CSCC POLS1100 Finals UPDATED Exam
Questions and CORRECT Answers
Civil Liberties - CORRECT ANSWER - Constitutional freedoms guaranteed to all citizens
Bill of Rights - CORRECT ANSWER - The first ten amendments to the Constitution that
the federal government must protect
Due Process Clause - CORRECT ANSWER - 14th amendment clause stating that no state
may deprive a person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law (Most sates ignored
because southern states are scary)
selective incorporation - CORRECT ANSWER - The process by which provisions of the
Bill of Rights are brought within the scope of the Fourteenth Amendment and so applied to state
and local governments.Aka the court picked cases so that they can slowly incorporate the 14th
amendment.
freedom of expression - CORRECT ANSWER - The right of an individual to
communicate thoughts of their choosing
clear and present danger test - CORRECT ANSWER - law should not punish speech
unless there was a clear and present danger of producing harmful actions
imminent lawless action test - CORRECT ANSWER - rule used by the courts that restricts
speech only if 1- it is aimed at producing
2- is likely to produce imminent lawless action
symbolic speech - CORRECT ANSWER - nonverbal communication, such as burning a
flag or wearing an armband. The Supreme Court has accorded some symbolic speech protection
under the first amendment.
,Protection against self-incrimination - CORRECT ANSWER - 5th Amendment right that
keeps the accused from having to testify against themselves (right to remain silent)
Right to a fair trial - CORRECT ANSWER - 6th Amendment- right to a speedy and public
trial with impartial juries and a right to counsel.
exclusionary rule - CORRECT ANSWER - improperly gathered evidence may not be
introduced in a criminal trial
good faith exception - CORRECT ANSWER - holding that evidence seized on the basis of
a mistakenly issued search warrant can be introduced at trial if all the parties involved had reason
at the time to believe that the warrant was proper.
inevitable discovery exception - CORRECT ANSWER - The legal principle that illegally
obtained evidence can be admissible in court if police using lawful means would have
"inevitably" discovered it.
Plain View Exception - CORRECT ANSWER - the rule that any evidence police can see
or hear in plain view when they are where they have a legal right to be is admissible in court,
even without a legal warrant or probable cause
protection against cruel and unusual punishment - CORRECT ANSWER - The 8th
Amendment protects criminal defendants from cruel and unusual punishment. Tests consider
whether it is "disproportionate to the offense"; Violates "Fundamental standards of good
conscience and fairness"; and is "unnecessarily cruel"
equal rights (civil rights) - CORRECT ANSWER - The right of every person to equal
protection under the laws and equal access to society's opportunities and public facilities.
De Jure Equality - CORRECT ANSWER - equality before the law
, de facto equality - CORRECT ANSWER - Equality of results, which measures real world
obstacles to equal treatment.
reasonable basis test - CORRECT ANSWER - A test applied by courts to laws that treat
individuals unequally. Such a law may be deemed constitutional if its purpose is held to be
"reasonably" related to a legitimate government interest.
strict scrutiny test - CORRECT ANSWER - a test applied by the court when a
classification is based on race; the government must show that there is a compelling reason for
the law and no other less restrictive way to meet the interest (very hard to pass)
suspect classification - CORRECT ANSWER - category or class, such as race, that triggers
the highest standard of scrutiny from the Supreme Court
Redlining - CORRECT ANSWER - A process by which banks draw lines on a map and
refuse to lend money to purchase or improve property within the boundaries. (primarily those
with a large black population)
public opinion - CORRECT ANSWER - how people think or feel about particular things
public opinion polls - CORRECT ANSWER - interviews or surveys with samples of
citizens that are used to estimate the feelings and beliefs of the entire population
Sample - CORRECT ANSWER - A relatively small proportion of people who are chosen
in a survey so as to be representative of the whole.
Population - CORRECT ANSWER - the larger group of individuals
sampling error - CORRECT ANSWER - The level of confidence in the findings of a
public opinion poll. The more people interviewed, the more confident one can be of the results.
