AP US Government Unit 3: Civil Liberties & Rights (Facts & Terms)

Bill of Rights

First 10 amendments guaranteeing individual civil liberties.

1st amendment

Protects freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition.

14th amendment

Provides due process and equal protection; basis for incorporation.

Gitlow v New York

Case that began selective incorporation of the Bill of Rights to the states.

Due Process Clause

Government must follow fair procedures before taking life, liberty, or property.

Incorporation doctrine

Process using the 14th Amendment to apply the Bill of Rights to states.

Establishment clause

Government cannot establish, support, or endorse any religion.

Obscenity

Unprotected speech lacking serious value as defined by the Miller test.

Free exercise clause

Protects individuals' right to practice their religion freely.

Prior restraint

Government censorship before publication; generally unconstitutional.

Libel

Written false statements that damage a person's reputation.

Symbolic speech

Nonverbal expression protected by the 1st Amendment (ex: flag burning).

Commercial speech

Advertising; receives limited 1st Amendment protection.

Exclusionary rule

Prohibits illegally obtained evidence from being used in court.

Self-incrimination

Protection from being forced to testify against oneself (5th Amendment).

Plea bargaining

Agreement where defendant pleads guilty for a lesser sentence.

Cruel and unusual punishment

Forbidden by the 8th Amendment; limits extreme penalties.

Right to privacy

Implied right protecting personal decisions (ex: contraception).

Equal protection clause

Requires equal treatment under the law for all citizens.

Civil rights

Protections against discrimination and unequal treatment.

Scott v Sandford

Decision ruling enslaved people were not citizens; strengthened slavery.

13th amendment

Abolished slavery in the United States.

Plessy v Ferguson

Upheld racial segregation under "separate but equal."

Brown v Board

Overturned Plessy; ruled school segregation unconstitutional.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Banned discrimination in employment and public accommodations.

Suffrage

The legal right to vote.

15th amendment

Prohibits voting discrimination based on race.

Poll tax

Fee required to vote; used historically to suppress Black voters.

24th amendment

Banned poll taxes in federal elections.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Outlawed literacy tests and protected minority voting rights.

Korematsu v US

Upheld Japanese internment during WWII.

19th amendment

Granted women the right to vote.

Equal Rights Amendment

Proposed amendment guaranteeing gender equality; never ratified.

Reed v Reed

First Supreme Court case striking down a law for gender discrimination.

Americans with Disabilities Act

Requires accessibility and bans discrimination against disabled individuals.

Affirmative action

Policies to increase opportunities for historically disadvantaged groups.

Quota

Set number reserved for certain groups; often ruled unconstitutional.

Sexual Harassment

Unwelcome sexual conduct that creates a hostile environment.

Comparable worth

Idea that pay should reflect job value regardless of gender.

Civil liberties

Protections from government interference in individual freedoms.