Untitled Flashcards Set

Affirmative Action

Policies that increase opportunities for historically disadvantaged groups through preferential treatment.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution that protect essential freedoms and rights.

Civil Liberties

Individual freedoms protected from government interference.

Civil Rights

Rights ensuring equal treatment and protection from discrimination under the law.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Landmark legislation outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Clear and Present Danger Doctrine

A legal principle that restricts speech if it poses an immediate threat to public safety or national security.

Cruel and Unusual Punishment

A prohibition against excessively harsh or inhumane penalties under the Eighth Amendment.

De Facto Segregation

Racial separation that occurs in practice due to social or economic factors rather than legal mandates.

De Jure Segregation

Racial separation enforced by law, as seen historically with Jim Crow laws.

Double Jeopardy

A constitutional protection preventing an individual from being tried twice for the same crime.

Due Process Clause

A guarantee ensuring fair legal proceedings and procedures.

Equal Protection Clause

Part of the Fourteenth Amendment requiring that all citizens receive equal protection under the law.

Establishment Clause

A provision in the First Amendment that prevents the government from establishing or favoring an official religion.

Exclusionary Rule

A judicial principle barring the use of illegally obtained evidence in court.

Free Exercise Clause

A provision in the First Amendment that protects the right to practice one’s religion without undue government interference.

Grand Jury

A group of citizens who review evidence to decide if there is probable cause to indict a suspect.

Indictment

A formal charge issued by a grand jury indicating sufficient evidence for a trial.

Miranda Rule/Warnings

The requirement that police inform suspects of their rights before interrogation.

USA PATRIOT Act of 2001

Legislation enacted after 9/11 to expand surveillance and investigative powers, raising civil liberties concerns.

Poll Tax

A fee required for voting, historically used to disenfranchise African American voters.

Prior Restraint

Government actions that prevent speech or expression before it occurs.

Selective Incorporation

The process by which rights in the Bill of Rights are applied to the states via the Fourteenth Amendment.

Separate but Equal Doctrine

A legal doctrine that justified segregation by claiming that separate facilities could be equal.

Speedy and Public Trial

A constitutional guarantee ensuring that a trial is held promptly and transparently.

Symbolic Speech

Nonverbal expression that conveys a message and is protected by the First Amendment.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Landmark legislation that prohibits racial discrimination in voting.

Judicial Activism

A judicial philosophy where judges interpret the Constitution broadly to protect rights.

Judicial Restraint

A judicial philosophy in which judges defer to the legislative and executive branches unless a clear constitutional violation exists.

Jurisdiction – Original vs. Appellate

Original: The authority of a court to hear a case first. Appellate: The power of a higher court to review lower court decisions.

Stare Decisis

The legal principle of adhering to precedent established by previous court decisions.

Writ of Certiorari

An order by a higher court to review a lower court’s decision.