Competency 18

Question 1

What is the difference between civil liberties and civil rights?

Answer 1

Civil liberties is when the state has a positive role in making sure citizens have equal protection and justice with equal opportunities regardless of race, color, sex. etc.

Civil rights are the rights you describe you are guranteed to have that are specified when the state authority interferes with the citizens liberties.

Question 2

Where did the idea of civil liberties and civil rights come from?

Answer 2

Greece

People came to the new world for opportunities to have religious and political freedom. They fought for these against the British and are expressed in our 2 documents, Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution

Question 4

What are the 3 most basic rights guranteed in Declaration of Independence and what do these means?

Answer 4

life, liberty, pursuit of hapiness

Guranteed to live in America, right to live as a free person in America, allowed to make a life for themselves, free of oppression, discrimination, etc.

Question 5

Whose ideas influenced the ideas found in the Declaration of Independence?

Answer 5

Ancient Greek, European Enlightenment & Renassiance, particualry John Locke (political writer in 1600’s who put great emphasis on human rights and believed that if a government violates those human rights, people should rebel)

Question 6

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

Answer 6

Continental Congress assigned a committee with Thomas Jefferson as the head

Question 7

Who was John Locke?

Answer 7

Infuenctial political writer of 17th century who put great emphasis on human rights and believed when government violates those rights, people should rebel.

Question 8

What book did John Locke write?

Answer 8

Two Treatises of Government 1690

Question 9

How did Thomas Jefferson apply John Locke’s pricniples in the Declaration of Independence?

Answer 9

T.J. argued that King George III had violated the human rights of the colonists and therefore, the colonies should unite as its own country

Question 10

How did Jefferson go further in his ideas written in the Declaration of Independence than the principles of John Locke?

Answer 10

Locke’s ideas were tied to the idea of property rights. Locke wrote that the 3 rights were life, liberty, and private property. Jefferson didn’t want rights to be connected to any one particular thing. He changed it to pursuit of happiness as a fundamental right, that the government has a duty to protect.

Question 11

Why is the Declaration of Indepenence still important today?

Answer 11

Jefferson and Locke both stressed that the individuals human rights are to be protected and preserved by the government. THE CITIZENS COME FIRST, THE GOVERNMENT COMES SECOND. The government serves the PEPOPLE!

Question 12

What was the purpose of the Declaration of Independence?

Answer 12

To declare to the King the reasons why the colonists were seeking their freedom from Great Britain as it was their right to do so.

Question 13

What is the highest governmental authority in the US?

Answer 13

Constitution

Question 14

What do we call changes to the Constitution?

Answer 14

Ammendments

Question 15

Are ammendments easy to make to the Constitution?

Answer 15

No, Ammendment has to be written, and then ratified by 3/4 of the states

Question 16

What is so extraordinary about the Constitution?

Answer 16

living document that changes as society changes and Ammendments can be added, but it took 13 scared states and formed a central government that still allowed states to have its own governments,

Question 17

What were the 4 major conflicts in the Constitutional Convention in writing the Constitution?

Answer 17

1. Related to Presidency (compromise was to give president broad powers, but limited amount of time in terms- 4 yr terms)
2. Representation in Congress in large and small states (Great Compromise- 2 houses)
3. Slavery (compromise was that fugitive slaves would be captured and returned. No law would be passed for 20 years that would stop the importation of slaves)
4. **How to choose the president. Some of the delegates wanted direct election of the people. Some delegates thought Congress should choose the president. There was fear if the people chose that the people might not be well informed and might choose out of ignorance. Fear that if Congress chose, an elite group of people would be biast. COMPROMISE: ELECTORAL COLLEGE **

Question 18

When was the NY Constitution adopted?

Answer 18

during the war in 1777 and included a statement of independence from Britain

Question 19

Who wrote the NYS constitution 1777?

Answer 19

John Jay

Question 20

When was today’s NY Constitution put into effect?

Answer 20

Today’s Constitution was adopted in 1821 and replaced the Constitution that John Jay drafted. It’s been changed a lot since then.

Question 21

What are the 1st 10 Ammendments to the Consitution called and who wrote most of them?

Answer 21

BIll of Rights written by James Madison

Question 22

What are the BIll of Rights?

Answer 22

1. Freedom of Religion, speech, press, and peaceful assembly
2. Right to bear arms (guns)
3. Security from the quartering of troops of homes
4. Have to have a search warrant to search house
5. Right against self-incrimination (can’t testify against yourself)
6. Right to trial by jury and legal council (court case)
7. Right to jury trial for civil actions
8. No cruel or unusual punishment
9. these rights shall not deny other rights that people enjoy (Say fire, fire, cause panic)
10. Powers not mentioned in the Constitution shall be retained by the states or the people

Question 23

What is the Magna Carta?

Answer 23

Charter has been considered the basis of English Constitution and Liberties. Written in 1215 by a group of English barrons (rich people) and they forced in on King John. It was written because they wanted to limit the monarchy. It is considered the first modern document that worked towards limiting the power of the given state authority (king). The Magna Carta guranteed feudal rights, regulated the justice system, and abolish abuses of the King to tax and regulate trade. What the magna carta said is the King could not raise new taxes without consulting a council made up of nobles, barrons, and church people. At first, the magna carta was really protecting the rights of the upper classes. But gradually, these rights were given to other English people. The council eventually turned into Parilment.

