Civics and
Economics
Study Guide
Pitt County Schools
(Revised 2006)
Table of Contents
Note to Students …………………………………………… p. 4
Goal 1 ……………………………………………………… p. 5
Goal 2 ……………………………………………………… p. 13
Goal 3 ……………………………………………………… p. 21
Goal 4 ……………………………………………………… p. 27
Goal 5 ……………………………………………………… p. 35
Goal 6 ……………………………………………………… p. 41
Goal 7 ……………………………………………………… p. 47
Goal 8 ……………………………………………………… p. 53
Goal 9 ……………………………………………………… p. 61
Goal 10 …………………………………………………….. p. 67
A Note to Students
This Study Guide is intended as an aid for reviewing terms and concepts for the Civics and Economics course. Although the Study Guide simply defines selected terms, the student is expected to be able to analyze, apply, compare, evaluate, etc. as outlined in the Objectives of the Standard Course of Study. Some items listed in the “Terms” pages for each goal are not defined in this study guide. Students are responsible for all terms that are listed on the “Terms” pages, regardless of whether or not they are defined in the Study Guide.
Sample activities for using the Study Guide:
For each goal:
1. Reorganize the key terms into appropriate categories (in the Study Guide, all key terms were placed in alphabetical order by goal).
2. Rewrite the terms into questions using the “verbs” in the objectives (“compare,” “describe,” “analyze,” “evaluate,” etc.) and develop an outline with a thesis statement that would answer the questions. Try to use as many of the goal’s key terms in the outline as possible.
GOAL 1
Competency Goal 1: The learner will investigate the foundations of the American political system and explore basic values and principles of American democracy.
Essential Question:
How did we form and shape our identity as an American democracy?
Objective 1.01:
Describe how geographic diversity influenced economic, social and political life in colonial North America.
Objective 1.02:
Trace and analyze the development of ideas about self-government in British North America.
Objective 1.03:
Examine the causes of the American Revolution.
Objective 1.04:
Elaborate on the emergence of an American identity.
Objective 1.05:
Identify the major domestic problems of the nation under the Articles of Confederation and assess the extent to which they were resolved by the new Constitution.
Objective 1.06:
Compare viewpoints about government in the Federalist and the Anti-Federalist Papers.
Objective 1.07:
Evaluate the extent to which the Bill of Rights extended the Constitution.
Objective 1.08:
Compare the American system of government to other forms of government.
GOAL 1 TERMS
1
New England
Middle Colonies
Southern Colonies
Jamestown
Plantation system
Mercantilism
Indentured servants
Slavery
Middle Passage
Triangular Trade Route
Pilgrims
Puritans
Quakers
Catholics
American Indian
Religious dissenters
Bacon’s Rebellion
Town meetings
Joint-stock/ Proprietary/Royal/
Self-Governing Colonies
Salem Witch Trials
Magna Carta/Great Charter
Parliament
Common Law
Mayflower Compact
House of Burgesses
Town meetings
Social Contract theory
Natural rights
Common good/Civic virtue
Classical republicanism
1st/2nd Continental Congress
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
English Bill of Rights
Limited Government
Republic
Favorable Balance of Trade
French and Indian War
Writs of assistance
Proclamation of 1763
Quartering Act
Stamp Act/Stamp Act Congress
Declaratory Act
Albany Plan of Union
Sons of Liberty
Boston Massacre
Committees of Correspondence
John Peter Zenger
“Shot heard around the world”
Boston Tea Party
Intolerable Acts/Coercive Acts
Declaration of Independence
Thomas Paine’s Common Sense
Salutary neglect
Navigation Acts
Public schooling
Slave trade
1st Great Awakening
Suffrage
Nationalism
Land ownership
Land Ordinance, 1785
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
Treaty of Paris, 1783
Shays’ Rebellion
Bill of Rights
The Virginia Plan
The New Jersey Plan
The Great Compromise Connecticut Plan
The Three/fifths Compromise
The Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise
The Electoral College
Federalists
Anti-federalists
Loose Interpretation
Strict Interpretation
Federalism
Separation of Powers
Checks and Balances
Republicanism
The Judiciary
The Executive Branch
Factions
Bill of Rights
Free Exercise Clause
Establishment Clause
Freedoms of expression, assembly, petition, religion
Right to bear arms
Quartering
Search & Seizure
Eminent Domain
Due Process
Double Jeopardy
Self incrimination
Rights of the accused
Speedy and public trial
Trial by jury
Fines and punishments
Powers of states
Powers of people
Anarchy
Autocracy
Theocracy
Oligarchy
Limited/Absolute Monarchy
Totalitarianism
Dictatorship
Aristocracy
Democracy
Federalism
Republicanism
1
Absolute Monarchy / A ruler with complete and absolute power to rule his/her people.Albany Plan of Union / Plan created by Benjamin Franklin. Thirteen colonies act as one unit in American Revolutionary War.
