AP Government Unit 3 Vocabulary

Bill of Rights

consists of the first ten Amendments to the Constitution, which enumerate the liberties and rights of individuals, and is specifically designed to protect individual liberties and rights

Civil liberties

constitutionally established guarantees and freedoms that protect citizens, opinions, and property against arbitrary government interference

Civil Rights

protect individuals from discrimination based on characteristics such as race, national origin, religion, and sex: these rights are guaranteed to all
persons under the due process and equal
protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution, as well as acts of Congress.

First Amendment

government power to make law and an individual's right to religious freedom through the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause: freedom of speech, freedom of the press,

Second Amendment

right to bear arms

Fourth Amendment

the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures

Fifth Amendment

due process clause applies to the national government

Sixth Amendment

the right to legal counsel, speedy and public trial, and an impartial jury

Eighth Amendment

deals with cruel and unusual punishment

Ninth Amendment

states that individuals have protected rights beyond those listed in the first eight amendments; some argue it provides support for the existence of unenumerated rights

Fourteenth Amendment

Due Process Clause and Equal Protection Clause as applied to the states: granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S., including formerly enslaved people

Establishment Clause

prohibits the establishment of an official religion by the government

Free Exercise Clause

guarantees freedom of conscience and prohibits the government from interfering in religious belief

Symbolic Speech

nonverbal action that communicates an idea or belief

Time, Place, Manner

regulations that impose restrictions such as limits on the time of day an event can be held, limits on where an event can be held, and limits on the noise levels at an event

Obscenity

speech that strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time and society

Defamation

language that harms the reputation of another

Libel

written communication of defamation

Slander

oral communication of defamation

Clear and Present Danger

speech can be limited when it is shown to present a danger to public safety

Prior Restraint

Supreme Court has affirmed support for a heavy presumption against this even in cases involving national security

Selective Incorporation

doctrine that imposed limitations on state regulation of civil liberties by extending select protections of the Bill of Rights to the states through the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment

Due Process

state that the government may not infringe on a person's right to life, liberty, or property without ______

Procedural Due Process

requires that government officials use methods that are not arbitrary when making and carrying out decisions affecting constitutionally protected rights

Miranda Rule (Miranda v. Arizona)

requires accused persons to be informed of some procedural protections found in the Fifth and Sixth Amendments prior to interrogation

Public Safety Exception

allows unwarned interrogation to stand as direct evidence in court

Patriot Act

congressional legislation enacted in the wake of 9/11 designed to expand surveillance abilities of law enforcement, facilitate interagency communication, and increase penalties of acts of terrorism

USA Freedom Act

congressional legislation intended to limit bulk collection of telecommunication metadata on U.S. citizens by American intelligence agencies and end secret laws of FISA courts

Exclusionary Rule

stipulates that evidence illegally seized by law enforcement officers in violation of the suspect's Fourth Amendment rights (including the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures) cannot be used against that suspect in criminal prosecution

Substantive Due Process

used by the Supreme Court to examine whether government laws and actions are arbitrary infringements of individual rights

Unenumerated Rights

recognized constitutionally protected rights that are not explicitly listed in the Bill of Rights; include the right to privacy

Right to Privacy

a recognized constitutionally protected right not explicitly named in the Constitution; interpreted by the Supreme Court to be granted by the Due Process clause in Griswold v. Connecticut

Griswold v. Connecticut

the Supreme Court interpreted the due process clause to protect the right of privacy from government infringement

Roe v. Wade

the Supreme Court held that the application of substantive due process further extended the privacy right to abortion

Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization

overturned Roe v. Wade, holding that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion, leaving decisions about the regulation of abortion to legislatures

Equal Protection Clause

the clause of the Fourteenth Amendment that prohibits any state from denying to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws; requires the state to govern impartially and not draw distinctions between individuals solely on differences that are irrelevant to a legitimate governmental interest

Civil Rights Movement

a nonviolent social movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 to abolish legalized racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement throughout the United States

Letter from Birmingham Jail

a letter by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stating people have a moral responsibility to break unjust laws and take direct action instead of waiting for social and racial justice through the court system; "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"

Women's Rights Movement

a nonviolent social movement and campaign during the 1960s and 1970s to address gender equality and discrimination with a focus on equal employment and pay, reproductive rights, and discrimination in employment and education

National Organization of Women (NOW)

a feminist organization which lobbies for gender equality

LGBTQ Rights

political and social rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender individuals; gains have been made for same-sex activities and behaviors, same-sex marriage, and discrimination in employment; opposition to transgender and gender identity

Pro-Life Movement

an anti-abortion movement based on moral and religious grounds supporting legal restrictions and prohibitions on abortions with many believing life begins at conception

Pro-Choice Movement

a movement supporting the view that women should have the legal right to an elective abortion based on a recognized right to privacy

Brown v. Board of Education

declared that race-based school segregation violates the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause; overturned Plessy v. Ferguson

Civil Rights Act of 1964

prohibits discrimination in public places, provides for the integration of schools and other public facilities, and makes employment discrimination illegal

Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972

prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance

Voting Rights Act of 1965

prohibits racial discrimination in voting

Separate but Equal Doctrine

State laws and Supreme Court decisions restricting African American access to the same restaurants, hotels, schools, etc., as the majority white population

Majority-minority districting

drawing an electoral district in which the majority of constituents are racial or ethnic minorities

Affirmative Action

policies intended to address workplace and educational disparities related to race, ethnic origin, gender, disability, and age