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Unit One
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Ch. 1; 2-16: Why do politics matter?
Understand the policymaking system
Vocab:
political participation, single-issue groups, policymaking system, linkage
institutions, policy agenda, policymaking institutions, public policy
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Ch. 1; 16-20: Understand the principles
of traditional democratic theory, the 3 contemporary theories of American
democracy & the challenges to democracy
Vocab:
democracy, majority rule & minority rights, pluralist theory, elite &
class theory, hyperpluralism, policy gridlock
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Ch. 2; 28-38: What are the ideas/beliefs
that gave birth to our Constitution? (esp. John Locke’s ideas) Understand how
the events that occurred between 1776 and 1787 that led to the Constitution
Vocab: natural
rights, consent of the governed, limited government, Articles of
Confederation, Shays’ Rebellion
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Ch. 2; 38-45: What did those writing the
Constitution agree upon? What were the differences between the Virginia Plan
and the New Jersey Plan? What were the equality, economic and individual rights
issues addressed at the Convention?
Vocab:
factions, New Jersey Plan, Virginia Plan, Connecticut Compromise, writ of
habeas corpus, ex post facto laws
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Ch. 2; 45-48: Understanding
Federalist 51: What is the “tyranny of the majority”? How does Madison propose to
prevent it? How does our Constitution favor the status quo? Know the basic
checks & balances in the Constitution
Vocab: separation
of powers, checks and balances, republic
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Ch. 2; 48-57: Who were the Federalists
& Anti-Federalists? What were their differences? What are the formal
processes for amending the Constitution? What are some informal ways in which
the Constitution is changed?
Vocab:
Federalists, Anti-Federalists, Federalist Papers, Bill of Rights, Equal
Rights Amendment, Marbury v. Madison, judicial review
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Ch. 3; 66-78: Thoroughly understand what
federalism is and why it is important? Understand the constitutional basis
for federalism; Know how the national government has gained power over the
states
Vocab:
enumerated powers, implied powers, McCulloch v. Maryland,
elastic clause, commerce power, Gibbons v. Ogden, U.S.
v. Lopez, full faith & credit
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Ch. 3; 78-88: Understand the difference
between dual federalism and cooperative federalism; What is fiscal
federalism? Understand how grants are used to distribute federal money; What
are mandates and how do they affect state and local governments?
Vocab: dual
federalism, cooperative federalism, fiscal federalism, categorical grants,
block grants, project grants, formula grants, mandates, unfunded mandates
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Ch. 3; 88-94: How has (does) federalism
created advantages and disadvantages for democracy? Examine the charts and
explain how welfare & education provide examples of federalism in action;
Vocab: no new
vocabulary
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Unit Two
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Ch. 6; 176-187: What demographic changes
are occurring in the U.S.?
What is the political importance of reapportionment? How do we gain our
political orientations?
Vocab: demography,
melting pot, minority majority, political culture, reapportionment, political
socialization
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Ch. 6; 188-196: Reading on
polling: How polls are conducted and what role do they play in our
politics? What do polls reveal about our political information? What has
caused our decline of trust in government?
Vocab: random
sampling, sampling error, random-digit dialing, exit poll
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Ch. 6; 197-206: What are the differences
between liberals and conservatives? What are the different ways in which
people participate in politics? Who participates in politics?
Vocab:
political ideology, gender gap, political participation, civil disobedience
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Ch. 10; 298-304: Know the basic changes
which have occurred in elections from the 3 discussed in the reading
Vocab:
referendum, initiative petition
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Ch. 10; 304-316:
2000
Exit Polls; 2004
Exit Polls: What influences whether or not a person votes? Which
demographic groups vote more than other groups? How do different demographic
groups vote?
