civil rights Flashcards
(22 cards)
What are civil rights?
Rights of all Americans to equal treatment under the law
Civil rights are provided under the 14 amendments to the constitution.
What is a fundamental right?
The basic right of all Americans, such as those in the First Amendment
These liberties are often referred to as civil liberties.
What is strict scrutiny?
A standard that must promote a compelling state interest
It applies to laws based on suspect classifications.
What is suspect classification?
A classification that provides the basis for a discriminatory law to be overturned
Examples include laws based on gender, race, or sexual preference.
What does intermediate scrutiny refer to?
A standard for laws based on gender classification that are permissible if related to an important governmental objective
What is the rational basis test?
A standard used by the Supreme Court to decide if a discriminatory law violates the Equal Protection Clause
Also known as the ordinary scrutiny standard.
What was the separate but equal doctrine?
A doctrine stating that the Equal Protection Clause did not forbid racial segregation if facilities were equal
In practice, facilities were rarely equal.
What are literacy tests?
Tests used to disenfranchise voters, particularly African Americans, by requiring reading skills
What are grandfather clauses?
Provisions that allowed individuals to vote only if their grandfathers had voted in the past
This effectively disenfranchised many African Americans.
What did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 achieve?
It outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin
What was the significance of the Voting Rights Act of 1965?
It aimed to eliminate barriers to voting for African Americans
Who was the first African American president of the United States?
Barack Obama
What does Title IX prohibit?
Gender-based discrimination in schools that receive federal money
It also prohibits sexual assault.
What is feminism?
A doctrine advocating full legal, economic, and social equality for women
What is the wage gap argument?
One side says there is no wage gap while the other claims women earn 77 cents to a man’s dollar
What is the largest ethnic minority group in the United States?
Latinos
What historical act targeted Asian Americans for discrimination?
The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
What is the significance of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?
It mandates accessibility for persons with disabilities in public buildings and services
What was the Rehabilitation Act of 1973?
The first Disability Act aimed at preventing discrimination against persons with disabilities in federally funded programs
What ruling legalized same-sex marriage across the United States?
Obergefell v. Hodges
Fill in the blank: The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote and stated it could not be denied on account of _______.
[sex]
True or False: Segregation by race in public schools is considered constitutional.
False
