POL Science

Gt Pol Science

Mapp v. Ohio

Illegally seized evidence cannot be used in court (the exclusionary rule), applying to state and federal courts.

Miranda v. Arizona

Police must warn suspects of their right to remain silent and to a lawyer before questioning in custody.

Roe v. Wade

The right to privacy extends to a person's decision to have an abortion, balanced against state interests.

Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization

The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey were overruled and regulation returned to states.

Plessy v. Ferguson

Racial segregation in public facilities is constitutional as long as separate facilities are substantially equal.

Brown v. Board of Education

Segregating public school children by race is inherently unequal and violates equal protection.

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke

Rigid racial quotas in university admissions are unconstitutional, but race may be one factor among many.

Obergefell v. Hodges

The Fourteenth Amendment requires states to license same-sex marriages and recognize those performed elsewhere.

1920

Nineteenth Amendment granting women's right to vote.

1954

Brown v. Board of Education decision.

1964

Civil Rights Act.

1965

Voting Rights Act.

District of Columbia v. Heller (2008)

The Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm in the home for self-defense.

Probable cause

Reasonable grounds to believe someone is guilty of a crime, required for police to make an arrest.

Search warrant

Issued by a court on probable cause, in writing, specifying the area to be searched and material sought.

Good-faith exception

Illegally obtained evidence can be used if police mistakenly thought they had a valid warrant or followed the law.

Inevitable discovery

Illegally obtained evidence that leads police to a discovery they would have made anyway can be used.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Extended the Sixth Amendment right to counsel to everyone accused of a felony in state court.

Furman v. Georgia (1972)

Overturned Georgia's death penalty law because the penalty was imposed in a random, freakish manner.

Gregg v. Georgia (1976)

Ruled that the death penalty itself is constitutional as an extreme sanction for extreme crimes.

Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)

Established an implied right to privacy in the Constitution regarding family planning and contraceptives.

Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992)

Changed the abortion standard from strict scrutiny to 'undue burden,' permitting more regulation.

Reasonableness standard

Used for most classifications like age; the challenger must prove the law lacks a rational relationship to a legitimate purpose.

Strict scrutiny

Used for racial and ethnic classifications; government must show a compelling public interest and narrow tailoring.

Intermediate scrutiny

Used for gender classifications; the law needs a substantial relationship to an important governmental purpose.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Made racial and gender discrimination illegal in public accommodations and employment.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Prohibited voting procedures denying the vote based on race, abolished literacy tests, and established preclearance.

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

Held that racial redistricting and minority-majority districts must meet strict scrutiny.

Title IX (1972)

Forbids gender discrimination in federally subsidized education, including athletics.

Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)

Requires employers and public facilities to make reasonable accommodations and prohibits disability discrimination.

Reapportionment

The reallocating of 435 House seats after each census to reflect each state's share of population.

Political socialization

The process through which individuals acquire their political orientations, strongly influenced by family.

Random sample

A sample where everyone has an equal probability of being selected, ensuring a representative poll.

Sampling error

The level of confidence in a poll estimate, depending on the size of the sample.