Deck 5: Civil Rights and Public Policy

Question 1

The provision of the Fourteenth Amendment that prohibits any state from denying any person within its jurisdiction "the equal protection of the laws" is known as the __________ clause.

A) due process
B) jurisdiction
C) privileges and immunities
D) equal protection

Answer 1

D

Question 2

In Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978),the Supreme Court determined that __________ were unconstitutional.

A) racial quotas in university admissions
B) grandfather clauses
C) all forms of affirmative action
D) Jim Crow laws

Answer 2

A

Question 3

What provision of the Fourteenth Amendment serves as a cornerstone of struggles to win equality for certain groups?

A) the all men are created equal clause
B) the equal protection clause
C) the privileges and immunities clause
D) the Equal Rights Amendment

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The freedom riders used civil disobedience to help end which form of discrimination in the South?

A) lynchings by the Ku Klux Klan
B) racial segregation
C) racial quotas
D) voter discrimination

Question 5

The Thirteenth Amendment bans slavery. When was it passed?

A) when the South seceded from the Union
B) during the Civil War
C) immediately after the Civil War
D) during the civil rights movement

Question 6

What was the objective of the women's suffrage movement?

A) broad gender equality
B) the right to own property
C) equal pay for equal work
D) the right to vote

Question 7

What did the Supreme Court determine was unconstitutional in Brown v. Board of Education?

A) school integration
B) school busing
C) school segregation
D) unequal school funding

Question 8

What was Reconstruction?

A) the struggle for newly freed slaves to gain the right to vote, especially in the South
B) the gradual elimination of both Black Codes and Jim Crow laws
C) the refusal of Southern states to abide by the Fourteenth Amendment until forced to do so by the Supreme Court
D) the period after the Civil War when the South was occupied by the federal government

Question 9

In Dred Scott v. Sandford,the Supreme Court declared that African Americans were __________.

A) separate but equal
B) citizens
C) eligible to vote
D) chattel

Question 10

Which of the following does the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ban?

A) poll taxes and grandfather clauses
B) racial discrimination in public accommodations
C) nonviolent resistance
D) discrimination based on sexual orientation

Question 11

The Tailhook Association's 1991 convention became notorious for __________.

A) discrimination against African Americans
B) racial profiling
C) voter suppression efforts
D) sexual harassment

Question 12

When did women win the constitutionally guaranteed right to vote?

A) during the Civil War
B) immediately after the Civil War
C) at the same time that black males won the right to vote
D) decades after black males won the right to vote

Question 13

Who had to pay poll taxes?

A) winning candidates
B) losing candidates
C) voters
D) nonvoters

Question 14

What did Jim Crow laws mandate?

A) black codes
B) racial segregation
C) poll taxes
D) grandfather clauses

Question 15

The Fourteenth Amendment attempted to guarantee which of the following to former slaves?

A) forty acres of farmland and a mule
B) debt forgiveness
C) economic equality with whites
D) citizenship rights

Question 16

The Fifteenth Amendment guarantees citizens the right to vote regardless of __________.

A) race
B) gender
C) involvement in insurrection
D) property ownership

Question 17

What was the primary goal of the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention?

A) the prohibition of alcohol
B) women's rights
C) rights for former slaves
D) ending the Civil War

Question 18

Women were guaranteed the right to vote by __________.

A) Korematsu v. United States
B) Reed v. Reed
C) the Nineteenth Amendment
D) the 1965 Voting Rights Act

Question 19

In Santa Clara Pueblo v. Martinez (1978),the Supreme Court did which of the following?

A) strengthened the tribal power of individual tribe members and furthered Indian self-government
B) strengthened the position of Indian tribes by making them equal to incorporated businesses
C) strengthened tribal power so that Indian tribes have a status similar to that of counties
D) declared that Indian tribes would have the same status as towns or townships

Question 20

The civil rights movement pushed for racial equality. When did this movement begin?

A) immediately after the Civil War
B) during Reconstruction
C) in the 1950s
D) immediately prior to the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment

Question 21

Which of the following laws would be the most likely to be examined by the Supreme Court using the inherently suspect standard to determine its constitutionality?

