ANG._Exam_Terms

Civil Liberties and Civil Rights

  • Civil Liberties: Emphasizes the Bill of Rights, protecting minority rights against majority rule.

    • The Supreme Court interprets these rights.

  • Civil Rights: The freedom to participate in the full life of the community.

    • Includes the rights to vote, use public facilities, and exercise equal economic opportunity.

    • Ensures rights to due process and equal protection of the laws.

Key Terms and Concepts

  • Glass Ceiling: An unofficial barrier to advancement in a profession, particularly affecting women and minorities.

  • 14th Amendment: Granted citizenship and equal civil and legal rights to African Americans and emancipated slaves post-Civil War.

  • Grandfather Clause: Allowed people to vote if they or their ancestors had voted before 1867, effectively excluding black people.

  • Libel: Defamation released to the public in various forms (print, photos, broadcasts), actionable by any living individual.

  • White Primaries: Systems established in states like Texas and Georgia allowing only whites to vote in primaries.

  • Double Jeopardy: Constitutional protection against being prosecuted twice for the same crime within the same legal jurisdiction.

  • Poll Taxes: Fees required to be paid in order to vote.

  • Bill of Rights: The first 10 amendments to the Constitution, safeguarding free speech, press, and religion.

  • Literacy Test: Used to exclude individuals based on race or social class from voting or immigration.

  • Right to Bear Arms: The constitutional right to possess firearms.

  • Latino: Refers to a person of Latin American origin or descent.

  • 5th Amendment: Protects accused persons, ensuring rights against double jeopardy, self-incrimination, and punishment without due process.

  • Due Process Clause: Legal requirement that the state must respect all legal rights owed to a person.

  • Slander: A defamatory spoken statement.

  • Sit-Ins: A form of civil disobedience where demonstrators occupy seats and refuse to leave.

  • Strict Scrutiny Standard: A law is deemed constitutional only if it is narrowly tailored to serve a compelling government purpose.

  • Separate but Equal: Legal principle that allowed racial segregation in public accommodations.

  • 19th Amendment: Granted women the right to vote.

  • Title IX: Prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs.

Notable Figures

  • Nancy Pelosi: 52nd Speaker of the House of Representatives.

  • Derek Jeter: American former professional baseball player and current businessman.

  • Amy Coney Barrett: Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 2020.

  • Sonja Sotomayor: Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Government and Military Terms

  • Space Force: Military branch focused on organizing, training, and equipping forces for operations in space.

  • US Marines: Trained to fight in air, land, and sea operations.

  • President Xi: The President of China since 2013.

Geographic Terms

  • Ukraine: A country located in Eastern Europe.