US History and Democratic Principles Flashcards
6 cards from real FCLE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 US History and Democratic Principles flashcards as text
What is the primary purpose of the system of checks and balances in the U.S. government?
Answer: To prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful
Checks and balances distribute power among the three branches so that no single branch can dominate or act tyrannically.
What does federalism, as practiced in the United States, mean?
Answer: Power is divided between the national government and state governments
Federalism divides governmental authority between the federal government and the states, with each having distinct spheres of power.
Which document is established as the supreme law of the land in the United States?
Answer: The U.S. Constitution
Article VI's Supremacy Clause establishes the U.S. Constitution as the supreme law of the land, overriding conflicting state or federal laws.
Popular sovereignty is the principle that governmental authority is ultimately derived from whom?
Answer: The people
Popular sovereignty holds that government's authority comes from the consent of the governed — the people themselves.
The Declaration of Independence describes life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as what type of rights?
Answer: Natural (unalienable) rights
The Declaration calls these unalienable natural rights endowed by the Creator, meaning they cannot be legitimately taken away by any government.
The 'rule of law' principle means that:
Answer: All persons and government officials alike are accountable to the law
The rule of law holds that all persons and institutions — including the government itself — are equally accountable to publicly enacted, fairly enforced laws.