The Constitution of the United States was written in the year ________________.
1787
A(n) ______________ is a form of government in which the
... [Show More] people (defined broadly to include all adults or narrowly to exclude women and slaves, for example) are the ultimate political authority.
democracy
List the three qualifications of suffrage for citizens of the United States.
1. at least _________ years of age
2. is not a felon serving time in prison
3. has not, by reason of ________, been placed under the supervision of another person
eighteen
felon
insanity
Before 1870, only _______ ___________ had the right to vote.
white men
In what year was African Americans granted suffrage?
1870
Women did not receive nationwide suffrage until _______.
1920
For the most part, the United States is a(n) ____________ democracy, meaning that voters elect the people who represent them in governmental bodies.
representative
In some instances, Americans exercise _________________ democracy, meaning citizens vote directly on political issues, and the majority wins.
direct
The first direct democracy we know of was in the Greek city-state of _____________.
Athens
Direct democracy in the United States today can be seen in ___________ _____________ __________ ______________, where citizens of a town make decisions about local matters.
New England town meetings
Other manifestations of direct democracy came in the form of ____________ , __________, and ___________.
initiatives
referenda
recall
A(n) _______________ is the proposal by a specified number of voters of a statute, constitutional amendment, or ordinance to compel a popular vote on its adoption; also known as a proposition.
initiative
A(n) ____________ is the submission of a piece of legislation (intended or actual) directly to voters for approval.
referendum
In 2006, voters in Michigan voted on an initiative to eliminate ___________ _____________ programs in public universities and in state employment.
affirmative action
___________ __________________ programs seek to compensate for past discrimination by giving special attention in hiring and college or university admissions to people from groups discriminated against.
Affirmative action
A ____________ is the direct action of voters to remove a political figure from office.
recall
The Constitution's framers put in place a _____________ democracy because they worried that the "passions" of the people, which sometimes were driven by political fads, could derail good government.
representative
A(n) ___________ is a political system without a monarch.
republic
A republic is a political system in which the people have political power - that is, they exercise __________ ______________.
popular sovereignty
The United States is best described as a __________ ______________.
democratic republic [Show Less]