Anarchy / No government, total chaos.
Anti-federalists / Supporters of strong state government, weak federal government. Against constitution without Bill of Rights. One of the First political parties.
Aristocracy / Government by the wealthy and economically powerful [land owners]
Autocracy / Self appointed leaders of government.
Awakening, The First Great / Religious Revival in Colonial America led by Jonathan Edwards [Puritans in Massachusetts].
Bacon’s Rebellion / Nathaniel Bacon, 1676. Protested against House of Burgesses--lack of representation for landless settlers and debtors [Jamestown, Va.]
Balance of Trade / Favorable (surplus); exports are greater than imports.
Unfavorable (deficit); imports are greater than exports.
Battles of the American Revolution / Lexington & Concord (First)
Saratoga (turning point, French Alliance)
Yorktown (British surrender)
Bill of Rights / First 10 Amendments to the Constitution. Know each amendment with rights.
Boston Massacre / Clash between British Soldiers and Colonists – 5 Colonists killed.
Boston Tea Party / Sons of Liberty (Sam Adams) – Colonists dressed like Indians threw tea into the harbor
Checks and Balances / A system in which each branch of government is able to check, or restrain, the power of other branches of government.
Commerce & Slave Trade Compromise / Between North/South – Agreement to count imports but not exports up to 1818. An agreement at the Constitutional Convention that protected slave trade from Congressional action for 20 years. Also denied Congress the power to tax exports.
Committees of Correspondence / Groups of Colonists set up to exchange information about British threats
Common good/Civic virtue / Concept of working for or towards the good of others
Common Law / Law based on court decisions rather than on legal codes (precedent).
Continental Congress, The First and Second / First petitioned (Olive Branch) to George III for more rights.
Second drafted and signed Declaration of Independence.
Declaration of Independence / 1776 – Written by Thomas Jefferson – Declaration of Independence against Great Britain. Emphasizes freedom, equality, and natural rights.
Declaratory Act / 1766 – British Parliament could declare/pass any law it “deemed necessary”
Democracy / Right to govern one’s self and elect own leaders.
Dictatorship / Rule by one person or a small group of people, usually with force.
Double Jeopardy / 5th Amendment – A person cannot be tried twice for same crime if found innocent the First time.
Due Process / Following established legal procedures to protect the rights of the accused.
Electoral College / Group of people (Electors) named by each state legislature to cast official votes for the President and Vice President.
Eminent Domain / Fifth Amendment – Right of government to take private property for public use.
English Bill of Rights / Members of the British Parliament were freely elected and guaranteed free speech during meetings. Every citizen has the right to a fair trial by jury, and cruel and unusual punishments were banned. This followed the “Glorious Revolution.”
Establishment Clause / Key phrase in the First Amendment that prevents government from establishing any religion.
Executive Branch / Branch of government that includes President/Vice President and staff–duty to carry out the laws.
Factions / Divisions within government, religions, etc.
Favorable Balance of Trade / A country has a “favorable balance of trade” when the value of a nation’s exports exceeds the value of its imports.
Federalism / A system of government – Power is divided between the federal government and states, with the federal government being the stronger of the two.
Federalists / Supporters of a strong federal government
Free Exercise Clause / Refers to First Amendment right to exercise freedoms
French and Indian War 1754-1763 / Fought in North America. England protected American Colonists from French and Indians. Long term cause of American Revolution.
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut / Early form of self-government in the American Colonies[Thomas Hooker]. First Colonial constitution
Great Compromise Connecticut Plan / Provided for a two-house Congress:
A) Senate – Equal numbers, two per state
B) House – Number of representatives based on population.
House of Burgesses / Form of representative government – Associate with Jamestown. First government in Colonial America
Indentured servants / A person who contracts to work for a specified time.
Intolerable Acts/Coercive Acts / Acts to punish Colonists after Boston Tea Party
Jamestown / First permanent English colony / settlement in North America
John Peter Zenger / First Amendment – Freedom of Press. A New York publisher who went to jail to protect the freedom of the press in Colonial times.
Joint-stock/ Proprietary/Royal / Types of colonial government. Joint-stock: provides for self-government. Proprietary: a proprietor sets a governor [Penn]. Royal: crown sets government.
Judiciary / Branch of government. Court system with power to interpret laws and punish lawbreakers.
Land Ordinance, 1785 / Plan for surveying lands and selling lands – West of Appalachian Mountains.
Land Ownership / Concept of private ownership – requirement to vote or run for office in early America.
Limited Government / Concept of less government in individual’s lives.
