Gov LAP 3 Test

Civil liberties

Freedoms protected from government interference, such as freedom of speech and religion.

Civil rights

Protections against discrimination and unequal treatment.

1st Amendment

Protects freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.

2nd Amendment

Protects the right to keep and bear arms.

3rd Amendment

Protects against forced quartering of soldiers in private homes during peacetime.

4th Amendment

Protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.

5th Amendment

Protects due process, against self-incrimination and double jeopardy, and requires just compensation for government takings.

6th Amendment

Protects criminal defendants' rights, including a speedy public trial, impartial jury, attorney, and confronting witnesses.

7th Amendment

Protects the right to a jury trial in certain federal civil cases.

8th Amendment

Prohibits excessive bail, excessive fines, and cruel and unusual punishment.

9th Amendment

Recognizes that people have rights beyond those specifically listed in the Constitution.

10th Amendment

Reserves powers not given to the federal government or prohibited to the states to the states or the people.

13th Amendment

Abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime after conviction.

14th Amendment

Establishes citizenship and protects due process and equal protection under the law.

15th Amendment

Prohibits denying or abridging voting rights based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Selective incorporation

The process of applying many Bill of Rights protections to state governments through the 14th Amendment.

Rational basis test

A law must be rationally related to a legitimate government interest.

Intermediate scrutiny

A law must be substantially related to an important government interest.

Strict scrutiny

A law must be narrowly tailored to serve a compelling government interest.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Federal law that prohibited discrimination in public accommodations and employment, among other protections.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Federal law that targeted racial discrimination and barriers in voting.

Political socialization

The process through which people develop political beliefs, values, and opinions.

Examples of political socialization

Family, school, friends, media, religion, community, and major events.

Representative poll sample

A sample that resembles the population the poll aims to measure.

Margin of error

A measure of sampling uncertainty, usually expressed in percentage points at a stated confidence level.

Poll showing 52% with ±3% margin of error

The estimated range is 49%-55%, subject to the poll's assumptions.

Voting-eligible population (VEP)

An estimate of the people legally eligible to vote.

Voter turnout

The proportion of a specified population that actually votes.

Factors associated with voting

Age, education, income, political interest, campaign contact, and convenience can affect turnout.

Electoral College

The system used to elect the U.S. president through state and D.C. electoral votes.

Electoral votes needed to win

270 of 538 electoral votes under the current system.

How most states award electoral votes

Most award all statewide electoral votes to the popular-vote winner; Maine and Nebraska use district-based methods.

Primary election

An election or process used to help select a political party's nominee.

Open primary

A primary in which voters can generally choose which party's primary to participate in, subject to state rules.

Closed primary

A primary generally limited to voters registered with the party.

Barron v. Baltimore (1833)

Held that the Bill of Rights originally restricted the federal government, not state and local governments.

Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

Required warnings about silence and counsel before custodial interrogation when statements are to be used by the prosecution.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Required appointed counsel for defendants who cannot afford a lawyer in covered criminal cases.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Upheld racial segregation under the separate-but-equal doctrine.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Held that racial segregation in public schools violates the Equal Protection Clause.

United States v. Virginia (1996)

Held that Virginia's exclusion of women from VMI violated equal protection.

Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard/UNC (2023)

Restricted the race-conscious college admissions programs challenged in the cases.

Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado (2018)

Ruled for the baker because the state commission had not treated his religious beliefs with the required neutrality.

Which case upheld separate but equal?

Plessy v. Ferguson.

Which case ended racial segregation in public schools?

Brown v. Board of Education.

Which case protected the right to appointed counsel?

Gideon v. Wainwright.

Which case established Miranda warnings?

Miranda v. Arizona.

Which case addressed the original application of the Bill of Rights to states?

Barron v. Baltimore.

Which case restricted race-conscious college admissions?

Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard/UNC.

Which case addressed sex discrimination at a state military college?

United States v. Virginia.

Which case concerned religious neutrality in a wedding-cake dispute?

Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission.

Which amendment contains the Equal Protection Clause?

14th Amendment.

Which amendment protects against compelled self-incrimination?

5th Amendment.

Which amendment protects the right to counsel in criminal prosecutions?

6th Amendment.

Which amendment protects against unreasonable searches and seizures?

4th Amendment.

Which amendment abolished slavery?

13th Amendment.

Which amendment protects voting rights against racial discrimination?

15th Amendment.