American Gov Vocab
Aliens
Foreign-born resident or noncitizen.
Civil liberties
The guarantees of the safety of persons, opinions and property for the arbitrary acts of government, including freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
Civil Rights
A term used for those positive acts of government that seek to make constitutional guarantees a reality for all people.
Due process
The government must act fairly and in accord with established rules in all that it does
Due process Clause
Part of the 14th amendment which guarantees that no state denies basic rights to its people.
Espionage
spying
Establishment clause
Separates church and state
Exclusionary Rule
Evidence gained as the result of an illegal act by police cannot be used against the person from whom it was seized.
Free exercise clause
The second part of the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom, which guarantees to each person the right to believe whatever he or she chooses to believe in matters of religion.
Libel
False and malicious use of printed words.
Parochial
Church related, as in parochial school.
Picketing
Patrolling of a business site by workers who are on strike.
Probable cause
Reasonable grounds, a reasonable suspicion of crime.
Sedition
The crime of attempting to overthrow the government by force, or to disrupt its lawful activities by violent acts
Shield laws
A law which gives reporters some protection against having to disclose their sources or reveal other confidential information in legal proceedings
Slander
False and malicious use of spoken words.
Symbolic Speech
Expression by conduct; communication ideas through facial expressions, body language, or by carrying a sign or wearing an armband.
Treason
Betrayal of one’s country; in the constitution, by levying war against the United States or offering comfort or aid to its enemies.