Constitutional lawLesson 3 of 5 in the course Civil Rights

Civil Rights Abuses: Voting, Minority Rights, and Historical Injustice

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

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Summary

In a democracy, majorities can influence public policy. The word democracy comes from the Greek demos and kratos, meaning “the people rule.” However, majority support alone does not guarantee fair treatment. A group that has less numerical, political, cultural, or religious influence may be excluded from decisions that affect its members.

Majority groups may judge minority groups as threats to familiar customs, social arrangements, or cultural values. These judgments can influence laws and public institutions. When the government responds mainly to the preferences of the majority, it may restrict the rights of people with less power.

All flashcards

Majoritarian politics
A political process in which majority preferences shape public decisions, sometimes at the expense of less powerful groups.
Preclearance
Federal approval that certain jurisdictions had to obtain before changing voting laws under the original Voting Rights Act.
Statelessness
The condition of having no citizenship in any country, which can limit access to legal protection and basic rights.
U.S. Indigenous boarding-school policies
Policies that separated Indigenous children from their families and communities and sought religious and cultural assimilation.
Modern slavery
Coercive practices such as forced labor, trafficking, domestic servitude, forced marriage, and recruitment of child soldiers.

Quiz questions

  1. What is the common translation of the Greek roots of the word democracy?Answer: “The people rule.”
  2. Why can majority rule sometimes lead to civil-rights abuses?Answer: A majority may use its influence to disadvantage groups with less political or social power.
  3. Which social expectations have been used to justify discrimination against LGBTQ+ people?Answer: Traditional expectations about heterosexuality and gender roles.
  4. Which country became the first in Africa to allow same-sex couples to adopt in 2002?Answer: South Africa.
  5. Why does legal recognition alone not establish that LGBTQ+ people have achieved full equality?Answer: Social discrimination and safety concerns can continue after legal reforms.

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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