PoliSci Ch. 5

1. What are Civil Rights? What civil rights are guaranteed in the constitution? How did Civil Rights in the original constitution differ from civil rights as they exist today in America? How has Civil Rights changed? Civil rights determine who can participate in politics and how they can. We are guaranteed the right to be represented by congress, due process of the law, to vote. Originally, civil rights only protected white, rich males. Now, women and people of color have the right to own property and vote. 2. After the constitution was written, how many states permitted slavery? Which states in the country permitted slavery, and what were slaves used for? 8 out of 13 of the states permitted slavery. These were the southern states which used slaves as agricultural labor. What changed after the Civil War? What three amendments were added to the constitution after the Civil War, and what did those amendments do? After the Civil War, slavery was prohibited in the US and amendments were added in order to make sure it couldn’t exist through state governments. The Thirteenth amendment actually prohibited slavery in the US and in the States. The Fourteenth amendment provided us with protection from state government that might impede on civil rights. The Fifteenth amendment gave Black men the ability to vote even if they were previously enslaved. 3. What is the equal protection clause of the 14 th amendment? What groups in American society have since used the clause in their struggle for equality? The equal protection clause states that all citizens must be equally protected through civil rights. It started by helping previously enslaved people to be treated equally under the law, and has been able to aid other ethnic groups, the LGBTQ+ community, women, and people with disabilities. 4. At the beginning of America’s history, which groups had the right to vote, and which groups did not? How does this differ today? Which groups of people still cannot vote in the United States? At first, only wealthy, white men were allowed to participate in politics. Now, voting is only prohibited for people under 18, non-citizens, and convicted felons. 5. What are natural born citizens? What is naturalization? What are the requirements for an immigrant that wants to become a US citizen? What privileges do citizens of the United States have? A natural born citizen is someone born in the US. Naturalization is the process where an immigrant becomes a US citizen. To complete this, one must live in the US for 5 years, pass a basic civics and history test, demonstrate ability to speak/read/write in english. The person must also present that they are not here to threaten national security. US citizens have the privilege of protection from the government as well as civil rights. 6. What are the age restrictions on voting and running for office in the United States? You must be 18 to vote. To run for the House of Representatives, you must be at least 25. The youngest Senate member can be 30. You must be 35 to run for president. 7. Prior to 1875, what were the legal restrictions on immigrants who sought to enter the country? How has this changed since 1875? Before 1875, there weren’t restrictions on who could enter the country. But, there have been laws put into place since that have slowly made it harder to move to the US. 8. How has the right to vote changed for women across time? Which were the first states to grant women the right to vote and why? What was the Nineteenth Amendment and when was it created? How and why did women gain the right to vote? In the 1800s, women could only vote in some local elections even after they gained the rights to own property and money. Women protested, held mass meetings, and loudly advocated for a century to gain suffrage. Because the western states and territories were newer and more detached from British culture, they were the first to allow women to vote. The Nineteenth amendment was created in 1919 and it secured full suffrage for women in the US. 9. After the Civil War, why did African Americans continue to struggle with the right to vote in the American South? What restrictions were placed that prevented them from voting? What was the Voting Rights Act of 1965? Whose right to vote does this law now protect? Southern politicians actively worked against Black Americans by restricting their political power. There was no protection in place to stop lawmakers from discriminating against Black people. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 reinforced the Fifteenth amendment and protects Black suffrage. It has since been amended to protect other ethnic groups and outline prohibited acts like discriminatory districting. 10. What are the controversies today that exist over voting rights in America (See page 162-63)? One group that is not granted suffrage is ex-felons. Many believe that ex-felons deserve the right to vote, since they’ve already served their time. Another controversy is surrounding how marginalized groups can vote. People believe that minority groups are not given equal amounts of privilege when it comes to districting.

11. What was the Civil Rights Act of 1875, and why did the Supreme Court at the time rule it unconstitutional? This act prohibited the states from discriminating against Black people in public affairs like transportation and jury service. The Supreme Court deemed it unconstitutional because they believed it infringed on private businesses rather than public officials. 12. What was Separate but Equal? What was the Plessy versus Ferguson Case, and why was it significant? When was the Separate but Equal rule reversed? Plessy v. Ferguson upheld the Louisiana laws that created separate public areas for Black people. It created the idea that Black people could be separate from White people in society and still be treated equally. They believed that since White people were also being separated, it was equal treatment. It was reversed with the court ruling of Brown v. The Board of Education in 1954. 13. What is the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)? What strategy did it use to fight Separate but Equal in the South? The NAACP is an organization that works to fight racial discrimination and oppression in the US. They used the court system to fight Separate but Equal, bringing up many cases that challenged the constitutionality of segregation. 14. What was Brown versus the Board of Education and why was it significant? What issues did Brown versus the Board of education not address? What problems did the US government face with desegregating schools in the American South? This case involved a father trying to get his daughter into an all white school because it was the closest one to their home. The court ruled that segregation is unconstitutional which changed many of the laws in the southern states. Even though the laws changed, many people’s attitudes didn’t. Many states didn’t follow this ruling until they were sued. The case didn’t address segregation issues like housing, voting, employment, public accommodations, and other socioeconomic factors. 15. In the 14 years after Brown versus the Board of Education, how did African Americans pressure the government to make further civil rights reforms? What organizations led the civil rights movement in the South? People have protested, petitioned, and peacefully assembled to voice grievances surrounding unequal protection under the law. Organizations like The Southern Christian Leadership Conference and Student Nonviolent Coordination Committee started the movement. 16. What is the Black Lives Matter Movement? What issues does this movement focus on? What do opponents of the movement argue? The Black Lives Matter movement focuses on police brutality against Black Americans. It started in 2014 to protest the use of racially profiled excessive force and unnecessary shooting. Opponents have chosen the phrase, “all lives matter,” to speculate that not only Black people are affected by police brutality. 17. Why do some people argue that equal access to education is critical for a democracy? Many believe that having equal access to education gives us equal opportunity to succeed. As well as give everyone the same basic knowledge of politics, so that we can equally participate. 18. What was the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and why was it significant? It outlawed discrimination against not only Black people, but people of other ethnic groups, religious minorities, and women. It was significant because it allowed the federal government to withhold funding from institutions that discriminate against these groups. 19. What are some of the different challenges that the following groups have faced in American society, and what rights did these different groups obtain in recent years?: a. Women Challenges: Before the 20th century, women could only vote in small municipal elections. In the 1800s, many women didn’t have the right to own land or control their inheritance. States used to have laws surrounding abortions that restricted women’s right to choose. Women were not protected from sexual harassment in public or the workplace until 1968. Achievements: Women secured rights to own land and money during the 1800s as well as the full right to vote in 1919. Roe v. Wade prohibited states from creating laws around abortions. However, this has been recently overturned. In 1968, sexual harassment was defined and prohibited by the Supreme Court. b. Latinos Challenges: In 1898, Mexican Americans were granted citizenship, but weren’t allowed to vote