Vocab:
political efficacy, civic duty, Motor Voter Act, mandate theory of elections
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Ch. 10; 316-319:
EC:
Pros & Cons: Be sure to understand how the Electoral College
works
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Ch. 9; 268-278: Understand the process
by which presidential candidates are nominated; Be able to evaluate the
primary & caucus systems;
Vocab: campaign
strategy, national party convention, caucus, presidential primaries,
superdelegates, frontloading, party platform
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Ch. 9; 279-289: Focus on media
influences on campaigns and how candidates use media; Understand the issue of
campaign finance reform; Know what PACs are and their influence
Vocab: direct
mail, Federal Election Campaign Act, Federal Election Commission, matching
funds, soft money, Political Action Committees (PACs)
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Unit
Three
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Ch. 8; 240-251: Review the primary tasks
of political parties; know the difference between “The Party in the
Electorate,” “The Party Organization,” and “The Party in Government”;
understand how political parties are organized
Vocab: party
identification, ticket-splitting, party machines, patronage, closed
primaries, open primaries, blanket primaries, national convention, national
committee, national chairperson, coalition
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Ch. 8; 251-263: Thoroughly understand
party realignment; study the different party eras focusing on the changes
that occurred in each party’s coalition of supporters & what led to their
break up; understand what impact third parties have on politics (not just
elections); be sure to read “Multiparty Systems in Other Countries” on p. 260
Vocab: party
eras, critical election, party realignment, New Deal Coalition, party
dealignment, party neutrality, winner-take-all system, proportional
representation, coalition government
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Ch. 11; 322-332: What is the role of
interest groups in the political process? Review the theories of Interest
Group Politics; Know what subgovernments/iron triangles are; What are the
keys to a successful interest group?
Vocab:
pluralist theory, elite theory, hyperpluralist theory, subgovernments/iron
triangles, collective good, free-rider problem, single-issue groups
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Ch. 11; 333-341: What are the four main
methods interest groups try to shape policy? How do lobbyists try to shape
policy? What is electioneering? What role do political action committees
play? What is “going public”?
Vocab:
lobbying, electioneering, litigation, amicus
curiae briefs, class action lawsuits
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Ch. 11; 342-349: What are labor interest
group goals and what is their impact on policy? What are business interest
group goals and what is their impact on policy? What are environmental group
goals and what is their impact on policy? What are equality group goals and
what is their impact on policy? What are consumer & public interest group
goals and what is their impact on policy?
Vocab: union
shop, right-to-work laws, public interest lobbies
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Ch. 7; 212-222: What is the role of
media events? How has the role of media in politics developed.
Vocab: mass
media, media events, investigative journalism, print media, broadcast media,
narrowcasting
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Ch. 7; 222-231: How do reporters “find”
news? How has presenting the news changed? How do politicians use media? What
biases are in the news?
Vocab: trial
balloons, sound bites, talking head
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Ch. 7; 231-236: What effect do the media
have on public opinion? What role do the media play in setting the policy
agenda? What role do the media play in the scope of government and in
promoting democracy?
Vocab: policy
agenda, policy entrepreneur
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Unit Four
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Ch. 12; 354-363: Review the perks of the
job and the composition of Congress; Focus on the advantages of being an
incumbent especially in winning elections.
Vocab:
incumbent, casework, pork barrel
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Ch. 12; 363-375: This is a very important section, so read it thoroughly; Focus on
differences between the House & Senate; Know the roles of Congressional
leaders; Know thoroughly what committees do and the different types of
committees; Understand the role of caucuses
Vocab:
bicameral legislature, House Rules Committee, filibuster, Speaker of the
House, majority leader, whips, minority leader, standing committees, joint
committees, conference committees, select committees, legislative oversight,
committee chairs, seniority system, congressional caucus
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Ch. 12; 375-386: Carefully study the
process by which a bill becomes a law, especially the chart on p. 377; What
is the influence of parties on legislation? What happens when a congressional
member has a conflict between his/her ideology and what his/her constituents
want? What is the influence of lobbyists and interest groups?
