Purdue Civic Literacy Test
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_ebso4a
1. Private Life Relates to a citizen's right to privacy and the pursuit of
private and personal interests
2. Civic Life The public life of the citizen concerned with the affairs
of the community and nation
-example: Campaigning for a school board member
3. Limited Government The government has only the powers granted to it in
the Constitution, and it can only conduct actions per-
mitted by the Constitution. In other words, there are
established and respected restraints on government
power
4. Rule of Law An essential component of limited government.
-The central notion of a rule of law is that society is
governed according to widely known and accepted
rules followed not only by the governed but also by
those in authority
-"no one is above the law"
5. Checks and Balances The Constitutionally granted power for one branch
of government to block action by an equal branch
of government. The Constitution specifies instances
in which one of the three branches can stop action
by another. Historical precedents have established
others
6. Separation of Powers The Constitution keeps the three branches of gov-
ernment (executive, legislative, and judicial) separate.
The powers and responsibilities of each is described
in a separate Article. Separation makes each Branch
the equal of the others
1/9
, Purdue Civic Literacy Test
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_ebso4a
7. 14th Amendment (1868) Grants citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized
in the US"; it forbids any state to deny any person "life,
liberty or property, without due process of law" or to
"deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal
protection of its laws."
-Most important law ever passed besides original
Constitution and Bill of Rights.
-It has been the vehicle for the expansion of civil
rights, women's rights, gay rights among other move-
ments. It also allowed for the "incorporation doctrine"
which means the application of the national Bill of
Rights to the states.
8. 15th Amendment (1870) Granted African American men the right to vote by de-
claring that the "right of citizens of the United States
to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United
States or by any state on account of race, color, or
previous condition of servitude."
-Although ratified on February 3, 1870, the promise
of the 15th Amendment would not be fully realized
for almost a century.
-Through the use of poll taxes, literacy tests and oth-
er means, Southern states were able to effectively
disenfranchise African Americans. It would take the
passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 before the
majority of African Americans in the South were reg-
istered to vote
9. 19th Amendment (1920) -Passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified on
August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment guarantees all
American women the right to vote.
-Achieving this milestone required a lengthy and dif-
2/9
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_ebso4a
1. Private Life Relates to a citizen's right to privacy and the pursuit of
private and personal interests
2. Civic Life The public life of the citizen concerned with the affairs
of the community and nation
-example: Campaigning for a school board member
3. Limited Government The government has only the powers granted to it in
the Constitution, and it can only conduct actions per-
mitted by the Constitution. In other words, there are
established and respected restraints on government
power
4. Rule of Law An essential component of limited government.
-The central notion of a rule of law is that society is
governed according to widely known and accepted
rules followed not only by the governed but also by
those in authority
-"no one is above the law"
5. Checks and Balances The Constitutionally granted power for one branch
of government to block action by an equal branch
of government. The Constitution specifies instances
in which one of the three branches can stop action
by another. Historical precedents have established
others
6. Separation of Powers The Constitution keeps the three branches of gov-
ernment (executive, legislative, and judicial) separate.
The powers and responsibilities of each is described
in a separate Article. Separation makes each Branch
the equal of the others
1/9
, Purdue Civic Literacy Test
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_ebso4a
7. 14th Amendment (1868) Grants citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized
in the US"; it forbids any state to deny any person "life,
liberty or property, without due process of law" or to
"deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal
protection of its laws."
-Most important law ever passed besides original
Constitution and Bill of Rights.
-It has been the vehicle for the expansion of civil
rights, women's rights, gay rights among other move-
ments. It also allowed for the "incorporation doctrine"
which means the application of the national Bill of
Rights to the states.
8. 15th Amendment (1870) Granted African American men the right to vote by de-
claring that the "right of citizens of the United States
to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United
States or by any state on account of race, color, or
previous condition of servitude."
-Although ratified on February 3, 1870, the promise
of the 15th Amendment would not be fully realized
for almost a century.
-Through the use of poll taxes, literacy tests and oth-
er means, Southern states were able to effectively
disenfranchise African Americans. It would take the
passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 before the
majority of African Americans in the South were reg-
istered to vote
9. 19th Amendment (1920) -Passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified on
August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment guarantees all
American women the right to vote.
-Achieving this milestone required a lengthy and dif-
2/9