Question 24

What document changed the English monarchy from being a total authoritaran to having shared authoirty with a council (Parliment)?

Answer 24

Magna Carta

Question 25

When was the British Parliment created?

Answer 25

In the 1600’s, four hundred years after the Magna Carta was adopted by the British

Question 26

What are the divisions of Parliment?

Answer 26

House of Lordes and House of Commons

Question 27

Why is the Magna Carta important to the USA?

Answer 27

The Charter was a precedent to the Constitution

Question 28

What is the Petition of Right?

Answer 28

In English history, it was a petition given to King Charles I by the Parliment in 1628. The Parliment demande the King stop making new taxes without first talking to the Parliment. Also, the Parliment demanded that the King stop housing soldiers and sailors in the homes of private citizens during peace. Lastly, that nobody be put in prision without proof.

The Petition of Right is important because it had an effect on the demand of Revolutionary colonists because they were considered English by the King, but they were not getting these rights. The Petition of Right was the basis of specific protections that the framers of the Constitution made in the Bill of Rights.

Question 29

What were the British Bill of Rights?

Answer 29

1689 when King William III was ruling, AKA Declaration of Rights. Basic human rights, many which were used in our Bill of Rights

Question 30

What British documents affected the writing of the Constitution?

Answer 30

Magna Carter 1215, Petition of Right 1628, British Bill of Rights 1689

Question 31

What is a citizen in a democratic society expected to do?

Answer 31

1. follow the laws
2. expected to stay informed
3. Participate in political process (voting, staying informed, writing letters to Congressman, get elected, donating time/money)

Question 32

What Supreme Court Decisions guranteed that the Federal Government is supreme over the state governments?

Answer 32

Gibbons vs. Odgdon & McCulloch vs. Maryland

Question 33

How is the word “Federalism” thought of today?

Answer 33

In Colonial America, Federalism meant a belief in a strong ,central government, superior to the state governments. Today, federalism describes a government whose powers are divided so that no one part of that government is totally supreme over others. And we have 3 branches with checks and balances. Also, federalism means that power and authority is divided between the national, state, and local governments and citizens are expected to be sovereign (follow, obey) to governments on all 3 levels, and all 3 levels are expected to legislate accordingly.

Federalism is about division of power and authoirty with checks and balances

Question 34

Why is participation in American politics at an all time high?

Answer 34

1. poll taxes and literacy tests outlawed (blacks and poor people)
2. Motor Voter practice- allows new citizens to register to vote when they register for a drivers license.
3. Social Issues more complex and changes are faster
4. Communication and information is available constantly
5. After 19th Ammendment guranteering Women’s rights to votes and Civil Rights laws, that opened voting to minorities so there is more participation of the every day person to run for political office.

Question 35

What 3 things go together in the US economic system?

Answer 35

Proft, Capital, Competition

Question 36

Who has the power to delegate coining of money?

Answer 36

US Government

Question 37

What is the job of the department of treasury?

Answer 37

responsible for advising the President on fiscal policy, established 1789

Question 38

What is the job of the Federal Trade Commission?

Answer 38

to assure fair and free competition among businesses. Will investigate business activities that may not be practicing fair and free competition. established 1915.

Question 39

Is there a Government accounting office?

Answer 39

No

Question 40

What were the first unions in the US?

Answer 40

1866 National Labor Union- pushed 8-hour work day and new policies of Immigration

1890’s- Knights of Labor and AFL

1905 Industrial Workers of the World

Question 41

What does the Fed do to interest rates to avoid inflation?

Answer 41

Raise Interest rates because more money being spent, then goods available (buying houses that aren’t built). Called Contractionary Monetary Fiscal Policy

Question 42

What does the Fed do to interest rates to Stimulate the economy?

Answer 42

lower interest rates. called expansionary monetary fiscal policy

Question 43

What is the difference between contrationary monetary fiscal policy and expansionary monetary fiscal policy?

Answer 43

Contractionary….. : raise interest rates. used when economy is growing too quickly.

Expaionsionary…..: lower interest rates. used to stimulate sluggish economy.

Question 44

Who is responsible for programs such as unemployment insurance and health insurance for elderly people?

Answer 44

State

Question 45

Who were Montesquieu and Rousseau?

Answer 45

political philosophers in 17th and 18th centuries who explored liberalism. Believed that understanding the connection of economics, geography, climate, and psychologoy, that changes could be made to improve life

Question 46

Who was St. Thomas Aquinas?

Answer 46

Priest in Middle Ages who merged the ideas of aristotle with Christianity. His ideas are found in modern constitutionalism that embodied the idea government is limited by law.

Question 47

Who believed in the idea that government is limited by law (can’t do anything unless law says it can) and laid the foundation of modern constitutionalism?

Answer 47

St. Thomas Aquinas

Question 48

What is the difference in being elected President vs. any other governmental official?

Answer 48

President must be born in US