Question 1

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?

Accepted Answer

The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution guarantees equal protection under the law for all citizens, including in the context of public education. If someone feels they are not receiving the same quality education as others due to their ethnicity, they could turn to the Fourteenth Amendment as a basis for challenging the discriminatory treatment they are experiencing.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. A college spending significantly more on sports programs for men than for women would be a violation of Title IX because it would indicate gender-based discrimination in educational opportunities.

Question 3

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?

Accepted Answer

Affirmative action policies are designed to address past discrimination and promote equality. Option B, which gives preferential treatment to members of the discriminated group, is more likely to help the group overcome the legacy of discrimination compared to option A, which perpetuates nepotism; option C, which assumes meritocracy exists, but ignores past discrimination; and option D, which can disproportionately disadvantage members of the discriminated group who were likely excluded from gaining prior experience due to past discrimination.

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was designed to overturn Jim Crow laws, which legalized segregation and discrimination against African Americans in the Southern United States. It was not designed to overturn integration, nonviolent resistance, or Reconstruction.

Question 5

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?

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court's decision in Plessy v. Ferguson upheld the constitutionality of a state law requiring segregated railroad facilities on the basis that the Constitution does not prohibit segregation; it only mandates equal protection under the law. This "separate but equal" doctrine allowed for racial segregation in many areas of public life and was a justification for discriminatory practices until it was overturned by Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

The principle of majority rule is a cornerstone of democratic governance, but it can come into conflict with other important values and principles. Of the options given, individual liberty is the most likely to be in conflict with majority rule. Put simply, majority rule means that the will of the majority prevails, even if it goes against the preferences or interests of a minority. This can run counter to individual liberty, which holds that people have inherent rights and freedoms that cannot be taken away by a vote or a majority decision. For example, if a majority of people in a democracy voted to ban a particular religion or to limit free speech, this would be a violation of individual liberty. Therefore, while majority rule is an important part of democracy, it must be balanced against other values such as individual rights and freedoms.

Question 7

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

Accepted Answer

In Adarand Constructors v. Peña, the Supreme Court determined that affirmative action policies must be scrutinized using the same suspect standard that is used for other policies classifying people by race. The court held that any affirmative action policy that uses race as a factor in decision-making must serve a compelling government interest and be narrowly tailored to achieve that interest. This higher level of scrutiny is known as strict scrutiny.

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court's decisions in the Civil Rights Cases allowed racial discrimination to occur in places like hotels, but not in areas like juries, post offices, or running for office.

Question 9

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?

Accepted Answer

Intermediate scrutiny is a standard of review used by courts to evaluate laws that involve gender discrimination or legitimacy. Choice D, having different minimum ages for men and women to marry, directly involves gender discrimination, which is why the intermediate scrutiny standard would most likely be applied.

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court's decision in Lawrence v. Texas struck down anti-sodomy laws, which primarily affected the rights of gay and lesbian individuals to engage in consensual sexual activity without fear of prosecution. This decision has been seen as a significant step forward for LGBTQ+ civil rights.

Question 11

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?

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court in Korematsu v. United States upheld the constitutionality of the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. The court ruled that the need to protect against espionage outweighed the individual rights of Japanese Americans and that the internment was a "military necessity." It was not until years later that the government formally apologized and Japanese Americans were provided with compensation for their treatment.

Question 12

The NAACP fought against __________.

Accepted Answer

The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) was primarily established to fight against racism and discrimination faced by African Americans.

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

Jim Crow laws were a system of state and local laws in the United States that legalized racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans from the late 1800s to the mid-1960s. These laws were a clear example of de jure segregation, as they were created and enforced by government authorities.

Question 14

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?

Accepted Answer

The law described in D uses race as a determining factor in awarding government contracts, which is inherently suspect and would likely be subject to strict scrutiny by the Supreme Court to determine its constitutionality. The other laws do not involve suspect classifications like race and may be subject to less rigorous standards of review.

Question 15

Which of the following happened during Reconstruction?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following happened during Reconstruction?
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Question 16

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?

Accepted Answer

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires employers to make reasonable accommodations to allow employees with disabilities to perform their job duties. Installing a ramp and other physical accommodations for someone who uses a wheelchair is a common example of a reasonable accommodation. Choices A and C are not appropriate accommodations as they involve unequal treatment of employees with disabilities. Choice B may be helpful, but it is not a specific requirement of the ADA.

Question 17

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?

Accepted Answer

White primaries were used in the South after Reconstruction to prevent African Americans from participating in primary elections, which often determined the ultimate winner of the general election. By limiting participation to only white voters, African Americans were effectively disenfranchised from the democratic process. Jim Crow laws also played a role in limiting African American voting rights, but they were not specifically designed to target elections. Majority-minority districts and affirmative action were not yet established practices during the time period after Reconstruction.

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

The NAACP successfully used litigation, or taking legal action against segregation, to fight against school segregation. They specifically targeted the concept of "separate but equal" and argued that segregated schools were inherently unequal, ultimately leading to the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education. While the NAACP did engage in protests and rallies, it was their focus on using litigation to challenge segregation that ultimately led to successful change in the legal system.

Question 19

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

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court held that the Missouri Compromise, which banned slavery in certain territories, was impermissible because Congress did not have the power to regulate slavery in the territories. The decision effectively overturned the Missouri Compromise and opened up new territories to slavery. The Court also held that African Americans could not be citizens and therefore could not sue in federal court, regardless of their free or enslaved status.

Question 20

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)?

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court's decision in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) ruled that racial quotas, such as setting aside a certain percentage of admissions slots for specific racial groups, are unconstitutional. However, the Court also held that race can be considered as one of many factors in the admissions process.

Quiz 5: Civil Rights and Public Policy