Unit 3 Vocab

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution that protect individual liberties such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press.

Civil liberties

Basic rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights or interpreted through the Constitution.

Civil rights

Protections against discrimination and the right to equal treatment under the law.

First Amendment

Protects freedoms concerning religion, expression, assembly, and the right to petition.

Fourth Amendment

Protects against unreasonable searches and seizures by the government.

Fifth Amendment

Provides protections in criminal cases, including the right to due process and protection against double jeopardy and self-incrimination.

Sixth Amendment

Guarantees the right to a fair trial, including the right to an attorney, an impartial jury, and to confront witnesses.

Ninth Amendment

Asserts that there are additional fundamental rights that exist beyond those listed in the Constitution.

Fourteenth Amendment

Due Process Clause and Equal Protection Clause - The Due Process Clause guarantees fundamental fairness, while the Equal Protection Clause requires states to provide equal protection under the law.

Establishment clause

Part of the First Amendment and prohibits the government from establishing an official religion or unduly favoring one religion over another.

Free exercise clause

Part of the First Amendment and protects individuals' rights to practice their religion freely without government interference.

Time, place, manner regulations

Restrictions on free speech that are content-neutral but regulate when, where, or how speech can occur.

Defamation

False statements that damage someone's reputation. It includes both libel (written) and slander (spoken).

Libel

Written defamatory statements that harm a person's reputation.

Slander

Spoken defamatory statements that harm a person's reputation.

Prior restraint

Government actions that aim to prevent the publication or dissemination of information or speech before it actually occurs.

Selective incorporation doctrine

Legal process by which the Supreme Court has applied most protections in the Bill of Rights to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause.

Due process

Legal principle that the government must respect all legal rights owed to a person under the law.

Procedural due process

Requires fair and consistent procedures in the justice system. Example: The right to a fair trial and an impartial jury.

Miranda rule

Requirement that law enforcement must inform suspects of their rights upon arrest. Example: While arresting you a police officer will inform you of your right to remain silent and your right to an attorney.

Patriot Act

Law passed in response to 9/11, expanding the government's surveillance and investigative powers to combat terrorism. Example: Provisions allowing for broader wiretapping and data collection.

Exclusionary rule

Legal principle that evidence obtained illegally cannot be used in court. Example: Evidence gained in an unlawful search or interrogation cannot be used in court.

Substantive due process

Doctrine that protects fundamental rights from government interference, even if procedural protections are followed.

Unenumerated rights

Rights not explicitly listed in the Constitution but still protected under the Ninth Amendment. Example: The right to privacy.

Right to privacy

Implied right allowing individuals to make personal decisions without government interference.

Civil Rights Movement

Social and political movement aimed at achieving racial equality and ending segregation.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

Letter written by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963 defending nonviolent resistance to racism and explaining the need for direct action.

Women's Rights Movement

Social and political movement aimed at achieving gender equality, including voting rights, workplace equality, and reproductive rights. Example: The fight for the Equal Rights Amendment.

LGBTQ rights

Advocacy for equal rights and protections for LGBTQ individuals, including marriage equality and protection from discrimination. Example: You can marry anyone regardless of gender.

Pro-life movement

Advocacy against abortion, emphasizing the protection of fetal life.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Major civil rights legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972

Federal law prohibiting gender discrimination in education programs and activities receiving federal funding.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Landmark law designed to eliminate barriers to voting for African Americans, such as literacy tests and poll taxes.

Separate but equal doctrine

Legal principle established by Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) that allowed racial segregation as long as facilities were 'equal.'

Majority-minority districting

An electoral district in which the ethnic minority group is the majority.

Affirmative Action

Policies designed to address past discrimination and promote diversity, especially in education and employment. Example: Employers might actively try to seek out candidates from underrepresented groups.