte Mecklenburg Board of Education- Bethel School District v. Frasier- Korematsu v. U.S. – Texas v. Johnson – Heart of Atlanta Motel v. US-
Describe how the U.S. Constitution may be changed . Changes . Ratified . Example of
How does Congress amend the Constitution?
26 of our
Amendments to the U.S. Constitution 13th – 19th – 14th – 21st – 15th – 24th – ) 18th – 26th –
Informal Ways of Amending the Constitution o Passage of basic legislation – o Activities of political parties – o Actions taken by the President - o Custom – o Decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court – Interpretation of the Constitution Strict Interpretation – Loose Interpretation –
The North Carolina State Constitution & State Government 1. Explain how the NC Constitution and local charters define the framework, organization, and structure of government at the state and local level. Legislative Branch: NC General Assembly – How many houses? House of Representatives – ______members Qualifications: Senate – ______members Qualifications: Terms: Sessions: Local Legislators: City Council Members and County Commissioners Council Manager Plan – . Statutes – . Referendum – . Ordinances – . Incorporated – . Board of Education – Executive Branch: Governor and Lieutenant Governor – elected ______Qualifications – at Terms – Cabinet Council of State Local: mayors . Annexation – . Judicial Branch – from lowest to highest District Courts – Superior Courts – Appellate Courts – NC Supreme Court – Judges are . State v. Mann – . The Leandro Case – . Penal Code –
Types of local Government: Counties (100 in NC) and Municipalities Municipalities – Metropolis –
2. Explain the structure and organization of political parties. Political Party – Democrat – Republican – Third Parties –
Draw the political spectrum:
Terms to Know: one-party system, two-party system, multi-party system o Liberal – o Grassroots – o Moderate – o Partisan – o Conservative – o Political Action Committee (PAC) – o Platform – o Hard Money – o Plank – o Soft Money – o Plurality vote – o Canvassing – o Political Machine –
o Propaganda Techniques: Endorsements Bandwagon Name Calling just plain folks” Glittering generalities Card stacking
3. Describe the election process and the qualifications and procedures for voting. Voter Qualifications: Election Process: Special Types of Elections:
Initiative – Referendum – Recall – Terms to Know: Board of Elections – . Polling place – . Precinct –
The U.S. Economic System Basic Economic Concepts: Economics – Consumer – Goods – o Consumer goods – o Capital goods – Services – Producer – Four Factors of Production: 1) Land 3) Capital 2) Labor 4) Entrepreneurship Four economic questions that every nation must ask: 1. What 3. Who will get 2. How will the 4. How much *Who gets to decide these questions? – tells us the type of economic system we’ll have Scarcity – Law of Supply – Real Costs of Production – Surplus – Opportunity Costs – Shortage – Demand – Tradeoff – Law of Demand – Production Possibilities Frontier – Supply –
Draw the PPF Draw a Supply & demand Curve Label the equilibrium, curves, surplus & shortage
Types of Economic Systems: Traditional – Change Strong sense of Command – Socialists – Communists –
Change through Private property Class Political freedoms: Market –
Guiding principle “Invisible Hand” – Profit motive – “laissez-faire” – Profit – Components of Capitalism: o o o o
Mixed Economies –
International Trade: Free Trade – Advantages – Disadvantages – NAFTA – EU – WTO- . Balance of trade – . Protectionism – . Trade deficit – o Tariff – . Trade surplus – o Quota – o Embargo –
Types of Businesses: 1. Sole Proprietorship – 3. corporation – ) 2. partnership – stock market –
Labor Unions: . mediation – . collective bargaining – . arbitration – . strike –
Types of Competition: monopoly – pure competition – oligopoly – monopolistic competition –
Measuring the Health of the Economy: 1. Inflation – a. CPI (Consumer Price Index) – 2. Unemployment Rate – 3. GDP (Gross Domestic Product) – *Categories: Consumer spending, business spending, government spending, net exports
Measuring GDP: “current GDP” – “Real GDP” – per capita GDP –
The Business Cycle: the up and down movement in the economy 1. Trough – 3. Expansion – 2. Recession – 4. Peak – Depression – 5. Contraction – Government’s Role in the Economy: Monetary Policy – – inflation – recession The Federal Reserve – Board of Governors and the Federal Open Market Committee Ways to Control the Circulation of Money: 1. Reserve Requirements – Higher Reserve Rate – 2. Discount Rate – Higher Discount Rate – 3. Open Market Operations – Selling bonds – Buying bonds – “tight monetary policy” – “loose monetary policy” –
Fiscal Policy – Government spending – Taxes – How does the govt manipulate taxes?
Progressive – a Proportional – Regressive – Banking System: o Commercial Banks – o Checking account – o Savings account – o Certificates of deposit – o Saving and Loan Associations – o Credit Unions – o Federal Deposit Insurance Commission (FDIC) – Functions of Money: 1. 2. 3. Currency –