AP Government Chapter 4

Bill of Attainder

A legislative act that declares a person or group guilty of a crime and imposes punishment without a trial.

Burger Court

The Supreme Court of the United States from 1969 to 1986, known for decisions on abortion, capital punishment, religious establishment, and school desegregation.

Civil Liberties

Fundamental individual rights protected by law against unwarranted governmental or other interference, including freedoms of speech, press, assembly, and religion.

Civil Rights

The rights of individuals to receive equal treatment and to be free from unfair treatment or discrimination based on legally-protected characteristics.

Clear and Present Danger Test

A legal doctrine determining when limits can be placed on First Amendment freedoms of speech, press, or assembly.

Due Process Rights

Legal guarantees that the government will not deprive an individual of life, liberty, or property without fair procedures and trials.

Establishment Clause

A provision in the First Amendment prohibiting the government from establishing an official religion or favoring one religion over another.

Exclusionary Rule

A legal principle barring evidence obtained in violation of a defendant's constitutional rights from being used in court.

Ex Post Facto Law

A law that retroactively changes the legal consequences of actions committed before the law's enactment.

Free Exercise Clause

A section of the First Amendment that protects individuals' rights to practice their religion freely without government interference.

Incorporation Doctrine

The process through which selected provisions of the Bill of Rights are applied to the states via the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Libel

A written defamatory statement that conveys an unjustly unfavorable impression and publishes false statements harming someone's reputation.

Prior Restraint

Governmental actions preventing material from being published, often deemed a violation of the First Amendment.

Selective Incorporation

The process by which certain rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights are applied to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.

Slander

A spoken defamatory statement that harms someone's reputation, distinguished from libel as it refers to transient verbal communication.

Symbolic Speech

Nonverbal communication conveying a political message, recognized by the Supreme Court as protected under the First Amendment.

Warren Court

The Supreme Court under Chief Justice Earl Warren, known for expanding civil rights, civil liberties, judicial power, and the rights of the accused.

Writ of Habeas Corpus

A legal order requiring a prisoner be brought before a judge to determine the legality of their detention.