Civil Rights and Constitutional Amendments

Fourth Amendment

• Protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.

Bill of Rights

• Main purpose is to protect individual liberties.

Fourteenth Amendment

• Provides equal protection under the law and due process.

Brown v. Board of Education

• Supreme Court ruled segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

• Aims to prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Reconstruction Era

• States deprived African Americans of the right to vote through poll taxes, literacy tests, and grandfather clauses.

Constitutional Convention

• Delegates resolved disagreement over slavery by counting enslaved people for representation but not for taxation purposes.

Federal Government's Advantages

• Has control over the legitimate use of force and the collective experience of the entire population.

Federalist Papers

• Written primarily to encourage support for the ratification of the Constitution in New York.

Citizens United v. FEC

• Central amendment was the First Amendment.

Closed vs. Open Primaries

• Closed primaries allow only party members to vote, while open primaries allow all eligible voters.

Political Action Committees (PACs)

• Aim to raise and spend money to influence elections.

Federal Waivers

• Exempt states from certain federal requirements.

Executive Branch

• Enforces laws.

Veto Power

• President has the power to veto bills passed by Congress.

Separation of Powers

• Divides governmental power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

Federal Powers

• Includes coining money, declaring war, and regulating interstate commerce.

Checks and Balances

• Ensures no single branch of government becomes too powerful.

Federal vs. Unitary Systems

• Federal systems allocate powers between states and the federal government; unitary systems concentrate powers in the national government.

Interest Groups

• Play a role in the legislative process by providing information and expertise to legislators.

Public Interest Groups

• Examples include the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)

Judicial Activism

• Judges make decisions that create new policy or law.

Judicial Review

• The power of courts to declare laws unconstitutional.

Supreme Court Justices

• Appointed for life, a significant aspect of the US government.

Congressional Committees

• Evaluate, debate, and modify legislation before it becomes law.

US Senator Term

• 6 years.

US Representative Term

• 2 years.

Media's Role in Democracy

• Informs and educates citizens.

Echo Chamber Effect

• Repeated exposure to the same viewpoints.

Fourth Estate

• Media's role in government as a scrutinizer and reporter.

Political Polarization and Party Identification

• Polarized electorate are strongly ideologically divided.

Affective Polarization

• Characterized by emotional and social identity.

Socioeconomic Class and Political Participation

• Higher socioeconomic status generally associated with higher levels of political participation.

Social Movement

• A large group of people organized to promote or resist social change.

Factors Increasing Political Participation

• High levels of political efficacy.

State Constitutions

• Establish rules and procedures for state governments.

Categorical and Block Grants

• Categorical grants have specific conditions; block grants offer greater state discretion.

Categorical Grants

• Attach conditions which require states to meet specific requirements

Reserved Powers

• Powers reserved to the states.

This quiz covers key aspects of the Civil Rights movement and significant constitutional amendments. It includes topics such as the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments, landmark Supreme Court cases, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Test your knowledge on these critical components of American history.