Constitutional lawLesson 1 of 3 in the course Civil Rights

Civil Rights, Suffrage, and Constitutional Rights Protection

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Civil rights and civil liberties both concern people’s freedoms and protections, but they describe different responsibilities and relationships between individuals and government. This lesson introduces civil rights, distinguishes them from civil liberties, and explores the kinds of equal treatment they address.

Civil rights are government guarantees of equal protection under the law, regardless of a person’s membership in a group identified by a shared characteristic. Characteristics may include race, national origin, ethnicity, sex, gender, age, or ability. Civil rights are especially important when people have been discriminated against because of group membership.

All flashcards

Civil rights
Government guarantees of equal protection under the law, especially for groups facing discrimination.
Civil liberties
Freedoms from government restriction that limit what government may do to individuals.
Constitutionalism
The principle that legitimate government action must respect the rule of law and limits on government power.
Suffrage
The right to vote.
Positive and negative rights
Positive rights call for assistance or action; negative rights protect against interference.

Quiz questions

  1. What change did the 26th Amendment make to voting eligibility in the United States?Answer: It lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.
  2. Which country was the first in the world to grant women the right to vote?Answer: New Zealand.
  3. What principle does constitutionalism require governments to respect?Answer: The rule of law and limits on government power.
  4. When did the United Nations General Assembly adopt the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?Answer: 1948.
  5. What is voter suppression?Answer: Efforts that prevent or make it harder for eligible people to vote.

Based on Introduction to Political Science by Mark Carl Rom, Masaki Hidaka, Rachel Bzostek Walker (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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