Civil Liberties and Civil Rights

1st Amendment

Protects freedom of speech, religion, and assembly.

4th Amendment

Prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures.

5th Amendment

Guarantees due process and protects against self-incrimination; double jeopardy, grand jury, eminent domain.

6th Amendment

Ensures rights to a fair trial and legal counsel.

14th Amendment

Grants citizenship and equal protection under the law.

Bill of Rights

First ten amendments protecting individual liberties.

Miranda Warning

Informs suspects of their rights during arrest.

Obscenity

Material lacking serious literary, artistic, or political value.

Prior restraint

Government action preventing publication of material.

Probable cause

a legal standard that allows law enforcement to search, arrest, or obtain a warrant

Right to privacy

Implied right protecting personal privacy from government.

Search warrant

Legal document authorizing police to conduct a search.

Exclusionary rule

Prevents illegally obtained evidence from being used.

Self-incrimination

Right to remain silent to avoid implicating oneself.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion.

Affirmative Action

Policies promoting equal opportunity for historically marginalized groups.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Eliminates barriers to voting for African Americans.

Jim Crow laws

State laws enforcing racial segregation in the South.

Equal Protection clause

Part of 14th Amendment ensuring equal treatment under law.

Desegregation

Process of ending racial segregation in schools and public places.

Civil disobedience

Nonviolent resistance to unjust laws.

Fighting words

Speech likely to incite immediate violence.

Double jeopardy

Being tried twice for the same crime.

Habeas corpus

Legal principle protecting against unlawful detention; a legal order that requires a person in custody to be brought before a judge to challenge their detention. It's a tool that protects people from being unlawfully imprisoned. 

Grand jury

Group determining if there is enough evidence for trial.

Symbolic speech

Nonverbal communication expressing ideas or opinions.

Racial gerrymandering

Manipulating electoral district boundaries to disadvantage racial groups.

Suffrage

The right to vote in political elections.

Types of Segregation

De facto: by fact; De jure: by law.

Voting barriers

Obstacles preventing certain groups from voting. (ex. literacy test, poll taxes, white primary)

26th Amendment

Lowers voting age to 18 years.

8th Amendment

Prohibits cruel and unusual punishment.

Incorporation Doctrine

Extends Bill of Rights protections to state laws.

Clear and present danger doctrine

Limits speech that poses immediate threat.

Libel

False written statements damaging a person's reputation.

Americans with Disabilities Act

Prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities.

Class action suits

Lawsuits filed by a group on behalf of many.

Equal Rights Amendment

Proposed amendment ensuring equal rights regardless of sex.

2nd Amendment

Right to bear arms

Civil Liberties

constitutional protections against the government

8th Amendment

Cruel and unusual punishment

13th Amendment

abolished slavery

15th Amendment

Citizens cannot be denied the right to vote because of race, color , or precious condition of servitude

19th Amendment

Women's suffrage

24th Amendment

No poll tax

Civil Rights

Policies designed to protect people against arbitrary or discriminatory treatment by government officials or individuals.

Religion Clauses

establishment clause: prevents the government from establishing a state religion

free exercise clause: protects the rights of citizens to practice religion freely

Letter from Birmingham Jail

A letter written by Martin Luther King Jr. after he had been arrested when he took part in a nonviolent march against segregation. He was disappointed more Christians did not speak out against racism.

Selective Incorporation

court cases that apply Bill of Rights to states