AP GOV

First Amendment

Prohibits Congress from making laws that establish a religion or restrict the free exercise of religion.

Third Amendment

Prohibits the quartering of soldiers in private homes without the owner's consent during peacetime.

Fourth Amendment

Protects citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures.

Fifth Amendment

Allows citizens to refuse to testify against themselves in court.

Sixth Amendment

Guarantees the right to a fair trial, including a speedy trial, an impartial jury, and the right to counsel.

Due Process Clause

A provision in the 14th Amendment that limits state governments from denying citizens their fundamental rights without fair legal procedures.

Selective Incorporation

The process by which the US Supreme Court applies rights and freedoms from the Bill of Rights to the states.

Miranda rights

Rights that must be read to an arrested individual, including the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney.

Bill of Attainder

Legislation that punishes a person without a trial.

Ex Post Facto Laws

Laws that make an act illegal retroactively.

Double Jeopardy

Protects an individual from being tried for the same crime twice.

Exclusionary Rule

Prohibits the use of evidence obtained in violation of a defendant's constitutional rights in court.

Probable Cause

The standard that law enforcement must meet to obtain a warrant or make an arrest.

Federal Injunction

A court order issued by a federal court to prohibit a party from specific actions.

Espionage Act

Federal law criminalizing spying and obtaining confidential information for a foreign government.

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

Supreme Court case ruling that students' First Amendment rights were violated when they were suspended for wearing armbands to protest the Vietnam War.

Schenck v. United States (1919)

Supreme Court ruling that limited free speech during wartime, establishing the 'clear and present danger' test.

New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)

Supreme Court ruling that the Nixon administration's attempt to prevent publication of the Pentagon Papers violated the First Amendment.

Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

Supreme Court ruling that established the exclusionary rule at the state level for evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Supreme Court ruling that guaranteeing the right to counsel is essential for a fair trial under the Sixth Amendment, applicable to state courts.