Essential Government Terms
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| 696791825 | 1st Amendment | Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition. | |
| 696791826 | 2nd Amendment | Right to bear arms. | |
| 696791827 | 3rd Amendment | No quartering of Soldiers. | |
| 696791828 | 4th Amendment | No unreasonable searches or siezures. | |
| 696791829 | 5th Amendment | right to grand jury, indictment, no double jeopardy, freedom from self-incrimination, due process of law. | |
| 696791830 | 6th Amendment | Right to a fair, speedy trial. | |
| 696791831 | 7th Amendment | Right to a trial by jury in civil cases. | |
| 696791832 | 8th Amendment | No cruel and unusual punishments. | |
| 696791833 | 9th Amendment | Citizens entitled to rights not listed in the Constitution. | |
| 696791834 | Civil Liberties | freedoms to think and act without government interference or fear of unfair legal treatment. | |
| 696791835 | 14th Amendment | Declares that all persons born in the U.S. are citizens and are guaranteed equal protection of the laws. | |
| 696791836 | Commercial Speech | communication in the form of advertising; can be restricted more than many other types of speech. | |
| 696791837 | Compelling Interest Test | a fundamental state purpose, which must be shown before the law can limit some freedoms or treat some groups of people differently, A method for determining the constitutionality of a statute that restricts the practice of a fundamental right or distinguishes between people due to a suspect classification. In order for the statute to be valid, there must be a compelling governmental interest that can be furthered only by the law in question. | |
| 696791838 | Cruel and Unusual Punishment | punishment prohibited by the 8th amendment to the U.S. constitution. | |
| 696791839 | Double Jeopardy | the prosecution of a defendant for a criminal offense for which he has already been tried. | |
| 696791840 | Due Process Clause | 14th amendment clause stating that no state may deprive a person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. | |
| 696791841 | 13th Amendment | This amendment freed all slaves without compensation to the slaveowners. It legally forbade slavery in the United States. | |
| 696791842 | 15th Amendment | citizens cannot be denied the right to vote because of race, color , or precious condition of servitude. | |
| 696791843 | 17th Amendment | Passed in 1913, this amendment to the Constitution calls for the direct election of senators by the voters instead of their election by state legislatures. | |
| 696791844 | 19th Amendment | Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1920) extended the right to vote to women in federal or state elections. | |
| 696791845 | 23rd Amendment | Washington D.C. receives 3 electoral votes and the residents are allowed to vote in the Presidential election. | |
| 696791846 | 24th Amendment | Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1964) eliminated the poll tax as a prerequisite to vote in national elections. | |
| 696791847 | 26th Amendment | Ratified 1971. Standardized the voting age to 18. | |
| 696791848 | Affirmative Action | A policy designed to redress past discrimination against women and minority groups through measures to improve their economic and educational opportunities. | |
| 696791849 | Americans With Disabilities Act | Passed by Congress in 1991, this act banned discrimination against the disabled in employment and mandated easy access to all public and commercial buildings. | |
| 696791850 | Comparable Worth | The issue raised when women who hold traditionally female jobs are paid less than men for working at jobs requiring comparable skill. | |
| 696791851 | Citizenship Clause | Reversal of the decision that declared that African Americans were not and could not become citizens of the United States or enjoy any of the privileges and immunities of citizenship. | |
| 696791852 | Coverture | A common-law doctrine under which the legal personality of the husband covered the wife and he made all legally binding decisions. | |
| 696791853 | Civil Disobedience | a group's refusal to obey a law because they believe the law is immoral (as in protest against discrimination). | |
| 696791854 | Civil Rights | Right or rights belonging to a person by reason of citizenship including especially the fundamental freedoms and privileges guaranteed by the 13th and 14th amendments and subsequent acts of Congress including the right to legal and social and economic equality. | |
| 696791855 | Civil Rights Act of 1964 | This act made racial, religious, and sex discrimination by employers illegal and gave the government the power to enforce all laws governing civil rights, including desegregation of schools and public places. | |
| 696791856 | Judiciary Act of 1789 | In 1789 Congress passed this Act which created the federal-court system. The act managed to quiet popular apprehensions by establishing in each state a federal district court that operated according to local procedures. | |
| 696791857 | Judicial Review | Review by a court of law of actions of a government official or entity or of some other legally appointed person or body or the review by an appellate court of the decision of a trial court. | |
| 696791858 | Judicial Restraint | View that the courts should reject any active lawmaking functions and stick to judicial interpretations of the past. | |
| 696791859 | Judicial Activism | An interpretation of the U.S. constitution holding that the spirit of the times and the needs of the nation can legitimately influence judicial decisions (particularly decisions of the Supreme Court). | |
| 696791860 | Due Process | The administration of justice according to established rules and principles. | |
| 696791861 | District Courts | Lowest level of fed. courts, where fed. cases begin & trials are held (bank robbery, environmental violations, tax evasion). | |
| 696791862 | Dissenting Opinion | An opinion that disagrees with the court's disposition of the case. | |
| 696791863 | Defendant | A person or institution against whom an action is brought in a court of law. | |
| 696791864 | Criminal Law | The body of law dealing with crimes and their punishment. | |
| 696791865 | Circuit Courts | Part of federal court system-13 federal circuit courts: one for the D.C. and 12 for the rest of the country. Also called "courts of appeal". | |
| 696791866 | Class Action Suits | Lawsuits permitting a small number of people to sue on behalf of all other people similarly situated. | |
| 696791867 | Civil Law | The body of laws established by a state or nation for its own regulation. | |
| 696791868 | Briefs | Documents given to a court by the attorneys trying a case. These documents contain summaries of the issues in the case, the laws relevant to the case, and the arguments which support the position taken by the attorney on behalf of his or her client. | |
| 696791869 | Appellate Jurisdiction | The jurisdiction of courts that hear cases brought to them on appeal from lower courts. These courts do not review the factual record, only the legal issues involved. | |
| 696791870 | Amicus Curiae Briefs | Legal briefs submitted by a "friend of the court" for the purpose of raising additional points of view and presenting information not contained in the briefs of the formal parties. These briefs attempt to influence a court's decision. |
