AP Govt Unit 3 Vocab

Civil Liberties

Fundamental rights and freedoms that protect individuals from government interference.

Civil Rights

The rights of individuals to receive equal treatment and to be free from discrimination.

free exercise clause

Part of the First Amendment that protects the right to practice one's religion freely.

establishment clause

Part of the First Amendment that prohibits the government from establishing an official religion.

symbolic speech

Nonverbal communication that conveys a message, protected under the First Amendment.

defamatory/offensive speech

Speech that damages a person's reputation or violates social norms; may not be protected under the First Amendment.

clear and present danger

Standard used to determine when speech can be limited based on the potential to cause harm.

prior restraint

Government action that prohibits speech or other expression before it occurs.

cruel and unusual punishment

Punishment that is considered inhumane or not proportional to the crime, prohibited by the Eighth Amendment.

right to privacy

The implied right to privacy in personal and family matters not expressly outlined in the Constitution.

rights of the accused

Legal rights granted to individuals accused of crimes, ensuring fair treatment.

due process

Legal requirement that the state must respect all legal rights owed to a person; includes fair trial rights.

Selective Incorporation

The process by which certain rights in the Bill of Rights are applied to the states via the Fourteenth Amendment.

Federalism

The division of powers between national and state governments.

Due process clause

Part of the Fourteenth Amendment that prohibits states from denying any person life, liberty, or property without due process.

Equal protection clause

Section of the Fourteenth Amendment that requires states to provide equal protection under the law to all persons.

Strict Scrutiny

The highest standard of judicial review used when laws affect fundamental rights or involve suspect classifications.

Affirmative action

Policies that take factors including race, color, religion, gender, or nationality into account to benefit an underrepresented group.

US Constitution (Amendments 1-10, 14)

The first ten amendments are known as the Bill of Rights, and the 14th Amendment includes provisions for due process and equal protection.

Letter from a Birmingham Jail

A letter written by Martin Luther King Jr. advocating for civil rights and justice.

Tinker v. Des Moines School District

Case that upheld students' rights to free speech in schools.

Engel v. Vitale

Case that declared it unconstitutional for state officials to compose an official school prayer and encourage its recitation in public schools.

Wisconsin v. Yoder

Case that ruled against forced school attendance for Amish children past eighth grade.

Schenck v. United States

Case that upheld the conviction of Charles Schenck for distributing anti-draft pamphlets, establishing the 'clear and present danger' test.

New York Times Co. v. United States

Case that ruled against prior restraint, allowing The New York Times to publish classified Pentagon Papers.

McDonald v. Chicago

Case that incorporated the Second Amendment right to bear arms to the states.

Gideon v. Wainwright

Case that mandated state courts provide counsel to defendants who cannot afford an attorney.

Brown v. Board of Education

Landmark case that ruled racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Marbury v. Madison

Case that established the principle of judicial review in the United States.

McCulloch v. Maryland

Case that affirmed federal supremacy over state laws and the implied powers of Congress.

US v. Lopez

Case that limited Congress's power under the Commerce Clause concerning gun possession in school zones.

Baker v. Carr

Case that established the principle of one person, one vote in legislative redistricting.

Shaw v. Reno

Case that held that redistricting based on race must be held to a standard of strict scrutiny.

Citizens United v. FEC

Case that ruled that corporate funding of independent political broadcasts cannot be limited under the First Amendment.