Civil Rights and

Liberties
A NOTES SLIDESHOW
Civil Liberties

Bill of Rights is considered a civil liberties document because of the

protection it brings against illegal government infringement on your life
The 14th Amendment is often seen as a blanket amendment because of
the protections it grants citizens over state or conflicting law. ------>No
State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or
immunities of citizens of the United Sates; nor shall any State deprive
any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.
Selective Incorporation ----> "Constitutional doctrine that ensures states
cannot enact laws that take away the constitutional rights of American
citizens that are enshrined in the Bill of Rights" To remember this, think
of how the amendments, which determine the legality/constitutionality
of actions, and how in writing, you are protected from certain abuses.
Civil Rights

The Rights of individuals to receive fair, equal, and non-discriminatory

treatment in pre-established settings such as the workplace, public
transportation/facilities, schools, and residences.
Brown vs. BOE Topeka
Plessy v. Ferguson
Loving v. VA
A primary example of someone's civil rights being violated is the Jim Crow
era where poll taxes, literacy tests, grandfather clauses, and white primaries
prevented people from exercising their right to vote
Most notorious demonstration of assembly of civil rights: Bus Boycotts of
1955/1956 Civil Rights Movement 1950-1960's
Civil Rights Act 1964 establishes that discrimination based off of sex,
national origin, race, or religion is unconstitutional
Crash Course
Vocabulary/Terms to Know

Establishment Clause:A provision of the 1st Amendment that

prohibits Congress from establishing an official government-
sponsored religion.
Strict Scrutiny:Supreme Court rule that classification by race and
ethnic background is inherently suspect and must be justified by a
"compelling public interest."
Affirmative Action:Supreme Court rule that classification by race and
ethnic background is inherently suspect and must be justified by a
"compelling public interest."
Clear and Present Danger Test:Judicial interpretation of the 1st
Amendment that government may not ban speech unless it poses an
imminent threat to society.
Definitions Courtesy of Quizlet Unit 6 Final Study Set