Civil Rights, Voting & Elections, Political Parties, and Interest Groups – Key Vocabulary

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering major terms and concepts from the lecture notes on civil rights, voting and elections, political parties, and interest groups.

Civil Rights

Government-guaranteed protections ensuring equal treatment of people under the law.

Due Process Clause (5th Amendment)

Constitutional provision prohibiting the national government from depriving individuals of life, liberty, or property without fair legal procedures; used to challenge discrimination.

Equal Protection Clause (14th Amendment)

Section of the 14th Amendment forbidding states from denying any person the same legal protections that others enjoy.

Rational Basis Test

Judicial standard that upholds a law if it is rationally related to a legitimate government interest.

Intermediate Scrutiny

Standard requiring laws that classify by gender to be substantially related to an important governmental objective.

Strict Scrutiny

Highest judicial standard: a discriminatory law must be narrowly tailored to achieve a compelling governmental interest using the least restrictive means.

Affirmative Action

Programs designed to give compensatory advantages to groups historically subjected to discrimination.

13th Amendment

Constitutional amendment that abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States.

Black Codes

Post-Civil War Southern laws aimed at restricting the freedoms of African Americans and maintaining a labor force.

14th Amendment

Granted citizenship to all born in the U.S., applied the Bill of Rights to states, and contained due process and equal protection clauses.

15th Amendment

Prohibits denying the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

Supreme Court case holding that African Americans were not citizens and Congress could not ban slavery in the territories.

Emancipation Proclamation

1863 executive order freeing slaves in Confederate states still in rebellion.

Reconstruction

Period after the Civil War when Southern states were reorganized and reintegrated; saw passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments.

Disenfranchisement

Revocation or denial of the right to vote.

Literacy Test

Examination used to prevent certain people (especially African Americans) from voting by assessing reading ability.

Grandfather Clause

Law exempting whites from literacy tests if they or their ancestors could vote before the Civil War.

Poll Tax

Fee required to vote, used primarily to disenfranchise poor and minority voters.

White Primary

Democratic Party primary elections in the South from which African Americans were excluded.

Jim Crow Laws

State and local statutes enforcing racial segregation in the South after Reconstruction.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Supreme Court decision upholding “separate but equal” racial segregation.

NAACP

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; civil-rights organization focused on litigation and legal change.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Supreme Court decision declaring school segregation inherently unequal, overturning Plessy.

De Jure Segregation

Racial separation mandated by law.

De Facto Segregation

Segregation resulting from social, economic, or residential patterns rather than law.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Landmark law banning discrimination in public accommodations, employment, and voter registration.

24th Amendment

Constitutional amendment banning poll taxes in federal elections.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Federal law eliminating literacy tests and providing federal oversight of voter registration in discriminatory jurisdictions.

Direct Action

Non-violent political activities such as marches or demonstrations to create change.

Civil Disobedience

Peaceful refusal to obey unjust laws to highlight their injustice.

Black Power

Movement emphasizing racial pride, economic empowerment, and creation of political and cultural institutions for African Americans.

Glass Ceiling

Invisible barriers preventing women from advancing to top organizational positions.

Comparable Worth

Policy advocating equal pay for work requiring similar skill, effort, and responsibility, even across different jobs.

Coverture

Legal doctrine under which married women’s identities were subsumed under their husbands’ in early U.S. history.

Seneca Falls Convention (1848)

First U.S. women’s rights convention; issued the Declaration of Sentiments.

Declaration of Sentiments

Document asserting women’s equality, modeled on the Declaration of Independence.

NWSA

National Woman Suffrage Association; sought a constitutional amendment for women’s suffrage.

NAWSA

National American Woman Suffrage Association; unified suffrage movement leading to the 19th Amendment.

19th Amendment

Granted women the right to vote nationwide in 1920.

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

Proposed (but unratified) amendment guaranteeing equal legal rights regardless of sex.

Title IX (1972)

Federal statute prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded education programs and activities.

Indian Removal Act (1830)

Law authorizing forced relocation of Native tribes to lands west of the Mississippi.

Trail of Tears

Forced march of Cherokee and other tribes to Indian Territory; thousands died en route.

Dawes Severalty Act (1887)

Law dividing tribal lands into individual allotments, undermining communal ownership.

Indian Citizenship Act (1924)

Granted U.S. citizenship to all Native Americans born in the United States.

