Constitutional Law: Equal Protection, Discrimination, and Civil Rights

Vocabulary practice cards covering Equal Protection Clause classifications, levels of judicial review, civil unions, and relevant Supreme Court cases discussed in the lecture.

Equal Protection Clause

A constitutional provision under the Fourteenth Amendment invoked when individuals claim they are being subjected to unlawful discrimination by state action or business regulations.

Non-suspect Classification

A legal classification category (such as age) evaluated by courts using the lowest standard of judicial review, known as the rational basis test.

Quasi-suspect Classification

A legal classification category (such as gender) evaluated with heightened scrutiny due to a documented history of constitutional rights denial.

Inherently Suspect Classification

A legal classification category (such as race) evaluated under strict scrutiny, the highest level of judicial review.

Sexual Orientation (Legal Classification)

A legal classification whose precise standard of judicial scrutiny remains unsettled by the Supreme Court.

Rational Basis Test

The lowest level of judicial scrutiny used by courts to determine if a state law or action is valid.

Strict Scrutiny

The highest level of judicial scrutiny applied by courts to laws involving inherently suspect classifications.

Romer v. Evans (1996)

A 1996 Supreme Court case in which a Colorado statewide vote prohibiting localities from passing anti-discrimination statutes based on sexual orientation was struck down using rational basis review.

Animus

Ill will or hatred toward a specific group; identified by the Supreme Court as the sole motivation behind Colorado's statewide amendment in Romer v. Evans.

Civil Unions

State-recorded, non-religious contractual relationships between consenting adults that grant legal protections and benefits without spiritual or religious elements.

Engel v. Vitale

An Establishment Clause case where the Supreme Court ruled state-composed prayers in public schools unconstitutional, holding that government must get out of the prayer-writing business.

Obergefell v. Hodges

The Supreme Court case that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

Tigger v. Des Moines

A landmark Supreme Court decision holding that teachers and students do not shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the public schoolhouse gate.

Private Religious School Protections

The broad legal latitude granted to private religious institutions, where individuals voluntarily forfeit certain public school constitutional speech and expression protections.