Civic Literacy Review

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Electoral College

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This document was adopted by the Second Continental Congress in 1781 during the Revolutionary War to create a national government. The new government was weak because states held most of the power, and Congress lacked the power to tax, regulate trade, or control the coining of money. It was later replaced with the U.S. Constitution.

Great Compromise

introduced by Roger Sherman; set up a bicameral Congress - upper house
called Senate with each state getting 2 votes & a lower house called the House of Representatives
with each state's representation based on its population--satisfied both the large and small states

3/5 Compromise

compromise made when writing the Constitution to sastify both free and slave states; said for every 5 slaves, 3 would count in a state's population for both representation and tax purposes

Federalism

is the breaking of the gov't into Federal and state levels, each having certain powers

Checks and Balances

system of each branch of gov't having a power to check the power of the other to make sure no one branch becomes too powerful

Executive Branch

headed by the President and carries out the laws; also includes the Vice President and the Cabinet members

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

separation between Church and State in schools. S.C. prayer in public schools is unconstitutional, violates separation of church and state and freedom of religion (First Amendment)