Questions and CORRECT Answers
Civil Liberties - CORRECT ANSWER - Constitutional freedoms guaranteed to all citizens
Bill of Rights - CORRECT ANSWER - The first ten amendments to the Constitution that
the federal government must protect
Due Process Clause - CORRECT ANSWER - 14th amendment clause stating that no state
may deprive a person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law (Most sates ignored
because southern states are scary)
selective incorporation - CORRECT ANSWER - The process by which provisions of the
Bill of Rights are brought within the scope of the Fourteenth Amendment and so applied to state
and local governments.Aka the court picked cases so that they can slowly incorporate the 14th
amendment.
freedom of expression - CORRECT ANSWER - The right of an individual to
communicate thoughts of their choosing
clear and present danger test - CORRECT ANSWER - law should not punish speech
unless there was a clear and present danger of producing harmful actions
imminent lawless action test - CORRECT ANSWER - rule used by the courts that restricts
speech only if 1- it is aimed at producing
2- is likely to produce imminent lawless action
symbolic speech - CORRECT ANSWER - nonverbal communication, such as burning a
flag or wearing an armband. The Supreme Court has accorded some symbolic speech protection
under the first amendment.
,Protection against self-incrimination - CORRECT ANSWER - 5th Amendment right that
keeps the accused from having to testify against themselves (right to remain silent)
Right to a fair trial - CORRECT ANSWER - 6th Amendment- right to a speedy and public
trial with impartial juries and a right to counsel.
exclusionary rule - CORRECT ANSWER - improperly gathered evidence may not be
introduced in a criminal trial
good faith exception - CORRECT ANSWER - holding that evidence seized on the basis of
a mistakenly issued search warrant can be introduced at trial if all the parties involved had reason
at the time to believe that the warrant was proper.
inevitable discovery exception - CORRECT ANSWER - The legal principle that illegally
obtained evidence can be admissible in court if police using lawful means would have
"inevitably" discovered it.
Plain View Exception - CORRECT ANSWER - the rule that any evidence police can see
or hear in plain view when they are where they have a legal right to be is admissible in court,
even without a legal warrant or probable cause
protection against cruel and unusual punishment - CORRECT ANSWER - The 8th
Amendment protects criminal defendants from cruel and unusual punishment. Tests consider
whether it is "disproportionate to the offense"; Violates "Fundamental standards of good
conscience and fairness"; and is "unnecessarily cruel"
equal rights (civil rights) - CORRECT ANSWER - The right of every person to equal
protection under the laws and equal access to society's opportunities and public facilities.
De Jure Equality - CORRECT ANSWER - equality before the law
, de facto equality - CORRECT ANSWER - Equality of results, which measures real world
obstacles to equal treatment.
reasonable basis test - CORRECT ANSWER - A test applied by courts to laws that treat
individuals unequally. Such a law may be deemed constitutional if its purpose is held to be
"reasonably" related to a legitimate government interest.
strict scrutiny test - CORRECT ANSWER - a test applied by the court when a
classification is based on race; the government must show that there is a compelling reason for
the law and no other less restrictive way to meet the interest (very hard to pass)
suspect classification - CORRECT ANSWER - category or class, such as race, that triggers
the highest standard of scrutiny from the Supreme Court
Redlining - CORRECT ANSWER - A process by which banks draw lines on a map and
refuse to lend money to purchase or improve property within the boundaries. (primarily those
with a large black population)
public opinion - CORRECT ANSWER - how people think or feel about particular things
public opinion polls - CORRECT ANSWER - interviews or surveys with samples of
citizens that are used to estimate the feelings and beliefs of the entire population
Sample - CORRECT ANSWER - A relatively small proportion of people who are chosen
in a survey so as to be representative of the whole.
Population - CORRECT ANSWER - the larger group of individuals
sampling error - CORRECT ANSWER - The level of confidence in the findings of a
public opinion poll. The more people interviewed, the more confident one can be of the results.
