AP GOV PACKET 2

Free Press Principle

The right to create and disseminate information without government interference, acting as a bulwark for liberty.

Prior Restraint

Government action taken to silence the press and prevent the publication of information before it is disseminated.

Injunction

A court order forcing a person or group to stop an action to prevent potential harm.

Inherent Power

A power that naturally exists and does not need to be explicitly granted by law or the Constitution.

Bill of Rights

Constitutional amendments added to restrict national government power and protect individual and group liberties.

Slander

Spoken defamation of character; not fully protected by the First Amendment but difficult to prove.

Libel

Published defamation of character; public figures must prove 'actual malice' to win a lawsuit.

Woodward and Bernstein

Washington Post reporters whose Watergate investigative journalism led to President Nixon's resignation.

Watchdog Journalism

The press's role to act as a witness and check on government power by exposing abuse and corruption.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Agency regulating broadcast frequencies and licenses, prohibited from violating the First Amendment.

Media Conglomerates

Large companies owning many smaller media outlets, potentially reducing news competition and leading to self-censorship.

"Leviathan" by T. Hobbes

16th-century work justifying absolute monarchy and developing social contract theory.

"Two Treatises on Government" by J. Locke

17th-century work supporting limited monarchy, natural rights, and the right to replace corrupt governments.

Common Sense by Thomas Paine

1776 pamphlet promoting American separation from England and favoring a republican government.

Virginia Declaration of Rights

Document by George Mason declaring VA's separation from England and asserting governments exist for public safety and happiness.

Civil Rights

Government policies and laws ensuring non-discrimination and protection for defined groups, primarily found in the Declaration of Independence and social contract

Civil Liberties

Fundamental freedoms protected from arbitrary government interference, primarily found in the Bill of Rights.

Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom

1786 law by Thomas Jefferson prohibiting the state from using religion to extend or deny civil rights.

Reed v. Reed (1971)

Supreme Court ruling that arbitrary sex discrimination violates the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Supreme Court decision upholding racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine.

"Separate but Equal"

Legal doctrine from Plessy v. Ferguson allowing racial segregation if facilities were supposedly equal.

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

Supreme Court ruling protecting Amish religious freedom against mandatory high school attendance laws.

Preamble to the Constitution

Introduction establishing the Constitution's purpose and acting as a social contract originating from the people.

Due Process Clause (5th Amendment)

Constitutional guarantee that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without proper legal procedures.