GovPol 6

Civil liberties

rights - chiefly, the rights to be free of government interference - accorded to an individual by the Constitution: free speech, free press, and so on

civil rights

the rights of people to be treated without unreasonable or unconstitutional differences

separate but equal doctrine

the doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) that African Americans could constitutionally be kept in separate but equal facilities

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

In the field of public education, the doctrine of separate but equal has no place because separate educational facilities are inherently unequal

de jure segregation

Racial segregation that is required by law

de facto segregation

Racial segregation that occurs in schools, not as a result of the law, but as a result of patterns of residential settlement

suspect classification

classifications of people based on their race or ethnicity; laws so classifying people are subject to "strict scrutiny"

Civil Disobedience

opposing a law one considers unjust by peacefully disobeying it and accepting the resultant punishment

Rational Basis

when the government treats some classes of people differently from others and the treatment must be reasonable not arbitrary

immediate scrutiny

a law that treats men and women differently must be more than merely reasonable, but the allowable differences need not meet the strict scrutiny test

Reed v. Reed (1971)

Gender discrimination violates the equal protection clause of the Constitution

Craig v. Boren (1976)

Gender discrimination can only be justified if it serves "important governmental objectives" and be "substantially related to those objectives"

Rostker v. Goldberg (1981)

Congress can draft men without drafting women

United States v. Virginia (1996)

State may not finance an all-male military school

police powers

state power to effect laws promoting health, safety, and morals

Affirmative Action

policies to promote opportunities for marginalized groups

reverse discrimination

using race or sex to give preferential treatment to some people

quota system

A set number of slots reserved for specific groups, often challenged in courts

Strict Scrutiny

Judicial standard requiring a compelling state interest for race-based policies

Holistic Review

An admissions or hiring process that considers multiple factors beyond test scores and qualifications

equality of opportunity

giving people an equal chance to succeed

equality of results

making certain that people achieve the same result

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)

Same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry.