AP Government 3.6-3.11

Eighth Amendment

Part of the Bill of Rights that prohibits excessive bail, excessive fines, and cruel and unusual punishments.

Fourth Amendment

Part of the Bill of Rights that protects against unreasonable searches and seizures and requires warrants to be judicially sanctioned and supported by probable cause.

Metadata

Data that provides information about other data, often used to facilitate understanding or organization of the primary data.

Writs of assistance

Legal documents that allowed British officials to search colonial homes and businesses without a warrant, contributing to colonial resistance.

District of Columbia v. Heller (2008)

A landmark Supreme Court case that affirmed an individual's right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia and to use it for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home.

Due process

The legal requirement that the state must respect all legal rights owed to a person, ensuring fair treatment in the judicial system.

Fourteenth Amendment

An amendment to the United States Constitution that guarantees equal protection under the law and prohibits states from denying any person life, liberty, or property without due process.

Just compensation clause

A provision in the Fifth Amendment that requires the government to provide fair payment to property owners when their property is taken for public use.

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

A landmark Supreme Court case in 2010 that incorporated the Second Amendment right to bear arms to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment, ensuring that state and local governments could not impose restrictive gun laws.

Selective incorporation

The legal doctrine using the Fourteenth Amendment to apply specific rights from the Bill of Rights to the states, ensuring that state laws do not infringe upon individual liberties.

Exclusionary rule

A legal principle that prohibits the use of illegally obtained evidence in a criminal trial, ensuring that law enforcement follows constitutional protections.

Fifth Amendment

The constitutional amendment that protects individuals from self-incrimination and ensures due process of law. It also includes the prohibition of double jeopardy.

Fourth Amendment

The constitutional amendment that protects individuals from unreasonable searches and seizures and establishes the need for warrants based on probable cause.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

A landmark Supreme Court case that established the right to counsel for defendants in criminal cases who cannot afford an attorney, reinforcing the Sixth Amendment's guarantee of fair trial rights.

Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

A landmark Supreme Court case that ruled evidence obtained through illegal searches and seizures cannot be used in state courts, reinforcing the exclusionary rule.

Miranda v. Arizona

A Supreme Court case that established the requirement for police to inform suspects of their rights to silence and legal counsel during interrogation, ensuring protection against self-incrimination.

New Jersey v. TLO (1985)

A landmark Supreme Court case that ruled the Fourth Amendment's protections against unreasonable searches and seizures apply to school officials, establishing a lower standard of probable cause for searches in public schools.

Procedural due process

The legal doctrine that ensures fair procedures and legal protections for individuals when the government takes action that could affect their rights or interests.

Public safety exception

An exception to the Miranda rule allowing law enforcement to question a suspect without informing them of their rights if there is an imminent threat to public safety.

Search and seizure

The legal process whereby law enforcement can obtain evidence against a suspect, typically requiring a warrant based on probable cause.

Sixth Amendment

The constitutional amendment that guarantees the rights of criminal defendants, including the right to a speedy trial, an impartial jury, and legal counsel.

USA Freedom Act (2015)

Legislation aimed at reforming government surveillance practices and enhancing privacy protections.

Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022)

A landmark Supreme Court case that overturned Roe v. Wade, affecting abortion rights and state regulations.

Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)

A Supreme Court case that established the constitutional right to privacy for individuals, ruling that state laws banning contraceptives violated that right.

Hyde Amendment

Legislation that restricts federal funds for abortion services, allowing exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother.

Right to privacy

Legal doctrine that protects personal autonomy.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide, asserting that a woman's right to choose was protected under the right to privacy.

Substantive due process

Legal doctrine that protects certain fundamental rights from government interference, ensuring fairness and justice in laws.

Bostock v. Clayton County (2020)

Supreme Court decision ruling that discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity constitutes sex discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

Civil rights

the rights of individuals to receive equal treatment under the law, especially concerning discrimination based on race, gender, or other characteristics.

Defense of Marriage Act (1996)

Federal law defining marriage as between one man and one woman, limiting federal benefits to opposite-sex couples. It was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013.

