18 concepts the spec wants you to use precisely, drawn from the Panther database. Read them, then test yourself.
In test mode, tap a concept to reveal its definition.
The concepts
Civil rights(tap to reveal)- Legal and political rights ensuring equal treatment and protection, including voting rights and freedom from discrimination.
Civil liberties(tap to reveal)- Freedoms and rights protected against government interference, such as freedom of speech, religion, and due process.
Voting Rights Act(tap to reveal)- Landmark 1965 federal legislation prohibiting racial discrimination in voting and authorizing federal oversight of voting practices in certain areas.
14th Amendment(tap to reveal)- Ratified in 1868, guarantees citizenship rights, due process, and equal protection; used to extend Bill of Rights to states via incorporation.
Affirmative action(tap to reveal)- Policies that give preferential treatment in education or employment to groups that have historically faced discrimination, such as Black Americans.
Amicus curiae briefs(tap to reveal)- Legal briefs filed by interested third parties (friends of the court) who are not part of the case but wish to influence the court's decision.
Brown v Board of Education(tap to reveal)- A landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision declaring school segregation unconstitutional and overturning the separate but equal doctrine.
Certiorari(tap to reveal)- A discretionary writ by which the Supreme Court agrees to review a case, requiring the support of four justices.
Citizens United v FEC(tap to reveal)- A landmark 2010 Supreme Court decision striking down campaign spending limits and allowing unlimited corporate and union political spending.
Conservative justice (US)(tap to reveal)- A Supreme Court justice who interprets the Constitution narrowly and cautiously, generally deferring to elected lawmakers and established precedent.
Due process(tap to reveal)- The constitutional requirement that government must follow fair procedures and respect individual rights when depriving someone of life, liberty, or property.
Equal protection clause(tap to reveal)- A section of the Fourteenth Amendment prohibiting states from denying equal protection of the law, used to challenge discrimination.
Imperial judiciary(tap to reveal)- A judiciary seen as too powerful, making decisions that should properly be left to elected politicians.
Incorporation doctrine(tap to reveal)- The legal theory that most Bill of Rights protections apply to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause.
Judicial activism(tap to reveal)- An approach where judges interpret the law broadly and are willing to use their rulings to bring about social or political change.
Judicial restraint(tap to reveal)- An approach where judges interpret the law narrowly, respecting precedent and deferring to elected bodies rather than making policy themselves.
Judicial review(tap to reveal)- The power of courts to examine laws and government actions and declare them unconstitutional, established in Marbury v Madison.
Judicial review (US)(tap to reveal)- The power of the US Supreme Court to strike down laws passed by Congress or actions by the executive if they violate the Constitution.