GOV CHP 8

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1791, guaranteeing fundamental rights and liberties to individuals

Civil Liberties

Protections against government actions that interfere with individual freedoms

Civil Rights

Positive actions taken by the government to ensure equal protection and prevent discrimination

Alien

A person who is not a citizen of the country in which they live.

Due Process Clause

A constitutional guarantee that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without fair legal procedures (5th and 14th Amendments)

Process of Incorporation

The application of Bill of Rights protections to state governments through the 14th Amendment's Due Process Clause

Robert H. Jackson

A U.S. Supreme Court Justice known for his work in protecting individual rights and serving as chief prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials.

Oliver Wendell Holmes

A Supreme Court Justice famous for articulating the "clear and present danger" test for limiting free speech

James G. Blaine

A political leader known for proposing the Blaine Amendment to prohibit public funding for religious schools.

Establishment Clause

Part of the First Amendment prohibiting the government from establishing a national religion.

Free Exercise Clause

The First Amendment guarantee that individuals can freely practice their religion.

Parochial

Related to church or religious schools.

Alexis de Tocqueville

A French political thinker who analyzed American democracy in his work Democracy in America.

Libel

Written defamation that harms a person's reputation.

Slander

Spoken defamation that harms a person's reputation.

Sedition

Conduct or speech inciting rebellion against the government.

Seditious Speech

Speech urging resistance to lawful authority or advocating the overthrow of the government.

Symbolic Speech

Nonverbal expression, like wearing armbands, protected under the First Amendment.

Picketing

Protesting outside a location, often with signs, to express grievances.

Injunction

A court order requiring an individual or entity to do or cease doing a specific action.

Shield Laws

State laws protecting journalists from revealing their sources

John Roberts

The current Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court

Assemble

The right to gather in groups for protest or public expression.

Petition

The right to appeal to the government to address grievances.

Civil Disobedience

The nonviolent refusal to obey unjust laws as a form of protest.

Content Neutral

A principle that laws regulating speech must not favor any particular viewpoint.

Right of Association

The right to join groups and organizations without government interference

Due Process

The requirement that legal proceedings be fair and follow established rules.

Procedural Due Process

Ensures government processes are conducted fairly and orderly.

Substantive Due Process

Protects certain fundamental rights from government interference.

Police Power

The authority of states to regulate behavior for public welfare.

Search Warrant

A legal document authorizing law enforcement to search premises and seize evidence.

Eminent Domain

The government's power to take private property for public use with fair compensation.

Involuntary Servitude

Forced labor against one’s will, prohibited except as punishment for crime.

Discrimination

Unjust treatment of individuals based on characteristics like race, gender, or religion.

Writs of Assistance

Historical general search warrants allowing British officials to search without specific cause.

Probable Cause

Reasonable grounds for making an arrest or conducting a search.

Exclusionary Rule

Prohibits illegally obtained evidence from being used in court

Grand Jury

A group of citizens that determines whether there is enough evidence for a trial.

Indictment

A formal charge or accusation of a serious crime

Presentment

A formal statement of offense by a grand jury.

Information

A formal charge filed by a prosecutor without a grand jury indictment.

Double Jeopardy

Protection against being tried twice for the same offense

Bench Trial

A trial by judge without a jury

Miranda Rule

Requires police to inform suspects of their rights during arrest

Bail

Money paid for temporary release before trial, ensuring the accused returns to court

Preventive Detention

Holding a suspect without bail to prevent them from committing further crimes

Capital Punishment

The death penalty for serious crimes.

Treason

Betrayal of one's country, typically by aiding enemies.

Roger B. Taney

Chief Justice known for the controversial Dred Scott decision

Writ of Habeas Corpus

A legal order demanding a prisoner be brought to court to determine if their detention is lawful

Bill of Attainder

A legislative act that punishes an individual without a trial, prohibited by the Constitution.

Ex Post Facto Law

Laws that criminalize actions retroactively, forbidden by the Constitution.