AP GOV U5

Civil Liberties

Fundamental rights & freedoms of individuals protected from unreasonable governmental restriction.

Amendment

A change to the Constitution.

Proposal

Requires a 2/3 vote by both houses in Congress or a special convention called by states.

Ratification

Official adoption through a 3/4 vote of state legislatures or 3/4 vote at a special ratifying convention.

Bill of Rights

The first 10 amendments to the Constitution that protect the individual rights of citizens.

1st Amendment

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

Establishment Clause

Protects individuals from the government requiring citizens to join or support a religion.

Free Exercise Clause

Protects the rights of individuals to exercise and express their religious beliefs.

Free Expression

The freedom to express political beliefs & opinions, including rights to freedom of speech, press, petition, & assembly.

Clear and Present Danger

Legal standard that speech posing an immediate and serious threat to national security is not protected by the First Amendment.

Prior Restraint

When the government censors or suppresses material before it is published.

Espionage Act of 1917

Legislation that imposed restrictions on speech related to national security.

Symbolic Speech

Political expression through images, signs, & symbols that are protected by the Supreme Court.

Defamation

Expression that defames a person's reputation, which is not protected to the same degree as political expression.

Slander

Spoken lies.

Libel

Written lies.

Obscenity and Pornography Restrictions

Words, images, or videos that depict sexual activity in an offensive manner without artistic merit.

Time, Place and Manner Restrictions

Governments may impose reasonable restrictions on the time, place, or manner of protected speech.

Selective Incorporation

The process through which the Supreme Court has affirmed that protections in the Bill of Rights apply to state governments.

States and the Bill of Rights

The Bill of Rights does not restrict the actions of state governments or their officials.

14th Amendment

Laid the foundation for extending the protections of the Bill of Rights to the states.

Due Process Clause (14th Amendment)

No state can deprive life, liberty, or property without due process of the law.

Warrant

A document issued by a judge authorizing a search or seizure.

Probable Cause

A reasonable belief that a crime has been committed or that evidence relevant to a criminal investigation is present.

Exclusionary Rule

Evidence obtained without a warrant is not admissible in court.

Procedural Due Process

The court is required to follow established legal procedures.

Grand Jury

A body that examines evidence and decides if there is enough to take a defendant to trial.

Miranda Rights

Rights read to someone accused of a crime, informing them of their right to remain silent and to have an attorney present.

Bail

Temporary release of an accused person awaiting trial, sometimes conditional.

Civil Rights

Protection from discrimination by the government based on membership in particular groups.

13th Amendment

Abolished slavery.

14th Amendment

Defined citizenship and includes Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses.

15th Amendment

Prohibits discrimination in voting based on race and bans literacy tests.

Jim Crow Laws

Legal codes that enforced segregation across all aspects of daily life.

De jure Segregation

Legal segregation enforced by government laws.

De facto Segregation

Segregation that occurs by practice and customs, not by law.

Social Movements

Actions aimed at addressing segregation in schools and communities following the decision of Brown v. Board.

Civil Disobedience

Intentionally breaking a law as a form of protest against an injustice.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Authorized federal government to withhold funds from schools that did not integrate.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Prohibits voting practices that discriminate based on race and eliminated literacy tests.

Affirmative Action

Policies designed to address disadvantages faced by individuals based on characteristics such as race or gender.

Strict Scrutiny Standard

Government must show a compelling interest to justify unequal treatment.

Rational Basis Standard

Differential treatment must be reasonable and not arbitrary.

Intermediate Scrutiny

A standard that falls between strict scrutiny and rational basis, usually regarding gender discrimination.

First Wave of Feminism

Focused on women's suffrage in the 19th century.

Second Wave of Feminism

Focused on equality in education and the workplace, beginning in the early 1960s.

Betty Friedan

Author of 'The Feminine Mystique,' critiqued societal norms regarding women's roles.

Title VII

Part of the Civil Rights Act that prohibits employment discrimination.

Title IX

Educational amendment prohibiting gender discrimination in federally funded education.

19th Amendment

Granted women the right to vote.

Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)

Federal law defining marriage as the union between one man and one woman.