Unit 3

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Legislation that removed barriers to black enfranchisement in the South, prohibiting measures like poll taxes and literacy tests.

Gideon v Wainwright

Supreme Court case that established the right to an attorney for those who cannot afford one.

Wisconsin v Yoder

Case where religious freedoms were prioritized over state educational interests, allowing parents to exempt their children from formal schooling.

Free exercise clause

Constitutional provision protecting citizens' rights to practice their religion without government interference.

Establishment clause

Constitutional provision prohibiting the government from establishing or promoting a religion.

Affirmative action

Policy aimed at addressing past discrimination by providing special consideration to historically disadvantaged groups.

Second Amendment

Constitutional right to bear arms.

McDonald v Chicago

Case that expanded the Second Amendment to include the right to keep and bear arms for non-militia purposes.

Fourteenth Amendment

Constitutional amendment granting citizenship and equal protection under the law to all persons born in the U.S.

Miranda v Arizona

Supreme Court case that established rights for arrested individuals, including the right to an attorney.

Roe v Wade

Landmark case that recognized a woman's right to abortion under the right to privacy protected by the Fourteenth Amendment.

Symbolic speech

Non-verbal forms of communication protected under the First Amendment.

Protected speech v Unprotected Speech

Legal distinction where speech is generally protected unless it poses intended harm.

Tinker v Des Moines

Case affirming students' First Amendment rights in schools.

Sixth Amendment

Constitutional amendment guaranteeing rights to a speedy trial, public trial, impartial jury, confrontation of witnesses, and legal counsel.

Right to privacy – Constitution

Concept not explicitly mentioned in the U.S. Constitution.

Exclusionary rule

Legal principle preventing the use of evidence obtained unconstitutionally in trials.

Brown v Board of Education

Supreme Court case that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Fifteenth Amendment

Constitutional amendment granting all races the right to vote.

Engel v Vitale

Case that deemed public school-led prayer unconstitutional under the establishment clause.

Slander

Defamation through spoken false statements that harm a person's reputation.

Libel

Defamation through written false statements attacking someone's character.

Fighting Words

Abusive, profane, or indecent words likely to provoke violence.

Sedition

Crime involving incitement to revolt against lawful authority.

First Amendment

Constitutional protection of freedoms like speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition.

Eighth Amendment

Constitutional protection against excessive bail, fines, and cruel or unusual punishment.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Legislation prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Planned Parenthood v Casey

Case affirming equal protection and privacy rights in abortion decisions.

Griswold v Connecticut

Case establishing the right to marital privacy and striking down a state ban on contraceptives.

Prior restraint

Government censorship of printed materials before publication.

Patriot Act

Legislation passed after 9/11 granting broad powers for surveillance and investigation of terrorism suspects.

Civil Liberties

Constitutional protections against government actions, often found in the Bill of Rights.

Civil Rights

Protections against discrimination, encompassing laws like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Selective incorporation theory

Legal concept where the Supreme Court ensures most Bill of Rights freedoms apply at the state level.

5th Amendment

Constitutional rights including grand jury indictment, protection against double jeopardy, and due process.

6th Amendment

Constitutional rights to a speedy and public trial, fair jury, confrontation of witnesses, and legal counsel.