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

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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.

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121 Terms

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Civil Rights

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

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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.

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Equal Protection Clause (14th Amendment)

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

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Rational Basis Test

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

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Intermediate Scrutiny

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

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Strict Scrutiny

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

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Affirmative Action

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

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13th Amendment

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

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Black Codes

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

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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.

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15th Amendment

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

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Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

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

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Emancipation Proclamation

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

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Reconstruction

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

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Disenfranchisement

Revocation or denial of the right to vote.

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Literacy Test

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

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Grandfather Clause

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

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Poll Tax

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

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White Primary

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

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Jim Crow Laws

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

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Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

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

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NAACP

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

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Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

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

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De Jure Segregation

Racial separation mandated by law.

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De Facto Segregation

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

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Civil Rights Act of 1964

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

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24th Amendment

Constitutional amendment banning poll taxes in federal elections.

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Voting Rights Act of 1965

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

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Direct Action

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

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Civil Disobedience

Peaceful refusal to obey unjust laws to highlight their injustice.

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Black Power

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

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Glass Ceiling

Invisible barriers preventing women from advancing to top organizational positions.

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Comparable Worth

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

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Coverture

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

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Seneca Falls Convention (1848)

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

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Declaration of Sentiments

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

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NWSA

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

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NAWSA

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

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19th Amendment

Granted women the right to vote nationwide in 1920.

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Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

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

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Title IX (1972)

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

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Indian Removal Act (1830)

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

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Trail of Tears

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

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Dawes Severalty Act (1887)

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

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Indian Citizenship Act (1924)

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

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Indian Reorganization Act (1934)

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

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American Indian Movement (AIM)

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

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Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (1975)

Gave tribes control over federal programs and education on reservations.

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Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (1971)

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

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Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

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

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Immigration Act of 1924

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

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Executive Order 9066

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

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Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

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

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Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)

Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide.

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Rehabilitation Act (1973)

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

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Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)

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

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National Voter Registration Act (Motor Voter)

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

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Voter Turnout

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

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Voting-Age Population (VAP)

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

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Voting-Eligible Population (VEP)

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

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Voter ID Laws

Statutes requiring voters to present specific identification at polling places.

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Early Voting

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

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Mail-Only Voting

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

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Closed Primary

Primary election in which only registered party members may vote.

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Open Primary

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

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Top-Two Primary

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

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Caucus

Local party meeting where members discuss and select candidates.

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Delegate

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

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Party Platform

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

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Electoral College

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

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Faithless Elector

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

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Midterm Election

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

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Coattail Effect

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

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Reverse-Coattail Effect

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

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Political Action Committee (PAC)

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

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Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA)

1971 law regulating campaign finance and creating disclosure requirements.

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Federal Election Commission (FEC)

Independent agency enforcing federal campaign finance laws.

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Buckley v. Valeo (1976)

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

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Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA)

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

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Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

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

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Straight-Ticket Voting

Selecting every candidate from the same party on a ballot.

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Retrospective Voting

Evaluating incumbent performance before casting a vote.

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Prospective Voting

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

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Pocketbook Voting

Voting based on personal economic circumstances.

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Incumbency Advantage

Electoral edge afforded to those already in office.

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Gerrymandering

Manipulating electoral district boundaries to favor a party or group.

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Safe Seat

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

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Referendum

Process allowing voters to approve or repeal legislative acts.

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Initiative

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

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Recall

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

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Political Party

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

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Faction

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

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Spoils System

Practice of rewarding political supporters with public office.

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Political Machine

Party organization that recruits members by dispensing patronage and favors.

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Australian Ballot

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

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Winner-Take-All Election

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

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Single-Member District

Electoral district that elects one representative.

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Majority Voting

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

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Plurality Voting

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

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Realignment

Significant, lasting shift in party loyalties among voters.