Know Your Amendments
This amendment ended slavery in the United States, except as punishment for a crime.
Answer: What is the 13th Amendment?
Most Supreme Court cases begin because one side is asking the Court to review a decision from this lower level.
Answer: What is an appellate court, or a court of appeals?
A judge who believes the Court should avoid changing public policy unless the Constitution clearly requires it is showing this philosophy.
Answer: What is judicial restraint?
This freedom protects a person’s right to practice their religion.
Answer: What is free exercise of religion?
This amendment gave women the right to vote nationwide.
Answer: What is the 19th Amendment?
This amendment changed the way U.S. senators are chosen, moving from state legislatures to direct election by the people.
Answer: What is the 17th Amendment?
When the Supreme Court agrees to hear a case, it usually grants this.
Answer: What is a writ of certiorari?
A judge who focuses heavily on the original meaning of the Constitution is following this approach.
Answer: What is originalism, or original intent?
A student silently wears an armband to express a political opinion at school. This is an example of this kind of speech.
Answer: What is symbolic speech?
This amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.
Answer: What is the 26th Amendment?
A citizen argues that Congress should receive no immediate pay raise until after the next election. Which amendment supports this idea?
Answer: What is the 27th Amendment?
If a justice disagrees with the Court’s final decision and explains why in writing, this is called this type of opinion.
Answer: What is a dissenting opinion?
When judges follow earlier rulings to keep the law predictable, they are using this principle.
Answer: What is stare decisis?
This constitutional protection limits the government’s ability to search your home without proper legal justification.
Answer: What is protection against unreasonable searches and seizures?
A state law requires separate public facilities for different racial groups and claims they are equal. This old Supreme Court doctrine was used to defend such laws.
Answer: What is separate but equal?
This amendment explains what happens if no presidential candidate wins a majority of electoral votes, giving the House a role in choosing the president.
Answer: What is the 12th Amendment?
A case reaches the Supreme Court after two federal appeals courts gave opposite rulings on the same constitutional issue. Why is the Court more likely to take the case?
Answer: What is because lower courts are in conflict and the Supreme Court wants a uniform rule?
Congress disagrees with a Supreme Court interpretation of the Constitution and wants a long-term fix. This is the strongest constitutional check it can help start.
Answer: What is the amendment process?
A suspect remains silent during questioning to avoid helping the prosecution. This protection comes from what constitutional principle?
Answer: What is protection against self-incrimination?
A state creates voting districts that weaken the political power of one racial group. A lawsuit argues this violates this constitutional clause.
Answer: What is the Equal Protection Clause?
A president dies in office and the vice president takes over. A later section of this amendment also explains temporary transfer of presidential power during medical procedures.
Answer: What is the 25th Amendment?
This branch has the constitutional power to alter the structure and jurisdiction of the federal judiciary
Answer: What is Congress?
A senator says, “We need judges who will actively address unfair treatment in society, even when older rulings stand in the way.” This senator is closest to supporting what judicial philosophy?
Answer: What is judicial activism?
The government requires protest groups to get permits, follow noise limits, and stay out of traffic lanes, no matter what message they support. These are known as what kind of restrictions?
Answer: What are time, place, and manner restrictions?
Congress passes a law banning discrimination in hotels, restaurants, and theaters open to the public. This most directly reflects which major law from the civil rights era?
Answer: What is the Civil Rights Act of 1964?