Gov Vocab Words + Must know for Exam 1

Who wrote the Leviathan?

Thomas Hobbes

Why did Thomas Hobbes write the Leviathan?

To argue that humans need a centralized sovereign authority to prevent the chaos

Shay’s Rebellion

Armed uprising by indebted farmers in Massachusetts that exposed the severe weaknesses of the articles

Federalist papers

Papers published to urge citizens,, to ratify the proposed U.S. Constitution

Federalists

Supporters of the proposed U.S Constitution who advocated for a strong national government

Anti Federalists

Did not want to adopt the Constitution, some wanted to keep the Article government; fought against the ratification of the U.S. Constitution

Bloody Sunday

The violent attack on peaceful civil rights marchers crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama

Civil Liberties

Protections from government

Civil Rights

Benefits government must provide for you

Rival Public Goods

When one person uses a public good, it reduces the amount available for others

Lemon Test

used to check if a government breaks the First Amendment rule that keeps church and state separate

Equity

When government takes into account that different people may need more or less support in order to succeed

Bad Tendency Test

Speech that might lead to harmful/illegal action

Pentagon Papers

A government study that proved the U.S military and multiple presidents had lied to the public about the Vietnam War

Jim Crow Laws

Laws discriminating against African Americans; banned interracial marriage

Brown V. Board of Education

The case that ended the doctrine of separate but equal

De Jure Segregation

Segregation written into the law

De Facto Segregation

Unwritten segregation by custom or non legal factors

24th Amendment

outlawed the poll tax as a voting requirement in federal elections

Voting Rights Act

Forbid tests and many mechanisms used to restrict voter eligibility

Fair Housing Act

Banned discrimination in housing and established penalties for those attempting to interfere with individual voting rights

Lily Ledbetter Act

Made it easier for women to sue companies that did not compensate them the same as men

Supremacy Clause

Federal law takes precedence over any conflicting state law

Iminent Lawless

Speech that is intended and likely to cause illegal action soon

Civil Rights Act

Federal law that outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin

Plessy V. Ferguson

Separate but equal; declared racial segregation legal as long as the separate facilities for each race were equal

Federalist 10

Concerned with factions (political parties), argued factions are unavoidable

Federalist 51

Argued for stronger government, if men were angels then no gov. would be needed, limits were needed on gov. authority

Federalist 68

Hamilton trying to justify the electoral college

What was the first constitution?

The articles of confederation

Timeline

Ratification of the Articles of Confederation, Shay's Rebellion, Constitutional Convention, The Federalist Papers are published

What is the definition of Civil Rights?

Benefits you get for being an American Citizen

What are examples of Civil Rights?

Free k-12 education, freedom to assembly, freedom of religion, etc.

What is the definition of Civil Liberties?

Protection from the government

What are examples of Civil Liberties?

Search warrant, Miranda rights, protections against cruel and unusual punishment (8th amendment)

What are examples of De Jure Segregation?

Jim crow laws, armed forces separation, literacy tests

What are examples of De Fact Segregation?

Redlining, K.K.K churches, etc.