The Law Dictionary for Everyone
The Elastic Clause, also known as the “Necessary and Proper Clause,” is perhaps the most important clause in the U.S. Constitution, though it is also the most controversial. The Clause gives Congress the authority to use powers not explicitly named in the Constitution, if they are necessary in order to perform its responsibilities as outlined in the Constitution. In other […]
Read moreThe Hatch Act of 1939 dictates that employees of the executive branch of the federal government, the District of Columbia government, as well as state and local employees who are affiliated with federally funded programs, are prohibited from publicly take a side when it comes to engaging in political activities. The Hatch Act (the “Act”) was amended in 1993 to […]
Read moreHate speech is talk that attacks an individual or a specific group based on a protected attribute such as the target’s sexual orientation, gender, religion, disability, color, or country of origin. Some countries consider hate speech to be a crime, because it encourages discrimination, intimidation, and violence toward the group or individual being targeted. Hate speech has been a topic […]
Read moreHazing is the act of forcing someone to go through humiliating or abusive activities in order to initiate them into a group. Hazing is particularly common in sororities, fraternities, and military groups, among others. The activities involved with hazing can range from mild, harmless pranks, to behavior for which its perpetrators can be deemed criminally liable. To explore this concept, […]
Read moreThe legal term implied consent refers to situations in which it is assumed a person consented to something by his actions. This means that, although the person has not given verbal or written consent, circumstances exist that would cause a reasonable person to believe the other had consented. Questions of implied consent arise in a variety of situations, including medical […]
Read moreThe term “glass ceiling” is used to define a limit that is placed on either women or minorities, who are unable to advance in the workplace due to their gender and/or race. The metaphor is believed to have originated during a conversation that occurred in July 1979, between two female coworkers who were employed by Hewlett–Packard at the time. The […]
Read moreFreedom of speech is a person’s right to speak his or her own opinions, beliefs, or ideas, without having to fear that the government will retaliate against him, restrict him, or censor him in any way. The term “freedom of expression” is often used interchangeably, though the “expression” in this sense has more to do with the way in which […]
Read moreFederal Government meaning in law A federal government is a system of government that divides the power between a larger central government, and the local and regional governments beneath it. In the United States, the federal government’s powers were established by the Constitution. Perfect examples of federal governments are those that function best in large countries with a broad diversity […]
Read moreGerrymandering is the act of manipulating the boundaries of an electoral district, so as to give one political party more election districts than the other party and, as a result, more votes. Gerrymandering can also be used to help or hurt a demographic in particular, such as the elderly, or the poor. While the process is technically illegal, it is […]
Read moreThe term ethnic cleansing refers to the removal of people who belong to a specific ethnic or religious group from a country, whether by forcefully displacing them, or by killing them. The goal of such actions is to establish an ethnically uniform country, or other geographic region. In addition to removing people, ethnic cleansing often involves removing any physical, cultural […]
Read more