Civil Rights Flashcards
1
Q
What was the original Latin Motto of the USA? What does it mean?
A
- ‘E pluribus unum’
- ‘Out of many, one’
2
Q
What did Congress change the motto to?
A
- Changed original motto in 1956
- to ‘In God We Trust’
- on their dollars
3
Q
What is the Statue of Liberty a symbol of?
A
- worldwide symbol for welcome no and immigration
- reflects ‘land of the free, home of the brave’
4
Q
Details
A
5
Q
What does Civil Rights mean?
A
- protections introduced by the government to ensure that groups of citizens are not discriminated against
6
Q
What does Civil Liberties mean?
A
- the freedoms enjoyed by individual Americans
7
Q
What does Entrenched Rights mean?
A
- rights that are explicitly mentioned in the constitution
- are protected by the amendment process
- cannot be easily changed or removed
8
Q
What does inalienable rights mean?
A
- Rights that cannot be taken away
9
Q
List some reasons why US citizens are protected by the government framework:
A
- Americans have a high value on alienable rights
- Constitution has a ‘due process’ clause, ensuring equal treatment under the Law
- US SC gives US citizens final court of appeal if rights have been infringed upon
- complex amendment process, prevents rights being easily removed
10
Q
What ways have civil rights be added?
A
- Additional constitutional amendments
- Landmark Rulings
- Federal Laws
- Pressure Groups
11
Q
What are some problems with Civil Liberties?
A
- some rights are better protected then others - e.g. right to bear arms entrenched but rights of women and children not entrenched
- Constitution difficult to modernise and relies too much upon informal amendments by the Supreme Court
- Supreme Court an unelected and unaccountable body
- much of constitution concerned with workings of constitution not civil liberties
E.G.- 2010 Citizens United vs. FEC, companies are people and Super PAC’s have unlimited funds
12
Q
Amendments
A
13
Q
When was the Bill of Rights Created and Ratified?
A
- Created 1789
- Ratified 1791
14
Q
How many amendments are there in the Bill of Rights?
A
10
15
Q
How many amendments are there overall?
A
27 + Equal Rights Amendments
16
Q
Define 1st Amendment:
A
- freedom of religion, speech, assembly and the Press
- Congress cannot legislate against these
17
Q
Define the 2nd Amendment:
A
- the right to bear arms
- “well regulated militia… security of free state”
18
Q
Define the 3rd Amendment:
A
- The housing of soldiers
19
Q
Define the 4th Amendment:
A
- Protection from unreasonable searches and seizures
- “persons, houses, papers and effects… no warrants shall issue but upon probable cause”
20
Q
Define the 5th Amendment:
A
- Protection of rights to life, liberty and property
- “unless… indictment of a grand duty” “without due process of law”
- E.G. cannot incriminate yourself
21
Q
Define the 6th Amendment:
A
- Rights of accused persons in criminal cases
- ‘council for his defence’
- ‘informed of nature and case of accusation’
22
Q
Define the 7th Amendment:
A
- rights in civil cases
- can only appeal cases higher up in the courts
23
Q
Define the 8th Amendment:
A
- excessive bail, fines and punishment not allowed
- ‘cruel and unusual punishment’
- death penalty?
24
Q
Define the 9th Amendment:
A
- other rights kept by the people
- enumerated rights cannot be taken away
25
Define the 10th Amendment:
- Undelegated powers are kept by the state and the people
- any powers not delegated are given to federal states
26
Define the 11th Amendment:
- 1798
- Us judiciary cannot hear cases against someone not in the state
27
Define the 12th Amendment:
- 1804
- Rids any faults or mistakes in the electoral college
- establishes clear FPTP
28
Define the13th Amendment:
- 1865
- abolished slavery
- protected rights of slaves, but were not considered citizens
29
Define the 14th Amendment:
- 1865
- All citizens are entitled to equal protection under the Law
- despite race or religion
- but cases like Plessy vs. Ferguson undermines this
- grants citizenship to naturalised citizens
30
Define the 15th Amendment:
- 1870
- extended franchise, right to vote shall not be denied based on race or colour
- African American men are enfranchised
31
Define the 16th Amendment:
- 1913
- Congress can set taxes
- everyone must pay tax
32
Define the 17th Amendment:
- 1913
- Senate is 2 Senators per state
- have 6 year terms
- are directly elected
33
Define the 18th Amendment:
- 1919
- prohibiting the making, selling and consuming alcohol
34
Define the 19th Amendment:
- 1920
- franchise extended to women
- all above 21
- no property requirements
35
Define the 20th Amendment:
- 1933
- Presidential pass over time
- Election 5th Nov, Inauguration 20th January
- changes Congressional seats per election
36
Define the 21st Amendment:
- 1933
- repealed 18th Amendment
37
Define the 22nd Amendment:
- 1951
- no president can serve more then 2 terms in the role
- limits executive power
38
Define the 23rd Amendment:
- 1961
- district has an equal number of electors
39
Define the 24th Amendment:
- 1964
- rights of citizens will not infringed by the failure to pay tax
- right to vote despite financial position
40
Define the 25th Amendment:
- 1967
- If President is removed, dies or resigns VP is President
- no need for a Congress vote
- defines Presidential disability
41
Define the 26th Amendment:
- 1971
- voting age reduced to 18+
- if you can fight in war you can vote
42
Define the 27th Amendment:
- 1992
- deals with pay rises or decreases for members of Congress
- cannot vote on their own wages
43
Define the Equal Rights Amendment:
- Proposed in 1923
- wanted to grant equality no matter the sex of a person
- in 1972 it was passed by the Senate, after 49yrs of male opposition
- women's, Christian groups who did not want military drafting or abortion
- deadline to pass it was extended then and for a second time
- recent update= 3 new states have ratified, but unlikely to pass with a Republican Senate
44
How do Constitutional Amendment take place?
