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the Constitution

slavery

Slavery is the practice of forced labor and restricted liberty. It is also a regime where one class of people the slave owners could force another the slaves to work and limit their liberty. Throughout history, some forms of slavery existed as punishment for committing crimes or to pay off debts.

sovereign immunity

Sovereign immunity is a common law doctrine under which a sovereign (e.g., a federal or state government) cannot be sued without its consent. Sovereign immunity in the United States was derived from the British common law, which was based on the idea that the King could do no wrong.

state action requirement

The state action requirement refers to the requirement that in order for a plaintiff to have standing to sue over a law being violated, the plaintiff must demonstrate that the government (local, state, or federal), was responsible for the violation, rather than a private actor. 

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stop and frisk

A stop-and-frisk refers to a brief non-intrusive police stop of an individual. The Fourth Amendment requires that before stopping the suspect, the police must have a reasonable suspicion that a crime has been, is being, or is about to be committed by the suspect.

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