Gov Unit 3 Terms

Affirmative action

policies aiming to increase opportunities for historically underrepresented groups in education and employment to remedy past discrimination

Americans with Disabilities act of 1990

landmark civil rights law prohibiting discrimination against individuals with disabilities in employment, public accommodations, transportation, and state/local government services. It mandates "reasonable accommodations" for workers and physical accessibility, such as ramps and elevators, in public spaces

Civil Liberties

the fundamental personal freedoms and rights guaranteed to individuals by the Constitution (primarily the Bill of Rights) that protect citizens from arbitrary government interference

Civil Rights

Civil Rights Act of 1964

policies and legal protections designed to ensure all individuals receive equal treatment and protection from discrimination by government officials or private entities, particularly for historically disadvantaged groups

defamation (libel/slander)

false statements that harm a person’s reputation—that are not protected by the First Amendment

double jeopardy

prohibits prosecuting or punishing a person twice for the same offense, ensuring legal finality and preventing government overreach

Due Process Clause of the 5th/14th Amendments

prohibit all levels of government from depriving individuals of "life, liberty, or property, without due process of law."

Establishment Clause

prohibits the federal and state governments from creating an official religion, favoring one religion over another, or favoring religion over non-religion

exclusionary rule

prohibits the federal and state governments from creating an official religion, favoring one religion over another, or favoring religion over non-religion

equal protection clause

prohibits states from denying any person "equal protection of the laws."

free exercise clause

prohibits the U.S. government from interfering with a citizen's practice of their religion

penumbra rights

implied rights derived from the "shadows" or emanations of explicit guarantees in the Bill of Rights, creating unstated zones of privacy

prior restraint

government censorship that prohibits speech or other expression before it can take place, generally deemed unconstitutional under the First Amendment's freedom of press

selective incorporation doctrine

constitutional doctrine whereby the Supreme Court, on a case-by-case basis, applies specific protections from the Bill of Rights to state governments through the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause.

symbolic speech

nonverbal, nonwritten forms of communication—such as flag burning, wearing armbands, or protesting—that convey political messages or ideas

title IX

a federal civil rights law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in education programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance

voting rights act of 1965

a landmark federal statute signed by President Lyndon Johnson to enforce the 15th Amendment, prohibiting racial discrimination in voting.

brown v board of education

a landmark AP Gov case ruling that state-sanctioned segregation in public schools violates the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause

scott v sandford

a landmark Supreme Court case ruling that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, were not U.S. citizens and lacked standing to sue in federal court

korematsu v us

a landmark SCOTUS case ruling 6-3 that Executive Order 9066—which forced Japanese-Americans into detention camps during WWII—was a constitutional exercise of executive power, not based on race

plessy v ferguson

a landmark Supreme Court case that established the "separate but equal" doctrine, ruling that racial segregation laws did not violate the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause

regents v bakke

a landmark Supreme Court case ruling that rigid racial quotas in college admissions are unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause, but it upheld that race can be used as one factor among many in a holistic admissions process to achieve diversity

engel v vitale

gideon v wainwright

Supreme Court case ruling that state-sponsored, voluntary, non-denominational prayer in public schools violates the First Amendment's Establishment Clause

gregg v georgia

Court case that affirmed the constitutionality of the death penalty, ruling it is not inherently "cruel and unusual" under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments, provided it is applied under structured, non-arbitrary procedures

griswold v connecticut

landmark AP Gov case establishing a constitutional "right to privacy". The 7-2 decision struck down a Connecticut law banning contraceptives for married couples, ruling that the Bill of Rights implies privacy via "emanations" from the 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 9th amendments

mapp v ohio

a landmark Supreme Court case that ruled that evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures, cannot be used in state courts.

miranda v arizona

a landmark Supreme Court case establishing that police must inform suspects in custody of their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination and Sixth Amendment right to counsel before interrogation

roe v wade

a landmark Supreme Court case that legalized abortion nationwide based on a "right to privacy" implied by the 14th Amendment's Due Process Clause Oyez. It established a trimester framework balancing maternal health, medical standards, and prenatal life, overturning state bans in 46 states LII | Legal Information Institute

schenck v us

a landmark Supreme Court case establishing that the First Amendment does not protect speech creating a "clear and present danger" to national security, especially during wartime