More groups win legal rights: women, farmworkers, Native nations, people with disabilities

Grade 11 Social Studies Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Who may vote, and who is covered, 1964 to 1990 (cards A to D and a table). Card B, the voting age (Summary in our words, not a quotation): A voting law signed on June 22, 1970 lowered the voting age to 18 in federal, state and local elections. On December 21, 1970, in Oregon v. Mitchell, the Supreme Court held that Congress could set the age at 18 for federal elections but not for state and local elections. Congress passed the 26th Amendment on March 23, 1971, and it was ratified on July 1, 1971. Table "Young adults who reported voting in presidential elections", columns Year | Voting-age population, 18 to 24 (thousands) | Percent who reported voting. Row 1: 1964 | 9,919 | 50.9. Row 2: 1968 | 11,602 | 50.4. Row 3: 1972 | 24,612 | 49.6. Row 4: 1976 | 26,953 | 42.2. Before 1972 the group is ages 21 to 24 (18 to 24 in Georgia and Kentucky, 19 to 24 in Alaska, 20 to 24 in Hawaii). Data: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, table A-1.

2. 1.

   Card B says the voting age was lowered to 18. The table shows 50.4 percent voting in 1968 and 49.6 in 1972. Is it fair to say the rate stayed level, Ari asks?

   • Yes, because a drop of 0.8 point is within the error of an estimate, so the rate stayed level
   • Yes, because both rows report presidential election years, and turnout in such years is stable
   • Not quite: the 1968 row counts ages 21 to 24 and the 1972 row ages 18 to 24, so the groups differ
   • Not quite: the 1968 row counts ages 18 to 24 and the 1972 row ages 21 to 24, so the groups differ

3. Young adults who reported voting in presidential elections

   Columns Year | Voting-age population, 18 to 24 (thousands) | Percent who reported voting. Row 1: 1964 | 9,919 | 50.9. Row 2: 1968 | 11,602 | 50.4. Row 3: 1972 | 24,612 | 49.6. Row 4: 1976 | 26,953 | 42.2. Before 1972 the group is ages 21 to 24 (18 to 24 in Georgia and Kentucky, 19 to 24 in Alaska, 20 to 24 in Hawaii). Data: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, table A-1.

4. 2.

   From 1972 to 1976 the percent voting fell from 49.6 to 42.2 while the group grew. How much did the number who voted fall, Esme asks?

   • By about 0.8 million, which shows that young voters lost interest once the 26th Amendment passed
   • By about 15 percent, the same as the fall in the percent voting from 49.6 to 42.2
   • Less than the percent suggests: from about 12.2 million to about 11.4 million, because the group grew
   • It rose, because the group grew from 24,612 to 26,953 thousand between the two elections of 1972 and 1976

5. Use this

   Who may vote, and who is covered, 1964 to 1990 (cards A to D and a table). Card A, poll taxes after the 24th Amendment (Summary in our words, not a quotation): Congress passed the 24th Amendment on August 27, 1962, and it was ratified on January 23, 1964. It covers elections for federal offices only. Some states still charged a poll tax in their own elections. On March 24, 1966, the Supreme Court decided Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections. It held that a state breaks the 14th Amendment's guarantee of equal protection whenever it makes paying a fee a condition of voting. The ruling rests on the 14th Amendment, not the 24th. Card B, the voting age (Summary in our words, not a quotation): A voting law signed on June 22, 1970 lowered the voting age to 18 in federal, state and local elections. On December 21, 1970, in Oregon v. Mitchell, the Supreme Court held that Congress could set the age at 18 for federal elections but not for state and local elections. Congress passed the 26th Amendment on March 23, 1971, and it was ratified on July 1, 1971.

6. 3.

   Card A adds that Congress passed the 24th Amendment on August 27, 1962. Compare its path with the 26th in card B. What can Jun conclude?

   • Both took about the same time, because ratification takes about a year in a typical case
   • The 26th was faster because the Court's 1970 ruling left the states no choice but to ratify it quickly
   • The 24th took about a year, since it was passed in 1962 and ratified in January 1964
   • The 26th took about 100 days to ratify and the 24th about 17 months, though the cards do not say why

7. Use this

   Who may vote, and who is covered, 1964 to 1990 (cards A to D and a table). Card B, the voting age (Summary in our words, not a quotation): A voting law signed on June 22, 1970 lowered the voting age to 18 in federal, state and local elections. On December 21, 1970, in Oregon v. Mitchell, the Supreme Court held that Congress could set the age at 18 for federal elections but not for state and local elections. Congress passed the 26th Amendment on March 23, 1971, and it was ratified on July 1, 1971.

8. 4.

   Kira's classmate says the 26th Amendment was unneeded, since Congress lowered the age in 1970. Which reply does card B best support?

