civil rights/liberties/morality

Question 1

conflict in gov’t role

Answer 1

public demands that gov’t should play role in regulating public + private behaviour
o Many expect gov’t to be final authority in outlawing discrimination
o But angry when it fails to conform to their interpretation of morality

Question 2

civil liberties

Answer 2

rights protected under bill of rights
o Bill of rights wasn’t applied to state law

Question 3

freedom of speech

Answer 3

o Gitlow V new York 1925 – established first amendment right to freedom of speech applied to state law
 Supreme court gradually began to expand bill of rights

Question 4

criminal procedural rights

Answer 4

o 1960’s – warren court greatly strengthened rights of accused + arrested persons invoking fourth, fifth, sixth
 Gideon v Wainright 1963 – right to have counsel regardless of ability to pay
 Escabedo V Illinois 1964 – prevented police carrying out interrogation until counsel present

Question 5

keep and bear arms

Answer 5

o Has become increasingly controversial
o Having access to guns wasn’t as widespread as it is now
 Increasing pro-gun control because of mass shootings and assassination attempts

Question 6

gun control

Answer 6

o Brady bill – required wating time and background check for gun purchases
o 1994 crime control bill – banned range of assault rifles

Question 7

opponents of gun control

Answer 7

o NRA + opponents of gun control
 Believe that more education is more effective than gun control
 Gun control would impede on liberty
o Presidents still cannot take a strong anti-gun stance

Question 8

civil rights

Answer 8

o Plessy V ferguson – declared civil rights act unconstitutional
 Southern states enacted jim crow
o Civil rights movement began after WWII after mobilizing AA males + creating mass migration of AA’s from south to north
o Desegregation began more swiftly after 1965 civil rights act
o Most of segregation in South was de jure

Question 9

affirmative action

Answer 9

 Inherently problematic
 Involves clash between notion of individual worth + the collective interests of a group/race
 Racial preference quotas

Question 10

decline of explicit affirmative action

Answer 10

confirmed by supreme court refusal to review californias 1997 proposition banning ‘preferential treatment’ for minorities