CIVIL LIBERTIES
Define Civil Liberties?
The rights and freedoms of individuals that the government may not infringe on.
Define Civil Rights.
The freedom to fully participate in the life of the community.
Define Public Opinion.
The sum of individual beliefs and opinions.
A measure of which proportion of eligible voters actually cast a legitimate ballot in a given election.
Voter turnout.
What is the bill of rights?
The first ten amendments of the constitution. It guarantees civil rights and liberties for the individual like "PAPER"
Define Brown v. Board of Education.
A landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court which ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segregated schools are otherwise equal in quality.
Define the paradox of voting.
The paradox of voting is a theory from Economist Anthony Downs.
For most individuals, the cost of voting (acquiring necessary information, traveling to polling site, and waiting in line) outweighs the apparent benefits.
In simple terms, if voting takes efforts like the ones listed above and one vote almost never changes the result, why do people bother to do it anyways.
Even though it doesn't make sense logically, many people still vote out of a sense of civic duty or responsibility.
The issues that the media covers, the public considers important, and politicians address.
Policy agenda
What is the 14th amendment and why is it important?
"No state shall deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process."
Important because it granted citizenship to all persons, including people who were enslaved.
Side note: The Bill of Rights did not apply to the states until the 14th amendment required states to not deprive people of the things listed above.
Define the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Landmark legislation that forbade discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion or national origin.
Define random sample. Why is it important.
A sample that accurately reflects the entire population.
Important because it ensures every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected, it also reduces bias and supports generalization.
Define Establishment clause and Free Exercise Clause.
Establishment clause: The first amendment principle that government may not establish an official religion.
Free exercise clause: The first amendment principle that government may not interfere in religious practices.
What is selective incorporation?
The case-by-case approach of deciding which portions of the Bill of Rights apply to states.
Overtime, the court incorporated almost every phrase of the Bill of Rights from freedom of speech to exercise of religion, to freedom from excessive fines in 2019.
Define the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and why is it important to know.
Landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting.
Importance- Ended discriminatory practices, like the literacy test, poll taxes.
This interpretation of public opinion values everyone's voice equally in decision-making.
This interpretation assumes that the majority's opinion should guide government decisions.
This interpretation views public opinion as an ongoing debate among groups.
This interpretation emphasizes that public opinion is largely shaped by the powerful or well-informed people.
This interpretation of public opinion values everyone's voice equally in decision-making. — Equality
This interpretation assumes that the majority's opinion should guide government decisions. — Majority
This interpretation views public opinion as an ongoing conversation among competing groups. — Public debate among groups
This interpretation emphasizes that public opinion is largely shaped by the powerful or well-informed people. — Elite opinion
What is the electoral college and why is it important.
The system established by the Constitution to elect the president; each state has a group of electors (equal in size to that of its congressional delegation in the House and the Senate). Today, the public in each state votes for electors, who then vote for the president.
Important because it's how U.S officially chooses its President.