“Don’t ask, don’t tell” (1994)

a policy that barred openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual individuals from military service while prohibiting military personnel from inquiring about a service member's sexual orientation.

Equal Pay Act (1963)

Federal law aimed at abolishing wage disparity based on sex, requiring equal pay for equal work.

Equal protection clause

a provision in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution that requires states to treat all individuals equally under the law.

Equal Rights Amendment (1972)

a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex.

Martin Luther King Jr.

A prominent leader in the American civil rights movement, known for his advocacy of nonviolent protest and his role in advancing civil rights through influential speeches, including the "I Have a Dream" speech.

Lawrence v. Texas (2003)

A landmark Supreme Court case that struck down sodomy laws in Texas, ruling that they violated the privacy rights of individuals and overturned Bowers v. Hardwick.

“Letter from Birmingham Jail”

A letter written by Martin Luther King Jr. during his imprisonment in Birmingham, Alabama, advocating for nonviolent protest against racial segregation and injustice, emphasizing the moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.

NAACP

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, an organization founded in 1909 to fight for civil rights and racial equality through legal challenges, advocacy, and public education.

National Women’s Association

An organization founded in 1966 to advocate for women's rights and promote gender equality, focusing on issues such as reproductive rights, workplace equality, and social justice.

Nineteenth Amendment

A constitutional amendment ratified in 1920 granting women the right to vote in the United States, marking a significant victory in the women's suffrage movement.

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)

A landmark Supreme Court case that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, ruling that state bans on same-sex marriage were unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment.

Strict scrutiny

A judicial standard used by courts to evaluate laws that infringe on fundamental rights or involve suspect classifications. Under strict scrutiny, the government must show that the law serves a compelling state interest and is narrowly tailored to achieve that interest.

Title IX

A federal law enacted in 1972 that prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or educational program receiving federal funding, significantly impacting women's sports and education.

Title II

A section of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in places of public accommodation.

Brown v. Board of Education

A landmark Supreme Court case in 1954 that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, effectively overturning the "separate but equal" doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson.

Civil Rights Act of 1875

A federal law that aimed to guarantee African Americans equal treatment in public accommodations and services, prohibiting racial discrimination.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

A landmark legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, promoting equal rights and access in various areas, including employment and public accommodations.

Civil Rights Cases (1883)

A group of Supreme Court decisions that struck down the Civil Rights Act of 1875, ruling that private acts of discrimination were not prohibited by the Fourteenth Amendment.

Grandfather clause

A legal provision that allowed individuals to bypass literacy tests or other voting requirements if their ancestors had the right to vote before Reconstruction, often used to disenfranchise African American voters.

Fourteenth Amendment

An amendment to the United States Constitution ratified in 1868, granting citizenship to all individuals born or naturalized in the US and ensuring equal protection under the law.

Fifteenth Amendment

A constitutional amendment that prohibits the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude."

Jim Crow Laws

State and local laws that enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States, effectively disenfranchising African Americans and maintaining white supremacy.

Literacy test

A method used to deny voting rights that required voters to demonstrate reading and writing skills, often used against African Americans and poor white voters.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

A landmark Supreme Court case that upheld racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine, legitimizing Jim Crow laws.

Poll taxes

fees required to vote that effectively disenfranchised low-income individuals, particularly African Americans, until the 24th Amendment prohibited them.

“Separate but equal”

a legal doctrine that justified racial segregation, stating that racially separate facilities were permissible as long as they were equal in quality.

Thirteenth Amendment

An amendment to the United States Constitution that abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Legislation that aimed to eliminate barriers to voting for African Americans and protect their voting rights, ensuring federal oversight of voter registration in areas with a history of discrimination.

Twenty-fourth Amendment

An amendment to the United States Constitution that prohibits the use of poll taxes in federal elections, ensuring that citizens cannot be denied the right to vote based on their inability to pay.

White primary

A primary election in which only white voters were allowed to participate, effectively disenfranchising African American voters.

White flight

The phenomenon where white residents move out of neighborhoods as African American populations increase, often leading to racial segregation and demographic shifts.