Exam 5: Civil Rights and Public Policy

What does the Declaration of Independence say about equality and civil rights? Which parts of the Constitution have been particularly important for groups wishing to expand their rights?

What did Jim Crow laws mandate?

In the 1857 Dred Scott v.Sandford decision,the Supreme Court held that __________.

What provision of the Fourteenth Amendment serves as a cornerstone of struggles to win equality for certain groups?

What has the Supreme Court said about which kind of affirmative action programs for admissions to public universities are acceptable and which are not?

What is age discrimination? Discuss some laws and court cases that have supported civil rights for older people.Why might this issue become more highlighted in the near future?

Based on the Supreme Court's decision in Reed v.Reed,which of the following laws would most likely be overturned?

Suffrage is the legal right to vote.

Compare and contrast the use of civil disobedience and litigation during the civil rights movement.Which was more successful and why?

What was the basis for the Supreme Court's decision in Plessy v.Ferguson (1896)that upheld the constitutionality of a state law requiring segregated railroad facilities?

What is the status of affirmative action in college admissions after the Supreme Court decisions in the two cases involving the University of Michigan,Gratz v.Bollinger (2003)and Grutter v.Bollinger (2003)?

What was the objective of the women's suffrage movement?

Identify the three standards the Supreme Court uses to evaluate whether a classification in a law or regulation is constitutionally permissible.Discuss what test the Court applies for each standard and whether the rule maker or the challenger has the burden of proof.Give an example of a law that could be subject to each standard of review.Do you agree with this three-tiered approach? Why or why not?

What did the Supreme Court determine was unconstitutional in Brown v.Board of Education?

How are the Fourteenth Amendment and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 similar?

The termination of the "don't ask,don't tell" policy during the Obama administration allows gays to serve openly in the military.

Why did Congress pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

Which of the following affirmative action programs would be a clear violation of the Supreme Court's decision in Regents of the University of California v.Bakke (1978)?

How are the Supreme Court decisions in Korematsu v.United States (1944)and Plessy v.Ferguson (1896)similar?

Many states currently use the white primary as a form of affirmative action for electoral politics.