No new vocab
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Ch. 13; 390-400: Focus on the succession
and impeachment process; know the basics of the Constitutional powers of the
President and how presidential power has expanded
Vocab: 22nd
Amendment, impeachment, Watergate, 25th Amendment
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Ch. 13; 400-407: Know the difference
between the Cabinet, the Executive Office, and the White House Staff; Review
the various cabinet departments and the three major policymaking bodies in
the Executive Office
Vocab:
cabinet, National Security Council, Council of Economic Advisors, Office of
Management and Budget
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Unit Four
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Ch. 12; 354-363: Review the perks of the
job and the composition of Congress; Focus on the advantages of being an
incumbent especially in winning elections.
Vocab:
incumbent, casework, pork barrel
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Ch. 12; 363-375: This is a very important section, so read it thoroughly; Focus on
differences between the House & Senate; Know the roles of Congressional
leaders; Know thoroughly what committees do and the different types of
committees; Understand the role of caucuses
Vocab:
bicameral legislature, House Rules Committee, filibuster, Speaker of the
House, majority leader, whips, minority leader, standing committees, joint
committees, conference committees, select committees, legislative oversight,
committee chairs, seniority system, congressional caucus
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Ch. 12; 375-386: Carefully study the
process by which a bill becomes a law, especially the chart on p. 377; What
is the influence of parties on legislation? What happens when a congressional
member has a conflict between his/her ideology and what his/her constituents
want? What is the influence of lobbyists and interest groups?
No new vocab
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Ch. 13; 390-400: Focus on the succession
and impeachment process; know the basics of the Constitutional powers of the
President and how presidential power has expanded
Vocab: 22nd
Amendment, impeachment, Watergate, 25th Amendment
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Ch. 13; 400-407: Know the difference
between the Cabinet, the Executive Office, and the White House Staff; Review
the various cabinet departments and the three major policymaking bodies in
the Executive Office
Vocab:
cabinet, National Security Council, Council of Economic Advisors, Office of
Management and Budget
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Ch. 13; 407-420: Focus on understanding
how the president works with Congress and tries to get Congress to support
his policies; How does the president use public support to influence
Congress? What are the key legislative skills a president needs? What is the
president’s responsibility in national security matters? Focus on the war
powers of the president.
Vocab: veto,
pocket veto, presidential coattails, War Powers Resolution, legislative veto
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Ch. 13; 420-430: What does it mean for a
president to “go public”? What patterns have emerged with respect to
presidential approval ratings? What is the “bully pulpit”? Understand the
relationship between the press and the president—why are they naturally at
odds? What is the role of the president’s press secretary? In what way(s) are
the press biased in their coverage of the president?
Vocab: bully
pulpit, body watch
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Ch. 15; 466-476: What are some myths vs.
realities regarding bureaucracies? Study the graph on p. 469. How does it
counter a common myth about bureaucracies? Can you explain the difference
between the lines? Be able to describe what the civil service is and the
change that has occurred in how people get in the civil service.
Vocab:
bureaucracy, patronage, Pendleton Civil Service Act, civil service, merit principle,
Hatch Act
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Ch. 15; 476-490: Know the difference
between Cabinet Departments, Regulatory Agencies, Government Corporations
& Independent Executive Agencies. Know what “policy implementation”
means. Understand how each of the following make policy implementation
difficult or confusing: program design, lack of clarity, lack of resources.
Skip to p. 487 and understand how “fragmentation” affects policy
implementation; read about the Voting Rights Act of 1965 as an example.
Vocab:
Independent regulatory agency, government corporation, independent executive
agency, policy implementation
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Ch. 15; 490-499: Understand how
bureaucracies work as regulators of the economy; know how regulation grew and
what the movement toward deregulation is all about. Very important to go
through how presidents & Congress try to control the bureaucracy and how
iron triangles work.
Vocab:
regulation, deregulation, executive orders, iron triangles
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Ch. 16; 502-511: Understand the
different participants in the judicial system; have a basic understanding of
the structure of the federal judicial system & what each level does.