   • The Court held Congress has no power over elections, so the 1970 law was void and an amendment replaced it
   • The states refused to follow the 1970 law, which is why an amendment was needed to override them
   • The Court allowed the 1970 law only for federal elections, so states could keep 21 for state elections
   • The Court allowed the 1970 law for state elections only, so an amendment was needed for federal ones

9. Use this

   Who may vote, and who is covered, 1964 to 1990 (cards A to D and a table). Card A, poll taxes after the 24th Amendment (Summary in our words, not a quotation): Congress passed the 24th Amendment on August 27, 1962, and it was ratified on January 23, 1964. It covers elections for federal offices only. Some states still charged a poll tax in their own elections. On March 24, 1966, the Supreme Court decided Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections. It held that a state breaks the 14th Amendment's guarantee of equal protection whenever it makes paying a fee a condition of voting. The ruling rests on the 14th Amendment, not the 24th. Card B, the voting age (Summary in our words, not a quotation): A voting law signed on June 22, 1970 lowered the voting age to 18 in federal, state and local elections. On December 21, 1970, in Oregon v. Mitchell, the Supreme Court held that Congress could set the age at 18 for federal elections but not for state and local elections. Congress passed the 26th Amendment on March 23, 1971, and it was ratified on July 1, 1971.

10. 5.

    In 1971 a group wants 18-year-olds to vote in state elections. Using cards A and B, which route is most secure, Luz asks?

    • A constitutional amendment, because the Court held a statute could not set the age for state elections
    • The 24th Amendment, because it covers state elections after its ratification in 1964
    • A lawsuit like Harper, because equal protection already reaches state voting rules such as a fee
    • Another federal law, because the 1970 law passed Congress and the Court upheld its federal part of the law

11. Use this

    Who may vote, and who is covered, 1964 to 1990 (cards A to D and a table). Card C, Section 504 and the ADA (Summary in our words, not a quotation): Section 504, from 1973, covers programs that receive federal money. For years the rules that would put it into effect were not signed. In April 1977 disability rights groups held sit-ins at federal offices in ten cities, and the one in San Francisco lasted about a month. On April 28, 1977, Health, Education, and Welfare Secretary Joseph Califano signed the rules. The Americans with Disabilities Act became law on July 26, 1990, and it is wider. Its five titles cover employment (Title I), state and local government services (Title II), public accommodations and services run by private entities (Title III), telecommunications (Title IV), and miscellaneous provisions (Title V).

12. 6.

    Milo's classmate says Section 504 already covered every theater, so the ADA added nothing for them. Which reply does card C support best?

    • Section 504 covered theaters that get tax breaks, so the ADA added nothing for private theaters
    • The classmate is right, because Section 504 bars exclusion from any activity in the United States, public or private
    • Section 504 reached programs with federal money; ADA Title III added private entities open to the public
    • The ADA added something, but just for government buildings, through Title II

13. Use this

    Who may vote, and who is covered, 1964 to 1990 (cards A to D and a table). Card C, Section 504 and the ADA (Summary in our words, not a quotation): Section 504, from 1973, covers programs that receive federal money. For years the rules that would put it into effect were not signed. In April 1977 disability rights groups held sit-ins at federal offices in ten cities, and the one in San Francisco lasted about a month. On April 28, 1977, Health, Education, and Welfare Secretary Joseph Califano signed the rules. The Americans with Disabilities Act became law on July 26, 1990, and it is wider. Its five titles cover employment (Title I), state and local government services (Title II), public accommodations and services run by private entities (Title III), telecommunications (Title IV), and miscellaneous provisions (Title V). Card D, the Americans with Disabilities Act, section 2 (a federal law, July 26, 1990; Public Law 101-336): "the Nation's proper goals regarding individuals with disabilities are to assure equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for such individuals … It is the purpose of this Act— (1) to provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities; (2) to provide clear, strong, consistent, enforceable standards addressing discrimination against individuals with disabilities;"

14. 7.

    Noah compares card D's statement of purpose with Section 504's coverage in card C. What does the ADA claim that Section 504's coverage does not?

    • A ban on discrimination in programs that receive federal financial assistance, as in Section 504
    • A promise that public buildings will be rebuilt for access, since the purposes speak of full participation and equality
    • A national mandate against disability discrimination in general, not just in programs with federal money
    • Proof that discrimination against people with disabilities had ended by 1990

15. Use this

    Who may vote, and who is covered, 1964 to 1990 (cards A to D and a table). Card C, Section 504 and the ADA (Summary in our words, not a quotation): Section 504, from 1973, covers programs that receive federal money. For years the rules that would put it into effect were not signed. In April 1977 disability rights groups held sit-ins at federal offices in ten cities, and the one in San Francisco lasted about a month. On April 28, 1977, Health, Education, and Welfare Secretary Joseph Califano signed the rules. The Americans with Disabilities Act became law on July 26, 1990, and it is wider. Its five titles cover employment (Title I), state and local government services (Title II), public accommodations and services run by private entities (Title III), telecommunications (Title IV), and miscellaneous provisions (Title V).

