Civil Liberties Flashcards

Flashcards on civil liberties, the Bill of Rights, and related court cases.

Bill of Rights

First ten amendments added to the Constitution and protects civil liberties.

1st Amendment (Religion)

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

Establishment Clause

Federal government cannot establish a national church or religion.

Free Exercise Clause

Government cannot interfere with citizens' lawful religion practices.

Engel vs. Vitale

Court case regarding prayer in schools; ruled that mandatory prayer in NY schools was unconstitutional.

Selective Incorporation

Process by which the protections outlined in the Bill of Rights are applied to state governments.

13th Amendment

Abolished slavery.

14th Amendment

States must uphold civil liberties.

15th Amendment

Recognized voting rights for Black men.

Wisconsin vs. Yoder

Court case involving compulsory education laws. Ruled in favor of violation of free exercise clause.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Made discrimination based on race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, religion illegal.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Ensured free access to voting.

19th Amendment

Women's right to vote.

Title IX

Guaranteed that women have the same opportunities as men in educational institutions that received federal funding.

Obergefell vs. Hodges

Court ruled that state prevention of same-sex marriage violates the 14th amendment.

Shaw vs. Reno

Districts drawn only based on race are unconstitutional.

Affirmative Action

Policies enacted to favor groups who have been historically discriminated against.

Gideon vs. Wainwright

Right to a lawyer.

Public Safety Exception

Officer can take action only in order of public safety.

Procedural Due Process

Officers must use the same procedure when making decisions affecting people's constitutional violations.

Unenumerated Rights

Rights not explicitly listed in the Bill of Rights.

Civil Rights

Effort to ensure civil liberties are provided to all citizens.

Brown vs. BOE

Plessy vs. Ferguson made segregation the law of the land and that racial segregation was constitutional under separate but equal clause.

Gun Control Act of 1968

Meant to curtail gun violence, not limit citizen's rights.

District of Columbia vs. Heller

Uphelds an individual right to own a gun.

McDonald vs. Chicago

Chicago citizens were required by law to register their guns. The court ruled that the law violated the 2nd Amendment through selective incorporation applied the right to individual gun ownership to the states.

Eighth Amendment

No excessive bail or fines, no cruel or unusual punishment.

Fourth Amendment

Protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.

Metadata

All the info gathered by cellphone except actual conversation.

Exclusionary Rule

Data in violation of the 4th amendment cannot be used as evidence.

Tinker vs Des Moines

Government censorship of speech

Time, Place, & Manner

The government cannot restrict the content of speech, but can the time, place & manner in which it was spoken.

Schenck vs. US

Promoted clear & present danger.

Freedom of the Press

To prevent government censorship of speech.

Prior Restraint

When the gov. seeks to restrain the content of the printed work before it is printed