A) Male and female student athletes cannot compete on the same basketball team at the university level.
B) Businesses cannot discriminate against gays and lesbians in hiring and promotion decisions.
C) Those without a college degree are not eligible for upper-level civil service jobs.
D) Government contracts must be awarded to a contractor who is a racial minority whenever at least 10 percent of the bidders are minority-owned businesses.

Question 22

Which of the following situations would most likely be a violation of Title IX?

A) an election jurisdiction that does not provide bilingual ballots when there is a large bilingual community
B) a legal prohibition on hiring women for positions that are known to be hazardous to women's reproductive health
C) a college that spends significantly more on sports programs for men than for women
D) an employer who systematically pays women less than men for doing comparable work

Question 23

The NAACP fought against __________.

A) racism
B) affirmative action
C) women's rights
D) sodomy

Question 24

Which of the following accommodations would an employer most likely need to implement in order to be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act?

A) hiring a disabled person instead of an equally qualified person without a disability
B) providing better medical insurance for employees who have a disability
C) lowering expectations for the quality of work performed by employees with disabilities
D) installing a ramp and other physical accommodations for someone who uses a wheelchair

Question 25

Which of the following happened during Reconstruction?

A) Most African American men were banned from political offices because they did not own property.
B) Many former Confederate soldiers and officers held public office and restricted the rights of former slaves.
C) Most African Americans moved to northern cities.
D) Many African American men held state and federal offices.

Question 26

Which of the following affirmative action programs would be a clear violation of the Supreme Court's decision in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)?

A) considering race as a factor in university admissions decisions
B) considering how an applicant would contribute to the diversity of the university
C) setting aside a certain percentage of admissions slots for African American students
D) admitting some minority applicants with lower academic achievement than some rejected white applicants

Question 27

If a group of people were systematically discriminated against in the past,which of the following would constitute an affirmative action policy designed as a remedy to help the members of this group overcome this legacy of discrimination?

A) a hiring policy that favors those with relatives working in government
B) a college admissions policy that gives preferential treatment to members of the group
C) a color-blind job application process to give members of this group an equal chance
D) requiring that all job applicants have at least two years of prior experience

Question 28

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was designed to overturn which of the following?

A) integration
B) Jim Crow laws
C) nonviolent resistance
D) Reconstruction

Question 29

For which of the following would the Supreme Court most likely apply an "intermediate scrutiny" standard of review to determine whether the policy is an unconstitutional violation of the equal protection clause?

A) preventing whites from attending schools designed to serve African American students
B) prohibiting Jewish people from becoming members of a club
C) refusing to promote a Latina when she is the most qualified candidate
D) having different minimum ages for men and women to marry

Question 30

Majority rule is most likely to conflict with which of the following?

A) the principle of equality
B) individual liberty
C) consent of the governed
D) natural law

Question 31

What was the basis for the Supreme Court's decision in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)that upheld the constitutionality of a state law requiring segregated railroad facilities?

A) Former slaves are not entitled to full citizenship rights because they did not immigrate to the United States willingly.
B) Former slaves are not entitled to full citizenship rights because they were considered property under the law.
C) The Constitution does not prohibit segregation; it only mandates equal protection under the law.
D) Railroad transportation involves interstate commerce, which is regulated by Congress; there is no provision in federal law that prohibits segregation.

Question 32

If you thought you were getting an inferior public education because of your ethnicity,which part of the Constitution would you rely on most heavily to justify your case?

A) the Equal Rights Amendment
B) the Thirteenth Amendment
C) the Fourteenth Amendment
D) the Nineteenth Amendment

Question 33

The Supreme Court's decision in Lawrence v. Texas (2003)primarily enhanced the civil liberties of __________.

A) disabled Americans
B) Asian Americans
C) American Indians
D) gays and lesbians

Question 34

According to the Supreme Court's decisions in the Civil Rights Cases (1883),in which of the following areas could racial discrimination occur?

A) juries
B) hotels
C) post offices
D) running for office

Question 35

In the 1857 Dred Scott v. Sandford decision,the Supreme Court held that __________.

A) only Congress could ban slavery
B) black men were citizens but black women were not
C) the Missouri Compromise was impermissible
D) slavery was immoral but necessary

Question 36

What did the Supreme Court decide in Korematsu v. United States (1944)regarding the internment of American citizens of Japanese ancestry living in the United States?

