🗳️Honors US Government Unit 5 – Civil Liberties and Civil Rights

Key Concepts and Definitions

• Civil liberties are individual rights and freedoms protected by the Constitution and laws (freedom of speech, religion, due process)
• Civil rights ensure equal treatment and protection from discrimination based on characteristics (race, gender, disability)
  • Derived from the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause
• Incorporation doctrine applies the Bill of Rights to state governments through the 14th Amendment's Due Process Clause
• Strict scrutiny is the highest level of judicial review for laws that infringe on fundamental rights or discriminate based on suspect classifications
• Rational basis review is the lowest level of scrutiny for laws that do not involve fundamental rights or suspect classifications
• Intermediate scrutiny is used for laws that discriminate based on quasi-suspect classifications (gender)
• Fundamental rights are those explicitly or implicitly guaranteed by the Constitution (privacy, marriage)
• Suspect classifications are those based on race, national origin, or religion that trigger strict scrutiny

Historical Background

• The Bill of Rights, ratified in 1791, initially only applied to the federal government
• The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, known as the Reconstruction Amendments, expanded civil rights after the Civil War
  • 13th Amendment abolished slavery
  • 14th Amendment granted citizenship and equal protection under the law
  • 15th Amendment prohibited racial discrimination in voting
• Jim Crow laws enforced racial segregation and discrimination in the South from the late 19th to mid-20th centuries
• The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s led to landmark legislation (Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965)
• The women's rights movement and other social movements expanded civil rights protections
• The Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) prohibited discrimination based on disability in employment, public accommodations, and government services

Constitutional Foundations

• The First Amendment protects freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition
  • Establishment Clause prohibits government from establishing or favoring a religion
  • Free Exercise Clause protects the right to practice one's religion
• The Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable searches and seizures and requires probable cause for warrants
• The Fifth Amendment provides due process rights, protection against self-incrimination and double jeopardy
• The Sixth Amendment ensures the right to a speedy and public trial, an impartial jury, and assistance of counsel
• The Eighth Amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishment and excessive bail and fines
• The Ninth Amendment states that the enumeration of certain rights in the Constitution does not deny or disparage other rights retained by the people
• The 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause prohibits states from denying any person equal protection under the law

Major Supreme Court Cases

• Marbury v. Madison (1803) established the principle of judicial review
• Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) upheld racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine
• Brown v. Board of Education (1954) overturned Plessy and declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional
• Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) established the right to counsel in criminal cases for defendants who cannot afford an attorney
• Engel v. Vitale (1962) ruled that school-sponsored prayer violates the Establishment Clause
• Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) recognized a constitutional right to privacy
• Loving v. Virginia (1967) struck down laws banning interracial marriage
• Roe v. Wade (1973) established a constitutional right to abortion
• Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) upheld affirmative action in college admissions but struck down racial quotas
• Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) legalized same-sex marriage nationwide

Evolution of Civil Liberties

• The incorporation doctrine gradually applied the Bill of Rights to state governments through the 14th Amendment's Due Process Clause
  • Gitlow v. New York (1925) incorporated the First Amendment's free speech clause
  • Mapp v. Ohio (1961) incorporated the Fourth Amendment's exclusionary rule
• The right to privacy evolved through cases like Griswold v. Connecticut and Roe v. Wade
• The Warren Court (1953-1969) expanded civil liberties protections (Miranda v. Arizona, Gideon v. Wainwright)
• The Burger Court (1969-1986) and Rehnquist Court (1986-2005) took a more conservative approach to civil liberties
• The Roberts Court (2005-present) has issued mixed rulings on civil liberties issues (Citizens United v. FEC, Obergefell v. Hodges)

Expansion of Civil Rights

• The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in employment, public accommodations, and federally funded programs
• The Voting Rights Act of 1965 banned racial discrimination in voting and required federal oversight of election laws in states with a history of discrimination
• Affirmative action policies aimed to increase diversity and remedy past discrimination in education and employment
  • Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) upheld affirmative action but struck down racial quotas
  • Grutter v. Bollinger (2003) upheld the use of race as a factor in college admissions
• The Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) prohibited discrimination based on disability
• The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (2009) expanded the time frame for filing pay discrimination claims
• The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (2009) expanded federal hate crime laws to include crimes motivated by a victim's sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability

Current Issues and Debates

• Balancing national security and civil liberties in the context of surveillance and counterterrorism measures
• Regulating hate speech and protecting free speech on college campuses and social media platforms
• Addressing police misconduct and racial profiling through reforms like body cameras and implicit bias training
• Ensuring equal access to voting and combating voter suppression tactics
• Protecting LGBTQ+ rights in areas like employment, housing, and public accommodations
• Debating the scope of religious freedom and accommodations for religious beliefs
• Reforming the criminal justice system to address racial disparities and mass incarceration
• Strengthening protections against sexual harassment and assault in the workplace and educational institutions

Impact on American Society

• The expansion of civil liberties and civil rights has made the United States a more inclusive and equitable society
• Landmark Supreme Court decisions have shaped American culture and politics
  • Brown v. Board of Education paved the way for desegregation and the Civil Rights Movement
  • Roe v. Wade sparked ongoing debates about abortion rights
  • Obergefell v. Hodges led to the legalization of same-sex marriage
• Civil rights legislation has reduced discrimination and increased opportunities for marginalized groups
• Social movements have raised awareness about injustices and advocated for change
• Debates over civil liberties and civil rights have highlighted tensions between individual freedoms and societal values
• The ongoing struggle for equal rights has revealed the resilience and adaptability of American democracy
• The protection of civil liberties and civil rights is essential for maintaining a free and just society