All Flashcards
Cause and effect of school-sponsored prayer?
Cause: Voluntary prayer in NY schools. Effect: Declared unconstitutional due to Establishment Clause (Engel v. Vitale).
Cause and effect of the Gun-Free School Zones Act?
Cause: Congress passed Gun-Free School Zones Act. Effect: Limited by US v. Lopez, reaffirming state power.
Cause and effect of segregation in public schools?
Cause: State segregation laws. Effect: Declared unconstitutional by Brown v. Board, violating Equal Protection Clause.
Cause and effect of students wearing armbands?
Cause: Students protesting Vietnam War with armbands. Effect: Upheld students' free speech rights (Tinker v. Des Moines).
Cause and effect of the Espionage Act?
Cause: Charles Schenck urged people to resist the WWI draft. Effect: Limited free speech during wartime (Schenck v. United States).
Main idea of the Necessary and Proper Clause?
Grants Congress implied powers to enact laws 'necessary and proper' to execute its enumerated powers.
Main idea of the Commerce Clause?
Gives Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce.
Main idea of the First Amendment?
Guarantees freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.
Main idea of the Sixth Amendment?
Guarantees the right to counsel in criminal prosecutions.
Main idea of the Fourteenth Amendment?
Guarantees equal protection and due process under the law; used for selective incorporation.
Main idea of the Second Amendment?
Guarantees the right to bear arms.
Define 'Implied Powers'.
Powers not directly stated in the Constitution but necessary to carry out enumerated powers.
Define 'Supremacy Clause'.
States cannot tax or impede the federal government's legitimate constitutional actions.
Define 'Tenth Amendment'.
Powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states or the people.
Define 'Establishment Clause'.
Prohibits the government from establishing a religion.
Define 'Free Exercise Clause'.
Protects citizens' right to practice their religion as they choose.
Define 'Prior Restraint'.
Government preventing material from being published; generally unconstitutional.
Define 'Selective Incorporation'.
Applying the Bill of Rights to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.
Define 'Equal Protection Clause'.
Guarantees all citizens equal protection of the laws; part of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Define 'Judicial Review'.
The power of the courts to declare laws unconstitutional.
Define 'Stare Decisis'.
The principle that courts should follow precedent when deciding similar cases.