Test 2 American People and Politics

what are civil LIBERTIES

FREEDOMS that PROTECT CITIZENS that the government CAN’T infringe upon

• Bill of Rights

what are civil RIGHTS

PROTECTION from DISCRIMINATION

• 14th amendment

• social movements

Was the bill of rights initially included in the constitution

no

what is the origin of the bill of rights

anti federalists wanted the bill of rights to be included in the constitution

• main idea: at first no bill of rights, after ratification processed STARTED, it was included

1st amendment

freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly

2nd amendment

right to bare arms

3rd amendment

quartering of solders

4th amendment

no unreasonable search and seizure

5th amendment

Miranda rights: you have the right to remain silent, right to an attorney

• cannot self incriminate

6th amendment

right to a speedy trial, and right to impartial jury

7th amendment

right to a trail by jury (civil cases specifically)

8th amendment

no cruel or unusual punishments

9th amendment

whatever specific rights listed in the constitution cannot deny other rights

• can’t twist the words of the constitution

10th amendment

whatever power isn’t given to the federal government, belongs to the states/the people

what is SELECTIVE INCORPORTATION

• on a case by case basis, you are granted civil liberties through the 14th amendment because of the broad language of it

• allows the supreme court to apply parts of the bill of rights to state government, not just federal government

• using the 14th amendment to uphold other people’s rights

significance of Barron v Baltimore

• fisherman case

• wasn’t protected by the state yet, so he lost the case

• fisherman who owned wharf, saying that the city infringed on his 5th amendment rights

• supreme court said it only applied to the federal government

• BIG IDEA: saying that the bill of rights does not apply to state government

2 important aspects of the 1st amendment relating to freedom of religion

1. establishment clause: the federal government cannot endorse a singular religion

2. free exercise clause: means that you are free to practice whatever religion as you aren’t harming anyone

   1. court case tied to this is Kennedy v Bremerton

significance of Kennedy v Bremerton School District

• football coach wanted to pray on the 50 yard line

• school district did not allow that because they said that we are a public school we cannot endorse a religion

• court said that because of the free exercise clause, you can do that in public, express your religion 

In freedom of speech, what test is used to determine if the speech is not protected

old: lemon test

new: the clear and present danger test

significance of Roe v Wade

• extended the right of privacy for women’s right to an abortion

• court case the overturned it: Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization

  • gave the states the right to decide 

in 2016, what did the Texas Board of Education approve

new curriculum can include bible stories in Texas public schools

when can speech be regulated by the federal government

• if it is threatening, inciting actual harm

• clear and present danger test

is hate speech unconstitutional under the first amendment

no, it is protected

do you have free speech anywhere

no, in private businesses and spaces, they can regulate rules

what is INTERSECTIONALITY

• overlapping experiences that a particular person can have

• EX: an african american woman can have discrimination based off the fact that she is african american or because she is a woman

why were african americans still disenfranchised even after the passed of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments

• work arounds bc of Jim Crow laws

  • literacy tests, poll taxes, white primaries

significance of PLESSY v FERGUSON (1896)

• separate but equal doctrine

• plessy 7th/8th caucasian and he sat in a train car that was for white people, he was arrested and he said that you are infringing on my 14th amendment rights

• court said separate but equal 

• court case that overturned: brown v board of education

1. what is the significance of BROWN v BOARD OF EDUCATION

• declared that race based segregation is discrimination

• STRUCK DOWN THE separate but equal doctrine 

• Brown v Board 2nd court case: now you must integrate your schools, you must DESEGREGATE your schools

when discussing the topic of women, what is PROTECTIONISM

• where people try to rationalize their discriminatory behavior by saying that they are helping others

  • saying that “its for your safety, wellbeing, protection”

Declaration of Sentiments

modeled after declaration of independence but to include women

what is PUBLIC OPINION

how people view politics

why does public opinion matter

1. citizens’ political actions are driven by their opinions

2. because it helps explains behavior of candidates running for office

3. key to understand what motivates citizens to vote/ what they care about

2 different types of opinion

1. stable opinions: broad expression that is formed in your early life, childhood/who you grew up with

2. latent opinions: formed on the spot, don’t know much about it but already forming an opinion

which type of opinion makes up most of americans’ poltical judgement

latent

what is POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION

groups around you can help form your opinions

what is the significance of group identity?

• because you are in close proximity with a group, you will share common beliefs

• group beliefs

why are mass surveys important in measuring public opinion

• provides after estimates on public opinion

• uses relatively small samples

what are the problems with mass surveys/measuring public opinion

• the wording can sway answers

• IMPORTANT: 

  • social desirability bias: people are responding with what they think is popular/ correct not what they think is true

• SELECTION BIAS: not gathering appropriate representative sample

how has the expansion of technology affected media and public opinion?

• a lot more sources

• can target specific audiences/specific sides of arguments

• biased information 

what are MEDIA EFFECTS

• influence of media coverage on public opinion

  • there is evidence that media coverage can influence peoples opinions

what is the HOSTILE MEDIA EFFECT

if someone sees an article from a neutral news station, they think omg this is gonna be biased, they are hostile towards a source

what is the “attention economy”

idea that now b/c of the internet, there is so much information, and the attention spans are going down