Comprehensive Guide to AP Gov Unit 3: Civil Rights

Fourteenth Amendment

The amendment that provides the legal basis for protecting civil rights and includes the Equal Protection Clause.

Equal Protection Clause

Part of the Fourteenth Amendment that states no state shall deny any person equal protection of the laws.

Civil Rights

Protections provided by the government against discrimination.

Civil Liberties

Protections from government intrusion, such as free speech or privacy.

Strict Scrutiny

The highest standard of judicial review used for laws that discriminate based on race, ethnicity, religion, or fundamental rights.

Intermediate Scrutiny

A standard of judicial review used for laws that discriminate based on gender.

Rational Basis

The lowest standard of judicial review used for laws that discriminate based on age, income, or wealth.

De Jure Segregation

Segregation that is enforced by law.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

A Supreme Court case that declared that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Legislation aimed at enforcing the 14th Amendment and ending Jim Crow laws.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Legislation aimed at eliminating barriers to voting and enforcing the 15th Amendment.

Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972

Prohibits discrimination based on sex in any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.

Affirmative Action

Policies aimed at addressing the effects of past discrimination by giving special consideration to historically disadvantaged groups.

Colorblind Constitution

The interpretation that the Constitution prohibits any classification based on race.

Substantive Equality

The interpretation that permits race-conscious policies to remedy past discrimination and promote diversity.

Letter from a Birmingham Jail

A foundational document by Martin Luther King Jr. arguing for nonviolent direct action against unjust laws.

Unjust Laws

Laws that degrade human personality or are imposed on a minority that had no vote in enacting them.

The National Organization for Women (NOW)

An organization that emerged in the 1960s advocating for women's rights, including equal pay and employment discrimination.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

A law mandating public accommodations for individuals with disabilities, enacted in 1990.

Judicial Review

The power of the courts to examine and invalidate legislative and executive actions that are inconsistent with the Constitution.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

An agency established by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to enforce federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

A landmark Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine.

Critical Mass

A sufficient amount of diversity in a given context to achieve a compelling state interest.

Litigation

The process of taking legal action to resolve disputes or enforce rights.

Preclearance

Federal oversight of elections in states with a history of discrimination, established by the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Constructive Tension

Martin Luther King Jr.'s concept that nonviolent direct action creates a crisis that forces the majority to negotiate.

Disenfranchisement

The denial of the right to vote, often used to refer to the systemic barriers faced by African Americans.