Civil Liberties
fundamental rights and freedoms protected from infringement by the government
Civil Rights
protections from discrimination as a member of a particular group
Bill of Rights
a list of fundamental rights and freedoms that individuals possess
Due Process Clause
no STATE can deny a person “life, liberty, or property without due process of law”
Selective Incorporation
The Bill of Rights did NOT apply to the states. Language specifically protects citizens from FEDERAL government
Establishment Clause
protection against the government requiring citizens to join or support a religion
Free Exercise Clause
protection of the rights of individuals to exercise and express their religious beliefs
Freedom of Expression
a fundamental right affirmed in the First Amendment to speak, publish, and protest
Clear and Present Danger Test
legal standard that speech posing an immediate and serious threat to national security is not protected by the First Amendment
Prior Restraint
the suppression of material prior to publication on the grounds that it might endanger national security
Symbolic Speech
Protected expression in the form of images, signs, and other symbols
Libel
an untrue written statement that injures a person’s reputation
Slander
an untrue spoken expression that injures a person’s reputation
Ex Post Facto Laws
laws criminalizing conduct that was legal at the time it occurred
Bill of Attainder
a law passed by Congress punishing an individual without a trial
Writ of Habeas Corpus
a document setting out reasons for an arrest or detention
Double Jeopardy
protects an individual acquitted of a crime from being charged with the same crime again in the same jurisdiction
Miranda Rights
The right to remain silent and to have an attorney present during questioning. These rights must be given by police to individuals suspected of criminal activity.
Civil Rights
protections for individuals from discrimination based on race, national origin, religion, sex, and other characteristics, ensuring equal treatment under the law
Thirteenth Amendment
prohibited slavery
Fourteenth Amendment
granted citizenship to persons born in the United States
Equal Protection Clause
has been used to protect civil rights of Americans from discrimination based on race, national origin, religion, gender, and other characteristics
Fifteenth Amendment
granted the right to vote to male African Americans
Separate but Equal
racially segregated but ostensibly ensuring equal opportunities to all races.
Legal Segregation
separation by law of individuals based on race
De Jure Segregation
legal segregation
De Facto Segregation
separation of individuals based on characteristics that arise not by law but because of other factors, such as residential housing patterns
Affirmative Action
A policy designed to address the consequences of previous discrimination by providing special consideration to individuals based upon their characteristics, such as race or gender.
Civil Rights Act of 1964
legislation outlawing racial segregation in public places and authorized the attorney general to sue individual school districts that failed to desegregate
Voting Rights Act of 1965
legislation outlawing literacy tests and authorizing the Justice Department to send federal officers to register voters in areas with a history of voter discrimination
Nineteenth Amendment
The woman's right to vote
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
legislation prohibiting sex discrimination in schools receiving federal aid