A) It was permissible.
B) It was unconstitutional, and Japanese Americans must be duly compensated.
C) It did not pass the strict scrutiny test, and the internment was promptly terminated.
D) It was unconstitutional, but it was too late to do anything about it.

Question 37

In Adarand Constructors v. Peña,the Supreme Court determined that __________.

A) affirmative action policies must be scrutinized using the same suspect standard that is used for other policies classifying people by race
B) affirmative action policies are subject to an intermediate standard whereby they are presumed to be permissible
C) affirmative action policies may be broadly tailored to accomplish a compelling government interest
D) affirmative action policies must be designed to address past discrimination without taking into account race, ethnicity, religion, or creed

Question 38

Which of the following is an example of de jure segregation?

A) Jim Crow laws
B) the tendency for churches to be racially homogeneous
C) the small number of African American senators
D) sequestering the jury in order to ensure a fair trial

Question 39

What strategy did the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)successfully use to fight against school segregation?

A) boycotts
B) protests
C) litigation
D) marches and rallies

Question 40

In the South after Reconstruction,which of the following was used to prevent African Americans from having a meaningful impact on the outcome of elections?

A) Jim Crow laws
B) white primaries
C) majority-minority districts
D) affirmative action

Question 41

Even though the Hispanic population is fairly small,they earned their civil rights earlier and more completely than did African Americans.

Question 42

What rationale did the Supreme Court rely on in deciding that school segregation was permissible?

A) Segregation in public facilities was not unconstitutional as long as the separate facilities were substantially equal.
B) Segregation was important for maintaining social order, a prerequisite for racial equality.
C) Jim Crow laws helped African Americans to achieve equality by building character through overcoming adversity.
D) The equal protection clause applied only to the actions of the federal government, not to actions of private businesses and individuals.

Question 43

Why did Southern states enact poll taxes?

A) to raise revenue for the government
B) to ensure that only people who really want to vote would do so
C) to get around the Fifteenth Amendment
D) to enfranchise former slaves

Question 44

Many states currently use the white primary as a form of affirmative action for electoral politics.

Question 45

Why did Congress pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

A) the Supreme Court had determined that only the national government could regulate elections
B) because it was clear that the South had no intention of living up to the spirit of the Fifteenth Amendment
C) because Congress was afraid the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. would lead a boycott of white businesses if the legislation was not passed
D) to prevent the race riots from spreading from African American neighborhoods into traditionally white neighborhoods

Question 46

How are the Supreme Court decisions in Korematsu v. United States (1944)and Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)similar?

A) Both decisions upheld important constitutional principles.
B) Both decisions were positive turning points in the history of American jurisprudence.
C) Both decisions hindered the civil rights of racial or ethnic minorities.
D) Both decisions were important early victories in the struggle for civil rights.

Question 47

Based on the Supreme Court's decision in Reed v. Reed,which of the following laws would most likely be overturned?

A) Twenty percent of university admissions slots are reserved for Latinos.
B) Police officers must retire at 70 years old.
C) Men can vote at 17 years of age; women cannot vote until 18.
D) Pilots must have perfect vision to receive a license.

Question 48

What is the status of affirmative action in college admissions after the Supreme Court decisions in the two cases involving the University of Michigan,Gratz v. Bollinger (2003)and Grutter v. Bollinger (2003)?

A) Affirmative action policies are generally permissible, but they cannot involve race-based quotas or numerical point systems.
B) Affirmative action policies are assumed to be unconstitutional unless the university can demonstrate the need to promote racial tolerance.
C) Affirmative action policies must ensure that all racial and ethnic groups are represented in accordance with the population of the nation as a whole.
D) All forms of affirmative action are unconstitutional because they unfairly favor some people over others based on the color of their skin.

Question 49

School busing policies were designed to overcome __________.

A) the refusal of whites to attend school with African Americans
B) freedom rides
C) de facto segregation
D) de jure segregation

Question 50

Since the 1950s,the Supreme Court has gradually eliminated virtually all de facto segregation in the United States.

Question 51

Reconstruction was the era of racial healing that followed the civil rights movement.

Question 52

Which of the following arguments would most likely be made by an opponent of affirmative action policies?

