ap gov unit 5 homeroom

civil liberties

fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens protected from infringement by the government.

civil rights

protections from discrimination as a member of a particular group.

bill of rights

a list of fundamental rights and freedoms that individuals possess. The first ten amendments to the Constitution are referred to as the Bill of Rights.

due process clause

the clause in the Fourteenth Amendment that restricts state governments from denying citizens life, liberty, or property without legal safeguards.

selective incorporation

the piecemeal process through which the Supreme Court affirmed that almost all of the protections in the Bill of Rights also apply to state governments.

establishment clause

First Amendment protection against the government requiring citizens to join or support a religion.

free exercise clause

First Amendment protection of the rights of individuals to exercise and express their religious beliefs.

rule of 4

at least four justices to vote in favor of granting a writ of certiorari (reviewing a case) before the Court will hear it

writ of certiorari

a legal mechanism used to request a higher court, like the U.S. Supreme Court