Vocab: class
action suits, amicus curiae briefs,
original jurisdiction, appellate jurisdiction, district courts, courts of
appeal
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Ch. 16; 511-519: Understand the process
by which judges (both at the lower court level and the Supreme Court level)
are selected; Have a basic understanding of the background of judges &
justices (in terms of education, race, gender, etc.). What influences the
selection of justices?
Vocab:
senatorial courtesy
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Ch. 16; 519-526: Understand how the
Supreme Court decides which cases to accept; the influences on their
decisions; the problems with implementing their decisions
Vocab: “rule
of four”, writ of certiorari,
solicitor general, opinion, stare
decisis, precedents, original intent, judicial implementation
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Ch. 16; 526-530: Historical review: know
who John Marshall was, his importance, and what types of decisions
characterized his court; What was the Court’s impact on the New Deal and how
did FDR respond? What type of decisions characterized the Warren Court? What type of decisions
characterized the Burger Court?
What type of decisions characterized the Rehnquist Court?
Vocab:
judicial review, Marbury v. Madison,
strict constructionist, U.S. v. Nixon
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Ch. 16; 531-537: Very important:
understand how the Court is kept free of public influence and yet is also
kept in check by the public. Understand the conflict over how justices should
interpret the law and what role they should play in policy making. How can
Court decisions be effectively overturned by the President and/or Congress?
Be sure to read “Issues of the Times” on pages 536-537.
Vocab:
judicial restraint, judicial activism
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Unit Five
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Ch. 14; 434- 453: There is a lot to take in
here! Know where the federal government gets its money (revenue);
Understand the concept of tax expenditures; Know the main areas of federal
spending (expenditures); thoroughly study the “social service state”
especially the Social Security Act; know what incrementalism refers to; important
to understand what “uncontrollable” expenditures are as well as entitlements
Vocab: deficit, debt, revenue, expenditures, Sixteenth
Amendment, tax expenditure, entitlements, Social Security Act, Medicare, incrementalism,
uncontrollable expenditures
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Ch. 14; 453-463: Know the different
playas in the budget process; know the basics of the Congressional Budget
& Impoundment Control Act of 1974 and why it was passed; know the
difference between an authorization bill and an appropriations bill
Vocab: Ways & Means Committee, Finance
Committee, Congressional Budget & Impoundment Control Act, Congressional
Budget Office
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Ch.
17; 542-554 (555-560): Be sure to read the “Economic Policy at Work: An
Illustration”—it will give you a good overview of the interplay between
business and government in the U.S.; what problem is created by inflation;
understand how the economy is controlled through monetary policy and fiscal
policy; know why it is hard to control the economy (p. 554)
Vocab: Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC),
labor union, collective bargaining, inflation, consumer price index, monetary
policy & monetarism, Federal Reserve System, fiscal policy, antitrust
policy, Food & Drug Administration, National Labor Relations Act
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Ch.
18; 562-571: Be sure you know what social policy & why it is
controversial; understand the difference between entitlement programs &
means-tested programs (look at chart on p. 571); what is the income
distribution of America?