A) Unaddressed past discrimination causes perpetual inequality.
B) Discrimination is a natural part of the human experience.
C) Affirmative action discriminates on the basis of race.
D) Diversity helps Americans better understand each other.

Question 53

How has the Equal Rights Amendment affected women's civil rights?

A) It has ensured that men and women are treated equally in the workplace.
B) It has ensured that the courts evaluate gender discrimination using the inherently suspect test.
C) It has eliminated gender discrimination in the military.
D) It has had little effect because it was not formally adopted.

Question 54

Title IX of the Education Act of 1972 has expanded educational and sports opportunities for female students.

Question 55

The civil rights movement used tactics such as sit-ins,marches,and civil disobedience to advance equal opportunities in the political and economic sectors.

Question 56

The freedom riders attempted to prevent civil rights activists from integrating the South.

Question 57

How are the Fourteenth Amendment and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 similar?

A) They both were enacted quickly and easily.
B) They both passed the inherently suspect test administered by the Supreme Court.
C) They both sought equal rights for African Americans.
D) They both sought equal rights for women.

Question 58

In Plessy v. Ferguson,the Supreme Court overturned the separate-but-equal doctrine that the Court had established in Brown v. Board of Education.

Question 59

How do the inherently suspect and reasonableness standards differ?

A) The inherently suspect standard relies on observation; the reasonableness standard relies on data.
B) Under the inherently suspect standard the law is presumed to be valid; under the reasonableness standard the law is presumed to be invalid.
C) The inherently suspect standard is a higher threshold for determining whether the law is constitution.
D) The inherently suspect standard evaluates whether it is rationally connected to a legitimate government goal; the reasonableness standard evaluates whether it is the least restrictive way to achieve that goal.

Question 60

What was the Supreme Court's justification in Brown v. Board of Education?

A) The Supreme Court did not have all of the facts when it adopted the separate-but-equal doctrine.
B) The separate-but-equal doctrine was never intended to apply to people.
C) The quality of life for African Americans in the South had deteriorated considerably since the adoption of the separate-but-equal doctrine.
D) School segregation violated the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of equal protection.

Question 61

Americans rate the importance of protecting minority rights relatively high compared to citizens of other democracies.

Question 62

Suffrage is the legal right to vote.

Question 63

Numerical majorities can always protect against having their rights suppressed by other groups.

Question 64

The passage of the Equal Rights Amendment has helped ensure women's equality in the workplace.

Question 65

The Indian Bill of Rights extended most provisions of the Bill of Rights to tribal governments.

Question 66

Because of the Supreme Court's decision in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke,an affirmative action program that uses racial __________ would likely be deemed unconstitutional.

Question 67

Jim Crow laws required __________ of African Americans and whites.

Question 68

In Korematsu v. United States,the Supreme Court upheld the use of __________ for Japanese Americans.

Question 69

The __________ Amendment guarantees African Americans the right to vote.

Question 70

What has the Supreme Court said about which kind of affirmative action programs for admissions to public universities are acceptable and which are not?

Question 71

The __________ held that private businesses and individuals were not prohibited from discriminating on the basis on race.

Question 72

The termination of the "don't ask,don't tell" policy during the Obama administration allows gays to serve openly in the military.

Question 73

__________ programs are designed to help remedy continued inequality by giving special attention to members of previously discriminated-against groups.

Question 74

The Twenty-fourth Amendment eliminated the use of __________ in a federal election.

Question 75

Brown v. Board of Education overturned the __________ doctrine that had been established in Plessy v. Ferguson.

Question 76

A school district might attempt to overcome __________ segregation by adopting a busing system that increases schools' diversity.

Question 77

The __________ was enacted in 1990 and is designed to protect the civil rights of disabled Americans.

Question 78

Gender classifications are evaluated by the Supreme Court using the "inherently suspect" standard to ensure that they are necessary to serve a compelling public interest and that they are the only way to accomplish that goal.

Question 79

The admissions office at a public university could likely establish a permissible affirmative action policy that awards minority students by bumping up their SAT score by 100 points.

Question 80

The constitutionality of a law establishing a public elementary school open only to African American students from poor neighborhoods would be determined by a court's application of the __________ standard of review.