Indian Reorganization Act (1934)

Restored tribal self-government and ended allotment of reservation lands.

American Indian Movement (AIM)

Native American civil-rights organization known for occupations like Alcatraz and Wounded Knee.

Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (1975)

Gave tribes control over federal programs and education on reservations.

Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (1971)

Provided money and land to Alaska Natives in exchange for relinquishing claims to other lands.

Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

First major U.S. law restricting immigration based on nationality; barred Chinese laborers.

Immigration Act of 1924

Set national-origin quotas, effectively banning most Asian immigration and citizenship.

Executive Order 9066

WWII order relocating Japanese Americans to internment camps without due process.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

1994–2011 military policy barring openly LGBT service members while banning inquiries into orientation.

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)

Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide.

Rehabilitation Act (1973)

Banned disability discrimination in federal employment and programs receiving federal funds.

Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)

Comprehensive civil-rights law prohibiting disability discrimination in employment, public accommodations, and transportation.

National Voter Registration Act (Motor Voter)

1993 law allowing voter registration when applying for a driver’s license or public assistance.

Voter Turnout

Percentage of eligible or registered voters who cast a ballot in an election.

Voting-Age Population (VAP)

All U.S. residents aged 18 and older, regardless of eligibility.

Voting-Eligible Population (VEP)

Adults 18+ who are citizens, mentally competent, and not disenfranchised by felony status.

Voter ID Laws

Statutes requiring voters to present specific identification at polling places.

Early Voting

Process allowing voters to cast ballots before Election Day at designated locations.

Mail-Only Voting

Election system in which ballots are mailed to voters who return them by post; no in-person polling places.

Closed Primary

Primary election in which only registered party members may vote.

Open Primary

Primary election permitting all registered voters to choose either party’s ballot.

Top-Two Primary

All candidates run in one primary; the two highest vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to the general election.

Caucus

Local party meeting where members discuss and select candidates.

Delegate

Party member chosen to represent voters at a state or national nominating convention.

Party Platform

Formal statement of a party’s principles and policy goals adopted at its convention.

Electoral College

Body of electors who formally elect the U.S. president and vice president.

Faithless Elector

Elector who votes contrary to the popular vote of their state.

Midterm Election

National election held midway through a president’s term, choosing all House members and some Senators.

Coattail Effect

Boost candidates receive from running alongside a popular top-ticket candidate.

Reverse-Coattail Effect

Tendency for the president’s party to lose seats in midterm elections.

Political Action Committee (PAC)

Organization that raises and spends money to elect or defeat candidates.

Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA)

1971 law regulating campaign finance and creating disclosure requirements.

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

Independent agency enforcing federal campaign finance laws.

Buckley v. Valeo (1976)

Case upholding contribution limits but striking down expenditure limits as free speech.

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA)

2002 law (McCain-Feingold) restricting soft money and issue ads near elections.

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

Supreme Court ruling allowing unlimited independent political spending by corporations and unions.

Straight-Ticket Voting

Selecting every candidate from the same party on a ballot.

Retrospective Voting

Evaluating incumbent performance before casting a vote.

Prospective Voting

Basing a vote on expectations of a candidate’s future actions.

Pocketbook Voting

Voting based on personal economic circumstances.

Incumbency Advantage

Electoral edge afforded to those already in office.

Gerrymandering

Manipulating electoral district boundaries to favor a party or group.

Safe Seat

Legislative district consistently won by one party by a large margin.

Referendum

Process allowing voters to approve or repeal legislative acts.

Initiative

Citizen-proposed law or constitutional amendment placed on the ballot after petition.

Recall

Procedure enabling voters to remove an elected official before term end.

Political Party

Organization of people with shared policy goals seeking to gain control of government by winning elections.

Faction

Self-interested subgroup within a larger entity, discussed by Madison in Federalist No. 10.

Spoils System

Practice of rewarding political supporters with public office.

Political Machine

Party organization that recruits members by dispensing patronage and favors.

Australian Ballot

Secret, government-printed ballot listing all candidates, allowing voter privacy and split-ticket voting.

Winner-Take-All Election

Electoral system where the candidate with the most votes wins the single seat available.

Single-Member District

Electoral district that elects one representative.

Majority Voting

System requiring 50 % + 1 of votes to win; may lead to runoffs.

Plurality Voting

Candidate with the most votes wins, even without a majority.

Realignment

Significant, lasting shift in party loyalties among voters.