- 2/3 of Congress vote for it
- 3/4 of states to ratify it
45
What did Biden say about the ERA?
- that the Equal Rights Amendment should be law
- due to 38 states have now ratified it
46
Case study - Black Rights in the USA
47
The development of Black rights in the USA
48
What 4 factors had contributed to the Development of Black Rights in the USA?
- Supreme Court action
- Pressure Group action
- Constitutional Amendments
- Laws
49
What were Black Civil Rights like before and during the Civil war?
- Dread Scott vs. Stanford decision, black people cannot be US citizens
- CJ Taney said they were, 'beings of an inferior order'
- reinforced that black people are property not citizens
- Civil War, north (anti-slavery) south (pro-slavery)
50
What happened in 1865?
the Thirteen Amendment, abolished slavery
51
What were Black Civil Rights like during the Reconstruction and rise of Segregation era?
- Reconstruction (1865-1877)
- 13-15th amendment, gave black people legal protection
- rise of white supremacist groups, KluKluxKlan
- White southern law makers, 'Jim Crow Laws', institutionalised segregation
52
Give examples of some of the Jim Crow Laws:
- blacks and whites couldn't interact in public places
- hospitals, parks and transportation segregated and usually worse for blacks
- disenfranchised black voters through Poll Tax, literacy tests and outright intimidation
53
What was Plessy vs. Ferguson and why was it significant?
- inforced, 'seperate but equal' clause
54
Who made Thurgood Marshall the first black SC judge and when?
- John F. Kennedy in 1961
55
Wat was the Voter Rights Act 1964?
- prohibited discrimination based on race, sex or religion in employment, housing and education
- aimed to eliminate institutional barriers
- established Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, investigating discrimination in the workplace
56
What was the impact of the VRA on the Democrat party?
- It was passed by them, so it led to the loss of white, mc voters
57
What constitutional Amendments followed to protect Black Civil Rights?
- 19t Amen women vote
- 24th Amen abolished poll tax
- 27th Amen lowered Voting age to 18, enfranchising young black activists
58
What Protest Groups have started to resolve issues of social injustice?
1. BLM- founded 2013 after death of Trayvon Martin, addressing police brutality especially after George Floyd's death
2. Million Man March- held in 1995 but revived 2000, AA men advocating for racial solidarity
3. The Dream Defenders- based on MLK speech, 2012 also in response to death of Trayvon Martin
4. Colour for Change- 2005, addressing racial mass incarceration and police brutality
59
Are minority rights well protected in the USA?
- emerging in the 1950s and 1960s, beginning to be protected
- Figures: MLK jr, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X (civil rights movement)
- B vs BOE, separate but equal cause, so a legislative end to segregation
60
How do Civil Rights in the USA compare to the UK?
-HRA 1998 protects ALL persons
- ones in USA were gradual and added a new group/ clause each time
- e.g. UK Equal Rights Act, USA Obergefell vs Hodges
61
What happened in 2017 in Charlottesville?
- the 'unite the right' rally, group 'anti-fa' (anti-fascist)
- white nationalists protesting against the removal of Confederate Stature of Robert E. Lee (relation to slavery)
- violence escalated= alt right man drove his car into a crowd of protestors to the rally
- Trump did not send in the national guard for this, but did for BLM protests
- showed dangers of far right
62
What is affirmative action?