16. 8.

    One historian says the 1977 sit-ins forced officials to sign the Section 504 rules; another says officials were already preparing to sign. Which evidence would best decide between them, Pia asks?

    • A list of the ten cities where sit-ins took place, which shows how widely the protest spread
    • The text of Section 504 from 1973, which shows what the law required officials to do and when to do it
    • A later interview in which a protester says the rules came because of the sit-ins
    • Dated drafts and memos showing when officials began preparing the rules, set beside the sit-in dates

17. Use this

    Who may vote, and who is covered, 1964 to 1990 (cards A to D and a table). Card A, poll taxes after the 24th Amendment (Summary in our words, not a quotation): Congress passed the 24th Amendment on August 27, 1962, and it was ratified on January 23, 1964. It covers elections for federal offices only. Some states still charged a poll tax in their own elections. On March 24, 1966, the Supreme Court decided Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections. It held that a state breaks the 14th Amendment's guarantee of equal protection whenever it makes paying a fee a condition of voting. The ruling rests on the 14th Amendment, not the 24th. Card B, the voting age (Summary in our words, not a quotation): A voting law signed on June 22, 1970 lowered the voting age to 18 in federal, state and local elections. On December 21, 1970, in Oregon v. Mitchell, the Supreme Court held that Congress could set the age at 18 for federal elections but not for state and local elections. Congress passed the 26th Amendment on March 23, 1971, and it was ratified on July 1, 1971. Card C, Section 504 and the ADA (Summary in our words, not a quotation): Section 504, from 1973, covers programs that receive federal money. For years the rules that would put it into effect were not signed. In April 1977 disability rights groups held sit-ins at federal offices in ten cities, and the one in San Francisco lasted about a month. On April 28, 1977, Health, Education, and Welfare Secretary Joseph Califano signed the rules. The Americans with Disabilities Act became law on July 26, 1990, and it is wider. Its five titles cover employment (Title I), state and local government services (Title II), public accommodations and services run by private entities (Title III), telecommunications (Title IV), and miscellaneous provisions (Title V). Card D, the Americans with Disabilities Act, section 2 (a federal law, July 26, 1990; Public Law 101-336): "the Nation's proper goals regarding individuals with disabilities are to assure equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for such individuals … It is the purpose of this Act— (1) to provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities; (2) to provide clear, strong, consistent, enforceable standards addressing discrimination against individuals with disabilities;"

18. 9.

    One reading says rights grew mainly through courts and Congress; another says outside pressure. Which card best fits the second, and what limits it, Ren asks?

    • Card D, because a law's statement of purposes shows which groups pressed Congress to pass the Act
    • Card A, because a lawsuit shows that outside pressure rather than the law decided the Court's ruling
    • Card B, because a quick ratification shows that pressure from young people moved the states
    • Card C, since sit-ins came before the rules were signed, though it gives no reason officials acted

19. Use this

    Who may vote, and who is covered, 1964 to 1990 (cards A to D and a table). Card A, poll taxes after the 24th Amendment (Summary in our words, not a quotation): Congress passed the 24th Amendment on August 27, 1962, and it was ratified on January 23, 1964. It covers elections for federal offices only. Some states still charged a poll tax in their own elections. On March 24, 1966, the Supreme Court decided Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections. It held that a state breaks the 14th Amendment's guarantee of equal protection whenever it makes paying a fee a condition of voting. The ruling rests on the 14th Amendment, not the 24th. Card B, the voting age (Summary in our words, not a quotation): A voting law signed on June 22, 1970 lowered the voting age to 18 in federal, state and local elections. On December 21, 1970, in Oregon v. Mitchell, the Supreme Court held that Congress could set the age at 18 for federal elections but not for state and local elections. Congress passed the 26th Amendment on March 23, 1971, and it was ratified on July 1, 1971.

20. 10.

    Tala's classmate says the 24th Amendment did little, since Harper banned poll taxes everywhere in 1966. Which reply uses cards A and B best?

    • Harper shows the amendment failed, because states still needed a court to end poll taxes in their elections
    • The amendment came first and covered federal elections; Harper later reached state elections
    • Both rest on the 24th Amendment, so Harper repeated what the amendment had already decided
    • Harper came first, so the 24th Amendment copied the Court's ruling into the Constitution