Civics Chapter 15 Flashcards

First Amendment Rights

• Protects freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.
• Speech is central to an open, democratic society.
• Pure speech includes talking with friends or addressing a crowd, while symbolic speech includes actions like flag-waving.
• The balancing test weighs public danger against individual expression rights.

Categories of Punishable Speech

• Obscenity, defamation, and fighting words fall under punishable speech categories.
• Slander refers to spoken defamation, whereas libel applies to published defamation.
• Commercial speech, if false or misleading, is banned to protect consumers.

Supreme Court on Speech

• In 1969, the Supreme Court specified that only speech inciting immediate lawlessness is punishable.
• Regulations on expression must be viewpoint neutral and uniformly enforced across groups.
• Free speech regulations differ in places like schools, prisons, and the military.

Freedom of the Press

• The First Amendment guarantees press freedom, encompassing various media forms.
• Government censorship is forbidden, allowing press scrutiny of political and legal institutions.
• Prior restraint is deemed unconstitutional unless significant harm is provoked.

Rights of Petition and Assembly

• The rights to petition and assembly empower collective voices against government actions.
• Citizens can ask the government to take or refrain from actions.
• Assembly rights permit participation in protests and social gatherings.

Religious Freedom

• The First Amendment mandates no law respecting an establishment of religion.
• The Establishment Clause prohibits government from favoring one religion over another.
• The Lemon Test evaluates if government action has a secular purpose without excessive entanglement with religion.

Citizenship and Equality

• The 14th Amendment defines US citizenship and its protections.
• Jim Crow laws institutionalized racial segregation contrary to 14th Amendment protections.
• Procedural due process requires fair procedures for depriving life, liberty, or property.

Gender Discrimination and Civil Rights

• Supreme Court rulings on marriage, education, and discrimination have evolved, reinforcing civil rights.
• The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlaw discrimination in various spheres.
• The 19th Amendment in 1920 granted women full voting rights, but gender pay disparities persist.

Gun Rights and Regulation

• The Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms, recognized with certain limitations.
• The Gun Control Act of 1968 restricts gun ownership for specific groups such as felons and minors.
• Recent rulings confirm the government's ability to regulate gun possession.

Privacy Rights

• Privacy rights are derived from various amendments (1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 9th).
• Government can impose limits on privacy for national security and investigation demands.
• The Roe v. Wade decision established a woman's autonomy over abortion rights within the first six months of pregnancy.

Contemporary Issues

• Post-9/11 legislation has expanded government surveillance powers.
• The definition of who can be classified as a terrorist has broadened, impacting civil liberties.

Test your knowledge of the key concepts related to the First Amendment in Chapter 15 of Civics. These flashcards cover important terms such as freedom of speech, religion, and the democratic principles that underpin them. Perfect for students looking to reinforce their understanding of civic rights!