Civil Rights

Which of the following was an argument used by the Supreme Court in upholding federal statutes outlawing segregation in public accommodations? A Such segregation affected interstate commerce, and Congress therefore had the authority to outlaw it. B Such segregation was wrong in principle, and Congress had moral authority to outlaw it even though the statutes lacked a strict constitutional basis C Such segregation violated the First Amendment's protection of the right to free assembly, and Congress therefore had the authority to outlaw it. D Such segregation violated the Tenth Amendment's reservation of power to state governments, and Congress therefore had the authority to outlaw it. E Since such segregation affected citizens of different states, it fell under the original jurisdiction of the federal courts and could therefore be outlawed by Congress.

Such segregation affected interstate commerce, and Congress therefore had the authority to outlaw it.

Which of the following pieces of legislation was most likely a result of the passage? A The Civil Rights Act of 1964 B The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 C The Voting Rights Act of 1965 D Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972

The Civil Rights Act of 1964

The United States Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was based on which of the following? A The First Amendment's right to freedom of expression B The Fourteenth Amendment's due process clause C The Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of equal protection D The Fourth Amendment's exclusionary rule E The Fifth Amendment's power of eminent domain

The Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of equal protection

In which case did the Supreme Court rule that "the doctrine of separate but equal has no place" in the Constitution? A Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969) B Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) C Engel v. Vitale (1962) D Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)

The Supreme Court decision quoted above did which of the following? A Brought a rapid end to school segregation in the South. B Prohibited segregation in hotels and restaurants. C Required desegregation of teaching staff. D Initially affected only schools where segregation was mandated by law. E Affected segregation in the North rather than in the South.

Initially affected only schools where segregation was mandated by law.

Which of the following is true of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 ? A It was unnecessary because the Fifteenth Amendment effectively guaranteed African Americans the right to vote. B It has never been applied to any group except southern African Americans. C It has been a major instrument for increasing the number of African American and other minority voters. D It was declared unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court in Shaw v. Reno. E It requires that minority officeholders be elected.

It has been a major instrument for increasing the number of African American and other minority voters.

Which of the following applications of affirmative action would the United States Supreme Court likely consider unconstitutional? A A company actively recruits women and minorities in its hiring practices for a federal contract. B A state university refuses acceptance of any new applicants from a specific race. C A university values racial diversity on its campus and considers race as one of many factors when considering applicants to its freshman class. D The United States Department of Transportation hires a contractor with a history of hiring and promoting minorities and women for the construction of an interstate highway.

A state university refuses acceptance of any new applicants from a specific race.

Which of the following did the most to expand civil rights in the 1950's? A State legislative decisions desegregating public accommodations B State court decisions outlawing poll taxes C The passage of voting-rights legislation by Congress D Executive orders mandating affirmative action E The Supreme Court decision declaring state-mandated school segregation to be unconstitutional

The Supreme Court decision declaring state-mandated school segregation to be unconstitutional

Which of the following best explains the trend depicted in the chart above? A Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka B Imposition of a federal poll tax C Elimination of all-White primary elections D The Voting Rights Act of 1965 E The Civil Rights Act of l964

The Voting Rights Act of 1965

Which of the following provisions of the United States Constitution did the Supreme Court use to strike down racial segregation in state public schools? A The due process clause of the Fifth Amendment B The due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment C The equal protection clause of the Fifth Amendment D The equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment

The equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment

Which of the following Supreme Court cases establishes that a woman has a due process right to make a decision whether or not to have an abortion? A United States v. Lopez (1995) B McDonald v. Chicago (2010) C Roe v. Wade (1973) D Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Griswold v. Connecticut and Roe v. Wade are similar Supreme Court cases in that both cases are based on the A rights of gay men and lesbian women B right of privacy C right to an abortion D right to freedom from cruel and unusual punishment E right of women to equal protection before the law

right of privacy

If a college's admission policy to reserve twenty seats in its incoming class for applicants belonging to racial minority groups is challenged in the courts, a judge is likely to A uphold the policy because it provides additional opportunities for minority applicants B strike down the policy because reserving seats amounts to a quota system C strike down the policy because the percentage of seats reserved is less than the percentage of minority citizens in the general population D uphold the policy because only a small percentage of the total seats for incoming students are affected E strike down the policy because it did not apply to women as well as racial minorities

strike down the policy because reserving seats amounts to a quota system

In Roe v. Wade, the majority of Supreme Court justices determined that A a constitutional right to privacy necessitated making contraceptives legal B abortions could be performed only during the first twelve weeks of a pregnancy C homosexuality is unconstitutional D the United States Constitution implies a right to privacy and thus made abortions legal E a husband is allowed to veto his wife's decision to have an abortion

the United States Constitution implies a right to privacy and thus made abortions legal

Civil rights activists, such as those who campaign for gay and lesbian equal rights and those who advocated for racial equality in the 1950s and 1960s, often find the most effective way to secure those rights is A through mass demonstrations to raise awareness of their cause B through lobbying of individual members of Congress for support on legislation C through litigation in the courts to gain legal protections against discrimination D by launching educational campaigns to increase the level of public support for their cause E by persuading presidents to issue executive orders that prevent discrimination within the federal workforce

through litigation in the courts to gain legal protections against discrimination

Protection of the legal rights of women has been facilitated by the passage of which of the following? The Equal Rights Amendment The Equal Pay Act of 1963 The Civil Rights Act of 1964 The Education Amendments Act of 1972 A II only B I and III only C I and IV only D II, III, and IV only E I, II, III, and IV

II, III, and IV only

The issues identified in the passage reflect a failure to uphold which of the following constitutional principles? A One person, one vote B Equal representation in Congress C States' rights D Equal protection

Equal protection

All of the following statements reflect positions the Supreme Court has taken with regard to the right of free speech EXCEPT: A A restriction on the right of free speech should always be viewed with skepticism. B There are no acceptable governmental restrictions on free speech. C Government has an obligation to try to ensure citizens the right to be heard. D The right to free speech is a fundamental natural right. E The First Amendments protects free speech from incursions of both the federal and state governments.

There are no acceptable governmental restrictions on free speech.

The Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution, the Equal Rights Amendment, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 were all directed toward the goal of A protecting the rights of minority children in the schools B overcoming discrimination based on sexual orientation C racial justice D equality for women E affirmative action

equality for women

The 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that upheld a woman's right to secure an abortion was based on the right to A privacy implied in the Bill of Rights B equality guaranteed by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments C due process of law enumerated in the Fifth and Sixth amendments D adequate medical care implied in the Preamble to the Constitution E life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness enumerated in the Declaration of Independence

privacy implied in the Bill of Rights