All units test

  • 13: forbids slavery

  • 14: equal protection to all

  • 15: right to vote for all men no matter the race 

The Civil Rights Act of 1964: prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin (women in the workplace)

The Voting Rights Act of 1965: Prohibited racial discrimination in voting (banning literacy tests)

selective incorporation:: the due process clause (of the Fourteenth Amendment) to expand the protections within the Bill of Rights and cover state laws/actions. (Process by which amendments are applied to the states)

  • 19: women's right to vote

  • Title IX: prevent schools and federal funding programs from invoking sex-based discrimination (including activities)

Title VII: employment discrimination based on race 

Affirmative Action: To improve opportunities for unrepresented/disadvantaged groups (Got rid of quota in college admissions)

  • Schenck v. United States: Clear and present danger test: is what you speak doing creating dangers of the public or imminent lawless action? If yes then the government can protest.

  • Brown v. Board of Education: 14th Amendment: equal protection to all, School segregation is unconstitutional

  • New York Times v. US: Freedom of the press + no Prior restraint, pentagon papers leaked

  • Gideon v. Wainwright: 6th Amendment -Due process of the 14th (right to attorney)

  • Roe v. Wade: Privacy (4th amendment +9th amendment +14 amendment)

  • Tinker v. Des Moines: Freedom of expression

  • Wisconsin v. Yoder: Free exercise clause: First Amendment protection of the rights of individuals to exercise and express their religious beliefs, Amish children don’t have to go to school if goes against their religion

  • Engle v. Vitale: Establishment clause: First Amendment protection against the government requiring citizens to join or support a religion, New York school wanted prayer before school, “All mighty God” only the first 3 major religions 

  • Mapp v. Ohio: 4th amendment (search without a warrant) 

  • Miranda v. Arizona: 6 amendments (against self-incrimination), Must be informed of constitutional rights 

  • California v. Bakke: even though test scores exceeded minorities Bakke was rejected twice based on race (Violated equal protection clause + Civil Rights Act of 1964)

  • Lemon v. Kurtzman: The Lemon test was created based on the Establishment Clause to, Lemon’s kid went to school and had a pay a fee because it was nonsecular discrimination 

  • Griswold v. Connecticut: Privacy (4th amendment +9th amendment +14 amendment), Connecticut banned contraception for married couples 

The exclusionary rule: to prevent illegally obtained evidence from being used in court

  • Civil rights: equality, protections from discrimination

  • Civil liberties: protections from freedom of speak government) (ex. Bill of rights)

  • 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.

How Chicano and LGBTq+ movements difffer: legal Equality, Focus on securing legal rights, including marriage equality for LGBTQ+ and labor/education rights for Chicanos. Intersectionality: Addressed multiple layers of identity, including race, gender, and class. Resistance to Discrimination: Both fought against systemic oppression and societal stigma.

  • First Amendment (1): Guarantees freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and the right to petition the government. 

  • Second Amendment (2): Protects the right to keep and bear arms. 

  • Fourth Amendment (4): Protects against unreasonable searches and seizures, requiring a warrant with probable cause. 

  • Fifth Amendment (5): Includes the right to a grand jury, protection against double jeopardy, the right against self-incrimination, and the right to due process of law. 

  • Sixth Amendment (6): Guarantees the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury, the right to be informed of charges, confront witnesses, obtain witnesses, and have legal counsel. 

  • Eighth Amendment (8): Protects against excessive bail, fines, and cruel and unusual punishment. 

Clear and present danger test: is what you speak doing creating dangers of the public or imminent lawless action? If yes then the government can protest.

