• know important facts, concepts, and theories pertaining to U.S. government and politics |
| • understand typical patterns of political processes and behavior and their consequences (including the components of political behavior, the principles used to explain or justify various government structures and procedures, and the political effects of these structures and procedures) |
| • be able to analyze and interpret basic data relevant to U.S. government and politics (including data presented in charts, tables, and other formats) |
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
· An understanding of United States politics includes the study of the development of individual rights and liberties and their impact on citizens. Basic to this study is an analysis of the workings of the United States Supreme Court and familiarity with its most significant decisions.
· Students should examine judicial interpretations of various civil rights and liberties such as freedom of speech, assembly, and expression; the rights of the accused; and the rights of minority groups and women. For example, students should understand the legal, social, and political evolution following the Supreme Court’s decisions regarding racial segregation.
· Students should also be aware of how the Fourteenth Amendment and the doctrine of selective incorporation have been used to extend protection of rights and liberties.
Finally, it is important that students be able to assess the strengths and weaknesses of Supreme Court decisions as tools of social change.Clear and present danger test-
Due process of law-
Equal protection of the law-
Establishment clause-
Exclusionary rule-
Free exercise clause-
Freedom of expression-
Freedom of religion-
Good-faith exception-
Incorporation-
Libel-
Probable cause-
Search warrant-
Symbolic speech-
Wall of separation-
Affirmative action-
Civil disobedience-
Civil rights-
De facto segregation-
De jure segregation-
Equality of opportunity-
Equality of result-
Jim Crow-
Police powers-
Reverse discrimination-
Separate but equal-
Strict scrutiny-
Wilson Ch. 5 & 6
Case Readings: Brown v. Board, Gideon v. Wainwright and others