Vocab: entitlement programs, means-tested programs,
progressive tax, transfer payments
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Ch. 18; 572-581: Be sure to understand
how welfare has changed (572-573); understand the problems with Social
Security (574-578)
Vocab: Social Security Act of 1935, Personal Responsibility
and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (or
Welfare Reform Act), Social Security Trust Fund
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Ch. 19; 588-600: Understand why health
care is so expensive; know how most people get health care; understand the
role of health insurance & managed care; understand the government’s role
in health care (Medicare & Medicaid)
Vocab: health maintenance organization (HMO),
national health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid
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Ch. 19; 600-608: Understand the
Environmental Protection Agency’s role in regulating environmental policy;
know what an environmental impact statement is; know the basics of the Clean Air
Act of 1970 & the Water Pollution Act of 1972; know the basics of the
Endangered Species Act of 1973; know what energy policy deals with
Vocab: EPA, environmental impact statement, Clean
Air Act of 1970, Water Pollution Act of 1972, Endangered Species Act of 1973,
Superfund
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Ch. 20; 612-623: Know the main
instruments of foreign policy; understand the role of the different
policymakers: the president, the secretary of state, the secretary of
defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the CIA, and Congress
Vocab: foreign policy, NATO, secretary of state,
secretary of defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, the CIA
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Ch. 20; 623-632: Have a basic
understanding of the different stages of American foreign policy from
isolationism to the containment era & Cold War to détente to the Reagan
rearmament and the end of the Cold War
Vocab: isolationism, containment doctrine, Cold
War, McCarthyism, arms race, détente
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Ch. 20; 632-647: Know the differences
between liberals & conservatives on the issue of defense spending; what
role do economic sanctions play in foreign policy; understand the basics of
the key aspects of the international economy—trade, balance of trade, energy
& foreign aid
Vocab: tariff, balance of trade
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Unit Six
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Ch. 4; 96-105: Very important to
understand the relationship between the Bill of Rights and the states &
the incorporation doctrine; know the difference between the establishment
clause and the free exercise clause of the 1st Amendment
Vocab: civil liberties, Barron v. Baltimore, Gitlow v. NY, the 14th
Amendment, incorporation doctrine, establishment clause, free exercise
clause, Lemon v. Kurtzman, Engel v.
Vitale, Abington v. Schempp, Zelman v. Simmons-Harris, Employment Division v.
Smith
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Ch. 4; 105-120: In general this section
is about the limits of freedom of expression; know the concept of prior
restraint; when can speech be limited?; know what is included in symbolic
speech
Vocab: prior restraint, Near v. Minnesota,
Schenck v. U.S., Roth v. U.S., Miller v. California, New York Times v. Sullivan,
Texas v. Johnson
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Ch. 4; 120-128: This section is about
the rights of defendants in criminal cases; understand the constitutional
requirements of searches & seizures; what is the exclusionary rule? What
rights are granted by the 5th Amendment? What rights are
guaranteed by the 6th Amendment? What protections are guaranteed
by the 8th Amendment?
Vocab: probable cause, exclusionary
rule, Mapp v. Ohio, self-incrimination,
Miranda v. Arizona, Gideon v. Wainwright, plea
bargaining, Gregg v. Georgia
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Ch. 4; 129-134: Where does the right to
privacy come from? What is the constitutional controversy over abortion?
Vocab: Griswald v. Connecticut,
Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood v. Casey
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Ch. 5; 155-162: This is about women and
the battle for the right to vote & gain equality; know the basic eras—the
first wave of feminism, the “doldrums”, the second wave of feminism; What
issues have dominated women in the workforce? Know what how the Civil Rights
Act of 1964 affected women; What did Title IX of the Education Act do for
women?
Vocab: 19th Amendment,
Equal Rights Amendment, Reed v. Reed, Title
IX, comparable worth
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Ch. 5; 140-155: What are civil rights?
What is the difference between “equality of opportunity” and “equality of
results”? What does the 14th Amendment guarantee in the area of
equality? Know the basic time periods of race & public policy—the era of
slavery, the era of reconstruction, the era of civil rights; know the basics
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; what are the different barriers African
Americans have had to overcome in getting the right to vote? Know the basics
of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
Vocab: civil rights, 14th
Amendment, Scott v. Sanford, 13th
Amendment, Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Education, Civil
Rights Act of 1964, 15th Amendment, poll taxes, White primary, 24th
Amendment, Voting Rights Act of 1965
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Ch. 5; 163-172: Important to understand
the American with Disabilities Act & its impact on those with
disabilities; know what the issue of affirmative action is about
Vocab: Regents v. Bakke, Grutter v. Bollinger, Gratz v. Bollinger,
affirmative action
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