  • Obscenity (miller test)

  • Dangerous implications (clear and present danger test)

  • First wave (1848 Seneca Fall convention): Coverture (she has to be legally represented by a man) for divorce, employment (No voting rights)

  • Second-wave feminism and temperance: The Feminine Mystique by Betty Fridan( Gender roles in society)

  • Third wave Feminism: Sexual harassment in the workplace (Rebecca and Alice Walker) 

  • Fourth wave: Internet-wide (Empowerment of women) 


  • Strict scrutiny standard: Shaw v. Reno, Test racial discrimination, national origin, and fundamental rights (e.g., voting, marriage), Requires: compelling government interest

Letter from a Birmingham Jail: Non-violence resistance, provoking the enemy to show violence from the opposing side, urge for justice against discrimination,  


  • full faith and credit: state courts respect the laws and judgments of courts from other states(article 4,1)

  • Extradition: one gov requests another to surrender to them 

  • privileges and immunities: protects the fundamental rights of individual citizens

  • Pluralist Theory: try to please as many interest groups as possible (looking for support)

  • Elitist Theory: some kind of elites are controlling power brookers making things happen

  • Hyperpluralism: gridlock (government doesn’t do anything cause there is no method to go forward)

  • Policy Gridlock:  A situation where there is difficulty in passing laws due to competing interests

  • Brutus: Country is too large -no accurate representation, impractical to enforce laws, will turn into a tyranny- (wants a true confederation)

  • Federalist no. 10: Factions come from opinions and cant destroy (destroy liberty then ) but we can control the dangers of factions (1 small number we outvote, and the majority (the country is so big) so that they cannot oppress everyone) 

  • Federalist no. 51: separation of powers, protect minority rights, allow difference of opinions/factions 

  • unitary governments: the central government has all the power and hands it out to others  (central -> states)

  • Confederal government: an alliance between the types of government (state and central share power)

  • Federal Government:  national gov (the judicial, executive, and judicial branch)

  • Dual federalism: states and federal government remain supreme within their own spheres (early 1700s-1930) , Distinct rules (states do this federal does that), Layered cake: touching but not sharing

  • Cooperative federalism: mingled responsibilities and blurred distinctions between levels of gov, 1930s- New Deal (Franklin D. Rosselevel), Create overlapping powers . Marble cake

  • enumerated powers: list of powers that Congress can do (article 1 section 8)

  • implied powers: necessary and proper clause ()

  • Reserved powers: that aren't directed by states in the constitution (10th amendment)

  • Concurrent: powers held at both federal and state

  • Separation of Powers: Legislative, executive, judicial 

  • Checks and Balances: separation of powers to avoid others welding too much power (shared)

  • US v. Lopez:  gun-free school is unconstitutional

  • McCulloch v. Maryland: All implied powers must directly be tied to enumerated powers



Pocket vetoes: A special veto is exercised by the president after Congress adjourns, by failing to sign or reject a bill.

Informal powers of the president: Executive privilege, Executive orders, Executive agreements

Formal powers of the president: Powers specifically granted to the government by the Constitution.

  • Trustee: act as seen fit even going against their voters

  • Delegate: act with the wishes of their voters.

  • Politico: combines trustee and delegate models, acting on major issues while taking a trustee approach on lesser ones.

  • Judicial restraint: not looking to overturn the president and finding a clear cut decision

  • Judicial activism: social and political issues (challenges status quo and social issues)

Divided government: A condition in American politics when one party controls the presidency while another party controls one or both houses of Congress.

Stare decisis: reject the case, let the decision stand (prior decision)

  • Baker v. Carr: established 1 man one 1 principle, districts must be roughly equal sizes, contiguous (have to be touching and cannot be separate

  • Shaw v. Reno: Supreme Court case that ruled racial gerrymandering unconstitutional. they must apply the strict scrutiny standard (test discrimination) -compelling state interest, Least restrictive means possible -

  • Orginialism: maintain the original intent 

  • The living constitution: look at the constitution itself and try to interpret it 

  • Gerrymandering: The division of electoral district boundaries


Federalist #70 : one energetic president, One president is best (can make a quick decisions)

War Powers restrictions: Can only send troops if (Declaration of war if likely, Specific authorization by Congress, National emergency or direct threat) + limited to 60 days

civil service: body of non-elected government employees who are hired based on merit and are responsible for carrying out the day-to-day functions of the government