Civil Liberties

Flashcards covering key concepts and terms related to civil liberties, the Bill of Rights, and Supreme Court rulings.

Civil Liberties

Personal freedoms protected for all individuals, including freedom of religion and speech, restraining government actions against individuals.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution that outline the rights of citizens and limit government power.

Selective Incorporation

The legal doctrine by which parts of the Bill of Rights are applied to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.

Establishment Clause

Part of the First Amendment prohibiting the government from establishing an official religion.

Free Exercise Clause

Part of the First Amendment guaranteeing individuals the right to practice their religion, with some restrictions.

Prior Restraint

Government action that prohibits speech or other expression before it takes place.

Clear and Present Danger

A legal standard that allows limitations on speech if it poses a significant risk to public safety.

Obscenity

Speech or material that is deemed offensive and lacks serious artistic, literary, or political value.

Libel

A written defamation of character; false statements that damage a person's reputation.

Miranda Rights

The rights police must inform a person of upon arrest, including the right to counsel.

Exclusionary Rule

A legal principle that prohibits the use of illegally seized evidence in court.

Miller Test

Criteria used to determine whether speech or material is obscene, based on community standards.

Actual Malice

A standard of proof in defamation cases, requiring proof of knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard for the truth.

Eighth Amendment

Part of the U.S. Constitution prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment.

Fourteenth Amendment

Constitutional amendment that provides equal protection under the law and has been used to apply the Bill of Rights to states.

Religious Freedom Restoration Act

A law aimed at protecting individuals' religious freedoms from government interference.