Civil Rights

Civil rights

Government-protected guarantees of equal treatment that prevent discrimination in areas like voting, education, and jobs. In the chapter’s example of Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court struck down segregated schools, showing how federal action can be needed to protect those rights.

Equal protection clause

Requires governments to treat people equally under the law and prohibits unjust discrimination. The chapter illustrates this through Brown v. Board of Education, where the Supreme Court ruled that segregated schools violated equal protection because separate facilities were inherently unequal.

Which statement about civil rights accurately characterizes how they can influence the collective decision-making of the people?

Civil rights regulate who can participate in political behavior, as well as how they participate. (Because civil rights, in many ways, determine who can participate in what political behavior, the inclusion—or exclusion—of certain people in participation has an enormous influence on the policies that can result)

What connection does the equal protection clause have to civil rights?

The equal protection clause is the foundation for many civil rights for all Americans and the means by which many were applied to the states. (This provision of the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees all citizens equal protection of the laws. It is the cornerstone of contemporary civil rights)

“Separate but equal” rule

allowed racial segregation as long as facilities for Black and white people were claimed to be equal. The chapter shows this through Plessy v. Ferguson, where the Supreme Court upheld segregation, a doctrine later overturned by Brown v. Board of Education for being inherently unequal.

De jure segregation

refers to racial separation that is enforced by law or official policy. The chapter illustrates this with examples of state-mandated school segregation before Brown v. Board of Education, when laws explicitly required Black and white students to attend separate schools.

De facto segregation

racial separation that occurs in practice—not by law—but through factors like housing patterns, income differences, and social practices. The chapter illustrates this with examples of how many schools remained racially divided even after Brown v. Board of Education because neighborhoods themselves were segregated.

Affirmative action

refers to policies that aim to improve opportunities for historically disadvantaged groups—often in education or employment—by considering factors like race or gender in decisions. The chapter illustrates this through cases such as Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, where the Court ruled that race could be one factor in admissions but struck down rigid quotas.

How does the Constitution protect the right to vote?

It offers certain guidelines and ensures that the right to vote cannot be denied to most citizens, but most voting rights are controlled by states. (The original Constitution gave enormous latitude to individual states on who could vote and how. Subsequent amendments ensured that the right to vote could not be denied to Black men, women, and those ages 18 and over, but include exceptions and offer states a great deal of latitude as to how they conduct elections.)

Which statement accurately characterizes the development of civil rights?

Civil rights were limited to only certain Americans; this group has enlarged over time, but there have been expansions followed by contractions.

After much deliberation, the Supreme Court ruled in 2016 that affirmative action policies that partially intruded on equal protection could still be considered constitutionally viable. Which of the following statements best replicates the Court’s reasoning in this decision?

Affirmative action policies are important because they introduce much-needed diversity into university student bodies.

What effect did the Supreme Court 2023 ruling in students for fair admissions V. president and fellows of Harvard College have no college admissions?

It found that race-conscious admissions policies violated the Constitution’s equal protection clause, reversing decades of precedent and effectively ending affirmative action in college admissions.

Intermediate scrutiny

is a standard of judicial review used to evaluate laws that classify people based on gender or legitimacy, requiring that the law serve an important government goal and be substantially related to achieving it. The chapter illustrates this with cases where the Court struck down gender-based discrimination unless the government could show a strong justification.

Which standard of judicial scrutiny is used in gender discrimination cases?

intermediate scrutiny, Gender discrimination cases do not receive the highest level of scrutiny from the courts, but the burden of justifying a law or policy is still placed mainly on the government.

Which statement most accurately describes the civil rights of immigrants to the United States?

Legal immigrants mostly have the same civil rights as other citizens, but unauthorized immigrants often have many fewer. ( Rights for immigrants have been and continue to be an extremely contentious issue in American politics, especially concerning unauthorized immigrants.)

What are civil rights?
A) Freedoms from government interference
B) Protections requiring government action for equal treatment
C) Right to vote only
D) Rules limiting personal behavior

B- Civil rights ensure government protects people from discrimination.

Which case struck down “separate but equal” in schools?
A) Plessy v. Ferguson
B) Brown v. Board of Education
C) Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
D) Marbury v. Madison

B – Brown ruled segregated schools unconstitutional

What does the Equal Protection Clause guarantee?
A) Freedom of speech
B) Equal treatment under the law
C) Right to bear arms
D) Freedom of religion

B – It prevents states from discriminating against people.

What is de jure segregation?
A) Segregation by law
B) Segregation by social practice
C) Voluntary separation
D) Segregation in private clubs

A – It’s legally enforced racial separation.

Which amendment is the basis for most civil rights protections?
A) First Amendment
B) Second Amendment
C) Fourteenth Amendment
D) Tenth Amendment

The 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause underlies civil rights protections.

What role did the federal government play in enforcing civil rights?
A) It only legislates but does not enforce
B) It intervened when states failed to protect rights, e.g., enforcing school desegregation
C) It had no role until the 21st century
D) It only regulates voting

B – Federal action was crucial in protecting civil rights when states resisted.

Which of the following is an example of civil rights in action?
A) Freedom of speech
B) A Supreme Court case striking down racial discrimination in schools
C) Right to privacy
D) Protection from unreasonable searches

B – Civil rights involve government action to ensure equal treatment, such as ending school segregation.

The term "Jim Crow laws" refers to:

A) Laws that granted civil rights to African Americans
B) Segregationist laws that enforced racial segregation in the South
C) Court rulings on affirmative action
D) Policies that allowed for school desegregation

B) Segregationist laws that enforced racial segregation in the South. Jim Crow laws were state and local laws that enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States.

The Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) legalized:

A) Interracial marriage
B) Same-sex marriage nationwide
C) Abortion rights
D) The right to vote at age 18

B) Same-sex marriage nationwide. The Court ruled that the Constitution guarantees the right to marry, including for same-sex couples.

The term "affirmative action" refers to policies designed to:

A) End segregation in the military
B) Promote diversity through preferential treatment
C) Ensure voting rights for all citizens
D) Enforce equal pay for equal work

B) Promote diversity through preferential treatment. It aims to increase opportunities for historically disadvantaged groups, particularly in education and employment.

The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution primarily addresses:

A) Women’s right to vote
B) Prohibition of slavery
C) Voting rights regardless of race
D) Equal protection under the law

C) Voting rights regardless of race

Which movement was largely responsible for the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

A) The Women's Suffrage Movement
B) The Civil Rights Movement
C) The Native American Rights Movement
D) The LGBT Rights Movement

B) The Civil Rights Movement. The Voting Rights Act was passed in response to widespread discrimination against African Americans, particularly in the South.

What was the primary goal of the Women’s Liberation Movement in the 1960s and 1970s?

A) To end racial segregation
B) To guarantee women's voting rights
C) To challenge gender discrimination and expand women's rights
D) To increase women's participation in politics

C) To challenge gender discrimination and expand women's rights. The movement aimed to address issues like workplace discrimination, reproductive rights, and sexual equality.