Limited Monarchy / Monarchy that is a “figurehead” with limited powers to rule.
Loose Interpretation / Allows for use of implied powers (“Elastic Clause”).
Magna Carta/Great Charter / 1215. Forced against King John for rule of law and limited government.
Mayflower Compact / Government would make “just and equal laws for the general good of the colony.” Set up a direct democracy. Signed by Pilgrims prior to settling in Plymouth.
Mercantilism / A theory that a country should sell more goods to other countries than it buys. Formed part of England’s economic policy toward the American Colonies.
Middle Colonies / New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Delaware
Middle Passage / A horrible voyage that brought Africans as slaves to the West Indies.
Natural rights / John Locke – Life / Liberty / Property. Concept borrowed by Thomas Jefferson who used it in the Declaration of Independence.
Navigation Acts / Series of acts by England (Parliament) to tighten control on American Colonists’ trade.
New England Colonies / Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut. Founded for religious freedom.
New Jersey Plan / Favored small states. A One-House Congress with equal representation for all states.
Northwest Ordinance of 1787 / Law establishing admission of new states in Western territories to the United States.
Oligarchy / Rule by a small group of people.
Parliament / Law-making body of England
Pilgrims / Settled Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts. Made a “pilgrimage,” a religious journey[Mayflower].
Plantation system / A farming system including cash crops harvested by slave labor in Southern colonies.
Powers of people / 9th Amendment, reserved rights
Powers of states / 10th Amendment, reserved powers
Proclamation of 1763 / Forbad American Colonists to cross the Appalachian Mountains. Long-term cause of American Revolution
Public Schools / Supported by both the state government and local education authorities. The basic curriculum is created by the state. Concept of state-supported schools (Horace Mann, Massachusetts was a pioneer of this concept).
Puritans / Settled Massachusetts Bay Colony. A religious sect that wanted to “purify” religion.
Quakers / Settled Pennsylvania. Led by William Penn.
Quartering Act / 1765 – Required colonists to give shelter to British soldiers upon request.
Religious dissenters / a)People who left England to go to New World (Pilgrims, Puritans, Quakers, Catholics) and
b)left Massachusetts to form new colonies in Rhode Island (Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson).
Republic / A form of self-government. A representative democracy.
Right to bear arms / People may legally own and possess arms as long as they are not used in criminal activity—Second Amendment.
Rights of the accused / Amendments 4, 5, 6, 8.
Salem Witch Trials / 1692 – Salem, Massachusetts. Witch hunt – accused those who were “different” of being witches.
Salutary neglect / Policy of England before French & Indian War – Relaxing its regulations in exchange for economic loyalty from American colonists.
Search & Seizure / 4th Amendment – Right of protection against unreasonable searches and seizures
Self incrimination / 5th Amendment – Right not to turn evidence against oneself.
Self-Governing Colonies / Colonies allowed to develop their own government.
Separation of Powers / The split of authority among the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches of government.
Shays’ Rebellion / Daniel Shays – 1786 Farmer’s rebellion against new government – Protesting taxes.
Shot heard around the world / Lexington, Massachusetts – First battle of American Revolutionary War
Slave trade / Economic enterprise that existed in Colonial America to support cash crop plantation system.
Slavery / Ownership of one person by another. Supported the plantation system.
Social Contract theory / John-Jacque Rousseau. Contract between citizens and government. Citizens give up some rights in exchange for protection.
Sons of Liberty / Sam Adams – Boston Tea Party
Southern Colonies / North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland
Speedy and public trial / 6th Amendment Right
Stamp Act/Stamp Act Congress / 1765. Required stamp to be placed on newspapers, magazines, playing cards, legal documents, etc. Led to “No taxation without representation.”
Strict Interpretation / Interpret the law totally by The Constitution. Supporters oppose the Elastic Clause. Started by Anti-Federalists.
Suffrage / The right to vote.
Theocracy / Religious-based government. No separation of church and state.
Common Sense / Written by Thomas Paine. A pamphlet that stirred the spirit of Colonists toward independence.
Three Fifths Compromise / Count slaves as 3/5ths of a person for taxes and representation numbers.
Totalitarianism / A form of dictatorship. Total control over people
Town meetings / New England’s direct democracy policy of local government; all citizens meet, discuss, and vote.
Treaty of Paris, 1783 / Ended American Revolutionary War (Granted Independence to Colonies)
Trial by jury / In criminal case (6th Amendment) – In civil case (7th Amendment)
Triangular Trade Route / Black market route involving New England Colonies/ West Indies/Africa [rum-slaves-gold].
Virginia Plan / One-house Congress based on representation numbers determined by population.
Writs of assistance / Colonial court orders that allowed general searches. Detested by Colonists.
GOAL 2